Cenzina’s “Citizen4” Is the Alt-Rock Wake-Up Call We Didn’t Know We Needed

Vancouver-based artist Cenzina is not in the business of creating background noise. Her new single “Citizen4” is a striking fusion of alternative rock and psychedelic pop that commands your attention from the first note. It's both sonically immersive and politically charged, confronting one of the most urgent and overlooked issues of our time: the slow erosion of personal privacy in an age of mass surveillance.

Inspired by the warnings of whistleblowers like Edward Snowden, “Citizen4” explores how our likeness, voice, biometrics, and digital history are constantly tracked, stored, and sold to the highest bidder. It asks a chilling but necessary question: where do we draw the line? In an era where convenience often outweighs caution, Cenzina challenges listeners to face the uncomfortable truth that privacy is not just a personal matter but a cornerstone of freedom.

The lyrics hit hard with imagery and layered meaning. The hook — “One face composed of many faces, one place consumed by many places, sleeves are filled with aces, hearts that come with laces, come on take a spoonful, tell me, can you taste this?” — is a poetic gut punch. It speaks to the interconnected and manipulated nature of our digital identities, while warning of the dangers of complacency.

Musically, “Citizen4” thrives on contrast. Gritty live rock instrumentation anchors the track, while shimmering electronic textures weave through the mix, creating a sound that feels both urgent and hypnotic. Cenzina’s vocals carry a balance of defiance and warmth, drawing the listener in even as the subject matter unsettles. The production is rich and layered, rewarding multiple listens to fully unpack the sonic and lyrical details.

Beyond the political message, the song carries a deeper call to action. Cenzina urges a return to what she calls “acts of harmony and humanness” — reconnecting with nature, community, and the arts as forms of quiet resistance. It is a reminder that in an increasingly digitized world, choosing real human connection can itself be a radical act.

“Citizen4” is not just a protest song. It is an invitation to think critically, to educate yourself, and to make conscious choices about how you engage with technology. In a music landscape often dominated by escapism, Cenzina stands out as an artist willing to use her platform to question, provoke, and inspire.

With more music and a music video on the way this fall, “Citizen4” sets a bold precedent for what is to come from this fearless Vancouver talent.

“Citizen4” takes on the heavy topic of privacy erosion and surveillance. What inspired you to tackle this theme now?

I wrote this as an acoustic song back in 2015, almost immediately after watching the Citizenfour Documentary, where Edward Snowden revealed a massive covert government spying scandal and was then prosecuted for being a whistleblower. 

What felt deeply disturbing but still at a far enough distance back then has become urgently relevant now. Especially as AI merges with surveillance tech and world governments push for more digital tracking and private data fishing, as well as media censorship. It all goes hand in hand.

We are at a crucial point in time where, amidst all the chaos, we must not lose sight of the situation and deeply consider the risks we face as technological fascisms are pushed on us. For this song, I felt like it deserved a full production, and with all this in mind, if not now, then when? 

Your sound blends alt-rock grit with psychedelic textures. How did you find this balance for “Citizen4”?

It does! The psychedelic and alt-rock textures fell into place naturally during the production process. Between the way my band and I perform the song live, in combination with having the ability to add electronic elements, it all came together enjoyably and interestingly. 

The lyrics are poetic yet political. Which line in the song means the most to you and why?

Hmmmm, that’s a tough one. I think outside of the hook, it would have to be this line in the bridge: “Big souls told to stay small, When the money rises, we fall.”

Most of the word problems could be solved if human lives and genuine human interest came before bottom lines and corporate greed. 

As an artist living with chronic illness, how do your personal experiences influence the urgency and emotion in your music?

Good question. As someone with chronic pain and illness, music is my getaway and safe space. The deeper I go into my heart and my soul and whatever sets my passions on fire, the farther I feel from whatever pain I am experiencing.

In this way, I strive to honour my creative process by allowing whatever needs to be expressed or shared to come through in my music or writing, with the hope that it’ll help others in the same way the creative process has helped me. 

You speak about returning to nature, community, and art as acts of resistance. What does that look like in your daily life?

I love this question so much. Thank you for asking this! It looks like a combination of returning to community and returning to anything and everything that gives your soul nourishment. 

It looks like growing a garden and sharing with your neighbours, or maybe even trading them for something they have in abundance. It means making space to fully detach from our screens and be present in nature, in art, in creation, in feeling, in connecting, which is inherently healing. 

It also means taking action when necessary. Resistance is a powerful thing in numbers.  From artists to protestors, we each have our place in the revolution towards a just and harmonious future for all. Every single effort and action towards that helps co-create that future reality for all of us.