Emily King

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title: "Emily King" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1985-births", "21st-century-african-american-women-singers", "21st-century-american-singer-songwriters", "21st-century-american-women-singers", "african-american-women-singer-songwriters", "american-contemporary-r&b-singers", "american-people-of-italian-descent", "american-soul-musicians", "american-women-singer-songwriters", "ato-records-artists", "j-records-artists", "living-people", "singer-songwriters-from-new-york-(state)", "singers-from-new-york-city"] description: "American musician (born 1985)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_King" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American musician (born 1985) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]

Field	Value
name	Emily King
image	EmilyKingAtDougFir2016.jpg
caption	King performing in Portland, Oregon, August 2016
background	solo_singer
birth_date
origin	New York City, United States
genre	{{flat list
occupation	Singer, songwriter
years_active	2004–present
label	{{flat list
partner	Jeremy Most (2007-2021)
website
::

| name = Emily King | image = EmilyKingAtDougFir2016.jpg | caption = King performing in Portland, Oregon, August 2016 | image_size = | background = solo_singer | birth_name = | birth_date = | origin = New York City, United States | genre = {{flat list |

• R&B
• soul
• pop}} | occupation = Singer, songwriter | years_active = 2004–present | label = {{flat list |
• J
• Making Music
• ATO }} | partner = Jeremy Most (2007-2021) | website =

Emily King (born Emily Cowings; July 10, 1985) is an American singer and songwriter. She started her career in 2004 and her first album East Side Story was released in August 2007. In December 2007, she was a Grammy Award nominee for Best Contemporary R&B Album. In 2019, she was nominated for Best R&B Song for "Look at Me Now" and her album Scenery was nominated for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. In 2020, King was nominated again, for Best R&B Performance with her song "See Me".

Biography

Born in 1985 in New York City, King grew up in a small apartment on the Lower East Side. Her parents, Marion Cowings and Kim Kalesti, were a singing duo who performed and traveled regularly taking her and her older brother with them. At the age of 16, King left high school after earning her GED to pursue her music career. She began playing shows in restaurants and venues around New York City, including CBGB and The Bitter End.

Career==King signed her first record deal with [[J Records]] in 2004 and appeared on [[Nas]]'s 2004 album ''[[Street's Disciple]]'' credited as simply "Emily".{{cite news |last1=Patrick |first1=Ryan B. |title=Emily King's Minimalist R&B Album 'Scenery' Puts Feelings First |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/emily_kings_minimalist_r_and_b_album_scenery_puts_feelings_first |access-date=2 January 2021 |work=Exclaim! |date=1 February 2019 |language=en-ca}} Her first album ''[[East Side Story (Emily King album)|East Side Story]]'' was released in August 2007. It received a [[Grammy]] nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album of the Year. After leaving the label in 2008, King continued her work independently with producer [[Jeremy Most]]. She self-recorded her follow-up EP ''Seven'' in her home, released in July 2011. Throughout this time, King toured domestically and internationally with many artists including Nas, [[John Legend]], [[Floetry]], [[Alicia Keys]], [[Chaka Khan]], [[Erykah Badu]], and [[Maroon 5]].

In 2012, King was awarded the Holly Prize (a tribute to the legacy of Buddy Holly) from The Songwriters Hall of Fame for recognition of the "all-in songwriter" whose work exhibits the qualities of Holly’s music: true, great and original. In the fall, King was invited by Emeli Sandé to open for her UK tour playing sold out shows in five cities including at The Royal Albert Hall in London. King collaborated with José James on his album No Beginning No End in 2013 and can be heard on the tracks "Heaven on the Ground" and the acoustic version of "Come to My Door". In 2014, King performed as an opening act for Sara Bareilles' Little Black Dress tour.

King's second studio album, The Switch, was self-released by her own label, Making Music Records, on June 26, 2015. The Wall Street Journal remarked that the album is "a tasteful collection of eleven songs that showcase King’s distinctive voice".

She signed with the independent label ATO Records in 2017 and with them released her third studio album, Scenery, on 1 February 2019.

In late 2019, King once again performed as an opening act for Sara Bareilles in her Amidst The Chaos Tour.

In 2019, King helped to compose "Being Human", the ending theme song for the Cartoon Network animated series Steven Universe Future, which she sang. Her song "Can't Hold Me" was also used in an episode of the series.

King released her fourth studio album, Sides, on January 17, 2020. The album features acoustic takes on her previous songs, and includes a guest appearance by Sara Bareilles on the track "Teach You." In response to racial unrest in the summer of 2020, King released the song "See Me" in August. The song was nominated for Best R&B Performance in the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.

King appeared on stream with Marc Rebillet on March 21, 2021, as his first ever guest performer.

King's Tiny Desk Concert went online on November 3, 2025. The set list: "Distance", "Georgia", "Down", "This Year". and "Special Occasion".

Discography

Studio albums

::data[format=table] | Title | Details | Peak chart positions | US Curr. | US R&B HH | US Heat | US Indie | East Side Story | The Switch | Scenery | Sides | Special Occasion | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | | — | 60 | 18 | — | | | | | | | | | | — | 41 | 16 | — | | | | | | | | | | 86 | — | 6 | 14 | | | | | | | | | | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | 79 | — | — | — | | | | | | | | ::

EPs

::data[format=table]

Title	Details	East Side Story (Sampler)	Seven	Emily King on Audiotree Live	Change of Scenery (Remix EP)	Spotify Singles
::

Instrumental albums

::data[format=table]

Title	Details	The Seven EP Instrumentals	Scenery (Instrumentals)
::

Singles

As lead artist

::data[format=table] | Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | US R&B/ HH | US Adult R&B | "Walk in My Shoes" (with Lupe Fiasco) | "U & I" | "Ordinary Heart" | "The Animals" | "Distance" | "BYIMM" | "Crush (Amazon Original)" | "Remind Me" | "Look at Me Now" | "Can't Hold Me" | "Incredible Manage Question" | "Look At Me Now (Acoustic)" | "Radio (Acoustic)" | "Teach You (Acoustic)" (featuring Sara Bareilles) | "Being Human" (Theme From Steven Universe Future) | "See Me" | "First Time" | "This Year" | "Medal" | "False Start" | "Special Occasion" | "Bad Memory" (with Norah Jones) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 2007 | 74 | 22 | East Side Story | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2008 | — | 26 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2012 | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2013 | — | — | The Switch | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2014 | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2016 | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2017 | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2018 | — | — | Scenery | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2019 | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | — | — | Sides | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2020 | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | — | — | Steven Universe Future (Original Soundtrack) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | — | — | rowspan="2" | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2021 | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2022 | — | — | Special Occasion | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2023 | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | — | — | Norah Jones Is Playing Along | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ::

As featured artist

::data[format=table] | Title | Year | Album | "What's Never Gone" (Jake and Abe featuring Emily King) | "What Love Can do" (Robert Glasper featuring Emily King) | |---|---|---|---|---| | 2021 | | | | | | 2023 | Run the World, Season 2 | | | | ::

Guest appearances

::data[format=table]

Title	Year	Other artist(s)	Album	"Take a Walk"	"Heaven on the Ground"	"What Must I Do"	"Stay Slow"	"Decisions"	"Good Enough"	"That's the Way Life Goes"	"Georgia - J Most Remix"	"If I Can't Have You"	"Miracles"	"Lucky"	"Invitation"
2008	Tame Waipara	Leaving Paradise
2012	José James	No Beginning No End
Selan	Space Flight
2013	Tame Waipara	Fill Up the Silence
2014	Taylor McFerrin	Early Riser
2019	Kraz	Telescope
Hannah Georgas	Imprints
2021	Brittany Howard, Jeremy Most	Jaime (Reimagined)
Sara Bareilles	Amidst the Chaos: Live from the Hollywood Bowl
Benny Sings, Peter CottonTale	Music
Jason Mraz	Look for the Good (Deluxe Edition)
2022	Robert Glasper	Black Radio III (Supreme Edition)
::

Awards and nominations

::data[format=table]

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result
2008	Grammy Award	Best Contemporary R&B Album	East Side Story
2020	Grammy Award	Best R&B Song	"Look at Me Now"
2021	Grammy Award	Best R&B Performance	"See Me"
2024	Grammy Award	Best R&B Album	Special Occasion
::

Tours

Headlining

• The Switch Tour (2015–16)
• You and I Tour (2017)
• Scenery Tour (2019)
• Ever After Tour (2021–22)

Supporting

• Hands All Over Tour (supporting Maroon 5) (2011)
• Our Version of Events Tour (supporting Emeli Sandé) (2012–13)
• Amidst the Chaos Tour (supporting Sara Bareilles) (2019)

References

References

1. (4 March 2016). "Emily King, Auckland Arts Festival". New Zealand Herald.
2. "Grammy Awards 2020: Full list of nominees, winners for 'music's biggest night'".
3. (2020-11-24). "Grammy Nominations 2021: See the List". The New York Times.
4. (30 January 2019). "Is Emily King irresistible, as she has been called? Well, a lot of people are hooked". Chicago Tribune.
5. (27 February 2020). "Grammy-Nominated Singer Emily King Brings New 'Scenery' To Somerville". WBUR.
6. "Emily King".
7. (1 February 2019). "Emily King's Minimalist R&B Album 'Scenery' Puts Feelings First". Exclaim!.
8. "Emily King {{!}} Songwriters Hall of Fame".
9. (18 January 2013). "Pursuing Many Paths to Find His Own (Published 2013)". The New York Times.
10. (5 May 2014). "Sara Bareilles Announces Summer Tour".
11. Danton, Eric R.. (June 22, 2015). "Emily King Listens to Her Instincts on 'The Switch' (Exclusive Album)". The Wall Street Journal.
12. (April 2019). "Emily King Announces Fall Arena Tour Supporting Sara Bareilles". ATO Records.
13. (31 March 2020). "'Steven Universe' creator Rebecca Sugar explains the series finale, 'Future'—and her future". Fast Company.
14. (12 February 2020). "A big year for Emily King brings Grammy nominations, praise from stars and critics". Chicago Sun-Times.
15. (August 26, 2020). "Emily King Releases New Song "See Me"". ATO RECORDS.
16. "TOTALLY NORMAL STREAM".
17. "Emily King: Tiny Desk Concert". NPR.
18. "Emily King: Chart History - Top Current Albums".
19. "Emily King: Chart History - Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums".
20. "Emily King: Chart History - Heatseekers Albums".
21. "Emily King: Chart History - Independent Albums".
22. (February 28, 2023). "Emily King Announces 'Special Occasion' Album".
23. "East Side Story [Sampler]".
24. "Spotify Singles - Emily King".
25. "The Seven EP Instrumentals".
26. "Scenery (Instrumentals) by Emily King".
27. "Emily King: Chart History".
28. "Emily King: Chart History: Adult R&B Songs".
29. (July 21, 2015). "Emily King's 'The Switch' Is Hitting The East Coast On Tour".
30. "EMILY KING 2016 SUMMER TOUR IN HOUSTON, WHAT I WORE".
31. "Emily King - You and I Tour".
32. "Emily King on Twitter".
33. "Emily King Ever After Tour".
34. "Emily King - Tour".
35. (8 April 2019). "SARA BAREILLES ANNOUNCES HER MUCH ANTICIPATED AMIDST THE CHAOS TOUR".

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