Everyone stop what you’re doing right now because Destiny’s actual child dropped their first full length album. Citizen Queen, a girl group put together by Pentatonix’s Scott Hoying, features the voices and attitudes of Kaedi Dalley, Cora Isabel, Nina Nelson, and Kaylah Sharve’. 

The group started releasing covers on Spotify in 2018 but appeared together with original music for the first time in 2020 with “Call Me Queen.” Since then, they have released singles such as “Y,” “XO,” “No Ego,” “Break Up,” and more. For the first time, however, the group has released their debut album CLIQUE.

CLIQUE begins with a bouncy title, “holdupbaby!,” which kicks off their girl power themes that continue throughout. The energy starts high and continues into “So Special.”

“So Special” was a pre-release that I had on my On Repeat playlist for weeks. It’s a groovy self-empowerment track that celebrates how special you are. If you need a song to stand in front of the mirror and dance to, this is your song.

“Replay” is one of my favorites on the album because of the instrumentals. I’m instantly attracted to songs that I can drive to at night. If you’re like me, this is the track for you. It’s an upbeat, city-pop kind of song that just makes you want to move.

“Whatchu Want” comes after the interlude, which was for the best because it is a turning point in the tracklist. There’s a sexy edge to this track that the ones before it didn’t quite have. To match this energy, the music video is all face and body. Who knew this song would take place on a tennis court? Somehow, it completely fits the vibe.

“Waste My Time” is a gorgeous R&B track with complex vocal melodies that leave you with chills. An ode to whoever is special in your life, it’s somewhat of a dreamy love song, but it really just celebrates spending time together. Picture sitting together on the couch with your favorite person watching as the clock moves without a care in the world–that’s “Waste My Time” in a nutshell.

“FYP (burn book)” might be my favorite song on the album. The wordplay in this song makes the gears turn in my brain so nicely. This is flat-out a diss track to whoever has wronged you. Have enemies? This is the song to fuel your fire. Just take my word for it and listen to this song. I promise you won’t regret it.

“Break Up” is exactly what it sounds like. In my mind, this song is the color red. The instrumentals are a little haunting, and it might go really well in a playlist centered around vampires (just a suggestion). It’s delicate like a whisper but powerful in its lyrics.

“I think we should break up / I’m too booked and busy to be wasting all of me”

“Happy Pill” is the second to last track on the album. Ironically, this song has a dark chord progression. Its paradoxical nature is revealed through the dismissal of the “happy pill.” Basically, the song is a testament to doing things your own way and not letting people dictate your timeline.

Last but not least, the album closes with “XO,” another song that was released a few months before the album. The background harmonies in this song resemble the harmonies you would find in a jazz song from the 40s or 50s. This song takes the female empowerment that we loved in “7 rings” by Ariana Grande and makes it Citizen Queen.

CLIQUE is an album that gives space for self-love. Grab your girls and queue up this album for an instant mood booster. Stay tuned for more from Citizen Queen!