Exclusive Track Premiere: ‘The Loving Cup,’ Christine and The Queens

French sensation Christine and The Queens (given name Héloïse Letissier) made her live American debut in Austin during SXSW last week. Now, the singer-songwriter is preparing to release her first English-language EP, Saint Claude. Established in 2012, Christine and The Queens is an all-encompassing musical project that involves art videos, drawings, photography, and performance. After meeting drag queens in London, Letissier dedicated many of her creations to them and some even became her backing band. Her own name Christine was born in the same vein.

“Before Christine, I wanted to be a stage director,” the 26-year-old recalls. “There, I faced terrible contradictions that pinned me down. When I met drag queens, what struck me the most was how they embraced their struggles by turning them into art. I thought it was genius. If you can’t hide your scars, you work along with them. Christine is born with that energy.”

After the three French EPs that Letissier dubs “freakpop,” Christine and the Queens dropped a full-length album last year, Chaleur humaine, and toured with similar European pop acts including Lykke Li, The Dø, and Woodkid. Above, we are pleased to premiere “The Loving Cup,” one of the final tracks on Saint Claude.

“I wrote ‘The Loving Cup’ shortly after watching Paris is Burning for the first time,” the 26-year-old says. “For me, the song had to work exactly like a vogue ball does—you choose your outfit, your name, your genre. Everybody is invited without exception and without judgement. The only rule is to exalt what we came in with: ‘Work it, and walk.'”

SAINT CLAUDE WILL BE AVAILABLE APRIL 14 VIA NEON GOLD. FOR MORE ON CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS, VISIT HER WEBSITE.