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". Her first 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 Title Details Peak chart positions USCurr. USR&BHH USHeat USIndie East Side Story Released: August 28, 2007 Label: J Formats: CD, digital download — 60 18 — The Switch Released: June 26, 2015 Label: Making Music Formats: CD, LP, digital download — 41 16 — Scenery Released: February 1, 2019 Label: ATO Formats: CD, LP, digital download 86 — 6 14 Sides Released: January 17, 2020 Label: Making Music, ATO Formats: CD, digital download — — — — Special Occasion Released: May 5, 2023 Label: ATO Formats: LP, CD, digital download 79 — — —
EPs Title Details East Side Story (Sampler) Released: 2006 Label: self-released Formats: CD Seven Released: July 12, 2011 Label: self-released Formats: CD, LP, Digital download Emily King on Audiotree Live Released: November 15, 2015 Label: Audiotree Music Formats: Digital download Change of Scenery (Remix EP) Released: October 11, 2019 Label: ATO Formats: Digital download Spotify Singles Released: July 22, 2020 Label: ATO Formats: Streaming
Instrumental albums Title Details The Seven EP Instrumentals Released: 23 April 2012 Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download Scenery (Instrumentals) Released: 19 June 2020 Label: ATO Formats: Digital download
Singles As lead artist Title Year Peak chart positions Album US US "Walk in My Shoes"(with Lupe Fiasco) 2007 74 22 East Side Story "U & I" 2008 — 26 "Ordinary Heart" 2012 — — "The Animals" 2013 — — The Switch "Distance"2014 — — "BYIMM"2016 — — "Crush (Amazon Original)"2017 — — "Remind Me" 2018 — — Scenery "Look at Me Now" — — "Can't Hold Me" 2019 — — "Incredible Manage Question" — — "Look At Me Now (Acoustic)" — — Sides "Radio (Acoustic)" 2020 — — "Teach You (Acoustic)" (featuring Sara Bareilles) — — "Being Human"(Theme From Steven Universe Future) — —Steven Universe Future (Original Soundtrack) "See Me" — — rowspan="2" "First Time"2021 — — "This Year"2022 — —Special Occasion "Medal"2023 — — "False Start" — — "Special Occasion" — — "Bad Memory"(with Norah Jones) — —Norah Jones Is Playing Along
As featured artist Title Year Album"What's Never Gone"2021"What Love Can do"2023Run the World, Season 2
Guest appearances Title Year Other artist(s) Album "Take a Walk" 2008 Tame Waipara Leaving Paradise "Heaven on the Ground" 2012 José James No Beginning No End "What Must I Do" Selan Space Flight "Stay Slow" 2013 Tame Waipara Fill Up the Silence "Decisions" 2014 Taylor McFerrin Early Riser "Good Enough"2019 Kraz Telescope "That's the Way Life Goes" Hannah Georgas Imprints"Georgia - J Most Remix"2021 Brittany Howard, Jeremy Most Jaime (Reimagined)"If I Can't Have You" Sara Bareilles Amidst the Chaos: Live from the Hollywood Bowl"Miracles" Benny Sings, Peter CottonTale Music"Lucky" Jason Mraz Look for the Good (Deluxe Edition)"Invitation"2022Robert GlasperBlack Radio III (Supreme Edition)
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryWorkResult2008Grammy AwardBest Contemporary R&B Album East Side Story2020Grammy AwardBest R&B Song "Look at Me Now"2021Grammy AwardBest R&B Performance "See Me"2024Grammy AwardBest 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 (2011) Our Version of Events Tour (2012–13) Amidst the Chaos Tour (2019)
References
External links Official website