Divergent Light Up the Floor With “Not Until It’s Right”

Divergent aren’t here to play it safe, they’re here to play it loud. Their latest single, “Not Until It’s Right,” feels like the kind of track that gets you out of your chair before you even realize it. It’s not just a song; it’s a full-body experience, built from pure instinct, tight chemistry, and a decades-long friendship that’s clearly paying off.

The trio: James Richards, Mike McAlister, and Paul Richards, are longtime collaborators who finally decided to stop overthinking and just do the damn thing. After years apart, they’ve reunited under a new name and a new energy that’s impossible to fake. “Not Until It’s Right” takes everything Divergent have been teasing, from their free-spirited debut “Runnin’ Free” to their evolving live sound, and spins it into something fresh, magnetic, and just the right amount of dirty.

The song kicks off with Paul’s crisp drumsticks snapping you to attention before James’ keys and Mike’s bass slither in like co-conspirators. The groove is playful, confident, and just a little dangerous, like flirting under neon lights knowing exactly how the night’s gonna end. Lyrically, it’s simple and straight to the point: boy meets girl, girl’s not settling for half-assed love, and the only way to earn it is to move to her rhythm. “No, no, no,” she says, and that hook sticks. It’s cheeky, it’s catchy, and it drives home the idea that love, like music, only hits when the timing’s right.

Where Divergent really flexes its muscle is in the performance. You can feel how much fun they’re having. James lays down this hypnotic piano line that started, as the story goes, on his old Chickering upright piano, and it sounds like a memory turned into motion. Mike’s bass walks with swagger, sliding between the rhythm like it’s second nature, while Paul’s drumming brings that big-room energy that reminds you these guys are meant to be onstage. It’s not polished to death, and that’s what makes it work. It’s alive.

Then there’s the video, filmed at Sweetwater Studios, which captures exactly who Divergent are: three dudes locked into their craft, vibing like they own the room. There’s no ego here, just passion and groove. You watch it and instantly get the sense that they’re right there, not posing for a brand, but playing because they have to. It’s the kind of authenticity you don’t see enough of anymore.

Divergent may be seasoned musicians, but this new era feels like the start of something wild. If “Not Until It’s Right” is any indication of what’s coming on their upcoming album, Rev It Up, then buckle up, this band isn’t done making noise. They’re just getting warmed up.