Illest Morena‘s first album is finally here.
On September 20, the hip-hop/R&B star released her long-awaited debut album, Morenita. Containing a total of 15 tracks, it includes the previously released singles, “Sabik,” as well as the title track, “morenita.” The album notably contains features from fellow Filipino hip-hop artists. Namely, this includes Skusta Clee on “Buena Chica,” Hev Abi on “Quickie,” and Ramleb on “Grammy” as well as “Eastside Luv,” which also sees the appearance of Yortsu.
Illest Morena officially announced the release of Morenita last September 11. She then offered a taste of the album by unveiling “morenita” on September 18, first revealing its release on an Instagram story alongside the announcement of Morenita‘s release date.
“I love making art but I don’t want to keep doing the same thing forever,” she proclaimed in an exclusive interview for Billboard Philippines‘ Hip-Hop Issue earlier this year. “That’s why my discography sounds like it. It all tells a story; it just doesn’t sound the same. I don’t hold back on what I really want to say.”
Illest Morena was part of the Pinoy Hip-Hop Class of 2024 — the cover stars of Billboard Philippines‘ first ever Hip-Hop Issue. Joining her were fellow homegrown hip-hop artists O SIDE MAFIA, Tus Brothers, Felip, Zae, Hellmerry, PLAYERTWO, and Hev Abi. All eight artists came together for a special episode of Billboard Philippines Studios, which now has more than 2.5 million views on YouTube.
She is best known for her viral hits “Faded (Raw),” “Slow Burn,” “Pick Up,” and more. Most recently, she shared the stage with Alamat, Kyle Echarri, Nik Makino, as well as K-pop group NewJeans at the SM Mall of Asia Arena for ‘The Ultimate Fandom Concert.’
Listen to Illest Morena’s Morenita below: