Getty Images“When you show who you are, you shine all the time,” Ileana says.
The 22-year-old Palestinian-Chilean singer has millions of YouTube views and a collaboration with Coldplay under her belt.
This year she is also embarking on her first European tour, and told BBC Newsbeat she is keen to spread her homeland's message “through music and art”.
Eliana was born in Nazareth, an Arab city in northern Israel.
Israeli Arabs are descended from Palestinians who became citizens of Israel upon the creation of the state in 1948, and many of them still identify strongly as Palestinians.
“I feel as a young Palestinian artist, if I have a voice and a platform, I can speak about where I come from,” Eliana says.
“And talk about the beautiful things back home, which we desperately need.”
Eliana and her family moved from Nazareth to California in 2017, but she still feels a strong connection to Palestine.
In April 2023, she made history at the Coachella Festival, becoming the first person to sing an entire set in Arabic at the California music festival.
Months later, on October 7, the Palestinian Hamas movement launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel.
The massive Israeli military attack against it is still continuing.
Last year, Ileana told her fans that she was “praying for” Gaza and chose to do so Postponing her tour last year In solidarity with the people affected by the Israeli military attack.
One of her songs, “Olive Branch,” which she wrote with her brother and mother, includes nods to the people of Palestine, and she says the song is dedicated to them.
“They've been through a lot for a long time,” she says.
Getty ImagesAlthough some celebrities face criticism for not speaking out about events in the Middle East, Ileana says that's not the case for her.
“I don't feel like there's any pressure because I'm very proud of where I come from and who I am and who I am,” she told Newsbeat after a concert in Michigan last month.
“And I want other people my age, young people and artists in general, I want them to be proud of where they come from.
“I feel like this is my mission as an artist. It gives me a lot of purpose.
“I always believe in expressing your opinion, and I believe everyone should feel free to express what they feel.”
The power of appearance
Eliana sings in Arabic, With one review From her album Woledto she says she “plays with Arabic pop, R&B, EDM and jazz to express the nuances of love, loss and longing.”
This year, she collaborated with Coldplay, alongside Burna Boy, Little Sims and Tennie Their headlining set at Glastonbury.
The Coldplay collaboration is a teenage dream come true for Ileana, who is now approaching 10 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
“I saw their show (when) I was 15 in San Diego with my brothers, and I was inspired by this idea for about a week.
“And I remember saying to my sister: ‘One day I feel like I will sing with them.’”
“I can't believe this is true,” she says.
For her, as a young artist, working with the group was “the perfect inspiration and the perfect environment to be in.”
“They are legends, and they are so nice and down to earth in person, which makes it even more perfect.
“They represent beautiful things, and I feel like they really inspired me,” she says.
Getty ImagesNow that her tour is back to normal, she says the delay has taught her to “be patient.”
“It's a process, and it's like you have to learn to trust the process.”
Being on stage, her goal now is to “inspire people” in the same way that artists such as Amy Winehouse, Freddie Mercury and legendary Middle Eastern singer Fairouz did.
“When I was a young girl, I always wanted to feel inspired by artists, especially when they performed live,” she says.
“So I feel like I need to give that to others, inspire them, give them hope.
“I have a lot of people who have really inspired me in their own way, and I want to do the same for others.”
Ileana says she loves performing in the UK and seeing her fellow Arabs at her concerts.
“I feel that there are a lot of Arabs who want to introduce their culture to their friends,” she says.
“I am always amazed and very inspired because they are all here to listen to Arabic music,” she says.
