George Riley manifests dark energy in her influencer-spoofing “Power” video
Listen to the latest cut from the London-based artist ahead of debut project Interest Rates, a tape.
Slowly but surely George Riley has established herself as one of the more innovative voices to emerge from London in the past few years. Whether she's writing about the narrow lens through which we view the climate crisis or critiquing patriarchal music industry culture, her vocals remain captivating and her choice of beat is always on point. New song "Power," premiering above, changes the game once more. Starting out in a laidback style, Riley opens up as the BPM increases and rolls into a huge jungle break.
Written about a period in her life when she was looking to move past needing the attention of others to feel good, Riley runs with that theme in the "Power" video. Directed by fellow artist Joviale (whose latest EP Hurricane Belle is also a must-listen) the pair have created a visual that riffs on the narcissistic world of influencer culture and the darkness that lies within.
Speaking about "Power" via email, Riley said: "This song was really fun to make, and it’s meant to be fun; tongue in cheek! Do I hate men? Yes, mostly... but some of them are so foine... Mainly though, the song is more about me, expelling any need to be desired or validated by mankind and feeling a thousand times better for it.
It was so sick to work with Joviale to create this "pick me"-esque character, their imagination is infinite. This girl can be seen everywhere, big main character syndrome, narcissistic energy. She’s manifesting desirability and inadvertently summons a demon. Be careful what you wish for folks, it might break you."
Director Joviale, meanwhile, revealed some of the inspiration behind her direction. "Growing up on a lot of telenovelas and Nollywood dramas (thanks to my mum and aunties) and a lot of MTV reality shows, it was almost too easy to link that element of glamour and melodrama to the "Power" anthem. I had a lot of fun exploring ways to take accountability and break your own cycles, and what that would look like."
"Power" is taken from Riley's upcoming debut project Interest Rates, a tape, due for release on June 24.
