Casii Stephan has never been afraid to face the music. With her new single, "King in America," the Tulsa firebrand unleashes a blistering protest anthem that's part fury, part hope. Featuring Damion Shade and produced by Chad Copelin (Colony House, Broncho), it's not so much a rock song as it is a war cry wrapped in distortion and courage.
Pushed along on electric guitar riffs, pounding drums, and vocals that could etch glass, "King in America" doesn't dance around its lyrics. It's bold, brash, and unapologetically outspoken in its condemnation of the creeping specters of fascism and the creepy aspirations of contemporary American rulers. There's grit in every chord here, purpose in every line. And what resonates the most with this record is not just the sound of it, but the soul of it.
Casii, who was raised in Minnesota and now does well in Tulsa, allows her own backstory and unmovable principles to guide the song's mission. Both literal and figurative, her voice looms large when she addresses the policies and ideologies endangering the lives of trans people, immigrants, and the marginalized. This feels like a reckoning from the depths of the soul. She speaks as one of the people.
Damion Shade's raw urgency all but doubles the emotional and political weight of the song. The chemistry between Casii and Damion is volcanic- it's two voices as one body and strength in numbers. "King in America" is a poignant reminder of resistance, identity, and roots. And this is for anyone who believes music ought to have a voice. That is to fight, to feel, to make you remember who we are. In "King in America," Casii Stephan does more than just sing. She roars.
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