ARTIST PROFILE: Amani Lillian
“No matter what you’re doing, just make sure it’s the most authentic version of yourself.”
Amani Lilian’s corner of the world is colorful and has quite the soundtrack.
Amani Adelekan, known professionally as Amani Lillian, is a singer-songwriter based in and around New Jersey and New York City. Her style is largely pop and R&B, with just a whisper of jazz and folk added to the mix. She credits her family for providing the foundation for her interest in music.
“My parents met at music school. My mom was studying musical theater, my dad was studying music production at Berkeley in Boston,” she told Blanket Magazine. She says their home was filled with eclectic music tastes. “I was introduced to some of the greats very early on, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, a little bit of Queen, Gospel music.”
Her curiosity took her the rest of the way. She was inspired by Radio Disney and the artists that were introduced to her in middle school. It was an avenue for her to hear young artists talking about their creative processes.
“That was the most perfect programming to have at the time. They don’t have anything like that now,” she said.
Then it was Amani’s turn. In middle school a godparent offered up a spare guitar. She taught herself to play “Should’ve Been Us” by Tori Kelly. As a budding musician she began to imitate what she heard from artists like Kelly and John Mayer, weaving in their chord progressions and singing styles until she found her own style.
“I think he has one of the best balances of the lyrics and the feel of the music,” Amani added about Mayer, whom she credits as an early influence in both instrumentation and songwriting.
At the risk of sounding too corny, Amani says she makes music from the heart and hopes that listeners find bits of themselves in her music, while still seeing bits of her.
- Photo Credit Nicholas McMillen
In her early 20s she started taking formal guitar lessons in college, cleaning up her techniques and picking up some of the core theory elements she missed as a self-taught musician.
As a songwriter she starts ith the musicality of a piece first: “I love words and I love how beautiful words can be, especially in music. But when I listen to music, the first thing I'll think about is ‘do I like the instrumentation’ and how that makes me feel.”
Nowadays she’s inspired by artists like Olivia Dean and Yebba, noting that she loves “the way [Yebba’s] voice soars through music, it sounds great with the riffs and all that stuff and the R&B capabilities she has, and then she flips it around with some folk stuff. I love music that fuses a bunch of genres together.”
Other artists in her rotation include Bon Iver, particularly his 2007 album For Emma, Forever Ago. “Front to back, I could listen to that album all day long,” she says emphatically.
“Re: Stacks” and “Blindsided” are two of her favorites off the album. “That’s some of the folk elements, folk, singer-songwriter, alternative sound that I just love so much. Little pieces of that will come out into my music these days.”
Recently, she says, “I was reading this book called Happy Place by Emily Henry. One of my favorite books ever. As I was reading that book I put on the instrumental version of that album. So every time I hear it I think about the characters in that book. Very coming of age vibe, life and friends and family.”
Amani’s earliest live performances were during her time at Monmouth University. Her transition from university-oriented performances to up on stage in New York has been transformational.
She’s performed two sets with Breaking Sound, a platform that offers a space for emerging artists to perform sets across New York City.
“That showcase has been so great with newer artists,” she said. “I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else. They’ve been two great experiences that have been added to my arsenal.”
Her first performance with Breaking Sound featured a band backing her up. Her most recent performance was a solo acoustic set at Brooklyn Music Kitchen.
- Photo Credit Nicholas McMillen
She performed originals like “Soul Connection” and “Take Up Everything.” Later on in her set she added in covers from Olivia Dean and Paramore, bending and blending genres with her own resonant vocals.
A gracious and open sentiment floats throughout her live performances. It feels as though Amani draws the audience a bit closer to her with each lyric she sings. She bears her heart and soul, truly.
In “Soul Connection” she sings, “You're wearing out my patience / You're wearing it out thin / I'm trying to be gracious / but I can't do this again / I try my best to ignore this noise of desperation / I try my best to hold out for this thing called Soul Connection.”
“It’s such an exciting thing to do because I get to really put my own stamp, making my own distinct vision for the music I make and expanding that whether through a band or presenting that in my own way by myself on the stage,” Amani said. “Now I think my experiences have given me both sides of that same coin.”
Looking ahead, Amani said she hopes that her future performances will be a blend of both. In her wildest dreams Amani envisions opening up for artists like Olivia Dean and Tiny Habits.
As January comes to a close, Amani is looking ahead at the coming months. “I have the hopes of releasing an EP this year,” she said. “That is absolutely on the top of my list and to be able to release a whole new vibe of music so that I can then perform and have a new kind of take to my sound and new photos and a new kind of era for my music.”
Keep an eye on her Instagram and TikTok accounts for updates on what’s ahead for her.
And for what’s ahead for artists to come, Amani says that “No matter what you’re doing, just make sure it’s the most authentic version of yourself.” The rest will take care of itself. “That will keep you grounded. That will keep your identity, keep your ‘why’ really pure.”
She says leading with authenticity from the outset will make everything else easier: “You’ll be proud of what you’re doing. I’m just being myself.” —Olivia Bardo
