KING | "We Are KING"

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Their full-length debut is out this Friday (they released their first EP in 2011). They've received attention from numerous outlets such as NPR, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and Billboard.

Current single is "The Greatest". One of my favorite tracks out at the moment.



People who enjoy alternative or electronic R&B and quiet storm/Sade-inspired R&B will enjoy this.

[Wave.]

That song is smooth as hell. I'm going to check them out.

[newpower]

Loving this album so much. Perfect late night music.

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Front page on iTunes!

[SHOOTER]

They got as high as #21 on the main chart; doing better than SWV!

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All Music Guide gave the album 4.5/5.

This accurately self-termed electro-soul trio debuted in 2011 with an EP that resembled reinterpretations of imaginary recordings made by Wonderlove, Stevie Wonder's background vocalists, circa Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants. All three songs, measured and spirit-lifting in nature, radiated warmth through rich harmonies and crafty programming. Supported by the likes of Erykah Badu and Questlove, King's impact was instant. Within a year, they elevated cuts by the Foreign Exchange and Robert Glasper Experiment. Additional singles trickled out slowly, surely. The trio likewise didn't spread itself thin when it came to further collaborations, highlighted by "Right at the Core," Paris' smoldering duet with Bilal. Almost five years after their first step, the Strothers and Bias released their slow-cooked We Are King. For those who have been aware since the beginning, the album might seem anticlimactic. Only seven of the 12 inclusions are completely fresh. The 2011-2014 output, however, is cleverly dispersed throughout the sequence, with all of the EP cuts appearing as extended versions that enhance flow. Most of the new tracks are up to the high bar they set for themselves. Three of better ones -- two floating love songs leaving it all behind and a proud, percolating tribute to Muhammad Ali -- are emphasized with front-loading. King don't take a caravan across the Sudan, but "Red Eye," in which they "fly through the Nigerian night sky," makes a clear connection with the Jones Girls of "Nights Over Egypt," and continues their recurring spiritual and/or romantic journeys theme. They even present the album's finale, "Native Land," as a cunning sequel to "The Story," and land at home. The flashiest they get is with a monologue, some horns, and a guitar solo, all of which appear on the hot-pursuit ballad "Oh, Please!" Otherwise, We Are King is all about plush, impeccable grooves and spine-tingling harmonies. It's without fault.

[Live Your Life]

Wow, this album is excellent. Grown and sexy.

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"The Greatest" is #14 on Slant's The 25 Best Singles of 2016.

A tribute to Muhammad Ali (one of the greats 2016 took from us) by an R&B girl group who curried major favor from Prince (another), though you wouldn't exactly clock it from listening to “The Greatest” for the first or 50th time. Because producer-keyboardist Paris Struther treats the vocals of her twin sister Amber and Anita Bias as another sonic layer, unfurling luxuriously in a perfect synthesis of dream pop, 8-bit, and soul balladry. KING took their sweet time finally issuing their debut LP, more than a half-decade after unveiling its first songs. “Worth the wait” doesn't begin to describe it, though this song's title certainly comes close. Henderson

[SHOOTER]

Grammy nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album.

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The album made Pitchfork's 20 Best Pop and R&B Albums of 2016 list:

By the time they released their debut LP in January, buzz had been building around KING—the vocal trio comprised of Anita Bias and twins Paris and Amber Strother—for almost five years. (Thanks, Kendrick.) It didn’t disappoint: Electro-R&B with a taste for Sade and Jodeci floods out of We Are KING in radiant beams, broken up slightly by sophisticated synths, bright and varied percussion, whimsical hand-claps, and more. The trio’s voices are what naturally stand out, but it’s nice that the whole record has a light touch—no single element threatens to overpower these self-assured daydreams of the heart. –Jillian Mapes

[Zinc.]

Congrats to them on their grammy nod. Well deserved.

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"The Greatest" is #66 on Pitchfork's 100 Greatest Songs of 2016.

During the intro to “The Greatest,” right as the ladies of KING ask, “Who wants a run with the number one?”, there is a short glissando on the keyboards. This sound, and all its variations, is one of the best things you can hear in an R&B song: a cue to get ready because it’s. About. To. Go. Down. The band immediately delivers on this promise, letting the synths kick fully before launching into three minutes of pure electro-soul bliss. The track’s harmonies and retro flourishes give it the feel of an ’80s R&B love song. And while that’s certainly part of the story, KING are more concerned with self-love: the belief that you can be the best at whatever you set your mind to. The single, off their debut We Are KING, was written in honor of Muhammad Ali, “the modern marvel man to stand behind.” A few months after we got “The Greatest,” we lost the Greatest—making what was already a terrific song work doubly as a tribute to Ali’s legacy of winning.

Also, new video:

[Ty]

Anita decided to left and KING will continue as a duo.

A new remix of "Red Eye" released a while ago. It's really nice.

[Ty]

Also, I just realized they've changed their group name to We Are KING instead of simply KING.

[Hurricane Lee]

Oh. I remember seeing them for free in Central Park but I never really listened to their music and forgot about them.

[Ty]

They will be premiering new music at their show next month. Looks like a new era is coming.