King Princess at Glastonbury: Smart, provocative, and languidly cool
King Princess is one of the women of the moment and she made the most of her debut Glastonbury set. Twenty year old New Yorker Mikaelea Strauss has tapped into the gender binary mood of the times with her clever stage moniker but there is much more to her than trendy sexual politics. Her voice has a languid coolness, her lyrics are smart and provocative, her songs deftly constructed pop and her persona staggeringly cool, striding up and down the Park Stage as if she was to the manor born. Well, to Worthy farm born.
"I've been sleeping in a yurt and it's got me in the mood," she told a supportive crowd. "Let's rock."
It's not quite what you expect to hear from a hipper than thou digital pop maverick who broke through with an underground anthem titled Pussy Is God, but there is a mainstream friendly alt rock sensibility underpinning King Princess's electro pop craft. She plays with a deft three piece band who blend digital backing tracks and pre-recorded vocals with a more old fashioned live edge. Strauss herself straps on a telecaster several times to join in the groove. It is easy to see why there's such a buzz about her, with a range of skills and mix of elements that calls to mind St Vincent.
She was able to summon a special guest to conclude her set with added star power. Introduced as "my father", super producer Mark Ronson came on wearing a curly wig and matching outfit of black trousers and tank top, looking like the world's first (but possibly not last) King Princess impersonator. They performed Pieces of Us which she sings in his new album, Late Night Feelings. All in all, it was the kind of Glastonbury debut that suggests that the woman who would be king will be back, probably on a bigger stage and higher up the bill.
