H3rizon dropped their viral track Coordinate a matter of weeks ago, and now they’re rubbing shoulders with some of pop music’s biggest names.
If you’ve opened TikTok in the last few months, chances are you’ve caught wind of H3rizon’s new single Coordinate. Breaking through on an already oversaturated platform is one thing, but to do it a slinky R&b groover is another.
The track adds to the Sydney girl group’s string of consistently stellar pop bangers released since their inception in 2019. In the time between, the irresistible trio of Bernie, Taya and Gabby have shared the stage with the likes of Kehlani and Coolio, all while adding their own thread to the tapestry of Australian R&B.
Below, in an exclusive interview with Happy Mag, the country’s hottest girl group dish on the vision behind Coordinate, rubbing shoulders with producers for Beyonce and Justin Bieber, and making women “feel confident in their own skin.”
HAPPY: What are you up to today?
H3RIZON: We have a busy day ahead of us! Starting with content creating followed by rehearsing for some upcoming showcases in the US.
HAPPY: Tell us about where you are from? What’s the scene like in your neck of the woods?
H3RIZON: We’re all West-Sydney girls, sprawled across Sydney! One being in the North West, another in the West and then the South West. Western Sydney has the most diverse culture and music is a prominent part of it.
The west has a thriving community of artists that are MAKING NOISE, DEMANDING TO BE HEARD & really starting to THRIVE!
It may be the no-fks attitudes or the hunger to make it, without it being handed to us.. But West-Sydney is buzzing, hustling and ready to take over, especially in RnB & HipHop.
HAPPY: ‘Coordinate’ has rapidly garnered immense popularity, with over 5000 shares on TikTok. Could you delve into the song’s viral success and how the platform’s dynamics have contributed to your newfound heights in 2023?
H3RIZON: Umm.. over 16,000 shares now! Lol.. It is definitely a surreal feeling to see all the love shown on our release so far. We have been LOVING the dance covers being posted from our fans and seeing how it’s been empowering everyone.
Not only dancers, but sportswomen, business women, the beauty & fashion industries.. COORDINATE works across the board!
We also feel extremely grateful to see that our song is being played in so many different corners of the world, which is the beauty of social media.
HAPPY: Could you share any insights into the camaraderie that comes with being a trio in the music industry? How does each member’s distinct strengths contribute to the group’s overall sound and creative process?
H3RIZON: Growing up performing together, we built a strong friendship over our love and appreciation for music and how diverse we are.
Tiara’s pop/RnB background, Gabby’s classical music influences, and Bernie’s vocal arranging expertise. We each bring something unique to the group and we love combining those elements within our music.
HAPPY: What challenges and rewards come with maintaining unity both on and off the stage, and how do you harness this synergy to create an unforgettable musical experience?
H3RIZON: Just like any other friend group, we’re always looking out for each other and pushing each other to be the best version of ourselves, and since we’ve known each other for over a decade, there’s nothing we don’t know about each other.
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HAPPY: Touring with Coolio, opening for Kehlani, and capturing the attention of industry giants like Boyz II Men and Robin Thicke – your journey has been nothing short of remarkable. How have these experiences shaped your stage presence and artistic vision?
H3RIZON: We have always been huge fans of all the iconic artists that have shown us so much love both on tour and on social media. Being on tour, we were privileged to receive all the advice and mentorship from these big names in the industry, and it impacted our mindset to become better artists.
When our cover arrangements on social media garner attention worldwide, including by the artists themselves, it validates all the hard work we put in.
It’s not easy creating art, it’s monotonous, time consuming, sometimes it doesn’t get heard – but it is immensely satisfying when it makes people feel. Let’s be honest, that’s what we do as artists. We make people FEEL things. In our way – from our point of view.
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HAPPY: Your management deal with music industry veterans Philippe-Marc Anquetil and Kelvin Avon marks a significant milestone. How has their expertise influenced your creative process, and what new dimensions have they brought to your burgeoning career?
H3RIZON: Our management team has such a rich background in the music industry, worth over 50 years of experience combined. Being a girl group, we’re fortunate to be under the guidance of a team that have experience in developing artists like ourselves based on their previous work with other groups, such as Little Mix, One Direction, N-Dubz and so many more.
With the help from our brilliant Brand, Social Media and Road Manager Corinne Anquetil, they advise us on all the little things, from how we dress, how we act as a girl group, how we communicate, and how we should arrange our songs, to the big things like record deals, touring, brand ambassadorships, etc.
Receiving the advice is actually refreshing, we don’t claim to know it all, but it’s nice to have a team that will do everything they can in order to see us reach our goals. The team allows us to be creative and to really focus on the music and performance, which in turn pushes us forward as creatives, but at the same time keeping us informed with the business decisions they’re making along the way so we can learn about the business in this music business.
Receiving the advice is actually refreshing, we don’t claim to know it all, but it’s nice to have a team that will do everything they can in order to see us reach our goals.
The team allows us to be creative and to really focus on the music and performance, which in turn pushes us forward as creatives, but at the same time keeping us informed with the business decisions they’re making along the way so we can learn about the business in this music business.
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HAPPY: The enchanting harmonies in your music are reminiscent of iconic girl groups from the 90s. Could you share some of your fav bands from the 90s?
H3RIZON: A lot of our work is influenced by the amazing R&B girl-groups that came before us like Destiny’s Child, TLC and SWV. We are constantly inspired by their musicianship and how they carried themselves through their career as a unit and we strive to bring that into our careers also.
HAPPY: Collaborating with Grammy-winning producer Tricky Stewart for your debut album is an extraordinary achievement. Can you shed light on the collaborative process and how working with such an accomplished figure has shaped your sonic direction?
H3RIZON: We’re so incredibly humbled to be working with one of the biggest names in the industry. The way he worked with us gave us an insight on the process of how he creates hit songs, like Single Ladies Beyonce, Baby Justin Bieber, Umbrella Rihanna.
We instantly hit it off with him because he saw how our visions aligned for the future of our music career. He understood the creative control we have over our own music and he wanted to give us the same sort of creative freedom while we were recording songs with him in Atlanta.
We cut so many songs under his guidance, each one different to one another, and because of that our sound has explored so many different parts of the RnB genre. Which is key to who we are. We don’t want to be a copy of the past or fill a gap, we want to create our own space to leave a mark like the greats did!
HAPPY: ‘Coordinate’ has been described as a ‘girl-boss anthem,’ embodying empowerment and unity. How do you see your music contributing to the ongoing dialogue surrounding feminism and the dismantling of patriarchal norms?
The vision we had for ‘Coordinate’ was a fun, dance pop anthem for the girls, gays and theys! We’re now in a time where women feel a lot more outspoken and confident in themselves than ever before, thanks to all the empowering women in music that paved the way for artists like us today.
HAPPY: Lasty, what makes you happy?
H3RIZON: Being able to inspire other women, especially women that look like us to pursue their dreams and feel confident in their own skin.
