(August 29, 2023) Sometimes longtime soulheads complain about where popular music is headed. But daily we see promising chutes of innovative music and fresh faces coming from virtually every area of the world. Today we’re celebrating the emergence of a Detroit high schooler who makes us feel that the future is in good hands.
King Bethel fell in love with music as a toddler, and carried that love through his early teens at Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences, performing in a choir that won both local Emmys and Detroit Music Awards. In the years since, Bethel has honed his craft as a musician, producer and a songwriter, winning an audition on NBC’s The Voice while maintaining a 4.0 GPA, all informed by his voracious appetite to learn from generations of music history.
For his latest single, King Bethel tackles the topic of staying true in a relationship, even when doing so is challenging. On “I’ll Never Lie You,” the singer promises both honesty and fidelity to the person he loves, and makes his proclamation over a dramatic, piano-led arrangement that combines elements of both pop and R&B, seasoned with hip-hop syncopation.
The cut clocks in at a brief 2:20, leaving the listener wanting more. And more is what we expect to hear over the next few years from King Bethel. Check him out below.
By Chris Rizik
King Bethel – I’ll Never Lie To You”
