KING – “We Are KING”
In the music industry, it’s rare to find those who are willing to craft their own sound. Whenever someone drops, their instantly compared to acts who’ve come before them.
A new group that’s on everyone’s lips is the female trio KING. The ladies first made a name for themselves in 2011 by trending on social media with their “The Story” EP. The three-song set was unlike anything listeners heard before.
Their fusion of soul, electronica, pop-synth and R&B had everyone asking who they were, if they were signed and where was the rest of the album?
Prince, a legend himself, loved what the women did that he invited them out on tour with him as his opening act. One would think that a group getting a lot of attention would run out and find hot producers and a major label – not.
For five years, Amber and Paris Strother and their sister-in-soul Anita Bias were hard at work crafting an album that would keep people talking.
Enter “We are KING” – an ethereal composition of songs centering on love, relationships and empowerment. The album just isn’t any album, it’s an experience. Your ears need to be attentive.
For quite some time, listeners are given a good beat and a crazy chorus to satisfy their ears but KING manages to take you to a utopia with layered harmonies and unique instrumentation. Just think of the Minneapolis sound but with more of a futuristic tone. “Love Song” is a prime example of that. “Not far, not far from here, I’ll wait for you my dear. And we’ll dance, who cares what we dance for…love song, just ours…mine and yours.” This is so like Netflix and chill – you don’t care what movie you’re watching as long as you get to cuddle with bae while feeling on top of the world.
Anita and Amber, who studied at Berklee College of Music, are a match made in heaven when it comes to the vocal side of this album. Many girl groups are often lacking in the harmony department when you hear them off wax but these girls feed off of each other making each track whole.
It’s very evident in the re-working of “Hey”, which was previously on their EP. The breakdown of this extended version is everything. The breathy vocals paired with an acapella outro is something amazing.
Listening to each other and feeling what sounds right is why this album is so great. You can instantly feel their emotion while their singing and you don’t get that with a lot of singers these days.
“We are KING” is a rarity because this album was done by these three women without the added extras. Debuts for many new artists are often flawed and over-hyped. This masterpiece doesn’t fall into that realm.
“The ride is rocky and the road is long, but I know that my soul is never gonna steer me wrong,” the trio sang in “The Story.” The quote is why true musicians take their time in creating music. When your mind, heart and soul connect, some of the best material is formed. KING did that and then some.
Paris Strother deserves a lot of applause because not only did she produce an amazing effort, she played nearly all the instruments on this album.
KING should definitely be a shoe-in for Best New Artist and at least 6 nods during next year’s Grammy Awards. This is material that simply cannot be looked over.
“Who wants to run with the number one?” It looks like KING. They’re well on their way to becoming “The Greatest.” – CJ (UrbanBridgez)
