Girl-Group Citizen Queen Talks Forming, Dream Collaborations, And The Grammys

The Girl-Group dominating the charts!

After going viral for their take on the Evolution of Girl Groups, the five girls have not slowed down since! Since debuting in 2018, they have well over 20 Million Streams on their music. Their new single “Y” has already reached over 1 Million million streams on Spotify alone.

We had the absolute honor of interview the girls on all things working together, music inspirations, and more!

Q: How did the five of you come together to form Citizen Queen?

(KAYLAH) “We all participated in an audition process orchestrated by Scott Hoying, Ben Bram, and Shams Ahmed. The four of us, (Cora was previously selected to be in the group) met at the New York audition and literally were in awe when we sang together for the first time. Cora joined us shortly after and absolutely did not miss a beat! Our voices and chemistry just worked and really produced something magical.”

Q: In addition to your original songs, you guys are also fantastic on doing covers. What has been your favorite cover song and why?

(KAYLAH)  “I think it varies between the 5 of us but we all agree that our Whack World medley (we took five different tracks off the Tierra Whack album and each sang a solo) is at the top of the list. It’s different from anything we’ve done before and showcases different sides of us. Everyone was able to really shine!”

Q: Citizen Queen is such a unique name; what is it’s backstory?

(NINA) “The girls of CQ had been brainstorming names for 3 months before launch – I have a notebook full of about 50 ideas we talked through. We cared so much that our name stood for something, that it represented us and why we sing. So we refused to settle! One day, I was at home talking to my mom about how we are all queens in our own right; we all call each other queen when we wear a bomb outfit, come up with an amazing idea, clap back at haters in the comments section, and more. All this to say, we are all queens in our own ways.

But that term implies that it is out of reach, regal, and reserved for the few – why must being a ‘queen’ be so unattainable? So we decided to democratize the term. Citizen Queen. Everyone in this group and everyone in our community is a queen for being exactly who they are. We want everyone to know they are extremely special when they hear our name, and listen to our music.”

Q: You guys have over 30 Million Streams on your music, not to mention the many shoutouts from the most popular singers out there. Has it hit you guys how successful you have been?

(HANNAH) “It’s absolutely wild with the attention “Y” has been pulling in. It is so incredibly humbling. We have noticed an increase in fans which we are so incredibly excited about but I don’t think it’s really hit us. I don’t think it will ever hit us really! All we want is to make music and inspire people through it. It’s so amazing that we get to do what we love for a living. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it. “

Q: Do you guys get any inspiration from current girl groups, like Little Mix, or past ones, like Fifth Harmony?

(KAEDI) “We definitely draw inspiration from both past and current girl groups! for our group especially, I think it’s incredibly important for us to pay tribute to the talented and beautiful women before us, while we craft a path of our own & reflect the times of the present. it’s how we build a foundation of strength and make that legacy of self love and empowerment last. wherever good music goes we follow, and it isn’t a coincidence that a lot of this music has been and still is made by so many of these women. we love yall!”

Q: Is there a big goal that all of you want to achieve together?

(CORA) “I think I can speak for all of the girls when I say one of our biggest goals is to go to the Grammys, and better yet- receive a Grammy!”

Q: If you guys could have any artist feature in one of your songs, who would it be and why?

(HANNAH) “That is such a difficult question!!! I can think of 4 right off the bat would be SZA, Ariana Grande, Victoria Monet and Kehlani. I know the question was only 1 but we would GLADLY work with any of these queens. Each one of them is so incredibly talented and has inspired all of us in so many ways.”

Q: Even though you started Citizen Queen in 2018, do you think that you guys have evolved as a group?

(NINA) “We have grown exponentially since 2018!! Musically, mentally, spiritually, physically, brand-wise – we just keep growing. We are no longer an a cappella cover group, we are releasing fully produced originals while keeping true to our roots. We used the pandemic to hone into skills we’ve always wanted to master, and are becoming more and more self sufficient musically. We have producers, arrangers, writers, content creators, stylists, all within the five of us. As individuals, we are coming into our own; there is a new sense of confidence within ourselves with every video we release.

I see a visible difference from the videos we released back at the end of 2018. As a group most importantly, I’m so proud of how we’ve come together. The pandemic presented a unique challenge literally no one could have prepared us for, but it brought us closer together than ever. In every moment of hardship, the only constant we have is us, and we heavily rely on and trust each other. And that bond is showing in the music. At the end of the day we’re just a group of really great friends that love to sing. I’m so grateful to have them in my life.”

Q: If you could send a message to your fans right now, what would it be?

(CORA) “There’s so much I want to say to the fans but I can’t say much without giving spoilers, so for now I’ll have to stick with we love you so much, thank you for your support, and hold onto your seats because big stuff is coming!”

Q: Where can we follow your amazing journey?

Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok