They additionally placed the song on their unranked listicle of the 30 Best Pop Songs of 2020, comparing the "deceptively heartfelt" sound to hair metal from the 1980s. īillboard staff ranked "Kings & Queens" at number 53 on their listicle of The 100 Best Songs of 2020, acknowledging that it was the "unofficial anthem of the parade-free 2020 Pride season" during lockdown from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he lamented the repetition and duration of the track. Soundigest writer Andrew Chinikidiadi praised the transitions of the electric guitar riff into the bridge and the song's ending.
#Ava max king and queen free#
Writing for Uproxx, Caitlin White described the lyrics as "a subtle tribute to the power of women and a call to action for men to support the queens in their life", while Heran Mamo of Billboard acknowledged that it compared chess moves to feminism "In chess, the king can move one space at a time / But queens are free to go wherever they like". Nicholas Hautman of Us Weekly described "Kings & Queens" as "one of the best singles to come out of 2020 so far", praising Max's "powerful and theatrical vocals" and the guitar solo. Mike Nied of Idolator noted that the single "highlights Ava's ability to fill dance floors across the globe". Writing for MTV News, Madeline Rothman praised the song's strong electric guitar solo with the lyric, "You might think I'm weak without a sword / But if I had one it'd be bigger than yours". Metaphors about chess are also implemented in the song's lyrics. A line taken from the 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by the Queen of Hearts was used in the song, "Disobey me, then baby, it's off with your head". She likened it to her previous song " So Am I" (2019), acknowledging that it contained a similar message about women's empowerment. Max stated that the lyrics to "Kings & Queens" describe how the world would be a better place with queens ruling the world. The guitar solo following the second verse includes elements of glam rock, which Jon Blistein of Rolling Stone noted as having a " Queen-esque quality". Musically, "Kings & Queens" is a power pop song, which contains several pulsing verses and a hook containing synthesizers. It was written by Max, Leland, Child, Hillary Bernstein, Jakke Erixon, Love, Mimoza Blinsson, and producers Cirkut and RedOne. She later revealed the song's release date, with the title and artwork on March 7, 2020. "Kings & Queens" was announced on February 27, 2020, where Max confirmed that Cirkut, RedOne, and Love were involved with production. Max decided to include the electric guitar in the track to complement the pop electronic sound in her music. Desmond Child was consequently credited on "Kings & Queens" as a songwriter. The chorus originally just contained the melody, but was reworked in the studio with Leland, Love and Cirkut, where it interpolated the chorus melody of Bonnie Tyler's 1986 song " If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)", which was subsequently used in Bon Jovi's 1986 song " You Give Love a Bad Name". Max wrote the verse and the pre-chorus alongside American songwriter Madison Love, before being given the chorus by Moroccan-Swedish record producer RedOne. The song went through ten different iterations which included different melodies and production, before the final version was completed around August to September 2019. "Kings & Queens" began development in 2018, when Max recorded the song in five separate studios located in Europe, Germany, and Los Angeles. 2" was released on August 6, 2020, which featured American singer Lauv and rapper Saweetie. A second version of the song titled "Kings & Queens, Pt. An accompanying music video was directed by Isaac Rentz and released on March 27, 2020, which depicts a Khaleesi-inspired Max dancing in a heaven-themed throne room alongside a group of dancers while feasting at a banquet. It is certified platinum in nine countries, including the United States and United Kingdom. The song peaked at number one in Israel, Poland, and Slovenia, while also charting on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 13, and on the UK Singles Chart at number 19.
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"Kings & Queens" received generally favorable reviews from music critics, many of whom praised the production, guitar solo, and lyrics. The lyrics express the message of women's empowerment. It consists of an electric guitar with synthesizers, and contains an interpolation of Bonnie Tyler's 1986 song " If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man)", which was additionally used in Bon Jovi's 1986 song " You Give Love a Bad Name". The power pop song was written by Max, Brett McLaughlin, Desmond Child, Hillary Bernstein, Jakke Erixon, Madison Love, Mimoza Blinsson, and producers Cirkut and RedOne. " Kings & Queens" is a song by American singer Ava Max, released on March 12, 2020, through Atlantic Records as the fifth single from her debut studio album, Heaven & Hell (2020).