King Princess shares 3rd album ‘Girl Violence’
It’s a monumental occasion for the queers of the world.
Photo: Press
King Princess is a Brooklyn-born queer pop-rock troublemaker who went from playing with her dad’s studio gear to supporting Harry Styles on the infamous Love On Tour. Known for blending heartbreak, humour and chaos into queer bangers, they have released their third album, and fans are absolutely gagging for the brand-new tracks after she released a couple of songs from the album towards the start of the year.
Girl Violence, the opening track of King Princess’s aptly titled third album, unfolds with a haunting, slow-burn intensity. This ambient introduction sets the tone with ethereal vocals and evocative instrumentals, delivering a charged meditation on how love can blur the lines that lie between euphoria and danger in relationships.
The next instalment of Girl Violence is Jaime, a track that bursts open with a groovy, upbeat rhythm and King Princess’s signature vocals, laced with raw emotion. It wrestles with contradictions, such as developing a crush on someone who despises you, tangled with the restless magnetism of chaos which captures a dynamic that feels raw, messy, and quintessentially queer.
Origin opens like a slow-burning flame, with sultry vocals weaving their way through a groovy rhythm. King Princess lays down her struggles and insecurities, each note a mirror reflecting their self doubt and quiet defiance. The beat carries the audience through her innermost thoughts, while the lyrics explore the choppy waters of their journey in self discovery and personal growth, adding depth to the album’s theme of queer longing and emotional turbulence.
The next track of the album, I Feel Pretty, opens with slow instrumentals before accelerating into a faster, infectious beat, anchored by an invigorating drum rhythm. King Princess navigates the journey of finding love that heals, discovering themself after years of emotional turmoil. Her vocals shine with hope and vulnerability, capturing the sensation of discovering a world of healthy, unchaotic love and self-discovery.
Cry Cry Cry is a top-tier revenge anthem with a catchy, singalong chorus that declares itself the ultimate earworm of the year. King Princess delivers a taunting, defiant message, while a building bridge about burning bridges intensifies the track’s fiery energy. It transforms a failed friendship into empowerment, forged from betrayal.
As we approach the halfway point of Girl Violence, Get Your Heart Broken opens with a groovy rhythm and King Princess’s sultry vocals, telling the story of a woman denying her queerness. Smooth instrumentals and an upbeat tempo tell a tale of unspoken desire, a situation that queer people know all too well. The track is vaguely reminiscent of Chappell Roan’s Good Luck, Babe, capturing the frustration and heartbreak of unrequited love.
Girls is a slow track that builds phenomenally, with King Princess’s sultry, raspy vocals weaving through chaotic, heartfelt lyrics about the turbulence of being a woman loving women. With moody instrumentals and lesbian ballad vibes, the song captures desire and emotional chaos, creating a relatable, bittersweet anthem for all the queer women out there navigating love and identity.
The next track of the album is Covers. Kept afloat on sweet-sounding guitar riffs, King Princess mourns a past love and the feeling of being forgotten about after a breakup and the changes that happen following this. She imagines herself as a ghost haunting their ex, a version of themself that is slowly fading away, while exploring heartbreak, regret and the lingering, bitter feelings after a relationship ends.
Say What You Will is a predominantly instrumental, delicate track with layered backing vocals and soaring synth high notes. King Princess reflects on forgiving themselves for past relationship mistakes that have haunted them since. The gorgeous instrumentals and textured vocals create a dreamlike atmosphere, making the track sound floaty and ethereal.
Next up to the plate is RIP KP. Gaining traction months before the album’s release, this track is a fun, hypnotic number with sultry vocals and an infectious beat. King Princess explores obsession, depicting a girl who becomes her entire world (perhaps related to the ongoing joke about her fictional arch nemesis ‘Cherry’). With lyrics like, “My girl could destroy your life / Like she did to mine”, the song captures desire’s dizzying, entrancing nature in a playful and hypnotic way.
Alone Again is a slow, introspective track exploring the self-deprecation that inevitably comes after a breakup. King Princess reflects on a past relationship, missing the signs that inevitably led to heartbreak and eventually ending up alone again. Her raw, emotive vocals and gentle instrumentation turn their personal pain into a haunting, relatable tale on the topic of loss and longing.
The closing track of this sensational album, Serena, is a heartfelt number in which King Princess expresses their undying gratitude to someone who had helped them on their turbulent journey of self-discovery. Described by the artist herself as a ‘lullaby to a friend’, this track is filled to the brim with raw emotion and love, lyrically emphasising the importance of the presence of support in your life when going through a rough time.
King Princess’s Girl Violence is an album that’s playful yet profound, proving their artistry only grows sharper with each new release. Vulnerable, bold and unapologetic, Girl Violence cements her place as a powerful voice for this generation of queer individuals.
Girl Violence is out now via section1.