Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, but now based in Barcelona, Spain, VanMilli effortlessly blends genres and cultural influences, connecting his listeners from all over the world. New single, ‘Mary Jane’, is a love song, which, while not traditional, is certainly romantic.
Born Gerald Nwosu, VanMilli found a love for traveling the world while still quite young, spending time with his family in places such as Brazil, the UK, and the USA. While already artistically minded, he nonetheless followed his father, enrolling in military academies while attending high school. This gave him discipline and drive, but didn’t result in a desire to join the military, so he instead rekindled his love for music, and realised he had a gift for making music from scratch, taking inspiration for melodies and lyrics from his personal experiences and passions. Armed with musical influences from the likes of Drake, J. Cole, Damian Marley, and others, and possessing a worldly mentality, strengthened by years of diverse cultural immersion, VanMilli’s music doesn’t fit in a box or belong to any particular country, but rather, speaks directly to all humanity.
VanMilli describes ‘Mary Jane’ as the love of his life, and the song is an expression of desire for the lover who offers him comfort, relief, and a life where there’s “no longer pain.” With a gently strummed melody resembling a Spanish love song, a rhythmic hip-hop beat, alongside smooth, low-key vocals, listeners are enticed by the calming high of Mary Jane’s never-ending love. Cleverly playing with the idea of VanMilli and Mary Jane engaged in a thrilling, yet forbidden love affair, the listener soon realises the identity of ‘Mary Jane’ is not a woman, but marijuana herself.
The music video for ‘Mary Jane’ is intimate and affectionate, emphasising VanMilli’s love for Mary Jane. Directed by Katherin Wermke, we see VanMilli by himself in the recording studio, warmly lit, his passion apparent in his body language. His eyes are closed as he leans into the mic, serenading Mary Jane with an admirable honesty that allows the viewers to connect with him through the universal experience of love.
Find out more about VanMilli and his music online on his official website, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
