Stephanie
Illusion
It's all an Illusion
June 2024
— Although the song is written as 1 story line, lyrics stem from multiple “illusion” experiences . - One of these experiences being what was supposed to be a highly reputable or “prestigious” experience, & was the polar opposite. This experience lead me to learn , the word “prestigious “ is derived from the Latin adjective “praestigiosis” which actually means “conjuring tricks” or “deceitful” , creating an Illusion.
The songwriting process for illusion was different than most other song I’ve written. This song was written a little bit at a time over the course of about two years. I started writing it when the inspiration for the song sparked, but I wanted this song to be very intentional so I would go back to it periodically to add to it, make adjustments, & bring in collaborators as It felt right.
Influence
Adele, Rihanna, Amy Winehouse, CIL
I hope that this song provides a space for listeners to process their inner truth, and to also feel confident living out their truth . I also hope listeners feel understood sorting through the difficulties of deceit.
Did you work with collaborators? Yes I did! One thing the common listener may not realize is how much influence production has on a song, it changes the entire sound. This is an incredibly important step in the process of bringing any song to life, as it heavily transforms the sound.
Final Cut Decision
Do you have a favorite part?
Originally the song was built out acoustically with a bunch of vocal stacks. After sitting on this version, I couldn't get myself to feel settled, as the song felt like it was meant to have more pop/soul influence. This is when I decided on adding full pop production, which brought Illusion to life.
Yes! My favorite part is "sitting on the throne" after the 2nd chorus. This build is so powerful and is so fun to sing.
Whats next? Are you working on any new music?
Yes, I’m constantly writing and am currently working on future releases!
Maintaining structure and utilizing creative , intentional word choice & melody is how I balance artistic freedom with making music that resonates with my audience.
Illusion as...
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