Salem Ilese | |
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.jpg) Ilese performing in 2022 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Salem Ilese Davern |
| Born | August 19, 1999 |
| Origin | Mill Valley, California |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 2018–present |
| Labels | 10K Projects |
| Website | www |
Salem Ilese Davern (born August 19, 1999) is an American singer-songwriter best known for her viral singles "Mad at Disney" and "PS5". She has also co-written songs for artists such as Bella Poarch and Demi Lovato and co-wrote K-pop girl group Illit's hit single "Magnetic".
Originally from Mill Valley, California, Ilese started taking songwriting classes with Bonnie Hayes when she was ten years old and spent two years majoring in Hayes' songwriting program at the Berklee College of Music. Ilese moved to Los Angeles, where she signed to Homemade Projects and released her debut EP, 757, in 2019.
In 2020, Ilese released the song "Mad at Disney" after a series of Disney live-action remakes which drew the ire of fans. It became her breakout hit because of its popularity on social media platforms such as TikTok and was certified gold by the RIAA. In 2021, Ilese released her second EP (L)only Child and collaborated with Alan Walker on "Fake a Smile". She found her next online hit with 2022's "PS5", a collaboration with Tomorrow X Together which featured Walker. In 2023, she released her debut album high concept. Ilese's pop songs are usually about dissatisfied relationships and written around a single hook, particularly brand names. This style of songwriting—sometimes dubbed the "mad at disney genre"—has been criticized as inauthentic, overused and purposefully written to attract attention on social media.