Combining intimate electro-pop with elements of R&B and hip-hop, the music of Lila Drew emerged in 2018 when, following some self-produced demos, she recorded her debut single, "faded/2am" with rapper GoldLink. An extended version of the song was included on her first EP, 2019's locket (side one). Over the next few years, she stuck to singles, including 2021's "2023" and "Lila's Theme."

A native of London, Lila Drew studied classical piano in childhood before starting to experiment with recording her own music after relocating to California as a teen. Using a combination of software including Ableton and Pro Tools, the Voice Memos app, and some old guitars, her early demos borrowed from pop, contemporary R&B, indie electronica, and hip-hop. Contrasting Drew's warm, soft-spoken singing with GoldLink's featured rapping, her first single, "faded/2am," arrived in October 2018. Her Mike McGarity-produced debut EP, locket (side one), followed in May 2019. Some of Drew's subsequent non-EP singles included 2020's "Dad's Van" and the next year's "2023," which was accompanied by a pair of Majid Jordan remixes. She returned with tracks such as "Bad Juice" and "Lila's Theme" in 2022. ~ Marcy Donelson, Rovi