IL_I

Ili balances empowerment and introspection in her polished dance-pop. The alias of one-time X Factor U.K. contestant Emily Middlemas, she made her Ili debut with the EP Changes in 2019. A native of Glasgow, Middlemas was performing in bands as early as age nine and started writing her own songs at 13. She won the Birmingham, England-based singing competition TeenStar in July 2014 as a 15-year-old. Middlemas first competed on Britain's The X Factor later that year as part of its 11th season, though she didn't make it as far as the live broadcasts. That changed two years later,...