Ciara Adkins [she/they], more commonly known ber her stage name Ci Majr, is a new-ish name on the scene and one of Atlanta’s latest musical exports; bringing original songwriting, stunning vocals, unique production and irresistible, dancefloor-ready vibes to a speaker near you.

Originally from the Chi, Ci Majr grew up in a loving and supportive family home with her mother, father and brother that she vividly remembers always being filled with music and laughter. She credits her family on being a major influence and supporter of her successes so far, from encouraging her to create, contributing towards equipment costs and paying for music lessons.

Enrolling young baby Majr in piano lessons at age 3, her parents were Ciara’s first introduction to the world of music. “My parents heard that kids who played piano were good at math,” says Ciara. “They might have been onto something because I majored in Applied Math at Harvard.” Classically trained till age 18, Ciara also picked up the drums and guitar along the way, largely inspired by her brother who she would often hear making beats on his drum kit at home.

However, despite pretty much all the evidence pointing to a young Ciara being a musical (and mathematics) protégé, Ciara didn’t become Ci Majr for a few more years, despite regularly writing and creating songs since age 12, after realising how much she relied on music as an outlet for her creativity and emotions. ” I have this weird thing that I’ve actually had other artist friends of mine described too where I start to feel really down if I haven’t created something in a while” she recalls. “It almost feels like an internal emotional sludge build-up that I have to purge regularly in the form of a song.”

Drawn to pop music via the early influences of fellow pianists Alicia Keys and Justin Timberlake, Ciara quickly found her chosen musical lane long before she ever released an official track. Alicia Keys made piano seem cool and the sounds of Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke and Daft Punk all gradually made their way into Ciara’s musical wheelhouse, largely from her father, soon to be joined by influences from LGBTQ+ artists she grew to admire herself. “Christine and the Queens, 070Shake, and Troye Sivan are probably some of my biggest inspirations. They’re all queer artists and their music truly transports me somewhere else when I listen.”

It was only in 2016 when Ciara moved to Atlanta with her soon-to-be fiancé that she decided to finally release some music into the world, after stockpiling songs for the best part of a decade. ‘#CuffingSZN‘ (demo) was the debut release of the artist now known as Ci Majr. Much to her surprise, the song did some serious numbers on streaming sites; featured on Spotify’s ‘Fresh Finds’ playlist and ended up gaining the attention of David Esquivel of Pop On and On who offered to help create the full radio version alongside Swedish producer Anders Olofsson. ‘Cuffing SZN‘ was the final result and a turning point for Ci Majr who finally realised her talent for music was genuine and not just the compliments and encouraging words of her parents.  

Fast forward to the present day and Ci Majr is a fully realised artist and musician with the confidence and experience to match. Her latest single ‘Summer Drug’ is out today and has all the looks and sounds of commercial success. Written in March of 2020, ‘Summer Drug’ is a candid and introspective single about being emotionally unavailable after a break-up yet still wanting the physical intimacy and closeness of another. Dressed in shimmering pop beats and an up-tempo, dance chorus, ‘Summer Drug’ sees Ci Majr disguise blunt, biting lyrics in playful and euphoric production, resulting in the ultimate metaphor for the thrilling highs and bitter lows of a post-breakup, summertime fling. Taken from her aptly named debut EP, Side Effects, Ci Majr’s sound has gotten us hooked and begging for more!

Listen to Ci Majr – Summer Drug

 

Follow Ci Majr on: Instagram