Sydney soulstress Lady King delivers a brand new single in ‘ Play It’; a track smothered in enchanting harmonies, harps, strings and her distinctively smooth-as-butter vocals that have gained attention within the scene.

The new single explores Lady King’s accounts of dealing with slut-shaming and the harmful effects this has on women. It’s a first-time collaboration with Sydney producer LEN20 (aka Glenn Hopper) - a seasoned multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and artist who has recently been making waves by producing unique loops and sound beds with cuts alongside Take A Daytrip (Kid Cudi, Lil Nas X).

‘Play It’ is silky smooth, and empowering at the same time, tackling a tough subject matter while sounding so fluid. Musically, the rhythm section are tightly packed and close sounding, giving plenty of round tones and punch, and allowing for the strings, harp and pads to float effortlessly over the top. Lady King commands your attention, hyper-feminine and assertive simultaneously, pointing out the sexual double-standards that occur everyday.

The song features an eclectic cast of Sydney musicians including Annalina, Ellen Mara and IMI (backing vocals), Ida Warhol (harp), Hilary Geddes (guitar), Lydia Swaires (violin) and LADY KING aka Lara herself on cello, all backed by her usual comrades Andrew Chara (keys), Ally McMahon (bass) and Hugo Rumore (drums).

In her words: “This song is special for me and my journey in reclaiming my power and reconnecting with my femininity so I wanted to make a point of including some of my favourite women in the Sydney music scene.”

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This release is an expression of Lara’s inner turmoil after being confronted with the sexual double standards within our society. Traditionally men are granted more sexual freedom than women. As a consequence, men and women are treated differently for the same sexual behaviour and women bare the brunt of slut-shaming for simply being sexual.

In her words: “I often write songs from my own personal experiences. This situation affected me and my self-worth deeply, and ultimately took years to overcome. It was made all the worse because it was a close friend of mine. Amidst the chaos of his rejection and heartache, my private relationships and sexual receipts were publicly displayed and weaponised against me - all of this because I didn’t love him back...”

Lara’s musical influences include a wide range of styles embedded in classical, soul, R’n’B, jazz and pop roots. Her love for live instrumentation, harmony and arrangement is displayed in ‘Play It’, drawing comparisons to her contemporaries, Raveena, Joy Crookes, and Snoh Aelegra.

LADY KING has received praise from local radio stations with her previous single Tease Me being spun on Triple J, FBI and 2SER.

The new single ‘Play It’ is out now on all streaming platforms.