Rising R&B and Reggae Artist Analea Brown Says Not to “Lie to Me” (premiere)

That rising R&B-and-reggae artist Analea Brown‘s new album is called Queendom feels completely accurate and very timely – she spends it owning who she is with mellifluous majesty, translating even the most universal experiences into luxurious jams.

Single “Lie to Me” is a perfect example. Throughout her video for it, Brown is modern musically royalty, whether striding across sand dunes in jewels and flowing fabrics or lounging in mansions clad in furs and sneakers. Every soulful note she hits soars, particularly aerodynamic for its substance and shaped by Brown’s finely-honed singing technique.

Her style, vocally and sartorially, is aspirational, but thematically, her track stays down to earth. “‘Lie to Me’ is inspired by our relationships and the little unnecessary lies we may sometimes tell each other, reminding our partners just to be real with us,” she explains. “The song isn’t a threat to leave, but rather one person telling the other – you can be yourself with me.”

As Brown reassures a lover that “you ain’t got to lie to me / To love me” in each chorus, she sounds refreshingly laid-back, never begging but ready to hold a partner to the standards she deserves. For all the glitter that surrounds her in the lush “Lie to Me” video, Brown ultimately cites a goal grounded in realistic expectations: “You can be real, you can be you, and even though at times we may not see eye to eye, I will love you regardless. Give me the best of you and I’ll give you the best of me.”

With her new album debuting at number two on the Billboard Reggae Charts, Analea Brown is certainly ready to step into the spotlight as a reggae-pop queen. Breezy “Lie to Me” shows how brightly she can shine.

Queendom is out now on Mensch House Records.