Shereen Citowicz

ANDRZEJ CITOWICZ and his wife SHEREEN, performing as CITOVITZ AND THE FIREFLIES OF FEBRUARY, have released “Light Up The World,” the culminating single from an intensive two-month period of Christmas and holiday songwriting. Available now on all major streaming platforms with an official lyric video on YouTube, the track represents both the finale of their seasonal collection and a defining statement about finding light in darkness.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0PO9eNDCgz3BLaoZOz9u46

Watch the Lyric video for Light Up The World:

THE TWO-MONTH JOURNEY

Over the past two months, Citowicz has created a substantial body of Christmas and holiday music—songs that blend hard rock sensibilities with traditional holiday spirit, ranging from full-throttle rock arrangements to intimate, contemplative moments.

“I wrote a lot of Christmas and holiday songs these last two months,” Citowicz explains. “More or less hard rock, but always with that touch of holiday spirit. Some were aggressive, some were tender, but all of them were honest. ‘Light Up The World’ is the one that brings it all together—it’s how we’re choosing to end this musical preparation for Christmas time.”

The creative surge resulted in multiple releases, including the Italian-language duo tracks “Notte Di Stelle” and “Un Altro Domani,” the reimagined “Not So Silent Night” EP featuring instrumentals transformed with vocals, and various standalone holiday compositions. “Light Up The World” arrives as the final piece—the statement that completes the seasonal narrative.

A DUO DEFINED BY SURVIVAL

“Light Up The World” marks another collaboration between Citowicz and his wife Shereen, continuing their journey as a musical duo that began with their first recordings together earlier this year.

“This is another duo with my wife, Shereen, and we are incredibly proud of it,” Citowicz states. “Every song we’ve made together this season has been special, but this one feels like the culmination. It says what we’ve been trying to say all along—that you can be broken and still bring light. That pain doesn’t disqualify you from hope.”

The couple’s collaborative work emerged from profound personal tragedy. Following the loss of their stillborn son Jonasz at 17 weeks—an event that became the central focus of Citowicz’s recent album Living Room Rockstar Part 2—music became their shared language for processing grief and rediscovering joy.

“After Jonasz, everything changed,” Citowicz reflects. “Music had always been my therapy, my language, my way of surviving. But making music with Shereen—discovering her voice, creating these songs together—that became something new. It became our way forward, together.”

THE FIREFLIES OF FEBRUARY CONCEPT

The artist moniker “Citovitz and The Fireflies of February” carries significant meaning, representing those who create light during the darkest seasons.

“Fireflies glow in summer, when everything’s already bright,” Citowicz explains. “But what about February? What about the coldest, darkest months? That’s when light matters most. That’s who we are—people who’ve been through the worst and still choose to glow. Not because we’re healed, not because we’re whole, but because someone else needs that light.”

This philosophy permeates “Light Up The World,” both lyrically and thematically. The song’s cover artwork—a fractured heart glowing red against darkness with fireflies escaping into the night—visualizes the central message: brokenness doesn’t preclude beauty, and wounded people can still illuminate the world for others.

LYRICS THAT CUT TO TRUTH

Shereen Citowicz contributed significantly to the song’s lyrical content, bringing raw honesty about surviving pain while choosing hope.

“Shereen writes with this honesty that destroys me every time,” Citowicz shares. “She wrote lines like ‘Light up the world, even when you’re breaking inside’ and ‘You don’t need to be healed to help heal others.’ That’s not poetry for the sake of poetry—that’s lived experience. That’s what we’ve learned by surviving together.”

The song explores counter-cultural Christmas themes: imperfection, struggle, choosing love despite pain, and the radical idea that broken people have unique capacity to bring comfort to others facing brokenness.
“Christmas songs often pretend everything’s fine,” Citowicz notes. “Everyone’s happy, everyone’s whole, everyone’s celebrating. But that’s not real life. Real life is people struggling through December, missing someone they lost, feeling broken during a season that demands joy. We wanted to make a Christmas song for those people—for us.”

MUSICAL APPROACH

Musically, “Light Up The World” balances Citowicz’s hard rock foundations with accessible holiday warmth. The arrangement features his signature guitar work—influenced by formative heroes like Jon Bon Jovi and Desmond Child—combined with contemporary production and the couple’s dual vocal approach.

“I’ve spent these two months exploring what Christmas rock can be,” Citowicz explains. “Some songs leaned heavy, some leaned soft, but all of them kept that rock spirit. ‘Light Up The World’ found the sweet spot—it’s got power, it’s got hooks, it’s got heart. It rocks, but it also comforts. That balance felt right for ending this journey.”

The production, recorded in Citowicz’s home studio in Cairo, Egypt, maintains the intimate quality that has defined his recent work while achieving professional polish suitable for mainstream streaming platforms.

SHEREEN CITOWICZ: DISCOVERING A VOICE

The project continues showcasing Shereen Citowicz’s vocal abilities—a revelation that emerged during the couple’s first musical collaborations this year after 17 years of marriage.

“We’ve been together 17 years, and I never knew she could sing like this,” Citowicz states with evident pride. “These past two months, watching her grow as a vocalist, watching her confidence build—that’s been one of the greatest gifts of this whole creative period. Her voice carries so much emotion, so much authenticity. She’s not trying to sound like anyone else. She’s just Shereen, and that’s exactly what these songs needed.”

Shereen’s contributions extend beyond vocals to co-writing and creative direction, making their duo a genuine partnership rather than a lead artist with featured guest.

PROUD OF THE JOURNEY

As “Light Up The World” releases, Citowicz expresses deep satisfaction with the body of work created during this intensive period.

“We’re proud of this,” he states simply. “Proud of the songs, proud of the work, proud of what we accomplished together. This single ended our musical preparation for Christmas time exactly how we wanted—with a message that matters, with our voices together, with something we believe in.”

He continues: “I never expected to write this many Christmas songs. I never expected to make them with my wife. I never expected any of this. But here we are, and ‘Light Up The World’ feels like the perfect way to complete this chapter. We said what we needed to say. We created what needed to exist.”

BREAKING THE SILENCE

The song’s title carries additional resonance given Citowicz’s earlier release “Not So Silent Night”—both challenging the idea that holidays should be uniformly joyful and quiet.

“These songs aren’t silent,” Citowicz notes. “They’re loud about pain, loud about hope, loud about the messy reality of being human during a season that often demands perfection. ‘Light Up The World’ is us refusing to be silent about what we’ve survived and what we’ve learned. It’s us saying—loudly—that broken people matter, that wounded hearts can still love, that you don’t need to wait until you’re healed to help someone else heal.”

A MESSAGE FOR STRUGGLING LISTENERS

Beyond artistic achievement, “Light Up The World” carries a pastoral message for listeners navigating their own darkness.

“If you’re struggling this Christmas, if you’re broken, if you’re barely holding on—this song is for you,” Citowicz offers. “You don’t need to pretend you’re okay. You don’t need to fake joy. But maybe, just maybe, you can still be a firefly. Maybe your brokenness is exactly what makes your light valuable to someone else who’s struggling. Maybe we light up the world not despite our cracks, but because of them—because the light shines through.”

LOOKING FORWARD

With “Light Up The World” concluding their Christmas collection, the couple now turns attention to future projects, including Citowicz’s ongoing work reimagining instrumental albums from 2012-2023 with vocal arrangements, and continued exploration of their duo dynamic.

“This Christmas season showed us what we’re capable of together,” Citowicz reflects. “We made a lot of music, tried different styles, pushed ourselves. ‘Light Up The World’ is the end of this particular journey, but it’s also the beginning of understanding ourselves as a duo, as creative partners, as two people who can take pain and transform it into something beautiful.”
He adds: “The fireflies will keep glowing. Even in February. Especially in February.”

AVAILABILITY

“Light Up The World” is available now on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and all major streaming platforms. The official lyric video is available on Citowicz’s YouTube channel.

SINGLE INFORMATION:
Title: “Light Up The World”
Artist: Citovitz and The Fireflies of February (Andrzej Citowicz and Shereen Citowicz)
Genre: Christmas Rock / Holiday Music
Music & Arrangement: Andrzej Citowicz
Lyrics: Andrzej Citowicz and Shereen Citowicz
Vocals: Andrzej Citowicz and Shereen Citowicz (duo)
Production: Andrzej Citowicz
Recorded: Home studio, Cairo, Egypt
Release Date: December 2025
Available on: Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and all major streaming platforms

STREAMING LINKS:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0PO9eNDCgz3BLaoZOz9u46
Lyric video for Light Up The World: https://youtu.be/W74SWd6O6Lc?si=vI48SK31yRt7C979

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About Andrzej Citowicz:
Andrzej Citowicz is an acclaimed Polish guitarist and songwriter currently based in Cairo, Egypt. As a former recording artist for DownBoys Records, he has built a reputation for emotionally resonant songwriting and distinctive guitar work. His music combines classic rock influences with contemporary production, creating a sound that bridges generational and cultural gaps while maintaining artistic authenticity. His YouTube channel has garnered over 70,000 views from an international audience.

Connect with Andrzej Citowicz:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7aIeg5DyI7xwkYLsBgJNWf
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AndrzejCitowicz
Instagram: https://instagram.com/citovitz
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/citovitz/