Three years ago, Rakiyah set out to tell a story that couldn’t be contained within a single project. It would take an alter ego, a cosmic mythology and an entire trilogy to tell it properly.

The New Jersey-born singer-songwriter has spent the last several years developing the world of the Cosmic Queen—a fearless extension of herself who navigates love, desire, heartbreak and healing against a backdrop of science fantasy and cinematic alternative R&B. It’s a universe shaped as much by Rakiyah’s imagination as it is by her lived experiences, from her background in engineering to the transformative time she spent studying abroad in South Korea.

That journey reaches its destination with My Collection of Boy Tears, an album that finds the Cosmic Queen emerging stronger after heartbreak. Rather than framing the project as a story of revenge, Rakiyah views it as one of restoration, where tears become symbols of resilience and personal evolution. It’s a fitting conclusion to a trilogy that has consistently explored what it means to lose yourself, rebuild and ultimately return with a stronger sense of identity.

The timing couldn’t feel more significant. Following viral performance moments, growing critical acclaim and recognition from artists including SZA and Jazmine Sullivan, Rakiyah enters this new chapter with an artistic vision that feels fully realised. Yet despite the momentum, her focus remains fixed on creating immersive experiences that invite listeners into her world rather than simply asking them to hear a song.

In conversation with 1883 Magazine, Rakiyah opens up about bringing the Cosmic Love Odyssey to a close, the freedom of building without boundaries, and why the Cosmic Queen has always been an inseparable part of who she is.

First of all, congratulations on the release of My Collection of Boy Tears! This album brings your trilogy to a close after years of world-building. How does it feel knowing this chapter is finally yours to share with the world?

I feel so accomplished, especially knowing that it took me three years to complete this album. This year, I had the opportunity to fully execute the vision for this chapter, not just musically but also through visuals, creating a fully immersive experience. I’m so proud and appreciative to have been able to take what amounted to a blank canvas and create a masterpiece, with the help of my friends and collaborators, for the world to experience. I just can’t wait to see what everyone thinks of it.

My Collection of Boy Tears is such a bold title. What made “boy tears” the perfect metaphor for memory, power and transformation rather than simply revenge?

I chose to collect “boy tears” as a way of transforming the memories of heartbreak involving the men in my life, confronting those experiences and simultaneously reflecting my character development. It’s not just about getting revenge through their tears; it’s about restoration after crying my own. There is a cleansing aspect to it, like rain washing things away. A rebirth happens after reclaiming my power and strengthening myself through the tears.

Looking back at where the Cosmic Love Odyssey began, how has the Cosmic Queen’s understanding of love changed by the time we reach this final chapter?

The Cosmic Love Odyssey is such a beautiful reflection of my own reality and growth as a person who has experienced so many different types of love. My first EP was an earlier iteration of my own understanding of love. My naivety and the lengths I was willing to go to find and maintain love manifested in my alter ego travelling to the cosmos in search of it.

On the second EP, the Cosmic Queen emerges with an identity forged through experience and an awareness of desire. Confidence, power, sex appeal and the ability to wield these things to claim what she wanted—these powers the Cosmic Queen developed came with responsibilities and challenges.

Reality sets in. We all know love costs something, and it was time for the Cosmic Queen to learn that lesson as well. The experience of love comes in exchange for the possibility of heartache. Desires can’t be met without vulnerability, and in that vulnerability, there’s a risk that someone will mishandle your heart.

I needed to share all aspects of love: the highs and the lows, and how the healing process can be messy. But at the end of the journey, what you have is an evolved version of yourself. This Cosmic Love Odyssey ends with a Cosmic Queen who has a fortified identity—someone who won’t ever settle again.

Your background in aerospace engineering gives your cosmic world-building a unique authenticity. How has studying the science of space shaped the emotional universe you create through your music?

Although my aeronautical engineering studies weren’t specifically focused on space exploration, I have always had a love and affinity for the universe, its vastness and its magnificence. Since childhood, fantasising about space has been my escape. Studying the stars and the expansiveness of space created a place where my creativity had an infinite, limitless ability to grow. My world-building took the curiosity of science and merged it with my storytelling to create a surreal science-fantasy world of my own, where I could fully explore and explain myself.

You also spent time studying in South Korea and now incorporate Korean into your music. Beyond the language itself, what influence has that experience had on the artist and storyteller you’ve become?

A lot of the Cosmic Queen’s development occurred while I was studying abroad. Standing out and being so different in another culture strengthened my sense of identity. My whole life has been a culmination of choosing unique paths over and over again.

Navigating a country where I was not the beauty standard, away from my family, friends and comfort zone, gave me the opportunity to choose and pour into myself. I nurtured myself and my creativity. Every time I went to South Korea, I experienced a transformation and returned with a deeper understanding of myself as a person and a creative.

The Cosmic Queen feels far more personal than a stage persona. At what point did she become an extension of yourself rather than simply a character?

The Cosmic Queen has never just been a stage persona. She has always been an extension of myself. She is my alter ego. The Cosmic Queen cannot be separated from Rakiyah because she is the unfiltered, unapologetic version of me who pushes beyond this reality and into her own universe, where she can fully explore the depths of my creativity, curiosity and emotions. The world-building around her creates a character who makes my experiences and storytelling more digestible.

Your music often transforms heartbreak into entire worlds instead of straightforward confession. What does fantasy allow you to express that realism sometimes can’t?

I love processing real feelings through immersive experiences. It’s enjoyable to take relatable experiences and create a form of escapism for myself and others, allowing us to process complex emotions in a much more interesting and digestible way. Using metaphors and science-fantasy imagery gives me the ability to entertain while explaining the depths of my emotions.

Your projects feel incredibly cinematic. When you’re creating a new era, do the music, visuals and story come to you together, or does one always lead the others?

Usually, whether I’m able to execute the exact vision or not, I see a cinematic world in my mind while I’m writing and making a song. The music is essentially a soundtrack to a movie that hasn’t been made yet. Typically, the ideas, the era and the aesthetic emerge simultaneously as the music is being created.

You’ve also cited icons like Missy Elliott, Janet Jackson and Aaliyah as inspirations—artists whose worlds extended far beyond the music itself. What have they taught you about building an artistic legacy?

These legends are the blueprints that taught me and showed me that Black women in music can expand sonically, visually and aesthetically into alternative spaces. They ventured into futurism and science fantasy first. They are the foundation and paved the way for bending genres and pushing the limits of what Black women are even allowed to sound like in music.

Their aesthetics and world-building challenged and explored perceptions of what Black women were able to look like. They empowered me to show up creatively as my full, authentic self.

Last year, your performance of “Ready or Not (Rock Version)” went viral, earning more than 11 million views. Did that moment change how you see yourself as a performer, or did it simply reinforce what you already knew?

It reinforced what I already knew. I’m so passionate about my craft. I know that I’m talented, but pursuing this career independently has been incredibly challenging. I’ve known that I have what it takes, but I’ve been looking for that moment of visibility to show the world what I’m capable of. That performance is just the tip of the iceberg, and it lets me know that I’m on the right path.

You’ve built this universe independently across multiple releases. As this trilogy comes to an end, what does success for My Collection of Boy Tears look like to you beyond numbers and streaming milestones?

I already feel successful because I finished something I started three years ago. This is the most art I have ever released at once. Having the ability to execute the vision I’ve had, finance this project and its visuals, and work with the people I’ve worked with—really putting everything I have into this album—feels like success.

But beyond that, if I can see that the stories I’ve told through my music have an impact on other people… Well, making art is one thing; making art that people connect with and relate to is another thing entirely. It would be so meaningful to me to see that my art, my hard work and my heart’s work touch people and evoke true emotion in those who experience it.

Stepping away from music for a moment, if someone spent a day with Rakiyah rather than the Cosmic Queen, what’s something they would be surprised to learn about you?

I’m funny as hell. I’m so silly, fun and adventurous. I don’t mean to toot my own horn or anything, but I am hilarious. I’m also super sweet, kind and considerate. I’m actually a really safe space.

Your work sits at the intersection of music, fashion, film and visual art. Is there another creative medium you’ve been itching to explore that fans haven’t seen from you yet?

Two months ago, I picked up a sword. I’ve been studying Chinese and Japanese sword-based martial arts. I’ve always been interested in them, but to fully commit to my character development as the Cosmic Queen, I’ve really dedicated myself to sword martial arts as another method of storytelling. I have a background as a contemporary dancer, so I’m looking forward to leaning more into body movement as an art form through which I can share this album.

If someone were discovering Rakiyah for the very first time through My Collection of Boy Tears, what’s the one thing you hope they understand about you before the album ends?

I hope they understand and appreciate me as a songwriter and storyteller. I also hope they understand that I don’t fit into a box. My range is on display throughout this album, but I’m just getting started.

Now that the Cosmic Love Odyssey has reached its conclusion, where does your imagination take you next? Does another universe already exist in your mind, or are you allowing yourself the freedom to discover it as you go?

I have a couple of things in mind that will continue expanding the Cosmic Queen into different universes, but I’ve also realised that my art imitates my life. So, I’m going to live a little. I’m going to give myself the opportunity to live in this world and promote this album for a year while I experience life. On the other side of this, I know a world exists for the Cosmic Queen that we’ve never seen before.

Is there anything fans can expect in the meantime?

Visuals! I’m essentially releasing a visual album. Almost half of the songs on the album have accompanying music videos that all exist within my cinematic world, and I don’t think I’m done.

Also, look out for me performing at anime conventions this year and next year. I will also be bringing My Collection of Boy Tears to life at my second solo concert at Harmony Hall in Fort Washington, Maryland, on October 24. This is the same place where my viral “Ready or Not (Rock Version)” performance took place, and I’m so excited to go back. There will be a live band, dancers, and me and my sword. I’m super excited to start training.

My Collection of Boy Tears is out now, follow via @rakiyah

Interview Stanley Kilonzo

Photography Noe Cove