LIONEL RICHIE

This is my third collaboration with Lionel Richie, and somehow that still feels a little surreal to say.

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I actually first pitched the idea for Brick House back in 2022, when Brian Burke asked me to come up with live visuals for Lionel's next show. We didn't use it then, but the idea stayed with me. A few years later, we finally found its home.

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Every time I hear Brick House, for some reason I think of the opening of Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing. Rosie Perez dancing, boxing, full of attitude. I've always connected that energy with the song. It became the starting point for a world built around New York, Harlem, Black beauty and powerful women. Confident, sexy, raw and full of life.

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Graphic design always seems to creep into my work too. I love typography and old poster design, and there's a city sequence that became a little nod to one of my favourite Metropolis posters. It wasn't planned. I'd already designed the cityscape and the long panning shot, and suddenly the poster came into my head. I love when pieces of art that have stayed with me for years unexpectedly find their way into my own work.

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I sometimes have to pinch myself when I think that I get to take these classic songs, songs I've known and loved for years, and create completely new worlds around them with so much creative freedom. It's a pretty special position to be in.

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And I really have to thank my wonderful team. Mehdi Azadeh, who is basically a Swiss Army knife, and David Modroño, who created the beautiful character animation based on my designs. They put so much into this one, and as always, it's a lot more fun when you get to make these things with people you love working with.