Cassiopeia always believed she was the most beautiful in the kingdom, and she loved that everyone knew it. So much that she dared to compare herself to the Nereids, the sea nymphs, and that’s where the trouble started. Poseidon doesn’t forgive that kind of thing, and the punishment ended up dragging in half the royal family, including her daughter Andromeda. Cassiopeia ended up as a constellation, but even the punishment couldn’t humble her: they put her upside down for half the year as an eternal joke, and she turned it into her runway pose.
Like every Astronomika Beats song, this one hides more than one real clue between the lines. This time it has to do with how she’s oriented in the sky, with something that happened right at her heart a long time ago, and with something that’s still “sounding” from there to this day.
Lyrics
(Mirror, mirror…)
(Who’s the hottest on the throne?)
(Watch me, watch me…)
(You already know.)
I wore the face that made the oceans jealous, yeah,
Every mortal sigh is just another way to tell us,
That vain is just a label that the ugly try to pass,
When your empire is reflected in the perfect looking glass!
The Nereids were crying, swimming deep inside the blue,
Because they knew Poseidon couldn’t take his eyes off you!
“She is more fair than heaven!” they were screaming to the crowd,
So I unsealed the red velvet to make the ocean proud!
They demanded sacrifice, they wanted blood and price,
So chain my little copy to the rocky precipice!
Let Cetus rise in terror, flashing fangs and fire,
Her beauty is a candle, but I am the divine desire!
Now written in glory, etched across the night!
The Queen on her throne of pure celestial light!
(Bling! Bling!)
Shedar burning amber, five diamonds in a crown,
A cosmic “W” that never crumbles down!
(Ah-ah, I am the beauty!)
(Ah-ah, written in glory!)
Turn my kingdom to stone, I will still rule the dark!
Forever immortal in every falling spark!
You thought the chains upon her wrists would break my perfect skin?
A diva never apologizes for the state I’m in!
Let mortal kingdoms crumble, let statues turn to dust,
The heavens carved my vanity, because they must!
A legacy of diamond dust written in the blue,
The gods could never craft an icon half as true!
Poseidon struck his trident, crashing from the deep,
A punishment for sins the ocean couldn’t keep!
“Hang her by her ankles! Flip the golden chair!”
Exposing all her glory to the frozen air!
Now written in glory, etched across the night!
The Queen on her throne of pure celestial light!
(Bling! Bling!)
Shedar burning amber, five diamonds in a crown,
A cosmic “W” that never crumbles down!
(Ah-ah, I am the beauty!)
(Ah-ah, written in glory!)
Turn my kingdom to stone, I will still rule the dark!
Forever immortal in every falling spark!
They tied me upside down to suffer in the cold,
To mock the greatest queen the heavens could behold!
You call it humiliation? You call it my defeat?
I call it high fashion no mortal can repeat!
Draw the line through Shedar, follow straight past Caph,
Pointing down to Polaris on a diamond path!
The whole universe is using me to find their way,
Even turned upside down, I run the cabaret!
Cassiopeia-A is a radio pop sensation,
Ripping through the void like a supernova celebration!
Tycho’s ancient star blazes white in memory,
While the Heart and Soul Nebulae ignite inside of me!
(Half the year upside down!)
(Still wearing the crown!)
(You already know!)
Now written in glory, etched across the night!
The Queen on her throne of pure celestial light!
(Bling! Bling!)
Shedar burning amber, five diamonds in a crown,
A cosmic “W” that never crumbles down!
(Ah-ah, I am the beauty!)
(Ah-ah, written in glory!)
Turn my kingdom to stone, I will still rule the dark!
Forever immortal in every falling spark!
Upside down or upright…
Follow Shedar to the pole.
You still look up to me.
(Bling, bling.)
(Written in glory)
The Queen upon her Throne.
Like every Astronomika Beats song, this one hides more than one astronomical clue. If you already caught them, tell us in the comments what you found. If not, give it another listen.