After wowing the underground scene for the last few years and the likes of NME, Elite Muzik and The Jitty declaring her as ‘one to watch’, Crystal King is being tipped as “the next big thing.” Having performed at The 02 a whopping five times and a career defining performance at the London Olympics, 2012 is shaping out to be a breakthrough year for the East London-based singer/songwriter.
With current single “Flying High” receiving rave reviews and her EP (The Complexity Of Crystal King) released in September, it’s only a matter of time before the soulful Brit is a household name.
“Singing comes natural to me, it’s a part of who I am, as a person – not just a career path,” King explains. “I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember.”
Inspired by musicians such as Prince, Madonna and Mary J Blige, the rising star names Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill as her main influences. “The Miseducation Of Lauren Hill is one of my favourite albums of all time. The emotion she conveys on that record is so raw and powerful,” King gushes.
Picking up the mic at the tender age of seven, being on stage comes natural to the Beckton native. Having started out singing lead vocals at her local community church and school events, the rising star perfected her craft on the live circuit, gaining a steady following over the years – both in the UK and overseas. She’s collaborated with DaVinChe (Tinie Tempah, Cleo Sol) and SAS (Dipset) and is currently in the studio working on her debut LP.
Fusing many genres together, it’s pretty hard to pigeonhole the talented songstress into one box. With her soulful vocals, she takes rhythm and blues back to its original form, whilst sprinkling hints of contemporary jazz with traditional pop: “My sound is pretty much a mash-up of everything that inspires me,” King says on defining her musical sound. “I don’t let genres define me. I just see music for what it is and make the music that I like, regardless of what category it falls into.”
Following a triumphant performance at the London Olympics with the whole world watching and her eagerly anticipated EP The Complexity Of Crystal King out next month, Crystal King is most certainly ONE TO WATCH!
Twitter: @CrystalTheKing
Facebook: Crystal King
For Press inquiries: Contact Vanessa Laker: vanessalakerpr@live.com
