LOS ANGELES, CA- I’ve been rooting for Caroline Kingsbury for years now. She’s one of those rare artists who can channel unmistakable throwback vibes—think shimmering ’80s synths and glam-pop drama—while still making it all feel distinctly modern. Watching her artistry evolve has been a thrill, and it’s always gratifying to see a local L.A. act find their groove and run with it. With her new single “Shock Treatment”, the first from her upcoming EP of the same name, Kingsbury delivers her most infectious—and possibly most defiant—track to date.
Right from the opening synth pulse, “Shock Treatment” locks you in. The song plays like the soundtrack to a neon-lit catharsis on the dance floor—equal parts Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own” and Cyndi Lauper circa She’s So Unusual. Over an irresistible, retro-futurist beat, Kingsbury belts out, “I really need to move somebody tonight… even if it’s fake love just for an hour or two.” It’s that line—aching with loneliness and edged with liberation—that crystallizes what makes her music so compelling. It’s euphoric, yes, but it doesn’t come easy. There’s always a crack in the glitter, and that’s where the light floods in.
Vocally, Kingsbury is in top form. Her powerhouse delivery soars across the chorus without ever losing intimacy. There’s a tenderness underneath all that defiance—a resilience that turns each line into both protest and prayer. And that’s precisely what “Shock Treatment” offers: not just a song, but a space. A room full of sweaty bodies moving through the mess of it all, together.
Inspired by the 1981 cult musical of the same name—a surreal follow-up to The Rocky Horror Picture Show—Shock Treatment the EP flips societal scripts with fearless theatricality. Kingsbury imagines a world of reverse conversion therapy, where queerness is celebrated and heterosexuality is marginalized. It’s not just provocation—it’s catharsis. Joy here is a radical act. The track, and the EP as a whole, are drenched in the color and chaos of fantasy—but never without the weight of real emotional stakes.
Kingsbury’s live presence is equally galvanizing. While touring with Pom Pom Squad this past March, she waved the Trans Pride Flag and declared to packed crowds, “It’s now more important than ever for us to be together, experiencing queer joy.” That ethos pulses through every synth line and vocal run on “Shock Treatment.”
And this summer, she’s not slowing down. Kingsbury will hit stages at Lollapalooza, All Things Go, and Capitol Hill Block Party, with a co-headlining tour alongside fellow retro-pop darling MARIS to be announced in June.
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