Emerging singer ilham has released not one, but two new tracks. The double set (packaged as If You Know, You Know) was produced by Grammy-nominated duo The Fisticuffs.
“Back and Forth” finds the New York native trying to deal with a relationship that’s on the rock. “Why we have to go through that / Non-communication got this feeling flat, she sings.
Speaking on “Back and Forth,” ilham explained, “I love taking a director’s perspective when I write music. A lot of people may think my music is about intimate relationships but that’s not always the case. ‘Back and Forth’ is about the in-between stage in a relationship. When two people aren’t talking for whatever reason but they’re still friends or together, and they know they should communicate their issues but instead they just kind of ignore it.”
On “Run Dry,” which has an infectious snappy production, ilham reflects on close friendships that have started to fade.
“Of course, I wrote it in a way so people can also relate to it in an intimate way,” she explained. “Sometimes you grow apart from people that you really thought you were going to have with you for the rest of your life. Things like envy or ungratefulness may come in and you just have to acknowledge it and keep it pushing.”
“Back and Forth” and “Run Dry” follow ilham’s previously released songs “Down” and “Never Even Know,” which both dropped this year.
Listen to “Back and Forth” and “Run Dry” below.