Discovery of the Week: Ilta
The captivating vocal powerhouse bridging raw emotional vulnerability and infectious pop melodies
Ilta Elina Silva (née Fuchs) is a Finnish-German singer and songwriter from Jyväskylä, who rose to fame after participating in the recording of the song “Sillat” by the well-known Finnish rapper Cheek.
Thanks to this collaboration, while still a student at the Helsinki Pop & Jazz Conservatory, Ilta caught the attention of the label Warner Music Finland, signing a contract with them in 2016. She began her solo career with covers of Adele's songs “All I Ask” and “River Lea”, but already in 2017, she released her own song, “Koukkuun”, which achieved gold status in Finland. While continuing to release new singles, in 2019 Ilta also participated in Tähdet, tähdet, a Finnish entertainment show aimed at finding the country's best performer through weekly genre-bending challenges.
Ilta finished in third place.
Soon after, it was announced that the singer was preparing to release her debut album, which had been in development since she was first noticed by Warner Music Finland.
Thanks to this collaboration, while still a student at the Helsinki Pop & Jazz Conservatory, Ilta caught the attention of the label Warner Music Finland, signing a contract with them in 2016. She began her solo career with covers of Adele's songs “All I Ask” and “River Lea”, but already in 2017, she released her own song, “Koukkuun”, which achieved gold status in Finland. While continuing to release new singles, in 2019 Ilta also participated in Tähdet, tähdet, a Finnish entertainment show aimed at finding the country's best performer through weekly genre-bending challenges.
Ilta finished in third place.
Soon after, it was announced that the singer was preparing to release her debut album, which had been in development since she was first noticed by Warner Music Finland.
Unfortunately, she had to wait four years to release it because it was initially intended that other musicians would write the music and lyrics for her during a songwriting camp. However, suitable writers were never found, and previously proposed ideas were constantly rejected as they did not match her vision for the project. Ultimately, she wrote the songs herself, while producers Väinö Wallenius and Lasse Piirainen helped her finalize them. Ilta's debut full-length album, titled Näitä hetkiä varten, was released in the autumn of 2020. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ilta, like other musicians, was unable to embark on a large-scale tour to support the album. She then decided to participate in Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu, the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, entering with the track “Kelle mä soitan”, but she was unable to win, losing to the band Blind Channel.
Ilta's second solo album, titled Mä oon vaan ihminen, was released in the autumn of 2023. Despite its high-quality content, the LP failed to attract as much attention as her debut work. However, Ilta continued to evolve creatively and subsequently took part in Vain elämää, a Finnish entertainment show where musical artists live together for eight days, performing both their own tracks and covers of each other's songs. Throughout her time on the show, Ilta established herself as one of the clear favorites.
Ilta's second solo album, titled Mä oon vaan ihminen, was released in the autumn of 2023. Despite its high-quality content, the LP failed to attract as much attention as her debut work. However, Ilta continued to evolve creatively and subsequently took part in Vain elämää, a Finnish entertainment show where musical artists live together for eight days, performing both their own tracks and covers of each other's songs. Throughout her time on the show, Ilta established herself as one of the clear favorites.
- Tuuli TalvinenFounder & Editor-in-ChiefInterviewer