
King Princess Is a 'Cheap Queen,' and I Can Relate
May 31, 2019
In 2018, King Princess exposed her story to the world with one of the most refreshing gifts music's received in recent years, her debut EP, Make My Bed. The project's standouts, like "Holy" and "1950," garnered mass attention and fandom from not only the public, but also powerhouse mainstream artists. Now, stans are waiting patiently for her next move — hopefully an album.
So, if you've been parched for a new King Princess track since last fall's "Pussy Is God," then get ready for a rehydration like no other. The newly christened pop ruler is gracing fans with an proud declaration: she's a real "Cheap Queen."
While I must admit I'm a little upset that she's used the title of my potential memoir for the single, the track is so good that I'm willing to come up with something else. "Cheap Queen" has all the reverberating ease of a typical KP track, but with a handful of vocal samples ("Smiling for the audience," "How did I do it?") that clog and fill the kick drums and keystrokes. The song comes from the same camp of "Pussy Is God" in terms of production, but the lyrics are a bit more understated and vague.
"Cheap Queen" is definitely not her most intimate track — songs like "Upper West Side" tell a clearly constructed, even chronological narrative — but it is one of her most jovial. It seems as if the unrequited love, heartbreak, and frustration in her world has settled into a manageable undercurrent.
She begins the track with a simple confirmation of this calmness: "I've been alright." In a very hyperreal 2019, in which Gen Z-ers are struggling with intimacy and relationships, this is the extent to which one can be content. After "alright" comes acceptance, but it's a difficult jump to bridge. "I can be good sometimes/ I'm a cheap quee / I can be what you like," she proclaims, circling a drain of self actualization, an awareness of her relationships, and a desire to be understood.
Even the cover art settles between these emotions. She lays cooly, her upper chest exposed and hair trained to her clavicle, as if she's a young Cindy Crawford on the cover of a magazine. This is elevated, however, by a campy makeup look from some pre-Drag Race era, characterized by paper-thin brows and a beauty mark above pouty red lips.
Hopefully "Cheap Queen" is the first of many new King Princess tracks leading up to an official album release, but regardless, fans won't have to wait for new material for long. "Pieces of Us," her track with Mark Ronson, is slated for release on his upcoming album Late Night Feelings, on June 21. Rejoice!
Photo courtesy of King Princess
MORE ON PAPER
Music
Reneé Rapp Trusts Herself
Story by Erica Campbell / Photography by Yasmine Diba / Styling by Valeria Semushina / Makeup by Loren Canby / Hair by Marissa Marino / Nails by Anna Wesolowska / Set design by Kelly Infield
Story by Erica Campbell / Photography by Yasmine Diba / Styling by Valeria Semushina / Makeup by Loren Canby / Hair by Marissa Marino / Nails by Anna Wesolowska / Set design by Kelly Infield
26 June
Film/TV
'Overcompensating' Hits Where It Heals
Story by Joan Summers / Photography by Kenyon Anderson / Styling by Marissa Pelly / Set design by Liz Mydlowski / Makeup by Rommy Najor, Mollie Gloss / Hair by Akihisa Yamaguchi, Sergio Estrada / Grooming by Kennedy Trisler
Story by Joan Summers / Photography by Kenyon Anderson / Styling by Marissa Pelly / Set design by Liz Mydlowski / Makeup by Rommy Najor, Mollie Gloss / Hair by Akihisa Yamaguchi, Sergio Estrada / Grooming by Kennedy Trisler
05 June
Entertainment
The 2025 Tonys: 'Give It Everything Or Die Trying'
Story by Michael Musto / Photography by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders / Jewelry by Alexis Bittar
Story by Michael Musto / Photography by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders / Jewelry by Alexis Bittar
05 June
Film/TV
Coolest Person in the Room: Stephanie Suganami
Story by Andrew Nguyen / Photography by Diego Villagra Motta / Styling by Angelina Cantú / Hair by Stefano Greco / Makeup by STOJ
Story by Andrew Nguyen / Photography by Diego Villagra Motta / Styling by Angelina Cantú / Hair by Stefano Greco / Makeup by STOJ
30 May
Music
Tate McRae, Pop in Motion
Story by Ivan Guzman / Photography by Greg Swales / Styling by Chloe and Chanelle / Makeup by Lilly Keys / Hair by Chad Wood / Nails by Juan Alvear / Props by Lucy Holt / Extras: Faux Real
Story by Ivan Guzman / Photography by Greg Swales / Styling by Chloe and Chanelle / Makeup by Lilly Keys / Hair by Chad Wood / Nails by Juan Alvear / Props by Lucy Holt / Extras: Faux Real
14 May