CLIQUE GIRLZ

When you meet the three Clique Girlz—sisters Paris and Destinee Monroe along with best friend Ariel Moore—after hearing them sing, it will shock you to learn that such big voices can come from such petite girls. The pop-rock exuberance of their debut album, Incredible, releasing on Interscope Records, is richly filled with three-part leads and harmonies delivered with a freshness and authority that contradicts their ages.

Working with some of the top-name producers/songwriters in the business, 12-year-old Paris, 14-year-old Destinee and 14-year-old Ariel have stunned industry observers with a professionalism that still doesn’t get in the way of fun. Songs like “Then I Woke Up,” written by John Shanks and Kara DioGuardi, introduces the trio’s fun outlook with nods to “rock, hip-hop, bling and Dr. Phil.” The track was produced by Robert Schwartzman and John Field (Pink and Switchfoot). One listen and you realize this is no manufactured, teenybopper, bubble-gum group, but a group whose music can appeal to all ages.

The three met at school five years ago and became inseparable friends, driven by their love of music and dance to form a group. In person, Clique Girlz Paris, Destinee and Ariel finish each other’s sentences as they enthusiastically describe the journey that has taken them from their native Atlantic City, NJ, to Hollywood, where Jimmy Iovine himself signed them to his Interscope label.

“Ever since we were born…” begins Destinee, the rocker in the group, who dresses in black, wears classic rock T-shirts covered in skulls and stars and counts Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones, Green Day, Paramore and Avril Lavigne among her musical favorites. “We came out singing,” laughs Paris, the princess of the group, who cites Destiny’s Child as an influence and is represented in the group by crowns. Adds Ariel, whose group symbol is hearts: “The past four years have been so amazing, and this album defines who we are. Our mindset has always been to enjoy every kind of music, from opera and classical to hard rock and R&B.” “We try to keep our mind open to everything,” explains Paris. “Destinee’s the rocker. I’m a little bit softer, but I love all music.” “We want to be known as serious artists,” nods Destinee.

Even before going into the studio to record their debut, Clique Girlz have been making a name for themselves, singing their incredible version of the “Star Spangled Banner” at a variety of sporting events, including a New York Jets NFL game at the Meadowlands before 70,000 fans. They recently traveled to Tokyo, Japan where they performed the National Anthem at the opening game of Major League Baseball at the Tokyo Dome between the Boston Red Sox and the Oakland A’s. They’ve entertained at NASCAR, NBA, MLB, and US Open tennis events and have opened for such groups as Backstreet Boys, The Click Five, Billy Ray Cyrus, Kirk Franklin and the Jonas Brothers, a group they’re often compared to. "That's a great compliment," says Paris. “We’ve been blessed with this vocal talent, and we want to share that gift with the world.”

Although Paris, Destinee and Ariel are clearly on their way to stardom, they are careful to maintain the fact they’re still normal teens. Perhaps their only vice is shopping and maxing their parents credit cards at stores like Hot Topic, Betsey Johnson, and Ed Hardy. “It’s important for us to be role models,” says Ariel. “We want to set a good example for kids in our age group.” “Our thing is no drugs, no alcohol, no boys, no partying,” adds Destinee. “Except for the dance parties we have during sleepovers.” “We’re so tight that we make sure to keep one another grounded,” says Paris. “We’ve come so far, why jump off a cliff now? We have strong families and great parents. We do our own laundry and fold our own clothes. We’re still normal kids. But this is something we’ve always wanted to do. And we weren’t going to stop until we succeeded” “We want kids our age to know that you’re never too young to dream,” encourages Ariel.

That dream has been nurtured through four years of hard work, and now with the imminent release of their major label debut album, Incredible, the girls are ready like never before. “We knew this was going to be a great deal of work,” says Paris. “But it’s all been worth it.” As for future goals, Destinee admits: “We want to break the record of staying together as long as the Rolling Stones. Maybe we’ll stay together even longer.” Clique Girlz rocked audiences nation-wide on the Cheetah Girls’ “One World Tour” in 2008.


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