15 February 2026  French-Algerian independent musician Rilès has built a career on self-production and boundary-pushing projects. Known for albums like Welcome to the Jungle (2019), Survival Mode (2025), and The 25th Hour (2025), he released the original single "I Don't Wanna Lose You" on February 13, 2026, via his label RILÈSUNDAYZ. The track, a pop-leaning piece with a repetitive hook pleading for connection amid emotional weight, arrived as a two-song EP and serves as the audio backdrop to its conceptual video. The Accor Arena EventOn February 12, 2026, during his Survival Tour concert at Paris's Accor Arena before 15,000 spectators, Rilès concluded an intense 1-hour-40-minute set with a surprise 30-minute art performance titled "I Don't Wanna Lose You." He remained motionless at the arena's center while selected audience members approached one by one with scissors. They cut away fragments of his stage clothing—designed by Georgie Salama—and kept them as souvenirs, under strict instructions not to touch him otherwise. The act tested boundaries of consent, trust, and public interaction; some reports noted isolated instances where fans went further, trimming hair despite guidelines.Echoes of Yoko Ono's "Cut Piece"Rilès explicitly cites Yoko Ono's 1964 work Cut Piece as a key inspiration for this performance. Like Ono, he positions himself as a motionless figure while the audience gradually removes his clothing, shifting the usual power relationship between performer and spectators. The gesture evokes themes of vulnerability, exposure and consent: the artist surrenders control over his appearance while the public decides how far to go.Whereas Cut Piece has often been read through a feminist lens and the dynamics of gendered violence, Rilès' version can be read as transposing similar questions into the contemporary arena of pop stardom. Here, the crowd that normally consumes music and images becomes physically implicated in "taking pieces" of the artist, blurring the line between affectionate participation and symbolic dispossession. This interpretive layer is not spelled out in the credits, but it follows from the performance's structure and acknowledged reference to Ono. Lyrics and Symbolic LayersThe song's lyrics—"I don't wanna lose you / I just wanna love you"—contrast a desire for closeness with the physical dismantling on stage. In this context, the "you" may symbolize the artist's identity, dignity, or relationship with fans. The performance literalizes fame's toll: surrendering control as pieces are taken, probing generosity versus exploitation, attachment versus dispossession. It echoes Ono's feminist exploration of vulnerability while highlighting the artist's exposure in an era of intense public scrutiny.The Survival Tour, supporting his 2025 releases, began in January 2026 with dates across France (including Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Toulouse) and Switzerland (Geneva), and continues into summer with shows in Budapest (May 31) and Montreal (June 28-29). The music video, edited by Evan Danieau, documents the Paris event. Image: A collage layout with overlaid text 'Fashion.at Watch Tip: Art Meets Performative Music Performance' on fragmented visuals. Illustration: © Fashion.at |