The queer superheroes giving it hell: Introducing Polartropica

This is a feel good song with a great heart and a cool vibe

BY SAMANTHA GRIERSON, IMAGE BY OLIVIA HEMARATANATORN

Having seen the video of Polartropica’s new song, Give them Hell *Serial Killer Slayer*, in pre-release, I knew I had to talk to them. The song is a mash up of 80s electric pop, Blondie, Darling Buds, maybe a bit of Bangles, throw in some punk and som high energy. It’s addictive.

The video is epic, depicting a queer band of Superheroes discovering their own super powers, including pole dancing, building and boxing, as we see their childhood back stories develop. Ultimately, they defeat the villains, and The Astronaut who struggles the most lays out their opponent in the final scene with a cartoonesque “Game Over”. This is a feel good song with a great heart and a cool vibe.

Cherise, the Taiwanese American songwriter, singer and performer joins me from LA to discuss this new song. Having has a classical music background and a rigorous upbringing, this is Cherise’s departure from conformity. “I want to push what the industry expects from me. I’m not on a record label because I want to do music on my own terms. Integrity of art is everything to me”. We discuss THE video: “It’s showing that everything we do is a superpower, whether its sewing or pole dancing, that’s your superpower and its important. The video was put together with friends who are all queer actors, directors, set designers”. This sense of fun and friendship really comes across when you watch it.

Cherise makes every music single a story. I ask about the possibility of an album, to which they reply: “If I have in my mind a compelling way to present a set of stories then maybe but people’s attention spans seem to be shorter now, they want fast content and my stories work like that”.

Cherise tells me that they don’t sleep very much and they are “too excited and always ready to go”. I ask about a possible love interest: receiving a quick reply of “a bit messy and completely insane”. They further explain that “during quarantine I explored queer and non-conventional relationships, including being polyamorous. This gave me some drama, I’m an artist anyway so the hours I keep and how I work doesn’t help. I was seeing someone who was into boxing, it imploded with her but I kept boxing and that led me to a potential wrestling show that I’m now working on. I never know where my queer relationships will take me. They are layered and rewarding”.

Watch Polartopica’s video now, and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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