Emerging singing sensation Lillia Lessev, who wowed crowds at Jacaranda Day in 2018, has just released a catchy new single and fans are crazy about it!
HEARTLESS was written and composed by the sixteen-year-old herself. The song is about how people tend to make assumptions and pass judgment without getting to know someone or understand what they are going through.
The young singer-songwriter says she was inspired to write HEARTLESS because people sometimes feel misjudged and misunderstood. “I used to get really stressed out about other people’s opinions of me, but then realised how little people actually know about me. I’ve also learnt that you can never truly judge who a person is just by how they act around you. This inspired me to write Heartless, which is about how people can be quick to aim their judgements and words at others, and how that can hurt. However, eventually you realise that the opinions of these people shouldn’t matter. You learn to ignore the false words of people who are simply projecting their own insecurities onto you.”
Lillia started vocal training with Jolanda Becker at the age of twelve. “I have come a very long way since then,” she admits. “My musicality and voice have improved incredibly!” Inspired to start writing her own songs, the young singer realised that she would need to learn how to play an instrument to achieve her goals. This is when she got a guitar, marking the start of her singer-songwriter journey. To improve her songwriting and adding to her musical skillset, Lillia recently also started taking piano and ukulele lessons.
The rising young star released her debut single, Heartbeat, in 2018. Shortly, thereafter, she got the opportunity of a lifetime. “A family friend recommended that I enter my song in a competition on Jacaranda FM. I didn’t think I stood a chance, but I entered anyway and, unbelievably, I won with my very first single! As a result, I got to perform at Jacaranda Day 2018, which was an experience I will never forget. I also had my first radio interview and I performed on Friday Live.”
Lillia subsequently released two more singles – Losing My Mind and Rusted. The latter was entered into The UK Songwriting Contest, where it reached the finals in two categories. “I also entered Rusted in the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) in Nashville and was named a finalist in this competition and received an honourable mentioned certificate. This was very exciting as there were 18 000 entries from around the world!”
According to Lillia, each song she writes has a special place in her heart. Heartless is especially dear to her. She says: “HEARTLESS talks about things that I still think about and deal with daily, and I’m sure many other people do, too. I like to think of it as my ‘warrior anthem’. I am very proud of how the song turned out.”
As a get-up-dust-yourself-off anthem, Lillia believes that listeners will not only enjoy the single’s upbeat, catchy tune, but will also be able to relate to the deeper message.
“I want people to connect with my songs and to feel something when they listen to them. I have songs that I love to listen to when I feel a certain way because I relate to them and I connect with them on an emotional level. I want my songs to do that for people,” she says.
Lillia is part of a family in which music has a very special place and has had the opportunity to explore the musical world from a young age.
The artist is and has always been encouraged by her parents to seek her own style and to keep the originality of her music. “They have always given me the opportunity to chase my dreams and taught me to follow my heart, no matter what others might think or say.”
As for musical influences, hers are constantly changing. “I like to listen to lot of different music, but I do have favourite artists, such as Taylor Swift, Grace VanderWaal, Troye Sivan and Birdy. At the moment, Taylor Swift is undoubtedly my biggest inspiration.” As for local artists, she would love to work with Jeremy Loops.
Her biggest challenge, she admits, is time management. “I’m still figuring out how to manage my time effectively and find a balance between my music and school, but I always find time to do the thing that I love!”
With tons of talent, passion and tenacity, Lillia’s favourite quote by Walt Disney couldn’t be more apt: “All dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”
HEARTLESS is available now on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Deezer, Google Play and YouTube.
