Photography by Nelta Kasparian.
London is a city that is loud and that is dirty. A city where you grow up going to clubs, eating food from all over the world, surrounded by subcultures and all types of music. London is a big melting pot of things. And that’s something you can recognise within the work of the British singer and songwriter George Riley. Just like her hometown, George’s music is not only a fusion but also a celebration of all genres and arts.
When DJ Anz released ‘You Could Be’ in 2021, George gained international attention for the first time in her career. Since then she has been considered one of the rising musicians of the next generation. While stirring up the music scene the most refreshing thing is that you can still feel the creative freedom she has, the passion behind it all – and especially the fun she has while creating.
A few days before George’s performance for the Boiler Room Festival in Berlin, SLEEK had the chance to meet the artist. Together we dived into the world of R&B, soul, electronic music – and into the world of superheroes.
Photography by Nelta Kasparian.
SLEEK: You recently released your single S-E-X. What was the inspiration behind your video?
George: The song is about being in an abusive relationship so I wanted the video to also reflect that. Therefore, the visuals address life on the internet and how much of a strange place it is to be online as a woman. To constantly be bombarded with Instagram filters, edited images and oversexualised characters in video games. The whole conversation about appearances is almost dehumanising. I wanted both the video and the song to be about reinstating a feeling of power.
S: You also chose to work with a lot of cartoons in the video. Are these cartoons you identify yourself with or have been confronted with while growing up?
G: The gaming references are because of Tom Furse, the director of the video. He is really into gaming, me not that much actually. The only thing I like is Tetris. But overall, it was really important for me to especially portray black women in powerful positions. Like Cat Woman for example. Although she is always shown in a very sexy way and isn’t allowed to be as much of a superhero as men are – she still fights for herself.
S: As you mentioned Cat Woman appearing in your video, what kind of superpower would you want to have?
G: Well, I don’t know if that’s a superpower, but I would like to forcibly put someone in different shoes – to force them to see other perspectives. Because I always think that everyone has the same point of view. So sometimes it surprises me that this is not true. I wish people would see the world the way they’re not used to and through that, expand their horizons even more.
S: You have also used AI for the video, what was the process behind it?
G: The video was a collaboration with Hudson Mohawke, who is known for being an electronic wizard. Also, Tom Furse does a lot of AI art. Together we wanted to create a music video with AI, because I have never seen that before. It is a really interesting tool in that context, and I think that people will produce a lot more AI music videos in the future.
Photography by Nelta Kasparian.
S: You talk a lot about topics such as female energy and sexuality. Would you say there is an overall message you want to give to your audience?
G: That’s a difficult question. I definitely hope that every person would feel empowered to be themselves, to love themselves in order to be more compassionate and to stand up for what they believe in. I don’t know if it’s something that I necessarily advocate, but if I could help others to do that with my music – that would be great.
S: How do you include your Jamaican roots in your music?
G: There’s quite a big history of Caribbean people in London. Especially where I live, in West London. But still, I did actually grow up feeling slightly disconnected all the time. The older I get, the more important it is to me to connect those dots. This year, I went to Jamaica and it was an amazing and humbling trip. I’ve always loved bass music, which is a very Caribbean and Jamaican thing. So it’s definitely a huge part of my heritage and of who I am. On my latest project, there is a song, called ‘Star’ in which I definitely channeled those elements. I don’t necessarily try to include it in my music, but if it aligns and connects with black people in general, it makes me happy.
S: Your other single ‘Unlimited Love’ was launched within an EP. Why did you decide to work with EPs?
G: Everything I’ve made is quite different from each other since I’m still experimenting. And that’s why I haven’t published an album yet. For now, I just want to have fun and try a lot of things. I just like to create without the fear of needing to fit into one box. There are many people who tell me I should stick to one lane and follow one target group. This is the only way people will get me, they say. But for me that’s impossible. There are so many things I like. I love soul, I love jazz, I love pop and I love to put everything together and create something new. I think the whole point of the EPs is to experiment and to have fun.
S: What is your goal for the future?
G: I definitely want to make an album one day. I’m really excited for that. But I also want to be a better friend. I feel like as an artist you’re in your own ego thing quite a lot. It’s not necessarily the healthiest way to be. At the moment, I’m really grateful for how everything is going. I just want to continue having that space to create. And I would love to write a novel or to voice a movie.
S: If you could choose, what movie would you have voiced?
G: I love children’s cartoons. Probably anything from Pixar.
Photography by Nelta Kasparian.