Electronic dance music artist ILLENIUM released his third studio album “ASCEND” on Aug. 16. The angelic melodic music creases through the album of mixed emotions with featured artists such as X Ambassadors, Jon Bellion and The Chainsmokers. Photo fair use of billboard.com
Nick Miller, also known by his stage name ILLENIUM, released his third studio album “ASCEND” on Aug. 16.
Denver-based artist, ILLENIUM released “ASCEND,” his most uplifting and emotional album yet, on Aug. 16. The album features 17 different tracks, each of which contains a variety of sentimental lyrics and beat drops, bringing listeners into an immersive world of storytelling and passion. “ASCEND” is available on iTunes for $11.99 and Spotify.
Prior to his full electronic dance music (EDM) album release, ILLENIUM released songs that included featured artists The Chainsmokers, Jon Bellion and Foy Vance. These earlier released songs are beautifully mastered with mesmerizing music and visually-captivating videos that show the essence of who ILLENIUM truly is.
“Take You Down,” released on Aug. 3, 2018, prior to the full release of ILLENIUM’s third studio album “ASCEND,” on Aug. 16. The single depicts the struggles ILLENIUM faced at a young age with opioid addiction and how he recovered from it with music.
His first revealed single, “Take You Down,” was inspired by fans who shared their stories on how his music has helped them in dealing with difficulties such as depression, addiction or the loss of a loved one. “Take You Down” tells of ILLENIUM’s struggles with opiate addiction for over six years at a young age and how music has saved him.
The album features a mix of catchy vocals, future-bass, pop and each song progressively gets more intense in its rhythm. In addition to the impressive musical elements, the lyrics add significantly to the overall experience.
The track “Sad songs,” featuring Said the Sky and vocalist Annika Wells stands out from the rest of the album due to the soft somber guitar playing in the background for the majority of the song. Raw emotion and sadness can be heard through Wells’ vocals as it helps embody the vision of the lyrics and paints a picture of walking in a sad, fiery road, illuminating its way to the next song.
Overall, “ASCEND” did a fine job creating a glorious, beautiful and heartfelt album. ILLENIUM shows that he isn’t afraid of breaking the boundaries of Electronic Dance Music, trying new things and separate from expectations.
