Experimental pop songwriter Anjimile has returned with an epic new single entitled “The King.” The track is taken from the artist’s forthcoming album of the same name, due September 9 courtesy of 4AD. The maximal, heavens-reaching cut begins unassumingly enough, with a round of voices performing an enchanting melody. They quickly give way to Anjimile’s recognizable near-falsetto. Harpsichord and choral stabs accent the singer as he takes dead aim at clichés: “What don’t kill you almost killed you / What don’t fill you / Pains you / Drains you.”
The album, according to a press release, explores “what it means to be a Black trans person in America. The brutally honest reflection of 2020’s deadly summer is less reminiscent of the pink cloud of early sobriety and more rooted in the reality of seeing brutality with clear eyes.” Additionally, the album draws influences from “religion, Phillip Glass, and lived experiences.”
Below, check out a visualizer created by Daniela Yohannes, who also designed the album artwork. Pre-order The King here.
