King Princess Channels Her "PAIN" Into a Glossy Disco-Pop Banger
"PAIN" is the latest single from the singer.
If an impending second lockdown has you feeling lonelier than normal, King Princess has released an anthem just for you.
"PAIN" is the latest single from the pop starlet, who seems to be wrapping up a follow-up to her 2019 debut record, Cheap Queen. Co-written alongside Nick Long, Shawn Everett, and Tobias Jesso Jr., the piano-driven tune sees King Princess—real name Mikaela Straus—reckoning with an unfortunate pattern of heartbreak time and time again: "You and I just get along / I wonder how I'll f*ck it up," she sings, as if her misdeeds in the relationship are inevitable.
"PAIN is … probably my favorite song I've ever written," King Princess said in an interview with Zane Lowe. "I think what I love about it is it's got that f*cking piano. It's the ultimate George Michael meets Erotica era Madonna meets an incredible remix if you're in a gay club that makes you uncomfortable and horny."
Despite the gloomy subject matter, "PAIN" shows a more upbeat side of Straus, who rose to fame with R&B-coated slow-burners like "1950" and "Talia." But the disco- and techno-tinged instrumentals of "Pain" are right in line with the singer's affinity for retro, glossy sounds.
Listen below.