Lily Forte releases ‘One Ways,’ video to come

Remnants of Amy Winehouse, Lana Del Rey and any other absolute killer vocalist can be heard through Lily Forte’s powerful voice that immediately fills any room in which she performs.

The singer, a senior majoring in music industry, released her second single of the year, “One Ways,” Aug. 25. It is simultaneously gritty yet feminine, like most of her discography. It reeks of unrequited love and beautifully captures the self-inflicted pain from leading with your heart — a brave feat that Forte has seemingly mastered.

“In this song, I talk about the sort of obsession that you can have with someone and it goes so far and you really can’t control your thoughts at some points,” Forte said. “I feel like I say things that people might be like, ‘Oh that’s so crazy.’ We might have not all thought the same thing, but the feeling is there when you’re really obsessed with someone.”

One of the opening lines, “I take my time learning about what you like hoping that I could be that too,” effortlessly encapsulates that exact feeling. 

A south Florida native, Forte transferred to USC as a junior and made the trek out to California for the first time in 2021. She has since developed her artistry and grown a devoted fan base that eagerly awaits each of her coming releases and, according to Forte, the move “whipped [her] into shape.”

“Everyone’s out here following their pursuit, so it kind of just forces you to really look inward for what you want to do,” she said. “I feel like I had to become fearless in a sense and just not care what anyone thought about me because everyone’s trying to do this thing and if I really want to get there, I got to focus in on it.”

However, those who have worked alongside Forte — who was once described as a “glitzy bar singer” by a friend — know that her noticeable drive is not something new. 

Dylan Thomas, who has produced all of Forte’s releases thus far, became friends with the singer through the School of Rock program in Florida before reconnecting after high school and beginning their collaborations. 

“She does it all. I feel like every single stream she’s gotten on those songs she’s earned,” Thomas said. “I know what she was like in Florida where she would spend like five or six hours a day just pushing her music constantly.”

Frequent songwriting collaborator Jamie Gelman also echoed similar sentiments about Forte’s self-discipline and ability.

“She lives and breathes her craft and her music and is constantly seeking to improve it and to discover more about herself and her artistry,” said Gelman, a senior majoring in music industry. “I find it so impressive and inspiring for me. I love feeding off of her confidence in herself and in her music.”

Gelman, who became friends with the singer after meeting in a “class about rocks,” said co-writing songs with the singer has allowed for space to process the flurry of feelings we all have.

“As a songwriter, it really is more so being the conduit for the artist or helping them translate thoughts or what’s going on in their head,” Gelman said. “You [want to] make something that’s super relatable that can also make people want to just tap their feet or dance, or get up and feel something.”

As a self-proclaimed romantic, Forte is game for wearing her heart on her sleeve and leaving everything on the floor. 

“Being an artist, you just kind of have to be okay with everyone knowing your secrets. It is what it is,” Forte said.

Though her discography only consists of nine songs now, Forte feels that her growth and undoubtable upward trajectory is noticeable.

“With my EP ‘Losing the Illusion,’ I still hold it very close to my heart, but now looking back, I think I was playing it safe a bit,” Forte said. “Since then, I kind of grew into my voice a little bit more. I think I’m just more confident now and I think I’ve established who I am more.”

As a producer, Thomas works to build a song from chords and a melody to a holistic, sophisticated arrangement, and said that Forte’s self-awareness has made for extremely productive sessions.

“It’s fun working with her because she’s open-minded, and she knows what she likes and she knows what she wants, but she also lets me do my thing as well,” Thomas said.

Without the backing of a label and distribution or publishing deal, Forte proves that if you got it, you got it. Her work and following speak for themselves.

“I know that at this stage, no one’s going to work as hard as I am going to work on this stuff so I’ve been having to stay strong in my mindset and goals,” Forte said. “Finding people and seeking out collaborations with people that believe in me and believe in the art has been really important and I found that.”