Rilès first made a name for himself when, in 2016, he undertook the mammoth challenge of writing and releasing a song a week for a whole year. A couple of years down the line the French singer-songwriter is dropping his music in a more traditional fashion but he's still taking a hands on approach to it all. "MARIJUANA" is his new song and comes with a self-directed video featuring a comedic appearance from Snoop Dogg.
The song not quite an anti-weed track, it's focus lies more in drawing a comparison between smoking and other enjoyable vices. However, Snoop's role definitely requires him to go against pretty much everything he's told us for the past 25 years. He pops up to echo a warning about the drug, chiefly that temporarily escaping into a haze of smoke won't help you in the long term. Basically: 'Do as I say, not as I do.'
Speaking to The FADER about his vibrant and playful video, Rilès said: "'MARIJUANA' talks about my relationship with cannabis and its counter-productive effects. The chorus “Baby, you’ve been on my mind” introduces marijuana in an attractive way, which aims to trick the listener who might think I’m talking about a woman at the very beginning of the song. However, the further you go the more you’ll notice that I’m talking about the drug and its similarities with woman/sex/lust which are also a drug in a certain way. The video starts with a random work night at my desk when suddenly I’m struck by the need for marijuana. The video depicts the tribulations I go through trying to resist the drug before succumbing."