Daily Dose: Masego, “Queen Tings (ft. Tiffany Gouche)”
The single is off his forthcoming debut album Lady Lady, out this Friday, Sept. 7
Images via Phillipp Raheem, Island Records Music Features Masego
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Masego’s debut album Lady Lady is set to release this Friday, Sept. 7, through Island Records. The record is one of Paste’s most anticipated releases of the month, and its release comes at the tail end of Masego’s U.S. tour, right before he embarks on an extensive European run, including a headlining spot at Shepherds Bush Empire in London.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Masego’s family soon relocated to Virginia, where both of his parents worked as pastors. His latest single, “Queen Tings” combines both sides of that lineage. Masego says the track also draws on the royal feel of Black Panther and the energy of his ancestral home, South Africa.
The song, featuring production by Kojo, Bigkidd and Masego himself, is borne on a bed of muted dancehall marimbas and click-clack trap beats, staying true to the singer’s self-described genre of “TrapHouseJazz.” With the introduction of a silky smooth sax figure, Masego’s church-singing roots come into focus, as he doubles the sax line with his own effortless vocal rises.
Tiffany Gouche’s textured, androgynous verse embraces the royal feel of the proceedings, with references to thrones and the reign of a goddess, before the track transitions into a graceful, fluttering sax solo to close out the procession.
Listen to “Queen Tings” below.