For those who don’t know, Maisie Peters is a gem of the British pop scene. Currently on tour in Europe to promote her new album, Fluorescence — her third album — she’s unveiling a brand-new track in collaboration with Julia Michaels. The track is called “Kingmaker.”

For this song, Maisie was inspired by Hilary Mantel’s historical novel “Wolf Hall.” Maisie explains: “Kingmaker is a song about power dynamics, chiefly about being a woman and feeling like you’ve offered your time, wisdom, talent, and belief to someone who has then taken advantage of it. It’s about the sting of uplifting someone, only to find out they didn’t deserve you in the first place; about giving a man the benefit of the doubt and having it thrown in your face.”

Julia Michaels is a six-time GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter, but mostly, she has a very emotive voice. Micahaels is a highly talented songwriter who has already written for some of the biggest artists in the industry. She creates modern pop music that is both emotional and intimate. She is not afraid to talk about her vulnerabilities, her identity, and her mental health struggles. She is also an artist whose style perfectly complements the world of Maisie Peters.

Peters continues by saying:“I loved writing this song with Julia, as I think we have both had the experience of achieving success and witnessing the impact that has on the romantic relationships in our lives – on the egos of the men who say they want a strong woman, until it ‘makes them bitter.’ We recorded this song very intentionally as a duet, going line for line instead of verse for verse, so it could really be heard as a conversation between two friends sympathising with each other, which really is exactly what the writing process was like.

Julia is a hero of mine – her songwriting has undoubtedly been one of, if not the biggest, influences on my own writing, and it is one of the greatest honours of my career to have a song out with her. She has become not only a trusted collaborator but also a real friend, and I really am so excited for this song to be out in the world.”

It feels like this duo is a natural fit, and it aligns perfectly with the vibe of the new album coming out on May 15.

Julia feels the same way about Maisie, she said: “Working with Maisie is a dream. Her lyricism is so colorful and vibrant. When you write with her, you feel completely immersed in her world. You feel like you’ve lived it yourself.”

With “Kingmaker,” we found a powerful duet with two passionate and powerful women about men’s behavior with sweetness and softness. Their voices match perfectly, and I would personally love to hear this song in a movie!

You can preorder the album just here.

Listen to “Kingmaker” here.

FLORESCENCE TRACK LISTING: 

1. Mary Janes
2. Audrey Hepburn
3. Say My Name In Your Sleep 
4. Old Fashioned 
5. Houses 
6. Kingmaker (with Julia Michaels) 
7. Vampire Time 
8. My Regards
9. You You You
10. If You Let Me (with Marcus Mumford) 
11. Flat Earther
12. Questions 
13. Girl’s Just Flying 
14. You Then Me Now
15. Nothing Like Being In Love