The post-pandemic blues are coming for all of us—no one is safe from the anxiety of establishing another new normal as the nation lines up for vaccines. But Emily King’s latest single reminds us that the love we knew before is still with us. The soft, sparse ballad is the first of many new releases from the Grammy-nominated artist this year; listen to “First Time” below and head over to her merch store to support her directly. 

“It’s remembering what it feels like to have been loved,” King says of the song. “To go back to that place in your mind at the time when you feel most alone.” 

With just an acoustic guitar and her voice, Emily King establishes a peaceful hideout on “First Time.” A cabin nearby to this figurative outpost has a bed, and the only warmth comes from the flame of a constant campfire, which King stokes with memories of friends and family. The light is low but still strong enough to feel their love from afar, and surely enough to keep her going til the morning. 

“First Time” is the first single King has released in 2021, and it is said to be one of many. Her 2019 record, Scenery, was nominated at the Grammys, much like her 2020 protest single, “See Me,” which was written about racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd’s murder last summer. Even as public demonstrations and calls for police abolition lose their amplitude, the song continues to resonate. 

Follow Emily King on Instagram and Twitter. Support her by buying music or merch at her web store. 

by: Zoë Elaine

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