20 years young, pop persuasion, King Princess hit the ground running with her first release ‘1950’ and has been riding her wave of success ever since.
King Princess via Soundazed https://soundazed.com/king-princess-shares-prophet-confirms-fall-tour-and-album-release/
From the offset, ‘Cheap Queens’ places us directly in the centre of her fascinating sonic universe, cohesive sound bordering on experimental and built from the bones of unfiltered emotion and vulnerable expressions of inner conflict. It engulfs the battle between head and heart, exposing every bump and bruise that comes with falling in and out of love and passion. This album mirrors every step of a modern dating experience to gut wrenching detail while keeping a conversational lick of realism to every word.
A raw vintage quality is captured and surrounded with atmospheric synths and western inspired guitar. ‘Tough on Myself’ starts her self-reflective journey, where ‘sitting alone making fun of myself’ brings a complicated relationship with herself to the surface.
She gives us a glimpse into her sense of assurance within the self-deprecation, while using ‘Useless phrases’ to show her wavering character throughout a complicated relationship.
The title track ‘Cheap Queens’ brings a sudden burden of honesty and confession within moments of confidence like ‘I can make grown men cry’, that are sure to stick with you for the rest of the day. Moving from a soulful R&B into a safe space for dream pop flangy guitar, ‘Aint Together’, experiments with delicate confessions into a climax of vulnerability. Out of which ‘Do you wanna see me crying?’ is born like an emotional pit-stop before the events of ‘Homegirl’.
This track explores a secret relationship, toying with sexual and emotional intent, she twists the concept of the male gaze; ‘those boys will do more than just look if you let them’ with her own. Tying in the innocent piano synth to contrast with the heavy guitar and raspy vocal - itmirrors the head vs heart conflict.
‘Prophet’ serves as a steamy establishment of sexual chemistry, drawing on heavy R&B influence before transitioning into pop ballad territory with the following three tracks. The wonky piano in ‘Isabel’s Moment’ has a previously loved quality with vocals swimming in a feeling of defeat, while ‘Trust Nobody’ and ‘Watching My Phone’ pull you into a deflated embrace of sympathy brought about by vulnerable honesty.
‘You Destroyed My Heart’ feels like an anomaly sonically, as well as narratively. It sits in a more experimental realm and takes a refreshing approach on heartbreak. ‘Hit the Back’ does not stray far from this new positivity. It is the epitome of getting under to get over someone, providing the dance-able throwaway feeling with meaningful lyrical content.
To close the album, ‘If You Think It’s Love’ is arguably the most humane and reflective of the tracks, despite its reliance on electronic elements. The amount of space it holds is a bold choice for pop and could not be more effective at throwing you into a feeling. It’s an entrancing summary of the freeing concept of finding love however you perceive it to be.
‘Cheap Queens’ is an anthem from start to finish for those in the fatal grey area of situation-ships. It is sonically consistent and has a great sense of relatability within her own story. I’d be intrigued to see how she pushes the boat out for her next body of work.