Minnesota Songwriter Breaks the Internet With a Beautiful Poem About The Universe

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Last updated on August 7th, 2023 at 08:15 am

It’s every artist’s dream to go viral almost instantly and break the internet. Reina del Cid of Minnesota did just that in early April when she released a video of herself on Instagram reciting a poem about the mystery of the universe.

The comments section when insane as many praised her for the originality and beauty of the poem that she seemed to recite with ease.

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A post shared by Reina del Cid (@reinadelcid)

So, who is this elegant poet?

Below, find out everything about Reina del Cid, the Minnesota Songwriter who broke the internet with a beautiful poem about the mystery of the universe.

The Release

Reina del Cid released the 57-second video on April 4 via her certified Instagram page. Within minutes it blew up with likes and comments, eventually garnering 1.15 million likes, including from Wildfire actress Nicole Tubiola, and nearly 13,500 comments.

The Inspiration

Like any good piece of art, the poem was inspired by yet another, as Reina del Cid captioned the post, “Some space poetry inspired by one of @hankgreen’s many thought-provoking videos.”

Hank Green is an American vlogger, science communicator, entrepreneur, author, and more. Cid’s poem was inspired by a line he said when answering a commenter’s question, “Dawg, what direction did the Big Bang happen in?”

Her poem opens with Green’s line, “There was no up, there was no down, there was no side to side.”

The Response

Fans blew up the comment section with words of praise. Some included things like:

“This poem captures the brilliant feeling of scientific discovery. The more you understand, the more daunting the universe can seem, but there’s also this giddiness that comes with the unknown.”

“This poem is so wonderful – it helps capture something unfathomable in simple language. I’m going to keep it and foreword [sic] it to many.”

“Poets are a different kind of geniuses.”

Others let her know that she might be good at another artistic medium:

“Can this please be a children’s picture book?”

“Children’s book, children’s book, children’s book!” exclaimed another.

Reina del Cid’s Real Name

Although she’s best known by her stage name, Reina del Cid was born Rachelle Cordova.

What Does Del Cid Mean in Spanish?

Reina del Cid came up with her stage name from Spanish literature. Her first name, “Reina,” means “queen” in Spanish. “El Cid” is what she named her guitar. The name is in reference to Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, a Castilian knight and warlord of medieval Spain. The name came from his earning the Arabic honorific al-sid.

Voila! Reina del Cid. Queen of her guitar.

Reina del Cid’s Birthday

Reina del Cid was born on March 8, 1988, in Fargo, North Dakota. She’s a Pisces.

Reina del Cid’s Parents

Reina del Cid is the only child of her parents, who work in the sugar business. It’s thanks to her father that she obtained her first guitar, and it seems her parents are very supportive of her career.

Where Does Reina del Cid Live?

For many years, the indie/folk/rock/bluegrass singer resided in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She moved to Los Angeles in early 2020.

Reina del Cid’s Education

It seems no one should be surprised that she’d come up with such an epic poem.

After graduating from Fargo South High School, Reina del Cid attended the University of Minnesota, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature in 2010.

Reina del Cid Net Worth?

As of 2023, Reina del Cid has an estimated net worth of $3 million.

Who Plays Guitar with Reina del Cid?

Accompanying her lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Reina del Cid is joined by lead guitarist and backing vocalist Toni Lindgren, bassist Andrew Foreman, and drummer Nate Babbs. Babbs replaced Zach Schmidt, who played drums for the band from 2014-2016.

Reina del Cid’s Albums

Reina del Cid and the Cidizens have released five albums over the years. Their first record, blueprints, plans, was released on September 15, 2012.

The Cooling, recorded at Pachyderm Studios, was released on June 16, 2015. The album was highly regarded.

Another single, “Death Cap,” was prominently featured in Paste Magazine. The video for the song was filmed in Iceland.

On December 8, 2017, they released their third album Rerun City, which also had singles on NPR.

Morse Code, their fourth release, came out on October 4, 2019. She held a kick-off concert for the album in Minneapolis at The Cedar Cultural Center.

Their most recent album, Candy Apply Red, was released on April 28, 2022. It was her first full album release since she and her bandmate Toni Lindgren moved to Los Angeles in 2020, just weeks prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. She, however, returned to Minneapolis for the launch giving a concert at the Turf Club on the day of its release.

As of April 2023, the independent band has gained quite a following, with 354,000 subscribers on their YouTube channel. Many of the videos feature performances with multi-instrumentalist Joshua Lee Turner and Carson McKee.