Watch King Princess Perform New NPR Tiny Desk Concert
NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series has a new face in the studio. Mikaela Mullaney Straus, known by her stage name King Princess, made a memorable debut.
King Princess checked off a major accomplishment in her budding music career: playing her very own Tiny Desk Concert. The “For My Friends” singer, wore a huge grin, expressing, “I’ve seen so many of these. I really wanted to do one. And now I get to. That is f*cking cool, man.”
The songwriter performed three stripped-down songs off her second studio album, Hold On Baby. She began a soulful performance with “Cursed.” King Princess states of the track, “It finally reached a point where I had to turn the barrel on myself. I’m silly, I’m anxious, I’m sad, I’m sexy. I didn’t want to be scared to talk about those things anymore. The infinite dichotomy of things that make me up. I’m not a girl, not quite a boy, a lesbian, but also gay as the day is long.”
King Princess then transitioned into the phenomenal “Winter Is Hopeful.” The song is an act of love toward her girlfriend, Quinn. She declares, “Quinn’s a champ. She’s an artist, she gets it, and that song is a love letter to her. I’m sure people have feelings about their own partners, and when they listen to it, it’s like, ‘Oh, I felt that way.’ Or, ‘I’ve experienced some of these feelings.’ And that’s really the point, right?”
King Princess led the finale with “Let Us Die.” The gorgeous arrangement was one of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins’ final recorded songs. She reveals of the late drummer, “[Hawkins] added something to that song that goes so beyond just laying down a drum track. He really showed me a level of musicianship and also respect and kindness that I will never forget.”
Congratulations to King Princess on a stunning NPR Tiny Desk Concert. The performance is available to watch below. Fans can stream her sophomore record, Hold On Baby on all major music platforms.
Writer | Tweet me @court__giles
