INTERVIEW W/ LORDUS
Rooted in the soul of Flatbush, Brooklyn, Lordus creates from a place many people try to hide — the quiet thoughts, the emotional in-between, the conversations we have with ourselves when nobody’s listening. Her music doesn’t force vulnerability; it unfolds naturally through reflection, feeling, and intention. Inspired by the timeless essence of ‘90s and early 2000s R&B, Lordus brings a perspective that feels both deeply personal and universally familiar. In this conversation with RNBPLYLST, she speaks on patience, creative honesty, reconnecting with herself through music, and learning how to let the art speak before anything else.
Q: Who are you, and where are you from?
(Beyond the location—what did that environment teach you about yourself?)
A: I’m Lordus, an R&B soul artist from Flatbush, Brooklyn. I was pretty sheltered growing up, so I spent a lot of time in my own head… just feeling things, observing, trying to understand people without always being outside like that. I think that made me very internal, somewhat aware of emotions, even the ones people don’t or can’t say out loud.
Q: When did music stop being something you loved and start becoming something you needed? How do you define your sound when words fall short—and what emotion do you hope people feel first when they hear a Lordus record?
A: Around 16, 17 ish, that’s when it started feeling like more than just something I liked. It felt like something I needed to do and had to figure out even if I didn’t fully understand what I was doing yet. I was in a girl group, just starting to write for real, trying things. I didn’t really know the business or direction. I just knew I needed to be around music. At that time, it wasn’t even about telling my story yet. It was more like, this is something that’s mine. And over time, it became something I needed.
If I had to define it simply, I’d say R&B soul, music you can ride to. Whether you’re in New York, L.A. or just driving wherever, it’s that type of vibe you can put on and just ride. When it comes to emotion I want people to feel/see themselves in it. I want it to feel like a mirror, but also like a conversation. Like you can listen and agree, disagree, take something from it, or not, but still feel the vibe.
Q: R&B lives in truth and vulnerability. What parts of yourself have you had to unlearn or confront to make honest music? What’s a lyric you’ve written that still sits with you, and why?
A: I had to unlearn hiding parts of myself. Coming from a Caribbean background, and just how I was raised, you don’t really show everything, I mean nothing! You keep a lot in, everything to the vest; with music, I’ve learned you can’t fully do that if I want people to connect I have to be willing to sit with the uncomfortable parts, the confusion, the questions, the things that don’t always make sense.I’m still learning how to do that. Breaking those walls down is a process.
Recently: “I just know that there’s more to life than these nights I spend caught up in my head And I can feel you getting closer, but somehow I forget ’Cause in the quiet I get scared, like it’s too good to trust you And even when I’m…I’m tired, something pulls me in got me wanting you more than I admit…”
It sounds like a love relationship song, but it’s really about my relationship with music. I wrote it that way because it can be received in different ways, like a double meaning. But for me, it was really about that push and pull I have with music.
Q: Who or what shaped your musical foundation early on—artist, moment, or experience?
A: A lot of artists shaped me early on. Toni Braxton for sure, especially with tone, I’ve heard that a lot over the years. Deborah Cox too, surprisingly. Then artists like Brandy, Usher, Tyrese, Joe, Avant, Aaliyah, all of that. And groups like Boyz II Men, Jagged Edge, Total, Xscape, and even the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, believe it or not. Those eras were just dope to me growing up, and I think that’s what stayed with me the most.
Q: How do you approach creating—are you led by emotion, melody, experience, or discipline? What separates Lordus from everyone else making music right now?
A: It usually starts with emotion or sometimes it’s a melody, I’ll hum it into my phone so I don’t lose it. Sometimes it’s a word or a line and I’ll write it down. I wouldn’t say I have a strict process yet. I’m still figuring that out. But it always starts with a feeling.
Honestly, I don’t know if I can say what separates me. I think every artist is just trying to express something, feelings, ideas, experiences. If anything, I’d say it comes down to intention. Right now, I’m at a place where I actually want to talk about my life, real things I’ve gone through, and I’m learning how to do that in a way people can connect to. I’m still figuring it out.
Q: What’s been the hardest lesson your journey has taught you so far? What does growth look like for you right now—artistically and personally?
A: Patience, and not stopping.
Patience, and not stopping. I’ve started and stopped a lot. Doubt and fear getting in my head.
And every time you stop, it feels like you’re starting over. So the biggest lesson has been to keep going, no matter how it looks because sometimes what feels like a slow season is actually where you’re learning the most about yourself. Who Knew ?!
Artistically, it’s sharpening my voice, my stage presence, and my songwriting. Personally, it’s learning to trust the process and trust myself. Growth is realizing I’m not behind, I just have to keep going.
Q: RNBPLYLST is about spotlighting artists pushing R&B forward. How do you feel your sound contributes to the evolution of R&B? When people leave your music, what do you want them to walk away with?
What was your experience on the very first RNBPLYLST event?
What’s next for Lordus—and how intentional are you being about this next chapter?
A: R&B has always evolved through artists bringing their own truth to it. I think my contribution is my perspective, how I see relationships, emotions, growth, and how I translate that through music. It’s just my way of expressing feeling and vibe in a way that someone else might connect to.
I want them to feel seen. Like the music understood something they’ve been feeling but maybe couldn’t articulate. Because music can be a mirror sometimes.
It was the open mic at Platinum Sound Studios. I loved the energy, it felt like a real community. Being around people who genuinely love R&B, music and the craft was just dope. It reminded me why spaces like that matter and that I need to be outside more, even though I’m a homebody.
This next chapter is very intentional. I’m focused on not stopping, no matter how fast or slow things go. The goal is to keep releasing music, keep learning, and build a real connection with the people who resonate with me and the music.
I’ve been off socials for a few months, so I’m coming back with intention, starting with a video for a song I dropped last August, then continuing from there.
Just letting the music speak and not forcing anything.
“Finish this sentence: Music saved me because ______.”
It gave me somewhere to belong and somewhere to put my feelings.
IG: @iamlordus
You make the world so much more beautiful. You are a star that has come to us to brighten our days with your beautiful voice
Thank you for taking the time to read the interview & speak empowerment over my journey!
Legend in the making