Queen Priyanka shares new single “Shut It Down” // Announces debut album “Devastatia” + headlining tour      

Drag icon and multi-disciplinary performer Queen Priyanka announces her debut album Devastatia (Out August 23rd) along with an accompanying headlining fall North American tour that will see Queen Priyanka bringing 70 minute show inclusive of her magnetic personality and stage presence to 23 cities across North America. This is AMERIYANKA takeover. The announcement comes on the heels of Queen Priyanka’s ready for radio new single, “Shut It Down.”

The pulse-racing dance track puts a positive spin on leaving a pain-in-the-ass primadonna in the past. Always unflinchingly confident and unapologetically authentic, Queen Priyanka has made protecting her peace while making her own way a major part of her artistic ethos. Throughout her career she has faced down and defeated an army of naysayers who couldn’t understand her bold creative vision, all while preaching a message of positivity and acceptance. On “Shut It Down” Queen Priyanka flaunts her resilience and power, melding incendiary percussion with grooving bass to create a euphoric and agile sonic experience. Flexing her seamless, sultry vocals she sings, “I ain’t wasting no time with you / chittah-chattah, it don’t matter / sorry, Imma shut it down,” over the bouncing beat and exhilarating synths. Fierce, fabulous, and fearless, “Shut It Down” shows Queen Priyanka as the conductor of a train that’s building up steam. Climb aboard, or get out of the way, because she’s not stopping.

Breaking barriers is something Queen Priyanka is crossing off of her daily to-do list and it’s now led us to the upcoming release of her debut album. A gorgeous body of work with epic bangers and memorable new visuals ready to take her to the next level. Since the impressive rollout of her debut EP Taste Test, exceptional hitmakers have set their sights on Queen Priyanka and lent a hand in crafting the hits her career demands. That roster includes Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Scott Hoying of Pentatonix, songwriters Josh Cumbee (Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter, Girls Generation) and Damon Sharpe (Jennifer Lopez, Kylie Minogue, Ariana Grande).

“Shut It Down” follows Queen Priyanka’s single “No New Friends.” A chorus made up of Queen Priyanka’s layered vocals chants “no new friends,” creating the feeling that she is backed up by an army of her own tenacity and courage. Having fought through adversity for her whole career – nearly getting fired multiple times from her Kids TV show when she started performing in drag, or being told she could never be a star by a guidance counselor as a young brown kid in suburban Ontario, Priyanka uses “No New Friends” as a challenge to celebrate the relationship you have with yourself and to be your own #1 supporter,  singing, “loving on myself they call it vain / bleeding on my haters make it rain.” Comfortable to be her unique, boundary-pushing, innovative self, Queen Priyanka reminds her audience that no matter the medium, she’s always an entertainer, as she lets her light shine on the mighty track.

The accompanying music video for “No New Friends” was directed by D.W. Waterson with choreography by Lady Gaga’s choreographer Richy Jackson. The video is a peek into the double life Queen Priyanka used to live when she was on KIDS tv. “The idea is that myself (in my closeted days) falls in love with this ‘dancer’ who in reality is the future me,” Queen Priyanka shares. “That infatuation of what the future could be. Doing this video to this song represents me acknowledging that my dream came true!”

Queen Priyanka remembers seeing Elizabeth Berkley in Showgirls and being so shocked that a Saved By The Bell teen actress was now playing a stripper and thought, “is this how my old kids TV fans see me as a drag queen?” So she aimed to capture the marriage between Pri out of drag as the guy her fans used to see on kids TV with the growth and full evolution of Pri in drag as a stripper at the club. Stripping is in many ways also what this whole project is about – peeling back the layers to find true vulnerability to be an icon/beast/go for your dreams.

“Priyanka is a dedicated hustler who is at the top of her game and I jumped at the opportunity to collaborate with her on her music video,” director D.W. Waterson shares. “Music videos are really inspiring to me; it’s how I began in this business and is something I hope to continue crafting. I love the room to experiment, and to weave in and out of a story quickly. It was one of the best locations I’ve ever walked into and getting to capture Priyanka’s magnetism against that backdrop was incredible.”

This collaboration between Queen Priyanka and D.W. sees two queer Toronto artists celebrating their city’s vibrant culture, and Queen Priyanka taking the stage at the iconic Zanzibar strip club. Cameos include Pri’s drag mom Xtacy Love, Miss Fiercalicious and Damian Abraham. D.W. is also making their feature directorial debut with the queer cheer drama BACKSPOT, starring Evan Rachel Wood and Devery Jacobs, and executive produced by Elliot Page through his Page Boy Productions, coming to theaters this spring.

MORE ABOUT QUEEN PRIYANKA:

Say her name, Priyanka! The drag pop superstar totally smashed through the drag queen stereotype while she made her mark in traditional institutions as a legit artist. The origin story of Mark “Suki” Suknanan now known as Queen Priyanka started in the TV industry as a host on the legendary children’s network, YTV.

After 10 years of entertaining children, with the magic of drag – Queen Priyanka would be born and immediately start taking over the world of entertainment. Since winning the inaugural season of Canada’s Drag Race in 2020 – Queen Priyanka showed everyone that she is here to stay with her debut EP Taste Test earning over 20 million streams, becoming a lead on the Emmy Award-winning HBO series We’re Here, and acting roles in Netflix’s Glamourous and the upcoming film, Meet Me Next Christmas.

Described by Rolling Stone as “Fearless”, Queen Priyanka keeps proving that drag queens can carve out a space in pop music and get played on the radio by trusting her instincts and not playing by the rules. Breaking barriers is something Queen Priyanka is crossing off of her daily to-do list, and with her global fanbase begging for the release of her upcoming debut full-length album Devastatia, Queen Priyanka wants to make it known that she is first and foremost a pop star.

FREE TO SHARE:

Priyanka – Shut It Down

Priyanka – No New Friends (Music Video)

Priyanka – No New Friends

“DEVASTATIA” TOUR DATES:

Oct 9: Kingston, ON @ The Broom Factory

Oct 11: Montreal, QC @ Studio TD

Oct 19: New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge

Oct 20: Washington, DC @ Songbyrd

Oct 23: Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern

Oct 25: Winnipeg, MB @ West End Cultural Centre

Oct 26: Regina, SK @ The Exchange

Oct 27: Saskatoon, SK @ Louis’ Pub

Oct 28: Edmonton, AB @ Double Dragon

Oct 31: Vancouver, BC @ Celebrities Nightclub

Nov 1: Victoria, BC @ Capital Ballroom

Nov 2: Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou’s

Nov 3: Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios

Nov 8: San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop

Nov 9: Los Angeles, CA @ Peppermint Lounge

Nov 13: London, ON @ Rum Runners

Nov 15: Windsor, ON @ Rockstar Music Hall

Nov 22: Charlottetown, PEI @ PEI Brewing

Nov 23: Fredericton, NB @ Charlotte Street Arts Centre

Nov 24: Quebec City, QC @ Le Drague

Nov 27: Toronto, ON @ Axis Club