Out Music: “The King’s Gambit” Is A Game Stephonne Aims To Win

Queer R&B singer-songwriter Stephonne drops his lush new groove, “The King’s Gambit” today. “A budding crush is cleverly revealed here as a game of chess,” shares the artist. Stephonne wrote the track about having strong feelings for a man, but fearing rejection found himself afraid to share these sentiments aloud. Glittering guitars are paired with heartbeat drums and crashing cymbals laying a groovy soundscape for the artist’s queer poetic lyricism.

Stephonne’s hushed romantic vocals are reminiscent of Janet Jackson in her intimate, euphoric Velvet Rope mode. Stephonne pushes boundaries taking cues from his musical influences like Prince, Billie Holiday, and The Alabama Shakes blending music genres of alt-rock & R&B/Soul. Hit play below and follow the artist on Instagram here. https://soundcloud.com/lovesickwriter/the-kings-gambit