Artist Heartilly is set to fully unveil her own musical world with the release of her first full-length album, '808 GIFT.'
'808 GIFT' is a nine-track album that blends the textures of EDM and rock with a foundation in pop rap and hip-hop. Built on powerful 808 bass, fast-paced drums, and sharp guitar sounds, the album is shaped by Heartilly's raw, direct vocals and rap, creating a distinctive style that is difficult to define within a single genre.
The album's central theme is the idea that even people who are far apart can be connected through invisible emotions and music. It traces, like a long journey, the moments when people in different places and times share a single beat and a shared feeling. Love and heartbreak, anxiety and freedom, questions of identity, and the desire to move forward all unfold across the tracks at different speeds and with different emotional temperatures.
From 'Crossroad & Cigarettes' to 'Full Speed To You,' 'Reckless Race,' '808 GIFT,' and 'Up All Night,' the included songs each express a different side of the story: confusion and hesitation at a crossroads, the urge to run straight toward someone, the struggle against oneself rather than others, and the energy that carries on until the night ends. Each track stands on its own, yet together they form a narrative that begins in unstable emotions, passes through pain and confusion, and ultimately leads to a choice in the direction one truly wants.
Heartilly took part directly in writing the album's English lyrics, melodies, and toplines. She first shaped the emotions and scenes she wanted to express into lyrics and melodies, then designed each song with different levels of rap and vocal intensity, breathing, and atmosphere. Rather than staying within the bounds of conventional pop vocals, she placed raw tone, strong diction, and direct expression at the forefront, using her voice as if it were an instrument.
MNSX served as a key partner in the album's overall production. Based on the melodies, toplines, and emotional scenes presented by Heartilly, MNSX developed the arrangements, sound design, and vocal direction in detail. Through ongoing collaboration, the two shaped the mood of each track and the overall flow of the album together.
In particular, the album focuses on connecting the elements of pop, hip-hop, EDM, and rock into a single musical language centered on Heartilly's voice and narrative, rather than simply listing them side by side. In tracks that require strong momentum, the energy of the 808 and drums is emphasized. In songs built around emotional scenes, guitar, synths, and vocal space are used to create contrast and balance throughout the album.
'808 GIFT' is Heartilly's first full-length album to clearly declare her musical identity and direction. It is also the result of collaboration between Heartilly's expressive toplines and storytelling and MNSX's production and direction. Beyond the quality of each individual track, the two built the sound together so that the entire album could flow as one speed, one emotion, and one world.
Starting with this album, Heartilly plans to establish HEARTILEXUDE, an independent label and creative platform that will house her artistic world. HEARTILEXUDE goes beyond being merely a name for releasing music. It expands into Heartilly's own creative system, connecting music, visuals, fashion, and performance into a single aesthetic.
Rather than adapting herself to existing genres and activity formats, Heartilly aims to design new standards and stages on her own. As both an artist and a creative director building her own world, she plans to use HEARTILEXUDE to create not just songs, but an entire culture and scene.
'808 GIFT' is the starting point where that world first appears in reality.
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
