King (R&B group)
We Are King | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | King |
| Origin | Minneapolis, Minnesota, US |
| Genres | R&B, dream pop, electronica |
| Years active | 2011–present[1] |
| Labels | King Creative |
| Members | Amber Strother Paris Strother |
| Past members | Anita Bias |
| Website | weareking |
We Are King (also stylized as We Are KING), is an American R&B duo based in Los Angeles, California, consisting of twin sisters Amber and Paris Strother. Originally named King, the group also included their close friend Anita Bias. The Strother sisters are the nieces of the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based electric bluesman, Percy Strother,[2] and are originally from Minneapolis.[3][2]
Career
The trio first appeared in 2011, when, on March 1, they independently released their The Story, a three-song EP that captured the attention and garnered support from a number of artists including Phonte of The Foreign Exchange, Questlove, Erykah Badu, and eventually Prince, who invited the two to open for him at his 21-Night Stand Tour at the Los Angeles Forum.[4][3][1][5] Prince subsequently became the girls' mentor and advisor, providing them with managerial support until 2013.[4] King founded their company King Creative in 2013, releasing their teaser single "In the Meantime" the same year,[1][5] premiered by Billboard,[6] and followed up with their second single, "Mister Chameleon" in 2014.[7] On February 5, 2016, the trio released their debut studio album, We Are King, to critical acclaim.[8] The album was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 59th Grammy Awards,[9] making King the first independent band to be nominated in that category.[10] We Are King was also included on mid-year and year-end lists by Rolling Stone, Time, Billboard, NPR, Spin, Newsday and Pitchfork among others.[11]
Discography
- Studio albums
| Title | Details | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 [12] |
Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums [13] |
Billboard Top Heatseekers [14] | ||
| We Are King |
|
158 | 20 | 1 |
- EPs
- The Story (2011)
- Singles
- "In the Meantime" (2013)
- "Mister Chameleon" (2014)
- "The Greatest" (2015)
Covers
- Fela Kuti "Go Slow" (2014)
- David Bowie "Space Oddity" (2021)
Collaborations
Features
- Coldplay & We Are KING & Jacob Collier - "Human Heart"
- Nicolas Godin featuring We Are KING - “Another Side"
- Robert Glasper featuring We Are KING - “Move Love"
- Miles Davis & Robert Glasper featuring We Are KING - "Song For Selim"
- The Foreign Exchange featuring Paris and Amber Strother - “All the Kisses"
- Sam Sparro featuring We Are KING - “Outside the Blue"
- Devin Morrisson featuring We Are KING - "The Call (407)"
- Alex Isley featuring Paris Strother - “So Here it Goes"
Songwriting, Musician, Vocal and Production Credits
- Coldplay - “Coloratura", "Human Heart"
- Leon Bridges - “Motorbike", 'Details", "Steam", "Sho Nuff", "Don't Worry"
- Corrine Bailey Rae - “Green Aphrodisiac", "Tell Me", "Horse Print Dress", "Been to the Moon"
- Moses Sumney - "Quarrel"
- Logic - “Thank You"
- Bilal - “Right at the Core"
- Robert Glasper Experiment - “Move Love"
- Jill Scott - “So Gone"
- Kendrick Lamar - “Chapter 6"
- Nick Hakim - "Qadir"
- Baby Rose - "Show You", "Sold Out", "Pressure"
- Eric Roberson - "Just Imagine"
- Avicii - "Lay Me Down"
- Kelela - "Sorbet"
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award ceremony | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Grammy Awards | Best Urban Contemporary Album | We Are King | Nominated | [9] |
| 2023 | Album of the Year[a] | Music of the Spheres | Nominated | [15] |
Notes
- ^ as featured artist on "Human Heart"
References
- ^ a b c Andy Kellman. "King | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-01-22.
- ^ a b Riemenschneider, Chris (2016-02-01). "Minneapolis' Strother sisters are earning a royal buzz with the trio King". StarTribune.com. Retrieved 2017-01-22.
- ^ a b Haithcoat, Rebecca (2011-07-21). "KING: Heartwarming Soul From Bizarrely Nonsuperficial L.A. Trio". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved 2017-12-16.
- ^ a b "With Prince In Your Corner, It's Good To Be KING". NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-12-16.
- ^ a b "We Are King - King - Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
- ^ "KING Talks New Album, 'In the Meantime' Single & Prince's Best Advice". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
- ^ Okayplayer (18 June 2014). "Video Premiere : KING - "Mister Chameleon" Okayplayer". Okayplayer.com. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
- ^ "Review: KING, 'We Are KING'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-12-16.
- ^ a b "59th Annual GRAMMY Awards Winners & Nominees". The GRAMMYs. Archived from the original on 2016-12-10. Retrieved 2016-12-10.
- ^ Stasio, Charlie Shelton, Frank. "KING On Making Independent Music And Working With Prince". Retrieved 2017-12-16.
{cite news}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "KING's 2016: Grammy Nomination for Debut Album and More!". us8.campaign-archive.com. Retrieved 2017-12-16.
- ^ "King Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard.
- ^ "King Chart History: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard.
- ^ "King Chart History: Top Heatseekers". Billboard.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 2023: The Full List of Nominees". The New York Times. 2022-11-15. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-11-15.