Dilhan Şeşen’s music is not only heard, but felt and lived through. Moving between her instincts and the expectations of the industry, she creates a language of her own. For her, creating is less about building a fixed identity and more about honestly sharing a constantly evolving state of being. She explores the place of sincerity in music, the challenge of remaining original in an age of visibility, and the creative power of imagination.

DUYGU What place does the idea of a “blueprint” hold in your musical journey? When creating your own voice, which expectations do you find yourself resisting the most?

DİLHAN To me, Blueprint represents a period in which I began embracing my identity without fear. Within a male-dominated industry -as in many other fields- women are often expected to be controlled, easily defined, and lacking in complexity. But I refuse to limit my existence simply because those expectations exist. I am made up of my contradictions, my vulnerabilities, my strengths, the parts of myself I struggle to accept, and so much more. I’m certainly not going to leave a path that belongs to me in someone else’s hands.

DUYGU What is it that truly makes a song unforgettable? Technique or sincerity?

DİLHAN When sincerity is supported by technique, the result can be something truly magical. Emotion on its own can sometimes become scattered, while technique on its own can feel a little lifeless. It’s the combination of the two that creates a remarkable balance.

DUYGU How much do you trust your instincts? When your inner voice clashes with the expectations of the industry, which one do you listen to?

DİLHAN It depends on the situation. Sometimes, when my inner voice speaks clearly, it feels right to follow it without overthinking. Other times, that voice can be shaped by habit or by the comfort of what feels familiar. When it clashes with the expectations of the industry, I try to bend the idea a little and translate it into my own language. Finding common ground feels more creative, and more enjoyable to me.

Dilhan wears a skirt by NU, a top by Twist, adn shoes by Hermès.

DUYGU What is the difference between being visible and truly being yourself? Has it become more difficult to preserve originality in the age of social media?

DİLHAN Visibility is about how we appear to the outside world, whereas being yourself is a much more inward process. It doesn’t always have to be consistent or fixed; sometimes it changes, and sometimes it goes unnoticed. Today, visibility is increasingly intertwined with the pressure to perform, which means that preserving originality is shaped by that pressure as well. Originality isn’t something that exists entirely outside of external influences. Rather, it’s something that manages to survive despite them, something that can emerge from beneath that pressure and remain true to itself.

DUYGU How would you describe that spark that makes your eyes light up and your heart race? What still drives you to create with the same excitement as day one?

DİLHAN I’m fascinated by transience, the magic of encounters, and the layered nature of humans. The fact that nothing remains fixed, that everything can transform into something else at any moment, always leaves room for new possibilities. It feels as though nothing is ever truly finished or complete; everything is constantly being rebuilt through connection and separation. And with each of those moments, I find myself changing alongside it.

“I’m fascinated by transience, the magic of encounters, and the layered nature of humans. The fact that nothing remains fixed, that everything can transform into something else at any moment, always leaves room for new possibilities. It feels as though nothing is ever truly finished or complete; everything is constantly being rebuilt through connection and separation. And with each of those moments, I find myself changing alongside it.”

-Dilhan Şeşen

DUYGU What role does imagination play in the creative process? Do you think we create our reality by imagining it first?

DİLHAN First comes imagining, and then recognizing the details that make that possibility real. In a way, everything that has yet to be lived begins by taking shape within us. A feeling, an encounter… It first forms in our inner world, and then we begin to notice the moments in the outside world that align with it. At that point, reality becomes something more fluid. Because you are no longer only seeing what is there; you begin to see more clearly the pieces that connect with the possibility you have created in your mind.

DUYGU How has your connection to music transformed other aspects of your life?

DİLHAN The more I engage with music, the less I feel the need to control things and the more I find myself dissolving into a collective flow. It has brought greater flexibility into my life, a stronger sense of connection, and a deeper ability to recognize the potential hidden within each moment.

From Based Istanbul N°46 ICONS, Redefined Issue.

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Creative Direction & Interview by Duygu Bengi

Directed by Yağız Yeşilkaya

Photography by Zeynep Özkanca

Styled by Emre Köklüçınar

Makeup by Birce Selçik

Hair by Zeynep Dombaycıoğlu

Creative Production by BI Creative

Content Editor Duru Ustaoğlu

Creative Team Ali Aydın Ustaoğlu

Gaffer Okan Ataş

Photography Assistant Mustafa Berber

Styling Assistant Bora Beler

Makeup Assistant Rana Gülsoy

Hair Assistant Valbona Shaban

Lightning Assistants Arif Bilbay, Ali Şimşek, Beykan Baloğlu

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