By Jacob Aron Leung
When singer LIYVZ performed at Surrey’s first-ever KPOP & Food Festival on July 26, she experienced a rush of nostalgia from seeing all the young K-pop fans in the crowd. The Surrey resident said the performance felt like a “full-circle moment”, where she got to perform in front of a community that played a large role in shaping her musical journey. The 27-year-old currently works as a K-pop artist of Zambian, South African, and Zimbabwean descent.
“It was one of the best shows I’ve done so far,” she said. “Having grown up in Abbotsford, what I used to do as a kid was [participate] in K-pop cover dance teams.”
Though LIYVZ (pronounced like “Lih-vs”) made her solo debut in 2023, she had been working towards her music career for most of her life.
LIYVZ, who also goes by Lindiwe “Lindi” Senzeni Sibongo, began realizing her dream of becoming a singer when she was a child. Though she grew up in a household where music was always played, watching the Spice Girls on television solidified the career path she wanted to pursue.
“I want to be up there in my cute outfits and do the singing and dancing,” she recalled her five-year-old self saying. “I knew for sure that was what I wanted to do, which is quite early.”
Her first exposure to K-pop happened a few years later, thanks to a Korean exchange student living with her family. Through the student’s iPod, LIYVZ heard “Tell Me” by girl group Wonder Girls for the first time—when Wonder Girls later opened for the Jonas Brothers’ 2009 concert in Vancouver, LIYVZ recognized the song and “fell in love”.
“They taught [the crowd] all the choreography and they were so well put together,” she recalled. “They just looked so cool.”
Honing a love for performing
From there, LIYVZ fell into the “rabbit hole” of K-pop and shifted gears toward a career in K-pop.
“I just feel like K-pop made so much sense to me,” LIYVZ said, adding that K-pop singers often do not just sing and dance, they go on Korean entertainment shows and often branch out into acting. She wanted to do “all of it”.
LIYVZ persistently auditioned for K-pop entertainment companies throughout middle school and high school. In addition to global online auditions, some K-pop labels offer in-person auditions in B.C.
She also spent time participating in the first K-pop dance team at W.J. Mouat Secondary. Though the school did not officially endorse the team, LIYVZ and her friends would often collaborate with dancers in Vancouver for performances.
“My friends and I from Abbotsford would make the trek to Vancouver so often,” she said. “It was truly a place where I developed and kept my love for K-pop and performing.”
After not getting callbacks from entertainment companies, LIYVZ decided to “throw in the towel” on her K-pop dream after high school but still wanted to perform. She set her sights eastward to Ontario, where she attended Centennial College’s performing arts fundamentals program. Participating in the program only further ignited her passion to sing on stage as a K-pop performer.
“I decided to take the time and go train in Korea just as a last-ditch effort.”
A performance of K-pop boy group HISTORY’s song “I Got U,” featuring an original dance choreographed by LIYVZ as part of her studies at Centennial College.
From Canada to K-Pop
By 2020, LIYVZ found herself enrolled at Seoul’s DREAM VOCAL & DANCE academy with a goal in mind: she wanted to know from professionals themselves whether they saw potential in her to succeed.
“Whatever happens, whether I pass auditions or not, I just want to make sure that I learn and grow as an artist,” LIYVZ said, reflecting on her mentality at the time.
During LIYVZ’s time honing her dancing, singing and songwriting skills, her teachers encouraged her to release her own music. They had faith in her, wanting to showcase her talents through highlighting her academy work on YouTube. The identity of “LIYVZ” began to take shape.
“The biggest thing I gained there was the belief that people had in me as a solo artist because I’d always been prepping and priming myself to be in a group.”
Seeing potential, LIYVZ’s teachers placed her in leadership roles and featured her on the academy’s YouTube channel.
Though LIYVZ did not pass auditions in South Korea, this encouragement from her teachers inspired her to finally debut as an independent artist. She moved back to her birthplace in London, England, but maintained her Canadian connection. Her stage name combines the airport codes for Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) as an acknowledgement to the two Canadian cities integral to her development as an artist.
“I always want to pay homage to my roots,” she said. “Technically, I’m British, but these two places mean a lot to me.”
Her 2024 single “Bloom” embodies the message that LIYVZ wants to send to others dreaming of performing as independent artists. The song champions a message of self-love, one cultivated over the years that has finally “bloomed”.
LYVIZ wants listeners to embrace the message of self-love on her second single, “Bloom”.
Embracing Individuality
LIYVZ understands that her role in the industry faces backlash and scrutiny from vocal people online. Even without any financial support from an established label, non-Asian artists in K-pop remain a minority.
“My existence in this industry feels very controversial and political even,” she said. “So, for some people, there is a level of discomfort.”
This pushback also serves as a motivator to keep embracing herself. Describing her music as one with a gentle “dreamy” sound but with strong, “punchy” lyrics, LIYVZ writes about her personal experiences in hopes that others feel invigorated by her stories. She tells people that individuality is one’s “greatest power”, especially when strict industries try to limit self expression.
“Trying to fit into an industry that has very strict standards … can make you lose [individuality] as you’re trying to get opportunities,” LIYVZ said. “But your individuality is your greatest strength.”
She uses her music as a medium to process her experiences in hopes people can come away with insightful messages. LIYVZ’s new single, “NASTY BOY”, draws on being romantically approached by a 26-year-old man while she was 18.
“I know that it can be a very heavy conversation topic when you talk about these kinds of relationships,” LIYVZ said.
To balance the serious nature of the topic, she framed the song in a way where listeners can learn how to “push back” and understand what to do in those situations. The lyrics contain empowering words in English and Korean.
Judging from comments of the song’s teaser clips, fans were eager to hear the full song before it dropped on August 22. LIYVZ wants to keep pushing an authentic identity that represents herself without barriers.
“Don’t be afraid to let your true colours shine because it will bring you the best of what you need in this industry.”
Follow LIYVZ on Instagram @liyvz, Bluesky @liyvz.bsky.social, X @official_LIYVZ, and TikTok @official_LIYVZ. Find “NASTY BOY” on Spotify here.
Jacob Aron Leung is a Vancouver-based journalist who loves exploring how people find community through shared identity. Follow him on X @jacobaronleung, Instagram @jacobaronleung, and Bluesky @jacobaronleung.bsky.social. Follow the Toronto Spark on Bluesky @torontospark.bsky.social.
