Prolific pop singer-songwriter Salem Ilese is taking the music industry by storm at only 23-years-old. Growing up outside of San Francisco, Salem has been making music for as long as she can remember.
Beyond her own music, she has also worked with some of music’s biggest names including Gwen Stefani, Pussy Riot, Ke$ha, Addison Rae, and more, even earning credits for her work on Demi Lovato’s recent album, HOLY FVCK, and Bella Poarch’s hit single, “Build a Bitch.”
Today, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Salem Ilese opens up about a one sided relationship in “Team Sport”.
“Team Sport” is a raw, unfiltered pop anthem that explores Salem’s internal monologue regarding a one-sided relationship. Inspired by the iconic 00s pop-rock sound, Salem Ilese is diving deep into her emotions creating one of the most personal tracks she’s made to date. Salem perfectly captures the emotional rollercoaster of forcing a relationship to work rather than letting it flow. She adds:
“Team Sport is about being in a one-sided relationship. It’s one of those rare songs that started out with the first verse. I usually write the chorus first, but this song began with the idea “there’s no “i” in love.” Relationships really are a team sport, whether it be romantic or otherwise. The production of this song is one of my favorites on the album. It feels very raw and emotional, and leans into my actual music taste, which is primarily alt rock. The instrumentation is mostly live, which I also appreciate.”
Despite taking time away from her own music to expand her horizons as a songwriter, Salem Ilese’s RIAA-certified Gold hit single “Mad at Disney” has amassed over 3.5 billion streams, with “PS5” following with over 500 million streams. Her last releases, “PainHub” and “Tall Boi” showcases a fresh new sound that combines pop melodies with high-concept lyrics criticizing media consumption. The track is the first step on this journey towards a new era in Salem’s career in collaboration with Rina Sawayama‘s creative director Crystal Lockhart.
