INTERVIEW WITH… VIBRANT CANADIAN POP SINGER VIBI
Vibi is the nom de plume of Canadian pop singer and Niagara Falls native Valerie Borghesi. Her dynamic vocals and high energy Gen Z Pop aesthetic are garnering attention. Vibi’s latest single is “Fallback Girl” a defiant statement on not being someone’s second choice is full of spunky Emo pop vibes. I chatted with Vibi on “Fallback Girl”, social media, and her musical influences. Read on below!
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Hi, Valerie or would you prefer Vibi! Thanks for taking the time! How are you doing? How has your year been so far?
VIBI: Hello, the pleasure is all mine! You can call me Vibi (pronounced “Vee-Bee”), but I do love my birth name also, so either way.
(cont.) Regarding my year, in short, this year has been a complete roller coaster for me. I’ve never faced so much self doubt in my life but at the same time I have never been so self assured and confident that this is what I am meant to be doing with my life. Fortunately, when I get down I get right back up even stronger.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Can you talk some on your background and how you got your start in music? Was there an artist that particularly inspired you? Or some other catalyst?
VIBI: I always knew I would be a singer/songwriter/performer. I never once questioned that and fortunately neither did my parents. I came from a super supportive family that saw from a young age that performing was my deepest passion. I idolized insane performers like Britney Spears in my childhood, as a preteen discovered Taylor Swift which made me beg my parents to buy me a guitar and lessons, and in my teenage years Lana Del Rey evoked the inner sad girl in me and did it with a pristine glamour aesthetic. These artists really made me feel like I had to be on stage and write songs as powerful and iconic as theirs.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: You recently released a new single “Fallback Girl”. Can you some on the inspiration behind it? How did the new track come together? What the recording process was like?
VIBI: I had a writing session booked with my friends Brooklyn Azzopardi, Graydon Welbourn, Anthony Crapratta (Illvibe), and killer producer Yuri Koller. On my way to the session, an ex sent me a message that inspired the whole session. We literally just wrote about this text message I received and I was so mad lol. It was both fun and cathartic to do it in a room full of talented friends.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Who are some of your biggest influences as a pop songwriter?
VIBI: Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Tove Lo, Doja Cat, the 1975, Halsey, Dua Lipa, to name a handful.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What are your thoughts on social media and is it an integral part of being an artist today?
VIBI: I believe it’s such a powerful tool for exposure in today's indie scene. Of course with anything that has a great deal of power, it also has a dark side. It becomes so easy to compare yourself to people around you which is a dangerous path to go down. You have to remember your path is unique to you and social media is an opportunity to lead like-minded people down that path with you.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Switching gears... if you had a talk show who would be your first three guests be and why?
VIBI: Hmm maybe Andy Samberg, Doja Cat, Harry Styles. I think we’d have a lot of fun and laughs making parody songs in front of a live studio audience.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What was your favorite book as a child?
VIBI: I didn’t read much as a kid but I do remember listening to this audio book as a young girl called “Chicken Soup For the Soul”. It was about a girl with an Eating Disorder. She was tasked with looking in the mirror and reframing the way she viewed her body. I remember doing the same exercise and this was my introduction into self love. That stuck with me for many years to come. To this day when I am too hard on myself, I look in the mirror and do the same exercise. I feel fortunate that I was introduced to a book with a healthy message at a young and impressionable age.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: And, what is next for you, Vibi?
VIBI: Releasing an EP! I’ve been busy behind the scenes getting my ducks in a row, but I’m so excited to be able to stand behind a body of work. More on that later...
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: To end... is there anything I forgot Vibi?
VIBI: There’s always more to know! If you follow me on any of my socials, you’ll notice I live with my tiktok Viral 101 year old Nonna. She’s everyone's favourite crazy italian great-grandma. I also live stream on twitch every Tuesday and Friday so if anyone wants to hang out with me they can catch me there. All socials are @shesvibi.
VIBI: Thanks so much for the awesome questions, V.
You can stream Vibi’s “Fallback Girl” below.
https://open.spotify.com/track/33ci10mSleLHoVGNZd62ws?si=Bp4nIb5oTYitmberbVACyw