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Softcult expose the cost of being a woman in ‘Queen of Nothing’

Fresh off US and UK headlining tours––plus a stop on Coheed and Cambria’s SS Neverender cruise––Softcult are set to the release their long-awaited debut full-length, When A Flower Doesn’t Grow, on January 30, 2026.

The Ontario-based twins, Mercedes (she/her) and Phoenix (they/them) Arn-Horn, have built a reputation for saying the stuff everyone else is too afraid to even consider. When A Flower Doesn’t Grow is their most unapologetic, impactful collection yet; an 11-track mission statement with as much fire as it has heart.

Today, Softcult drops an album standout, ‘Queen of Nothing’––a grungy confrontation of the crushing weight society places on women, revealing how these pressures manifest on both personal and systemic levels.

Mercedes explains: “This song is about the double standards, harsh judgements, and unrealistic expectations that patriarchal society places on women. We’re expected to be sexy, but only as it applies to the male fantasy; somehow a virgin and a slut. We’re expected to constantly nurture the men in our lives, and shamed if our aspirations exceed becoming wives and mothers. The world demands maturity from us, but discards us when we’re old and ‘unfuckable,’ our value reduced to our ability to attract men. And when we attract men, we’re labeled ‘whores.’ We’re expected to be “cool” and “like one of the guys”, but not too abrasive, loud, or “unladylike.” Our intelligence and our success is tolerated so long as it isn’t too threatening or intimidating to our male counterparts.

“From unconscious biases to blatant sexism, misogyny and gender violence, women face an impossible amount of discrimination in the world today. And no matter the amount of vitriol or ignorance we endure, we’re still expected to smile. This song is about the realization that these cycles of abuse are bigger than our personal experiences. It’s recognizing the systemic nature of mistreatment and discrimination.”

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