A competing duality of styles limits album cohesion

King Princess has released their first full-length project in two years: a 12-track long album titled Hold On Baby. Filled to the brim with earworm pop hooks and stripped-back vocals, Hold On Baby is an album of reflection. King Princess doesn’t hold back on reflecting on all of her relationships, whether they’re platonic, professional or romantic. They also reflect on their relationship with herself, truly examining every connection. While the introspective lyrics and themes are engaging, there are other aspects of the album that seem to miss the mark.

The album is, for the most part, split 50/50 in terms of sound. Half of the album is more stripped-back tracks where King Princess’s voice and lyricism are front and center, while the other half is upbeat pop songs. It seems to switch off every other track, which makes for an interesting flow throughout the album. While the artistic vision is respectable, a different track order would’ve made for a more cohesive-sounding project.

“Hold on Baby Interlude” is a particularly vulnerable moment, devastating lyrics enveloped in a distorted synth pattern. While undeniably expressive, the sentiment gets lost in the experimental sound of the instrumental. Some lines, such as “I’m a clown that needs attention,” feel out of place and a bit corny. The emotion is there, undoubtedly, but the execution is questionable. 

On the tracks that are slower and more stripped-back, there isn’t enough momentum throughout. Listeners will find it difficult to remain engaged during tracks that feel like they never come close to reaching a climax, and sound as though they are stagnant. While the lyricism on most of these tracks is poignant and reflective, it can only do so much. For example, “Too Bad” makes an attempt to break into a more engaging chorus, with added percussion. However, between the choruses and the verses, it feels that there is little growth. 

Alternatively, the pop songs are very well done. “Cursed,” which sits at track two, would have been an amazing opener. While King Princess has an undeniably great voice, the pop production accompanies it more than the more stripped back production. Though it’s commendable to explore different musical areas and experiment with different sounds and styles, there’s no shame in sticking to what works best for your voice and your style. King Princess’s moments of profound honesty and vulnerability on this record can be commended, but that doesn’t mean that the vision was executed in a way that translates well to listeners. 

Because of the duality of this album, half of it is very well done, while the other half feels like filling up space. King Princess’s emotions and creative decisions regarding expressing them are valid and powerful, but it doesn’t translate very well to the audience. With a different track list order and some revisions to the production on some tracks, this album could’ve been better received by listeners.