Rap pop star Illy sledges fakers in comeback single Then What? after dealing with mental health issues

He owned the Australian airwaves with chart-toppers including Papercuts and Catch 22. Yet rapper Illy found a solo life writing his next hit had its misses.

Australian rapper and pop chart-topper Illy was everyone’s friend after the breakthrough of his fifth album Two Degrees.

Courtesy of smash hit singles Papercuts with Vera Blue and then Catch 22 with Anne-Marie, the man known as Alisdair Murray on his passport inevitably found himself posing for selfies with semi-famous people and on the receiving end of “we should work together” conversations from industry types.

It was natural the witty, acerbic rapper would take aim at the fragile nature of fame and the people attracted by it in his comeback single Then What? which he shared with fans last week.

Illy sledges the vacuous nature of fame on new single Then What? Picture: Supplied/Sony

“Going from Papercuts to Catch 22 and Two Degrees going to No. 1, my profile got higher so you had everyone wanting to be around,” he said.

“Then you have to get back to work writing songs again and you put your head down and those people don’t stay around.

“It’s such a cliche in this industry, how many f … ing times do you hear that a year? But it’s true.”

A new song isn’t the only byproduct of that experience.

Illy admits he’s had some tough times to navigate as he went on an international search for new producers and songwriters to work with for his sixth album.

His long-time collaborator M-Phazes is still on board but is in-demand from his Los Angeles base and the rapper was keen to explore other creative partnerships.

But the superficial “speed-dating” nature of a lot of sessions in the US and Europe, coupled with feeling lost after the breakdown of his six-year relationship and isolation overseas, put Illy in a dark place.

“I didn’t cope that well over the past two years. There was a lot of travel, a lot of being alone and the isolation is hard. It was a lot at times,” Illy said.

“I was let down by some people I felt I had been loyal to, I had a relationship breakdown two years ago; we’d been together for six years and I didn’t realise how stabilising that relationship was to my life until I didn’t have it anymore.

“I know that sounds like ‘Cry me a river, man, you’re travelling around the world doing writing sessions and making music for a living’.

“But everything is relative … there were times I had to see someone for that after a few bad moments, getting really down and not coping. You sought that out; there’s not great alternatives to sorting it out.

“And now I’m ready, ready to get back to doing shows, ready to put more music out there, just ready for it all.”

Illy and Vera Blue enjoyed major success with Papercuts in 2016. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Illy’s solo comeback with Then What? has been perfectly set up by his work with his very good mates Hilltop Hoods on their latest chart hit Exit Signs.

Despite being a “featured” artist on their track and enjoying huge success with special guests on his previous singles, the rapper turned pop singer said he was adamant his first song back would be a solo effort.

“I think people expected I would come back with a song that had a feature on it, so I didn’t want to do that,” he said.

“Everything is so moody at the moment and it’s cookie cutter, even though it is held up as being unique. It’s not. I think Then What? is more of a risk and why I pushed for it to be the first single.”

Illy hopes to release his sixth album later this year.