George Riley (w/ Jawnino) Celebrates Her Boundary-Pushing Music at Sold-Out London ICA

Last Thursday served as a victory lap for George Riley. As she sold out her biggest show yet in the heart of her hometown. George is a very special act; she continues to push boundaries within electronic and house scenes while maintaining the true essence of soul music. An unconventional blend of genres that are executed seamlessly by the 26-year-old.

Thanks to nights like this, the ICA continues to be my favourite venue in London. Kicking off the night was Jawnino. This exciting young artist was recently featured on The Face’s list of artists that are “changing UK rap” alongside Jadasea and Chy Cartier, to name a few.

The rapper performed with a greyscale Union Jack on screen throughout the entire performance. Which was strikingly reminiscent of Dean Blunt’s Babyfather project which involves similar imagery and themes.

Jawnino describes his style as “Grime 2.0”. Gearing up for the release of his debut mixtape titled 40 Tape, which is set to hit streaming platforms on March 29, we were able to preview some tracks early. All I can say is tune in now.

The room promptly filled up as George took to the stage. She performed tracks from her latest EP, Un/limited love, on this project, Riley continues to experiment with old-school house production paired with soothing vocals. However, with a slightly more energetic approach coming off the back of her previous album.

The 2022 album Running In Waves, entirely produced by Vegyn, in my opinion, perfectly encapsulates the spirit of this incredibly talented young artist. As a previous Joe Armon Jones collaborator, there are many jazz-infused moments which effortlessly seep into the album’s complex soundscape. We were blessed to hear a number of tracks from this project, including “sacrifice” and “time.”

George captivated the crowd with her stage presence, complemented by the assistance of her on-stage dancers. Admittedly, prior to this show, I was slightly baffled by the world of George Riley, potentially due to my lack of experience with house music. However, experiencing this artist in a live setting was the missing piece of the puzzle. It just makes sense.

The show ended with an unconventional cover of Rihanna’s “Diamond,” which introduced harsh bass and a much higher BPM rate than the original. George used her final moments on stage to thank her team and all of her fans.