Sara King's "Velvet" Is a Sultry R&B Ballad Inspired by 'Twin Peaks' [Premiere]

Sometimes you just have to stop and take things slow. And sometimes the thing that makes you stop dead in your tracks is an awe-inspiring R&B number. Sara King has graced us with one those rare moments in "Velvet," a hypnotic expression of dreamlike intimacy. The transfixing new single, produced by luke jr, comes hand in hand with the news that King will be making her official SXSW debut and supporting Caroline Polacheck in April.

From the very opening moments of "Velvet," the crackling of fuzz and the siren-like call of King's distant coos, it is immediately apparent that there is something special about this record. It plays out like it is in a world, a dimension of its own. Every sung word of King's evokes the timeless timbre of smoky jazz club singers of yesterday, all the while the band is left to do its due diligence of conveying the surreal nature of the entire affair.

Rarely does a song title so aptly embody the physical sensation of listening to a track unfurl out before you. "Velvet" is a song that gently ensnares you, wrapping itself around you before you even fully realize what is happening. It lulls you deeper and deeper into its textured world, until you are completely entranced by King.

The dreamy and sultry ballad we are graced with today was inspired by the color red and cult television show Twin Peaks, so it comes as no wonder that listening to "Velvet" feels akin to stumbling into Twin Peaks' own Bang Bang Bar. In fact, King's latest mesmerizing feat would fit aptly into any of David Lynch's surreal worlds. From the overarching message of a woman wishing for her beloved to stop and take things slow to the nostalgic beauty of every second of it all, "Velvet" is nothing if not cinematic.

Listen to "Velvet" below: