Dilan Skies Unveils Pop-Fuelled Debut Album ‘TO BE SEEN’ After Five Years of Musical Growth – Backseat Mafia

After steadily teasing new music throughout the year, British-Indian singer-songwriter and producer Dilan Skies has released his highly anticipated debut album, TO BE SEEN. The twelve-track project arrives in the fifth year of Skies’ career, showcasing the evolution of his sound, his growth as an artist, and his journey navigating the music industry without a conventional background.

Brimming with sleek refrains, catchy melodies, swelling synths, and pounding backbeats, TO BE SEEN reflects both Skies’ pop sensibilities and his personal experiences. The album explores themes of love, heartbreak, and self-discovery, with its title referencing the challenges of breaking through as an independent artist. Over the past year, Skies has built momentum through a string of singles, amassing thousands of streams and steadily growing his audience.

“This album has always meant more than just a collection of songs,” Skies explains. “Across these tracks, I’ve reached a new level with my music, being deeply involved in shaping the sound and sitting in on production sessions with a small circle of people I trust. I had originally set out to be a songwriter, but when those doors weren’t opening, I poured everything into my own artist project, not just to showcase myself as a songwriter, but also to truly step forward as an artist.”

Reflecting on the state of modern music, he adds: “Albums feel like a bit of a dying art in 2025. These days, it’s usually something reserved for the bigger artists, while the rest of us are caught up chasing algorithms, dropping singles back-to-back just to keep people’s attention. I’m no different, which is why this album rollout has looked the way it has, with most of the tracks already released as singles.”

Skies’ musical journey began in London, where he immersed himself in music from a young age. As a teenager, he began creating and experimenting with his craft in private before connecting with artist Edgar Sandoval Jr at the age of 18, an encounter that gave him the confidence to pursue songwriting seriously. Since debuting in 2020, Skies has built a colourful back catalogue influenced by pop and R&B, gaining support from platforms like BBC Introducing along the way.

With TO BE SEEN, Dilan Skies is poised to make his mark on the UK pop scene and beyond, offering a polished, thoughtful, and deeply personal statement of his artistry.

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