It’s been 72 years since King Princess stole our hearts with her breakout single, ‘1950…’ just kidding, it’s only been four. But in those four years, Mikaela Straus has given us so much creative and personal growth, as well as anthems for us to dance along to in our room every night. Now she’s gearing up to give us her sophomore album, Hold On Baby, on July 29th, and she spoke to Rolling Stone all about it!
We seriously think this was one of King Princess’ most interesting interviews to date. We got to learn so much about Hold On Baby and how she’s evolved as an artist, and it kept us hooked every second we were reading it. Here’s a rundown of some of our favorite moments when she revealed new album details!
There’s A Song Inspired By Fiona Apple
Mikaela has never shied away from her love for Fiona Apple, and she mentioned that her all-time favorite lyric, like, ever, is “so be it, I’m your crowbar” from Fiona’s 1999 track ‘I Know.’ She loves it so much that she wrote the Hold On Baby track ‘Crowbar’ based on it! It’s about someone who’s “like a crowbar prying at the chip on [her] shoulder,” and she co-wrote it with Aaron Dessner of The National, who you may know from his work with Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams.
The idea behind [‘Crowbar’] is being f*cked up and young and not really taking care of myself or having any purpose other than selfishness and being crazy. Having someone, or some creature, opens your heart to this idea that you don’t have to walk around with heaviness.
King Princess to Rolling Stone
She Wasn’t Sure How To Write Happy Music
While we’ve known and loved King Princess’ melancholy lyrics and back-and-forth feelings for years, things are a little different with this album. She’s happily in love with Quinn Wilson, who has worked on music videos like Lizzo’s ‘Juice’ and KP’s own ‘Pain,’ so there’s no heartache to inspire devastating lyrics this time around. She explained to Rolling Stone:
I was like, ‘What is my purpose? I’m not heartbroken; I’m not pissed at some girl. How do I write music if it’s not about getting back at someone?’
King Princess to Rolling Stone
The Owl On The Cover Is An Ode To Her Grandfather
Shortly before King Princess met up with Aaron Dessner in early 2021 to work together, she lost her grandfather she was very close with. He loved animals and spent a lot of time looking out for owls, so she put a snowy barn owl on the cover as a tribute to him!
She’s shrouding me with her wings, and I’m looking c*nt and glam, obviously. Prince had his doves. I think the owl is mine.
King Princess to Rolling Stone
She Loved Expanding Her Creative Circle
So, we mentioned Aaron Dessner earlier, but he’s far from the only person that King Princess invited into her musical wonderland for Hold On Baby. She also recruited the likes of Ethan Gruska, who has worked with Phoebe Bridgers, Mark Ronson, Fousheé, and Dave Hamelin, who has produced for stars like 070 Shake.
Even with the table growing for this album, KP is just as ambitious and focused as ever on making the best work she can. We love that she’s found a creative family that can help her challenge herself and her work while staying true to who she is as an artist!
All I’ve ever really wanted was to feel camaraderie in making music, and I started to feel that… [But] I’m at the helm of this ship, or else it wouldn’t be my music.
King Princess to Rolling Stone
This interview has made us more excited than ever to hear Hold On Baby! Be sure to check out King Princess’ digital Rolling Stone cover story right here and pre-save the album here, then keep an ear out for the pre-release singles ‘Cursed’ and ‘Too Bad’ on June 8th.
Now we wanna hear from you, honeybees! What was your favorite part of the interview? What are you most excited about when it comes to Hold On Baby? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! And for more King Princess content to keep you busy until release day, click here.
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