Salem Ilese

Salem Ilese Davern, born August 19, 1999, is an American singer and songwriter. She gained widespread attention for her hit singles "Mad at Disney" and "PS5". In addition to her solo recordings, she has contributed as a songwriter for several high-profile acts, including Ava Max, Bella Poarch, Demi Lovato, and Illit.

Raised in Mill Valley, California, Ilese began developing her musical talents early in life. She started taking songwriting lessons at age 10 in San Francisco under the instruction of Bonnie Hayes. Ilese later enrolled at the Berklee College of Music, where she spent two years studying within Hayes's songwriting program.

After relocating to Los Angeles, Ilese secured a deal with Homemade Projects. She made her official project debut in 2019 with the release of her first extended play, titled 757.

Her career breakthrough came in 2020 with the release of the single "Mad at Disney". Inspired by public dissatisfaction surrounding live-action Disney remakes, the song went viral on platforms like TikTok and earned an RIAA certification. It reached number 67 on the Billboard Global 200 and secured a place on the Rolling Stone Top 100 Popular Songs chart. Around this period, she also released her second EP, (L)only Child, promoted via a food truck event, and collaborated with Alan Walker on the track "Fake a Smile".

Ilese continued to release popular music while expanding her songwriting portfolio. She co-wrote major tracks such as Jamie Miller's "Here's Your Perfect", Bella Poarch's "Build a Bitch", Tomorrow X Together's "Anti-Romantic", and ILLIT's "Magnetic". Another solo track, "Crypto Boy", gained traction across YouTube Shorts and TikTok. In 2022, she released and sang on "PS5", a successful social media track recorded alongside Tomorrow X Together and produced by Alan Walker.

In July 2023, Ilese announced her first full-length studio record, High Concept, which launched on September 15, 2023. The album rollout featured promotional singles such as "PainHub" and "Strongly Worded Letter".

From an artistic standpoint, Ilese frequently constructs her music around a central theme, often incorporating product or brand references to make her tracks recognizable. Her signature sound has been characterized as dance-pop focused on relationship themes and dissatisfaction. Following the massive success of her breakout single, media commentators noted that "Mad at Disney" helped define a distinct trend of nostalgic, relatable pop songs designed to achieve viral success on social media platforms.