Wearing the Heart on Its Sleeve: LILI’s “Down Bad” Embraces Vulnerability

by Scott Roos

Our grade: B

“Down Bad,” released in October 2025, marks a vulnerable and important step for Saskatchewan indie artist LILI, a nehiyaw iskwew musician from Sturgeon Lake First Nation known for her heartfelt songwriting and grounded presence. As her first ballad, the track leans fully into emotional honesty, exploring the aftermath of a painful breakup and the quiet humiliation that can come from loving someone who never truly loved you back. Drawing on themes of limerence, self-worth, and resilience, LILI frames the song not only as a confession but also as a declaration that she deserves something deeper and more genuine.

The vocal performance is the song’s strongest feature. LILI sings with an exposed, intimate tone that feels deeply personal, as though she’s letting listeners in on something she’s still actively healing from. Her emotive delivery carries the narrative effectively, even in moments where the upper register becomes slightly unsteady. The sincerity in her voice, however, more than makes up for those imperfections, reinforcing the authenticity at the heart of the track.

Musically, the arrangement starts with a sparse piano accompaniment performed by Matt Stinn, creating a calm and reflective mood. While this minimalism suits the subject matter, a more rhythmic push early on could have helped maintain momentum. As the song progresses, it builds, but it feels like it stops just short of the full emotional payoff it hints at. The addition of drums, fuller instrumentation, or layered backing vocals might have elevated the track into something closer to a sweeping, almost euphoric, gospel-like moment.

There are also places where the lyrics feel slightly crowded within the metre, occasionally disrupting the flow. Simplifying a few phrases could strengthen the song’s pacing and clarity.

Even so, “Down Bad” shows clear promise. With strong contributions from Joseph Laplante and Graham Smith on production and mixing, the foundation is solid. It may not have fully settled into its niche yet, but the potential here is undeniable.