Fil-Norwegian Artist HILLARI Drops 2nd EP ‘New Beginnings’

Ben Madilynn May 30, 2025

HILLARI releases her second EP, New Beginnings – a deeply personal body of work that embraces the chaos, doubt, and quiet beauty of starting over

With New Beginnings, Filipino-Norwegian pop and R&B artist HILLARI takes a mature and courageous step forward. The seven-track EP unfolds like a poetic and sonic journal, exploring themes of transformation, surrender, and the quiet strength found in growing into one’s true self. While her debut EP How Is Your Soul? introduced a promising new voice in Scandinavian music, New Beginnings solidifies her as a force to be reckoned with – not only as a songwriter and vocalist, but as a visionary artist in her own right.

At the heart of the project lies the focus track Control, produced by Taylor Hill and written entirely by HILLARI. It’s a song that carries the full weight of personal crisis – yet channels an unexpected sense of empowerment:

“I wrote Control in Los Angeles, in the middle of a time when my life felt like it was falling apart,” HILLARI shares. “That experience could have broken me – but instead, it gave me this song. I learned that losing control doesn’t always mean the end. Sometimes, it’s exactly what you need to begin again.”

With a voice that glides effortlessly between vulnerability and strength, Control bridges personal breakdown and collective resonance. It’s a song that doesn’t just get heard – it gets felt.

Other standout moments on the EP include Only God, a spiritual and powerful duet with Canadian gospel star Ryan Ofei (known from Maverick City Music), and Mind’s Eye, featuring Zacari, widely recognized for his work with Kendrick Lamar, including the hit LOVE. These collaborations underscore HILLARI’s ambition to craft music with both global reach and artistic depth.

New Beginnings blends atmospheric production with introspective lyricism, shifting seamlessly between the grand and the intimate. From the heart-wrenching honesty of Breaking Hearts to the irresistible hook of Lose It All, HILLARI proves her ability to make the personal universal. This is music for anyone seeking meaning amid uncertainty – for those who know what it’s like to let go in order to find themselves.

Based in Oslo with roots in the Philippines, HILLARI has already caught the attention of outlets like Billboard US, CNN, and Complex Philippines – an impressive feat for an artist still in the early stages of her career. But New Beginnings doesn’t feel like a beginning. It feels like a turning point.

This is no longer a promise for the future – it’s a present moment demanding to be heard.

Tracklist – New Beginnings by HILLARI

Only God (feat. Ryan Ofei) – 2:24
Lose it all – 3:14
New Beginnings – 3:04
Two Cents – 2:58
Breaking Hearts – 3:26
Control – 2:34
Minds Eye (feat. Zacari) – 3:08

LIVE

Live, HILLARI has recently sold out Oslo’s MUNCH Museum and is set to perform at key festivals across Europe and Asia, including Roskilde, Moldejazz, and Øyafestivalen. With a growing presence in Southeast Asia, she’s also caught the attention of the countless festivals.

In an age of over-curation and filtered perfection, HILLARI’s voice cuts through with sincerity and spiritual resonance. New Beginnings isn’t just a body of work – it’s a message to anyone standing at the edge of change: You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to keep going.