Royal & the Serpent is the alter ego of American indie pop singer-songwriter Ryan Santiago. ∙ Santiago originally wanted to be a ballerina, but at age 14 she switched to playing and writing music after an injury cut short her dance career. ∙ Royal & the Serpent’s debut single, “Temperance,” was released in 2017. ∙ She gained notice when “Wicked,” her 2018 collaboration with Tommee Profitt, was featured in the trailer for the film The Girl in the Spider’s Web. ∙ In 2020, she released her first EP, get a grip, while her single “Overwhelmed” reached No. 24 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.