Back in June, the uncompromising and talented Amythyst Kiah released Wary + Strange into the world. As Bob Fish mentioned in his album review here, while her journey hasn’t been easy there have been some pivotal moments along the way, not least when “Black Myself” was nominated for a Grammy in 2019. He concluded his review on a strong note:
Amythyst Kiah has found a way to live in a world without restrictions. She is, at the end the day, an artist who goes her own way, which is what gives Wary + Strange the qualities that make it a truly great album from an artist who refuses to dwell in a world of limitations.
One of the songs from the album titled Sleeping Queen was written in 2016. As well as struggling with changes in her personal life, it was also the same year that Donald Trump was elected as president. In the video below, she talks about how the song went through the biggest arrangement changes for the album, to better reflect the fears she was experiencing at the time. As mentioned in the video…imagine “if David Lynch tried to write an RnB song”.
Song Commentary to Sleeping Queen:
Wary + Strange is out now on Rounder Records
Amythyst Kiah is on tour now in the US. Details here: https://www.amythystkiah.com/tour
Photo Credit: Sandlin Gaither