Photos by Bobby Singh – Like so many of music’s most essential singer-songwriters, Emily King has a near-magical gift for digging into life’s deepest sorrows and uncovering unexpected beauty and illuminating truth. Since the arrival of her Grammy Award-nominated full-length debut East Side Story, the New York City-bred artist has brought ever-evolving levels of depth and nuance to her songwriting, rooting each revelation in her mesmerizing blend of soul and R&B and forward-thinking pop. On her new album Special Occasion, King shares a real-time exploration of the endless dimensions of heartbreak—an inquiry informed by the end of her romantic relationship. King and longtime producer Jeremy Most (Grammy-nominated producer and multi-instrumentalist) closely collaborated on every track for an intimate and infinitely enchanting look at the ways we love, grieve, and eventually stumble toward a greater sense of self-understanding.

JOSEPH SOLOMON