KING: "Hey" (Extended Mix)
My first slow dance as a married man was to “Hey”, a gorgeous ballad by Los Angeles R&B trio KING. I still see the sun peering through the window. I still feel the intimacy in that expression of eternal love. I remember how the song sounded in that space: rich, enveloping, and euphoric. The way singer Anita Bias’ voice weaved throughout the melody: “Heeeey, you are… what I wished for when I saw that shooting star.”
Despite all the great music played at the reception, our friends wanted to know where they could find that song. “Hey” appeared on KING’s 2011 debut EP, The Story, and upon its release, the group received enthusiastic cosigns from Prince and ?uestlove. They have since worked with jazz pianist Robert Glasper and electro-soul troupe the Foreign Exchange—and that was KING this summer, alongside Solange, Dev Hynes, and Moses Sumney on their cover of Nina Simone’s “To Be Young, Gifted and Black”.
Last year, KING released the singles “Mister Chameleon” and “In the Meantime”, though it was unclear when their album would finally drop. This extended mix of “Hey” resurfaces near the end of KING’s forthcoming LP, We Are KING, out in February. The original version remains in tact; then, at the 4:25 mark, it moves into a dreamy procession of layered wails, extending the sensuous groove for another two minutes. “Hey” is perhaps the best song in KING’s discography so far. It’s remarkably blissful, recalling tender milestones no matter how modest or grand.
KING: "Hey" (Extended Mix) on SoundCloud.
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