String Queens Debut First Fully Original R&B Track

The String Queens released their second original composition and first completely original song, “Just Like That,” on Monday. The track features no samples, quotes, or references to other works. It serves as a commercial pivot for the group, which has previously been defined by its arrangements of existing popular and classical music.

Élise Sharp, the group’s cellist, wrote the piece. The song blends the trio’s string arrangements with contemporary R&B elements. To support this new sonic direction, the group added a dedicated rhythm section to the recording. Anthony “Tony” Walker played piano, Romeir Mendez played bass, and Charles Wilson played drums. This is the first single in the group’s catalog to include these additional musicians.

The release includes a music video directed by Torrance Hill of Noir Prism Studio. The visual component accompanies the audio file on digital streaming platforms. The group described the creative process as originating from a moment of observing human rhythm. They stated that this observation became the heartbeat of the melody.

This release follows “Troubled Liberty,” the trio’s first original composition. That track released on Juneteenth in June 2026. It featured a recording of poet Nikki Giovanni comparing the group to the Black female mathematicians at NASA. The two releases together represent the group’s entry into the market of original composers alongside their established cover work.

The String Queens consist of violinist Kendall Isadore, violist Dawn Johnson, and cellist Sharp. They have performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Hollywood Bowl. Their credits include the 2021 Presidential Inauguration Concert and a tribute ceremony for Roger Federer at the US Open.

The group will open for Gregory Porter at The Anthem in Washington, D.C., on November 16. The event is titled A Night of Stars. Proceeds from the concert benefit the DC Jazz Festival. The festival uses funds to expand music education in D.C. Public Schools.

The trio will headline The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia, on December 6. They will then perform at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California, on December 11. The Beverly Hills show will feature holiday favorites alongside their standard repertoire.

Kendall Isadore studied at Howard University and George Washington University. Dawn Johnson is a graduate of The Juilliard School and holds a Washington, D.C. Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Performing Arts Teaching. Élise Sharp teaches at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and directs a high school orchestra in Maryland.