A sun-soaked, dreamy alt-pop reverie, Royel Otis’ smile-inducing song “Sofa King” balances infatuation and euphoria with brutal honesty and raw self-reflection.
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Stream: “Sofa King” – Royel Otis
There’s something so unapologetically unencumbered about Royel Otis’ songs.
The Sydney duo seem to have relinquished themselves of pride and hubris, shaking off those mental shackles that so often keep us from being our truest selves. Their smile-inducing music feels free of pressure, free of judgement, and free of expectation; there’s an authenticity in their lyrics and a joie de vivre in their performance that speaks volumes to who Royel Otis is, both as a band and as two individuals making art and singing songs. Their latest release is one of the warmest yet, capturing the Aussie pair at their core: A sun-soaked, dreamy alt-pop reverie, “Sofa King” balances infatuation and euphoria with brutal honesty and raw self-reflection. It’s a radiant love song – one filled with sweet, buoyant bliss, heart-on-sleeve charm, a dash of cheeky wit, and a touch self-empowerment. Be true to yourself, embrace who you are, and own your emotions.
I can barely lift my eyes
The Holy Ghost should hold your hand for me
Curve my flaws to fit the jeans
But as it stands I need some more to drink
So if you ever need to find
Someone to get along with every time
Don’t take another chance with me
I’m not the man I’m supposed to be
But you’re so fucking gorgeous
Released March 2, 2023, “Sofa King” is the sunny title track and third single taken off Royel Otis’ forthcoming third EP Sofa Kings, set for release March 31 via House Anxiety / Ourness. The Sydney, Australia-based duo of childhood friends Otis Pavlovic and Royel Maddell have been dazzling audiences around the globe for the better part of the past two years, winning over hearts, minds, and ears with 2021’s soaring Campus EP, which was followed by 2022’s dynamic Bar & Grill EP. With every successive release, Royel Otis have come out of their shell a little more – and Sofa Kings is without a doubt their most intimate, open, and honest offering yet. Produced alongside Chris Collins, the seven-track EP has thus far been teased out through three singles: The glistening “Kool Aid” came out in mid-October, followed by “I Wanna Dance With You” at the top of the year.
An Atwood Magazine Editor’s Pick, “I Wanna Dance With You” is “pure, unbridled, upbeat ecstasy,” we wrote previously, going on to call it “a smile-inducing rock n’ roller full of sprightly, dreamy guitars, charming lyrics, and an insanely catchy hook ready to brighten even the dreariest of days.” Royel Otis invited their audience to join them in the heat of the moment as they threw caution to the wind and wore their hearts on their sleeves in what they themselves called an “ideal introduction” to all those just discovering them for the very first time.
I need my legs to influence
the common sense not fitting in my mind
I know that look upon your face
I’m a disgrace this happens all the time
So if you ever need to find
Someone to get along with every time
Don’t take another chance with me
I’m not the man I’m supposed to be
You’re so fucking gorgeous
“Sofa King” is a more relaxed groove than its two predecessors, and yet it shines with that same alluring, bright, bold light that inevitably helps every Royel Otis song stand out – even in the dark of night. “The inspiration behind our music is a chat over a few pints of Guinness and a game of pool,” the duo tell Atwood Magazine. “Once we split the g, we start listening to each other’s demos and coming up with ideas for what could be the icing on top of the cake. Sometimes it’s buttercream, sometimes fondant, but when we get pure Royel icing, we keep it; it sets real nice.”
In this song’s case, Royel Otis employed “a baggy beat, jangly guitars, and a soaring synth to bring home what you really want to say: You are couch royalty in a messed up world. Own it with pride!” Their lyrics hold nothing back; they’re honest to a fault about who they are and what they want. “Don’t take another chance with me, I’m not the man I’m supposed to be,” they warn in the chorus, going on to express their love in a catchy refrain that feels at once simple and brilliant: You’re so fucking gorgeous.
Isn’t that what we tell the ones we love, when all other words fail? When we have nothing else to say, we turn to them, sitting next to us on the couch (or wherever we might be), and out comes that all-too-relatable one-liner: You’re so fucking gorgeous.
Love isn’t about complexities; it’s about the simple things, and “Sofa King” gets that in spades. A fuzzy, euphoric fever dream, Royel Otis’ latest single is – if I may be blunt – so fucking gorgeous.
I’m fine but I don’t know the words to say it right
I can tell so much has changed but that’s on me
For the sofa king it’s not too late to try
‘Cause you’re so fucking high
You’re so fucking gorgeous
‘Cause you’re so fucking high…
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:: stream/purchase “Sofa King” (the song) here ::
:: stream/purchase Sofa Kings EP here ::
Stream: “Sofa King” – Royel Otis
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© Alex Wall
© Alex Wall
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