Norwegian Filipino Artist HILLARI Channels Her Roots Into Her Sound

Norwegian Filipino artist HILLARI’s distinct, soul-stirring sound carries notes from her roots.

When her mother left the Philippines and moved to Norway for work, a then pint-sized Hillari Alison Conlu, who goes by the stage name HILLARI, bridged the distance through music, singing her heart out during their weekly Skype calls. Born in Oslo and raised between Bago (in Negros) and Norway, the now 21-year-old is making waves as one of the most exciting breakthrough artists coming out of Scandinavia. 

Conlu’s bold vocals, soulful lyrics, and raw storytelling have also hit a chord in her native Philippines, where her acoustic single “Loyal” made it onto Spotify’s Top Viral chart and was one of the country’s most Shazammed songs. “I really want to have a household name in the future and represent our flag,” she tells Vogue Philippines over a video call from her Oslo apartment.

Growing up, Conlu was always surrounded by music, be it the bossa nova her mother listened to at home, the hymns belted out by a church choir, or the times she was forced by her lola to perform for her titas at family gatherings, with the melodies of her childhood becoming a security blanket during times of difficulty. Moving to Norway at age eight, she says learning the language was the easy part, but it was during holidays like New Year’s Eve or the Norwegian National Day when she first realized how different she was from her peers.

“I had this culture shock because I saw they were celebrating with their friends,” she shares, explaining how, in contrast, she and her sister were expected to stay at home with the rest of the family. Aside from missing out on celebrations, growing up in a strict Asian household meant she was often left off the invite list for birthday parties and other outings due to her early curfew. “It affected my relationships and my friendships…it brought a lot of isolation,” she adds. But her eyes brighten as she holds up her journal, filled to the brim with scribbles, recalling that it was also during this period that she discovered her passion for songwriting. 

“I think a lot of that isolation brought me to a place of just getting to know myself, knowing what I want, and carving my own lane. So that’s definitely an important narrative in my story,” she muses. It was with this grit, ambition, and a deep faith, that Conlu “threw herself out there” in her quest to become a professional recording artist. She remembers the hours spent scanning the credits of her favorite musicians on Spotify, taking note of producers and songwriters who she eventually reached out to with a simple message: Hi, my name is Hillari. I’m 17. I don’t have any songs yet, but I’m a big fan of your work. Here are some of my demos. 

In parallel, she started posting covers and unreleased demos on social media and was surprised by the following she was building. After analyzing her video statistics with her team, she was amazed at the traction she was getting, not just in Norway and the Philippines, but also in places like London, LA, South Africa, and most significantly, Canada. Unsure of what to do, she turned to her mother for guidance, and was surprised by her response: Go for it. “I had it ingrained in me that she was such a strict mother, and second of all, [I was always told] that [I had to put] education first, and I was in the middle of my exams,” she shares. Encouraged by her mother’s support, she booked a flight to Toronto, only to realize that she didn’t know anyone in the city. Her mother, she says, was already on the case: leveraging the Filipino spirit of bayanihan, she went on Facebook and “found a random Filipino auntie that let me couch surf,” recalls Conlu. “So I flew all the way to Toronto at 17 years old, did music sessions and label meetings in the day, and my exams at night. I was just networking and just throwing myself out there on social media.” It was then, she remembers, that everything seemed to click. 

Going even deeper into her Filipino roots, Conlu speaks proudly of her Bagohon blood, sharing that her upbringing in the small town on the Southwestern coast of Negros influenced the values she now carries as an adult. These beliefs were especially nurtured during her mother’s visits home from Norway, when the family would spend quality time together by giving back to the community; trips to local foster homes and prisons to distribute food and toiletries are embedded in Conlu’s memories. So influential was her hometown that she chose her old provincial elementary school as the backdrop when shooting visuals for her single “New Beginnings,” where she sings about having faith that her perseverance during tough times would be rewarded one day. With a transformative next few months ahead, it looks like that time has come.

In just a few short years, the bright-eyed teenager has evolved into one of the most promising emerging artists in R&B and soul: with a recent Spellemann award (the Norwegian Grammys), sold-out shows across the world, and features in multiple publications, Conlu believes that “turning hurt into melodies” led her not just to a career, but it also allowed her to build a community. While Taylor Swift has her Swifties and Beyoncé has the BeyHive, it’s Conlu’s FamHilly that stands as a constant reminder of the lives her music has touched. 

“I was one of the people that needed a community and never had one,” she explains, sharing how a closed WhatsApp group, consistent social media engagement, and intimate live shows have allowed her FamHilly community to connect with her and each other.  “I don’t want my music to just be about myself. I want my music to be about other people. So I’m really just here to be of service to that. I want to make people feel like they belong and that they have a community they can count on.”

At the time of our interview, Conlu is fresh from a work trip to Los Angeles, a city she has frequented since her professional launch in 2023 to do recordings, network with other artists, and find inspiration. This year, she’ll be releasing her debut album in collaboration with producers like Morten “Mogilla” Gillebo, MarLo, Yakob, and Ari PenSmith, a milestone that brings her a lot of pride and excitement. Describing her music as “soulful, uplifting, and pure,” she has already offered a teaser of what’s to come in the form of new singles I’m still and It ain’t easy, which reflect on themes around finding stillness and the beauty of selfless love. She’s now in a relationship, a topic she says “isn’t a secret, but is private,” and one that has greatly influenced the tracks on her new album. “You know, we Filipinos, we’re the ultimate yearners,” she muses, reminiscing about the “old school love songs” she grew up listening to in the Philippines and how she’s seeing those influences coming out in her latest work. Growing up in a conservative family in an introverted Scandinavian environment, music was always her way of expressing herself, and now, she sees her “Filipino side taking more [space]” in her new melodies. 

As she steps into this next phase of her journey, she looks forward to having further opportunities to connect with her Filipino fans, whether that be through experimenting with Ilonggo words in her songs or playing more shows in the Philippines, an experience which she says feels like a warm hug. “The Philippines is where a lot of my musical inspirations come from, where my values were built, where my identity was formed. Going back home, it’s like a full circle moment.”