LOS ANGELES, CA- I wasn’t familiar with Meg Lui until this week. Although she’d already released two singles from her forthcoming debut album Instant Validation, “Gone Girl” and “Dreams,” it was the announcement of “Elvis Queen” that finally caught my attention. The reason was simple: Instant Validation is produced by Sufjan Stevens.
As someone who’s spent years returning to Stevens’ music, that immediately piqued my curiosity. When I first started collecting vinyl, Michigan and Illinois became regular fixtures on my turntable. Stevens has always struck me as a remarkably selective collaborator, and knowing he had produced Lui’s debut album suggested there was something special worth hearing.
The music video for “Elvis Queen” quickly justified that curiosity. There’s an understated sense of humor running through it that reminded me of Stevens’ own playful sensibilities. It opens inside a roller rink with Elvis Presley seated at Meg Lui’s feet before shifting into scenes with a retro home-video aesthetic, complete with what looks like a camcorder filter and an unmistakably ’80s-inspired wig cradling a baby and 80-clad skaters dancing in the rink. The visuals feel nostalgic without becoming self-conscious, complementing the song’s meditation on memory and loss.
Musically, Stevens’ fingerprints are equally apparent, not because the song imitates his work, but because of the patience of its arrangement. “Elvis Queen” unfolds gradually, adding texture and emotional weight until it reaches its soaring refrain: “You’re running in circles through the zodiac.” From there, the song drifts into a luminous vocal coda that feels almost weightless, transforming what begins as an intimate remembrance into something quietly transcendent.
Lately I’ve found myself gravitating toward music that asks for time instead of demanding immediate gratification. In an era increasingly shaped by algorithms and fifteen-second clips, songs are often built around the moment most likely to become a social media soundbite. “Elvis Queen” feels like the opposite philosophy. At nearly five minutes, it doesn’t rush toward a hook. It patiently builds, allowing its emotional release to arrive naturally rather than forcing it.
By the time the song reaches its conclusion, that slow accumulation pays off in a genuinely cathartic way. It’s the kind of track that rewards listening from beginning to end rather than skipping around for highlights.
If “Elvis Queen” is any indication of what Meg Lui and Sufjan Stevens have created together on Instant Validation, then September 25 can’t come soon enough. This introduction to Meg Lui’s music has left me eager to hear where the rest of the album takes listeners.
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