King Princess first hit the radar in 2018 with “1950,” a sweet, simple pop song about teenage queer crushes. Her subsequent music has trended a bit edgier—consider song titles like “Pussy Is God” and “Cheap Queen”—but no less infectious. Sure, the fact that she was born in 1998 makes me feel a little ancient. But her emotionally adept lyrics (“We say ‘I love you,’ but we ain't together/ Do you think labels make it taste much better?” she wonders on “Ain’t Together”) and bold, drag-inspired looks show King Princess knows exactly what she’s doing.

by Blair Stenvick