Christine and the Queens has joined forces with her longtime friend and collaborator Thee Diane on their newly released song “Ah Ya”.  The two worked together on the song’s writing, production and mixing. The two first performed the song at the Centre Pompidou during Because Beaubourg. The song’s release also came with a music video, directed and shot by Calixte Lenka.

About the song and her collaborative relationship with Thee Diane, Christine and the Queens’ singer Rahim Redcar shared,

“From our friendship, the legacy is music

We’ve been singing together for several years – now, our voices answer each other, melt into one

In the writing, too, things come to us harmoniously, in one breath –

Where the music goes, we go without thinking

The melody then unfolds to bring us its sweet, sweet relief

Find a sister,

Find a brother

In the night of the world

Conversations, late at night ; the pact is sealed :

We built our sound,

We protect our sound.

Ah ya is the collaboration of two rebels, and I say this without flaunting,

Since we still dare to love in the night of a world so fragile

Since we dream ourselves free,

Total emancipation of our fortresses”.

She ended her poetic statement with a quote from James Baldwin, “The place in which I’ll fit will not exist until I make it.”

Thee Diane also spoke on the song by explaining, “This song is an invitation to tune into a higher frequency. It’s a freer, almost instinctive format. A way to reconnect with oneself, to follow our heart and let the body speak as much as the voice. To listen to your heart and create from a truer place. We wanted to break free, following the example of other artists such as Michael Jackson, Prince, Kool & The Gang, Kate Bush… who created long, cinematic musical landscapes where emotion takes precedence over structure. This is the first track of a beautiful artistic collaboration and a deep friendship between us.”

The sound of “Ah Ya” can be described as a club track with inspiration from afrobeats’ rhythms. It consists of a unique beat that’s impossible to ignore. It’s a lowkey song, but it still makes you want to dance. The music video consists of a lot of glamour shots, but done in a way that feels artistically purposeful and embraces the music.​

Interestingly, Diane is actually on the cover of Christine and the Queens’ album, Redcar Les Adorables Etoiles.