ILIA doesn’t just release music, he builds worlds. With the release of his latest video for “Gasoline,” a brooding reimagining of Halsey’s alt-pop anthem, the Los Angeles-based artist deepens a visual and sonic universe that has been steadily unfolding over the past year. If the trajectory so far is any indication, ILIA is less interested in singles than in chapters, each release another corridor in an ever-expanding labyrinth.
“Gasoline” arrives as both a reinterpretation and a reclamation. Where the original thrums with restless defiance, ILIA’s version leans into tension and atmosphere, trading gloss for grit. His industrial-tinged arrangement simmers beneath stark, emotive vocals, transforming the track into something darker, more introspective, less a spark, more a slow burn.
Visually, the video continues ILIA’s fascination with psychological unease and cinematic homage. Following December’s “The Ones You Think You Own,” this new instalment feels like a companion piece, another fragment of a larger narrative that refuses to fully reveal itself. That previous video’s striking setting, filmed inside the home of filmmaker Shane Black, a location immortalised in Gone Girl and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, set the tone for ILIA’s approach: grounded in real spaces, yet heightened by a surreal, almost haunted energy.
There’s a clear lineage to his influences. Echoes of Kubrick’s meticulous dread ripple through the framing, while the emotional weight and gothic intimacy call to mind the spectral storytelling of The Haunting of Bly Manor. But ILIA doesn’t merely reference; he absorbs and reinterprets, filtering these inspirations through his own lens as both musician and visual architect.
That duality has defined his career from the start. Emerging from Seattle’s early-2000s scene, he cut his teeth in a string of bands before moving to Los Angeles and threading his way through collaborations that span genres and eras, from electro-pop experiments to industrial rock mainstays. His stint with ORGY cemented his place in the alternative landscape, but it’s his recent solo work that feels most fully realised.
Since recommitting to his solo path in late 2024, ILIA has been operating with a kind of creative urgency, three EPs, multiple videos, and now a growing body of work that feels cohesive without ever becoming predictable. Being shortlisted to audition for The Smashing Pumpkins only underscored what his output already suggests: a musician with both technical command and a distinct artistic voice.
With “Gasoline,” that voice grows louder, sharper, and more assured. It’s not just a cover, it’s a statement of intent. And as ILIA gears up for another release in the coming months, one thing is clear: the fire he’s playing with isn’t going out anytime soon.
“With ‘Gasoline,’ ILIA takes a song that already carries emotional volatility and pushes it into a darker, more cinematic space,” says Danielle Holian, publicist for Decent Music PR. “This release really showcases where he is creatively right now, fearless, guitar-forward, and visually uncompromising. After the momentum he’s built over the past year, this video feels like a defining moment for the project.”
