The warmth and detail in ilham’s music were forged by a lifetime spent quietly observing the world around her. As the daughter of Moroccan parents who immigrated to New York City’s Queensbridge Houses, she learned to exist on the periphery. The Cornell University graduate’s work is informed by the weight that comes with being a brown girl whose existence defies the spaces she’s found her way into. And while grappling with race and class in these ways can harden people, the experience has made ilham an empathetic songwriter, who sings her warm R&B in watchful whispers. Now with ilham, her first project as a Def Jam signee, she builds on her introspective approach by taking listeners on a journey through the thrills of new romance. The new EP’s most heartwarming moment is “corazon,” a stylish and sensitive flip of Cassie’s 2006 hit “Me & U,” with a feature from French Montana and a video directed by actress Karrueche. In a way, this era is what her work has been building to since she first entered the music industry, interning at labels by day and recording tracks influenced by ‘90s R&B at night. In 2020, ilham signed to Def Jam and she also fell in love. As a result, she uses her upcoming project as therapy for a whirlwind relationship that caught her off guard. In just a few years, ilham has gone from performing other people’s stories to boldly revealing her depths. It’s taken time, but she’s found a sound that feels honest. “I learned to embrace my voice,” she says.