King Princess
A queer pop auteur who exploded onto the scene with a viral hit about hidden love, reshaping the sound of modern indie pop.
Born 1998 (age 28)·American musician·Birthday: December 19·Generation Z
Biography
Mikaela Straus, who performs as King Princess, grew up in a recording studio owned by her father in Brooklyn. That early immersion in gear and sound gave her a producer's mind, long before she became a pop sensation. Her career ignited in 2018 with '1950,' a soulful, minimalist ballad that paid homage to queer history and became a streaming behemoth. The song's success, and the raw EP that followed, announced a new kind of star: one who wrote, produced, and played most of the instruments, wrapping candid explorations of queer love and identity in warm, vintage-inspired sonics. Her subsequent albums have expanded that palette into grander, guitar-driven rock and dance-pop, all while maintaining a fiercely independent and technically savvy core that challenges industry norms.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
King was born in 1998, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When King Was Born
The biggest hits of 1998
#1 Movie
Saving Private Ryan
Best Picture
Shakespeare in Love
#1 TV Show
Seinfeld
King's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1998Born
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2003Started school
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2011Became a teenager
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2014Could drive
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2016Could vote
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2019Turned 21
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 28 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Her debut single '1950' was certified platinum by the RIIA, surpassing one million units sold.
- Her debut studio album, 'Cheap Queen,' debuted in the top 20 of the Billboard 200 chart.
- She has performed as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live.
- She collaborated with Mark Ronson on the single 'Pieces of Us' for the *Barbie* movie soundtrack.
Did You Know?
Her stage name was inspired by her grandfather, who called her 'Princess,' and she added 'King' for balance.
She attended the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music for a brief period before dropping out to focus on music.
She is an out lesbian and her music often directly references her relationships with women.
“I'm not a lesbian artist, I'm an artist who is a lesbian.”
