19-year-old singer, songwriter Mikaela Straus, better known as King Princess, has recently released her new singles “Talia” and “1950”. King Princess is a new artist who is inspiring young members of the LGBTQ community.
Recently Mikaela got interviewed by i-D for the release of her song “1950”. Her lyrics speak wisdom into young hearts, “I hate when dudes try to chase me, but I love it when you try to save me”, she sings. During the interview, Mikaela vulnerably shared her thoughts on the song “I reached a point in my life where I was like, well, am I gonna gender my songs? And I decided yeah, I’m gonna put female pronouns in my songs. It doesn’t make any sense for me to hide that part of myself. I needed to do it to help love myself.”
With over 2 million views on YouTube, her music video “1950” is influencing hundreds of queer people to love themselves for who they are. In the video Mikaela shares a vulnerable side with her viewers by showing clips of her and her friend performing obscure activities. From burning teddy bears to posing for a picture at a prom, the video provides clues of her love life.
“So I’ll wait for you, I’ll pray I will keep on waiting for your love”, King Princess sings in the chorus. “1950” is a perfect example of unrequited love. Like most musicians, Mikaela knows that music reaches people, it allows people to connect with her in a way that words never could.
“It’s really moving how many people have reached out, especially when you get messages from queer kids saying thank you”, she explains. She sees the song as a tribute to young queer people who are too scared to speak up for themselves or to tell their crushes the honest truth.
The music video to her second song “Talia” has recently been released on YouTube. “Talia” was written to help her push through a time of heartbreak. This music video can definitely take a couple of watches to understand the message that she is trying to get across. She uses a doll to show that her lover is absent. “Hey my love, I buried you a month or two ago, I keep thinking that you’re standing on my floor, that you’re waiting there for me”, she sings sorrowfully. She hopes that this song will influence others to find a positive outlet for when they experience a similar situation.
Her voice is being heard and her songs are being put on repeat. Her choice of words has allowed fans to connect with her. One fan writes, “I can physically feel the pain that she experiences when she sings ‘but four drinks I’m wasted.’” Her lyrics are powerful enough to have other empathize with her by making connections to their own experiences.
Everyone needs a hero in their lives. King Princess is saving the LGBTQ community by transposing her thoughts and feelings into songs and sharing them with anyone who is willing to listen.
