Citizen Queen

History
The group debuted in late 2018 with their astounding cover of Ariana Grande’s No Tears Left to Cry, and their suspicions were confirmed after nearly two million views: there was magic, indeed.

The girls recognize the trails blazed by girl group pioneers before them, as demonstrated by their 2019 Evolution of Girl Groups, a flawlessly-polished, harmony-filled medley. The accompanying video is a dynamic and tightly-choreographed tribute to beloved girl group favorites spanning all the way from The Supremes to Fifth Harmony which has racked up over 20 million views on YouTube.

By 2019, Citizen Queen was touring arenas – and suddenly, the girls went from boot camp sessions to performing in front of tens-of-thousands of people, all while balancing their school duties. Cora even missed out on her high school graduation ceremony. (Touring the country as a pop star sounded like a better idea.) More covers came that year, including their harmony-filled takes on Daniel Caesar and H.E.R.’s Best Part, Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello’s Señorita and Lizzo’s Good As Hell, continuing to win them more fans along the way – but something even more ambitious was just on the horizon.

Citizen Queen’s growing popularity led to more frequent talks with their label, RCA Records - not just about their successful covers and performances, but the inevitability of original music. To carve out their own sound, the girls were sent to songwriting camps, which led to their eventual meeting with Justin Tranter, one of the generation’s premiere pop hit-makers, responsible for smashes for the likes of everyone from Selena Gomez to Britney Spears to Justin Bieber.

After having a candid conversation with Justin about the themes they were passionate about, including self-empowerment “and just being a bad bitch,” Kaedi adds, they cooked up a fierce rallying cry that brought it all together for the first time: “Call Me Queen.” At the heart of Citizen Queen is a diverse group of empowered young women, passionate about using their voices to represent strong women everywhere. Teaming up with NOVA Wav, the female production duo who’ve already put a dent in the pop music industry with their contributions to Ariana Grande’s Thank U, Next and Beyonce & Jay-Z’s collaborative record as The Carters (Everything Is Love), was pivotal in the process.

And it’s that exact sentiment of inclusion that underscores the very meaning behind their name.

“A Queen is someone you look up to - it’s unattainable, but why does it have to be?” Nina says. “There’s something in every one of us, so why can’t we democratize the term and make it available for everyone? What’s inside you makes you a Queen.”

The group stresses they’re about authenticity, first and foremost, and have no interest in manufactured uniformity. Armed with an air of infectious confidence, undeniable talent and an arsenal of slickly-produced, superbly sung R&B-laced pop bangers and ballads in waiting, the girls of Citizen Queen are now the next ones in line, poised to take their rightful place on the throne.