WATCH: RBD’s Christian Chávez Joins Johann Vera For Pride Anthem ‘Closet’
Photo by In Da House.
Johann Vera is making his coming out anthem an even bigger moment for LGBTQ+ Pride Month. The Ecuadorian pop star joined forces with RBD icon Christian Chávez for a new version of “Closet.” In an exclusive for Remezcla, Vera talked about collaborating with Chávez and fostering solidarity among the queer Latine community during these challenging times.
Nearly a decade into his career, Vera came out as queer last year with the release of “Closet.” He reveals that Chávez was a fan of the song and that they wanted to find the “right moment” to record a duet version. Pride Month proved to be the perfect opportunity for the two Latin American stars to align. Chávez was one of the first high-profile Mexican artists to come out back in 2007 when he revealed that he is gay.
“The experience of working with Christian was honestly very healing,” Vera says. “It was like therapy for me. It’s been beautiful to have a friend in the industry that’s so well known in the LGBTQ+ community and that can guide you and help you through his experience. We wanted to show a message of support and unity between two people from our community.”
In the new version of “Closet,” Vera and Chávez beautifully harmonize about the struggles a queer person can face from not being out. Their soulful voices reach an empowering high when they sing in Spanish: “I am who I am and who I’ve always been.” The music video brings the heart behind “Closet” to life with black-and-white shots of Vera and Chávez performing the song together.
“Politically, we’re going through something extremely crazy,” Vera says. “We’re going years and years back in history. It’s really affecting all the foundations and people that are trying to help the LGBTQ+ community. If you find good friends and good support, stick to them, support each other, and be in each other’s lives. You’re not alone. If we can show that support between us, I think it’s really powerful.”
Back in January, Vera released his debut EP, Nada Importa En Verdad, where he celebrates his queerness. He promises another special project later this month that will continue to document his coming out process. Vera also recently launched a men’s lingerie line called Duro.
Check out the music video for “Closet” below.
