When I first “The King,” it was like something I had never heard before.
Sarah Kingsley’s talent as a producer is so powerful. The way she makes an indie bedroom-pop song sound so majestic with her vocals.
The consistent piano and drumming instrumental melodies and harmonies in the background of the song add a component to this song that is reminiscent of an ABBA song.
If you’re a fan of Maggie Rogers or Mitski, then Sarah Kingsley’s style will be a familiar one.
Sarah Kingsley is a strong advocate of women producers being able to share their work and be praised for their talent as much as their male counterparts are. This is where the concept of being “The King” comes from.
As a student who was studying music theory at Columbia University, Sarah really gave her all with this song. Being able to recreate such cinematic musical swells while still incorporating a touch of classical music to it.
The song itself is about Sarah’s coming of age and how she feels about adulthood. Her journey of self-discovery as she gets a chance to explore more about herself as a musician.
This is seen throughout the song with lyrics such as “So tell me | Before we get older let’s do everything | You’re scared of when it’s over | You’re still young and you’re still free.“ This verse is her talking to her younger self essentially telling herself that before she gets old she wants to do everything that she dreams of.
During the song, she is talking to her younger self and it’s almost sentimental to see the way the recalls her memories “I built a castlе far away in the sand | We were higher than we knew with nothing to lose | Until it washed away in our hands | And you said you could never love again | Well it must’ve been fate then | ’Cause I know exactly how it ends”
Having that childhood innocence before realizing how difficult achieving your dreams can be, especially if you are a soft-spoken introvert that might not be confident in your skills. It’s the way she describes this through her lyrics that I find to be so impactful.
In the song she says “I want to be the King of your heart” and a quick listen might make the audience think she means in a romantic sense, but she actually means to say that she wants to be the King of her own heart and reach the top of the hill through hard work.
Though the lyrics are somewhat serious, this song has such European summer vacation energy. Something you’d listen to while biking in Greece or walking in an Italian village under the sun.
Check out the music video for “The King.”
