We love ourselves a catchy bit of music, it’s truly good for the soul, so when it’s created by a group of incredible queer icons with a back story? Perfection.
If you haven’t already heard of the amazing humans that make up RiVERSE, we are here to get you comfortably acquainted and help you discover a new favourite.
Hold on tight, you’re in for a fabulous ride!
Let’s kick things off with an introduction, what are the origins of RiVERSE and what kinda vibes are we talking?
Justice: RiVERSE was originally conceptualized by myself and a legendary choreographer named Luther Brown, his credits include Janet Jackson, Brandy, Gwen Stefani and so many others. I worked on putting together groups with this concept for a few years until I met Khadija, Zak & Monroe while we were all cast in a stage production of High School Musical 2 here in Toronto. And the vibes have always been taking elements from iconic eras in music, like the 90s and early 2000s, and applying the best parts of those to what we do musically today.
How would each of you describe yourself in 5 words?
Justice: Ok, I’ll start. I’m resilient, authentic, driven, passionate, and… visionary.
Monroe: It’s kinda hard to talk about these things about yourself! I’m loving, definitely passionate, resilient, I’m funny…
Zak: Empathetic!
Monroe: Yes, thank you. That’s a good one. I’m empathetic.
Khadija: I am… clever, patient, uh, a maestro – like all the instruments are there, I hear and see them all, and I want to help make them into one pretty sound. I am…
Monroe: Muva.
Khadija: I’m a mother.
Monroe: No, muva. M-U-V-A. You are muva!
Khadija: Haha. Okay. I’m muva. And… soft. I’m just a soft girly.
Zak: I’m optimistic, determined, resourceful, go-getter. What’s the word for providing, to take care of people?
Khadija: Nurturing! Yes!
Justice: You sure are. That’s a good one!
Zak: Okay, so nurturing.
Ya’ll have a lot of great content across a solid number of years so far, do you find it tough to adapt in an ever changing industry or does it come naturally?
Monroe: I’d say it comes pretty naturally. We are a group with four individuals, we all like different things, so between the four of us we are pretty aware of what’s happening in pop culture. We hang true to our values as RiVERSE, but we’re always growing.
Zak: Adapting to change isn’t always easy, but it’s definitely easier as an independent group. We do this out of love, passion and joy for what we create so we will always find a way that makes it work for us. We aren’t doing anything because a label told us we have to, we’re doing it because we made the choice.
Justice: I also think RiVERSE doesn’t really follow trends. We’re leaders, and we see that in some of the other artists in our community. Sometimes even major artists will release something that is really similar to something we created months or years prior. We forge our own path and we’ve always done that.
You’ve done some amazing covers of Golden and Strategy from K-Pop Demon Hunters and they’ve rightfully gone viral, are you considering working your way through more of the soundtrack or do you have other things planned?
Monroe: We are definitely sticking with our Studio iV concept. We weren’t really thinking of doing songs from the same soundtrack, we released our TWICE cover before that movie came out! But that just goes to show, we aren’t necessarily following trends, it just happened to work out that way.
Khadija: We have been talking about lots of different ideas of things we can do with our cover series. We’re excited to keep finding ways to tap into the music we love, music our audiences love, and just keep playing and having fun!
Your wonderful new single “Lovin’ Me Down” has recently blessed our ears. What has the reaction been like so far and which of the lyrics pops off hardest when you perform it?
Justice: The reaction to ‘Lovin’ Me Down’ has been nothing short of amazing. We are hearing not just people who have been supporters for years but people who are just discovering us now and coming to let us know how much the song speaks to them and makes them feel great. Which is what we wanted! So for people to be playing it at the gym or while doing whatever tasks in their day-to-day lives, that’s something we don’t take for granted. And the lyric that pops off the most? It’s Khadija’s rap. That whole section, production-wise and lyrically and the way it’s performed – it’s THE moment. Performed by Khadija Thee Stallion!
Khadija: Haha! What I get all the time is people coming to me saying, “Don’t matter what your zodiac SOIGN!” It’s the way I say the word “sign.”
Now Monroe you are putting your voice to powerful use as there was a time where you couldn’t be sure if you’d lose it, how did it feel to fight back against cancer and has your voice felt even more important to you since?
Monroe: Oh my god. Oh, wow. I just got shivers.
Justice: That’s a great question.
Monroe: Okay, well… it was definitely scary. At the time, there was a very good chance I was not going to be able to talk or sing. So now the fact that I can even do those things still is a gift and it’s a blessing. It’s a true sign of purpose for me. When I sing now, it feels like I’m holding my voice so dearly and I want to make sure that whatever I’m singing is going to be the strongest. Yes, in terms of my voice and my technique, but also what I’m actually singing, you know? I would say I’m taking more care, I’m holding it in a different place now.
We understand that your new EP “Humanity in Volume” has an extra special meaning for yourself Justice as it follows on from your revelations regarding your HIV status, can you tell us more about how giving yourself the freedom to be open about your status inspired an altered perspective for the music?
Justice: Giving myself freedom to write so openly about my HIV experience reflected in the music in the exact same way. There is a freedom and openness and vulnerability and a rugged truth to the entire EP as a result of allowing myself to be free to tell the story. When you listen to the album, you can feel the energy of the moment in each song. I think it allows the music to really connect with people in the way it was always intended to.
Zak, we wanted to check in with you directly as you’ve been on a 7 year journey of sobriety, which is something we feel needs more recognition and discussion in the media. Can you let us know all about making such a decision, the benefits you’ve had and any tips for someone who may be looking to embrace sobriety themselves?
ZAK: I wish I could say it was a decision to become sober, but it was a necessity. It was life or death. It got to the point I started to become a person I dreaded being – I was dishonest, someone I wouldn’t want to be friends with. I had hit rock bottom and the only way was climbing out and being honest with myself about my demons. The benefits, however, have been beyond my wildest imagination. I thought it was punishment at first, that my fun days were over. But what I’ve found on the other side is a world that is so beautiful, where I can share honestly and be exactly who I am. I can still dance and socialize and be wild and quirky and I don’t need liquid courage to take me to those places. I’m completely and enough exactly as I am and that’s something I learned only in sobriety. Tips I would have for someone getting sober is share, talk to someone. I know it can be hard to talk about your struggles but there are always people in our corners and willing to listen. Even in more formal structures; I’m in a 12-step recovery program but there are other programs, too. Everything we struggle with in life, holding it in only weighs us down and the truth really sets us free. So count on the people who are there to listen. There are people in your corner who want to see you win.
Khadija, you’re very happy to speak out (and speak well) on social media about important issues. Has this always been something you’ve had confidence doing, or was there a breaking point that pushed you to be more unapologetically vocal?
Khadija: Oh, thank you. Honestly, this is something that’s always been part of my life because I was raised in a family & a community that cared a lot about social justice issues. I think in terms of me actively using my voice more in such direct ways, this is something that changed during the lockdowns. I actually didn’t have any personal social media accounts before that; I just used RiVERSE’s platforms when I wanted to be online. But I created my own pages when everyone was stuck at home, we were online constantly, and we were all just faced with so much pain from every angle. There’s so much injustice in the world and having it broadcasted directly to these screens in our hands everyday is so intense. So, I thought it could be helpful to talk together, commiserate & share information so we felt more empowered. And then also, just share in joy and the things we’re passionate about! It’s too much to just doom scroll all day long! Like everything RiVERSE does, it really just came from my own truth – I needed it for my own mental health and it just makes me happy when other people let me know it helps them in some way, too.
Finally to end on a wholesome note, what piece of advice can you offer toward young queer people based on your own experiences?
Monroe: Never change yourself to fit the mould of someone else. There is only one you and you were put here on this earth to live and be your truest self. So please don’t ever change for anybody else.
Khadija: I’ll also add that, you will find your people. Sometimes when you’re younger, your world is limited to your house, your school, your classmates… but there are so many more people who will see you and value you and love you for exactly who you are. So if you haven’t found them yet, don’t give up. They are out there, I promise.
Honestly, how could you not absolutely fall for these babes? There is so much more than just great music going on here, we have a rich history of diverse experience and struggles, which each and everyone one of us can relate to.
Go follow this amazing quartet of pure queer joy on Instagram and give them some love.
Bonus points: Follow Khadija, Monroe and Zak directly (Justice runs the band page).
Now without further do, enjoy the visualizer for Lovin’ Me Down!