Qveen Herby

About Qveen Herby

Qveen Herby is what happens when someone gets tired of playing by pop music's rules and decides to do literally everything themselves. Born Amy Noonan in Nebraska, she first showed up on most people's radar as half of Karmin, that duo that went viral in 2011 with covers of rap songs performed in their apartment. You probably remember "Look at Me Now" even if you'd rather not.

Karmin signed to Epic Records and had a brief moment with "Brokenhearted" in 2012, a bubblegum track that went top 20. But the major label experience apparently left Noonan and her husband-collaborator Nick Noonan feeling pretty done with the whole system. After parting ways with Epic in 2016, she killed off Karmin and emerged as Qveen Herby, a solo project that was basically her announcing she'd be making hip-hop and R&B on her own terms now.

The transformation was deliberate. She started releasing EPs in quick succession through 2017 and 2018, building everything independently. EP 1 through EP 6 showcased a sound that mixed rap verses with sung hooks, heavy on the bass and self-assuredness. Tracks like "Busta Rhymes" and "Wifey" established her new persona: equal parts braggadocio and female empowerment, with a thick coat of IDGAF attitude. She wasn't trying to be the quirky YouTube girl anymore.

Her debut full-length "A Woman" landed in 2020, essentially collecting highlights from those EPs. By this point she'd figured out her lane: rap-sung hybrids with slick production, lyrics that alternated between flexing and addressing the toxicity of the music industry that chewed up Karmin. Songs like "Vitamins" and "Abide by Me" showed she could write hooks that stuck without compromising the edge she was going for.

"Mad Qveen" followed in 2023, doubling down on the formula. She was still writing, producing, directing her own videos, and running her own label. The independence wasn't just aesthetic, it was the whole point. Tracks like "BRAT" and "SugarHigh" felt more confident, less like she was proving something and more like she'd already proven it to herself, which was apparently the only audience that mattered.

These days she's essentially operating as a one-woman music factory, releasing regularly, maintaining control over every aspect, and cultivating a fanbase that appreciates both the music and the middle finger to traditional industry pathways. She streams decently, tours when she wants, and seems generally unbothered by not being a household name. The Karmin chapter feels like it happened to a different person entirely, which was probably the goal all along.

Her shows are intimate and focused. No filler, no talking between songs. The crowd is there to listen, and she delivers with precision—her flow lands differently in a room. Energy builds through the set rather than hitting you immediately. People stand still, actually engaged.

Known for Knot, Erbody Know, Unemployed, Pretty Hurts (Qveen Herby Remix)

See Qveen Herby Live