ilselena Got Next
Budding R&B singer ilselena Johnston is poised to make a name for herself with her new sweet-toned singles “Sweet Like Honey” and “He’s So Loveable” leading the way. Coming from a musically gifted family and being a participant in London’s growing R&B scene, ilselena has support and inspiration pouring in from every direction. The 21-year-old is soaking up the love and putting on her game face because she’s ready to bring her family’s legacy to the next level.
I want to hear more about what little ilselena was like. Where she grew up, how she fell in love with music, her personality, and what she dreamed of.
I grew up in Denmark and went to school in Copenhagen. I absolutely loved it and I still do, but I moved to the UK when I was eight or nine because I have always loved the arts from a young age and Denmark wasn’t the place for that. I studied musical theatre from a young age and have [always] been surrounded by music because of my dad (August Darnell a.k.a. Kid Creole of Kid Creole and the Coconuts).
I fell in love with music while going to my dad’s gigs and watching how happy he made the crowd feel! I featured on my brother’s (Dario Darnell, professionally known as Youngr) album Memories in 2020 and that’s the moment when I knew I wanted to release my own music. I had always dreamed of gigging in front of people the way my dad did and still does. So the fact I have been able to perform at a bunch of amazing venues in London already has been such a big dream of mine, and I am so lucky to have experienced this so early on in my career.
It was 2020 when you decided to begin recording and releasing your own music. Was there a learning curve that you had to overcome? How did the pandemic affect you and your music?
The pandemic actually helped me and pushed me to release my first single. I shot the artwork in my garden with my sister using a white bed sheet as the backdrop, and that’s when the music journey started. I was seventeen when I released my first single — “Seventeen” — which felt so surreal. My music has grown and developed since then, and I can’t wait to eventually release an album!
Let's talk about your music from "Sugar Pink Moon" to now. How has your music evolved since gaining avid listeners? Have you become more comfortable performing on stage over time?
I absolutely love performing on stage. I remember growing up at school and how nervous I’d be to sing in front of a small room of people with the school choir. Now I have performed at festivals and huge crowds in various venues across London. It’s such an amazing feeling! My confidence has grown massively. Especially with the experiences that I’ve gained along the way.
My voice has definitely matured and you can hear a huge difference in how my voice has developed, from my first single “Seventeen” to my latest song which I’ll be releasing very soon.
Where do you envision yourself in the next five years? Dream with your heart on this question.
I envision myself performing in all sorts of amazing places around the world, having an album out, or maybe even two! Just doing what I love, creating music authentic to myself and my sound.
