Citizen Queen Dish on Reintroducing Themselves With the New CLIQUE EP and Loving Their Royals
We've been hooked on multi-talented girl group Citizen Queen since we first heard them perform back in 2020, and with their reintroduction to the world with the debut EP CLIQUE, it's clear the group is better than ever.
The quartet consists of artists Kaedi Dalley, Cora Isabel, Nina Ann Nelson and Kaylah Sharve, and the powerful CLIQUE demonstrates the members' evolutions as artists, individually and as a team, through 10 sleek tracks. Their sound fuses pop-R&B with a touch of hip-hop to enchant new and old listeners alike, and from the moment we heard it, we knew it was something special. We had the pleasure of chatting with the group to get the inside scoop on all things CLIQUE, and you can read the full interview below.
On CLIQUE
Citizen Queen: First we love that the letters C & Q are in the title. For us, if you're a fan of CQ, you're part of the CLIQUE. We wanted to flip the idea of the cool kids in school and show that being and showing exactly who you are is what makes you great and what makes you part of the clique. In some ways, we're being who we wish we were in high school and who we looked up to when we were that age. We like to describe the EP as a variety pack and a reintroduction to us as Citizen Queen, showing you who we are and all facets of us.
Also read about: Citizen Queen Give Sass and Confidence in Single, 'XO'
CLIQUE's Themes
Citizen Queen: Independence, confidence, being who you are, witnessing our growth and maturity, acceptance of yourself through the multitudes of life. Speaking truth to power and being unafraid to do so. We hope that fans feel confident, proud and accepting of themselves through our example.
The Sound of CLIQUE
Citizen Queen: The EP is an accumulation of all of our creative inspirations and genre-bending. The project's sound is of today while still giving a nod to where we came from (vocal a cappella music) and harmony-driven girl groups. In our independent era, we've taken full creative control of every specific detail, and what you see is an accurate representation of who we are through these songs.
A lot of the writing and recording process happened in Nina's home studio. We were A&R, vocal engineers, vocal producers, songwriters and BGV arrangers. We also manifested working with some of the creatives behind some of our favorite songs (like RELYT, Kabba and Jamal Woon, collaborators of the group FLO) and that's exactly what ended up happening. We exercised every creative muscle in our arsenal and pulled sounds from our own abilities.
For example, on the song "Happy Pill," the Kirby and video game sounds come from Cora. On "FYP (burn book)," the intent of the song was to be a cipher to showcase us individually. Our previous singles that are on the EP were from a different time in our careers, and as you listen to the songs on the EP that are new, it shows that our growth and confidence have developed.
On the Songs of CLIQUE and Where the Girls Are Now
Citizen Queen: They show our confidence, us coming into ourselves. We know who we are and are unafraid to take musical risks.
Also read about: Our Girl Group Obsession, Citizen Queen, Dish on Their Iconic Kehlani Cover
Citizen Queen's Favorite Songs
Nina Ann Nelson: "FYP (burn book)." It felt like a risk to be honest about our experiences in the industry, but we're so glad we did it.
Kaedi Dalley: "holdupbaby"! An ode to Danity Kane (also produced by Dem Jointz). The song is left field of what we would normally do while still feeling true to our sound.
Cora Isabel: "Happy Pill." As a beatboxer, I love incorporating my beatboxing sounds and Kirby/video game sound effects into the foundation of the track.
Kaylah Sharve: "Whatchu Want" and "Replay." Our new single "Whatchu Want" is a fun vibe. Also, I'm an R&B girl so, "Replay" has a place in my heart.
The Process of CLIQUE
Citizen Queen: Good things take time, and also take your time to grow. Especially being independent, the revision process and re-revision process helped us hone the project beyond what we originally anticipated. We're becoming the artists we've grown up looking up to and this process showed us we're capable of those things and more.
Sometimes the music industry feels like a rush to the finish, but leaving room for us to live our lives to have something to speak about has its own value.
Also, music is a collaborative process, and it's been so encouraging to learn how many people had silently vouched for us in the industry over the years and came to our aid when we needed it most.
How the Group Feels
Citizen Queen: Relieved and excited. Since the project has been years in the making, we feel so good about this reintroduction to who we are.
Also read about: Mackenzie Sol on His New Single, 'Can't Sleep,' and His Biggest Advice for Aspiring Musicians
Final Thoughts
Citizen Queen: Stream CLIQUE (in order)! Read the lyrics for "FYP,"—the CLIQUE interlude is sickening and we produced it ourselves. Listen attentively because there are details we put our heart and soul into. Old and new, you'll see why everything connects. Day one Royals, thank you so much for still sticking around for us. To our new supporters, welcome to the CLIQUE.
Curious about the new groups we love? Click HERE for our interview with Elevator Boys on TikTok fame and their debut single, "Runaway."