Prima Queen has their eyes on 'The Prize' in latest album
- blondevibrations
- 15 hours ago
- 6 min read
Prima Queen addresses love, friendship, and heartache in their new album ‘The Prize’. Formed of best friends Kristin McFadden and Louise Macphail, the duo depict the most recent chapter of their lives, as individuals and together, as they are bound by their genuine connection, and foster the ability to explore the kaleidoscope of the human experience.
‘The Prize’ is one of the clear highlights on the album, found early on the track list. It exudes an uplifting momentum, with airy vocals and rich harmonies that feel like an instant remedy to the comparably more tender intimacy found in ‘Mexico’. This is the perfect kind of track that belongs on a road trip with your close ones, with affirming lyrics to remind you of your worth. Simple lyrics like ‘you’re the whole world’ feel nothing short of empowering to the listener and stick as a message. Other lines like ‘he’s just a narcissist idiot’ feel brutally honest and capture the clarity that can only be found in retrospect, post gut-wrenching heartbreak. At the heart of the track, it reminds us how quick we can be to forget what we bring to the table, and it takes being seen by those who truly care to pull us back from the messiness. Following this with ‘how could it be understood? / your magnitude, your gooddesshood’ simply sparkles with the kind of restorative magic that you need when a man has got you down to a place of self doubt.
This idea is powerfully magnified in ‘Oats (Ain't Gonna Beg)’, starting from the very first strum of the guitar. The influence of Wet Leg is unmistakable in the eclectic sound and the ability to hook listeners with sharp, emotionally charged lyrics. This feels fitting, considering Prime Queen supported Wet Leg on their 2022 tour. 'Oats' speaks to the strength of knowing when to walk away. Lines like ‘I guess your ex is to blame. I ain’t gonna beg’ and ‘you’ll push me away’ are self aware, and setting boundaries in the refusal to let someone else set the tone for your narrative and dictate your own life. There’s a fierce power in the line ‘I gave you my best, guess it wasn’t enough / But I ain’t gonna beg’ as they choose themselves over emotional exhaustion and the endless cycle of constantly chasing someone’s attention. The track signifies an end to this loop before it drains you. If their treatment of you is not up to standard, it is over and that’s a great message to share.
‘Ugly’ jumps deeper into the wreckage caused by the dreaded situationship. Asking ‘how can it be the truth if it’s so ugly’ feels like the decision to remove the rose-tinted glasses to see things for how they truly are. It is a painful realisation but there is clarity in choosing to no longer sugarcoat someone’s treatment. While you show up for someone physically, emotionally, or metaphorically, they never quite repay this care, opting for only fleeting attention instead. The song raises the question of whether the thrill is even worth the disappointment when you cling to occasional scraps of love. The subject of the track cannot, or more so will not, change - but walking away can allow you to discover something that is really yours.
‘Flying Ant Day’ provides a welcome escape from the emotional weight of the tracks before. There’s something airy about its sound, where time has slowed down and you are lost in a sun-soaked haze. ‘Everyone looks so good in the mid-July sun’ captures this feeling perfectly, the slightly out of focus, dazed softness that comes after a long day out in the heat. Emotionally, it is a shift in mood, giving the listener a moment to exist in its dreamy light. This song can be enjoyed right through to summer and you can see it is made for the festival fields - perfect for Prima Queen’s All Points East set!
Then we slip into the sound of ‘Meryl Streep’ - any song with a title like this already earns our kudos. This track unpacks the perspective of a breakup’s aftermath, not full of dramatics, but a quiet ending where you must untangle the life that was so intertwined with another. There is no sense of longing to rekindle things, instead sitting in the messy middle ground where you cannot simply erase their existence. Your calendar reminders of shared plans remain, and the muscle memory of checking in does not fade away without a fight. Lines like ‘I thought moving on / giving your shit back’ and ‘call you on the phone / it’s the habit of missing you / I shouldn’t do that anymore’ call to this beautifully. There is nostalgia present, but an overwhelming frustration, too, that challenges the typical post-break-up narrative to move on, as seen in books and films. Closure does not arrive on your doorstep, you have to stumble through the emotional greyness until things become clearer. This song sits within this lack of clarity, where habits must be broken one by one until they fade from your present memory. This is a great moment on the album as their lyricism shines.
As we reach ‘Spaceships’, we feel a noticeable shift in pace, entering with a sense of tension. The songs on this record play out against each other, like they are in conversation, and reflect the non-linear aspect of emotions and relationships. Clarity, truths, and grief arrive in unexpected fragments and growth does not follow a straight line like you would hope. The inclusion of ‘I called to tell you that I love you when I know you won’t say it back / what’s the use in that?' is direct, and calls back to the idea of emotional mismatch, being shown what it is like to not be met halfway time and time again. This is recurring throughout the album. We confront the loudness of the other person’s silence with Prima Queen here, it is hard to ignore. The comparably simpler production, paired with a darker vocal delivery allows the song to feel like a whisper of confession, and their vulnerability is palpable beyond just a performance. Adding ‘I act like I don’t know’ highlights the denial at play. You know the answer, but actually acknowledging this forces you to accept an ending you never, in reality, wished to face.
This song, paired with ‘Fool’, works brilliantly on the track list where the narrative continues but against a more upbeat backdrop. We see an exploration of this unreciprocated energy and your own part to play in it. Lyrics like ‘keeps running home to his mum and dad’ and ‘you don’t want to kiss me you want your space’ are loaded with frustration, they truly bite. The following question then cuts with a blunt self-awareness - 'don’t you know that you’re making me feel like such a fool?' Again, there is no grand moment of heartbreak, just exhaustion seeping in, and the slow sting of embarrassment. 'Fool' does not offer a resolution, just the sweeping affirmation that you deserve more than being reserved only as someone’s afterthought.
The album holds strong right through to the final few tracks, each continuing to build a world of young adulthood with a vivid flare. ‘Woman and Child’ and ‘Sunshine Song’ release the tension that has been building up to this point. 'Woman and Child' is driven by an electric guitar and a drum that gives the song a heartbeat. This track would land in a live set, and the crowd would come alive with its adrenaline and movement. 'Sunshine Song' returns to the serenity of 'Flying Ant Day', almost like a sister track spiritually. Its stillness touches upon learning to let go and be alone. The track becomes increasingly delicate, almost dissolving with distortion towards the end of the track, as if memories are being extracted from the mind. It chooses peace in this moment of growth.
'More Credit' then brings about a graceful ending. It reflects on every moment across the album with honesty. Lines like ‘you’re a good man and I let you go’ and ‘should’ve gave you more credit’ come from a place of clarity over regret. The immediate moment of something can feel intense and full of rage, yet distance can provide a feeling of wisdom that only comes with hindsight. There is a shift in perspective present in looking back to these unbalanced relationships with more quiet, healed emotions. We end the album at a true place of understanding, stepping back and reflecting on your life up until this point.
'The Prize' features a really thoughtful collection of songs, intertwining Kristin and Louise's stories beautifully. Whether you have known deep heartache, are in love, or are drawn to the album for its perspective on friendship and self-discovery, there is something here for you. It is a true comfort to listen to, this album offers a shoulder to lean on no matter where you are on your personal journey.
Comments