AVA KING CALLS OUT FALSE IDOLS WITH DEBUT ALBUM "SEX. MONEY. GOD"
Ava King by Serena Dong
Ava King is the new solo project and persona from multi-talented producer Aventurina King. The debut album from Ava King is titled SEX. MONEY. GOD And it mixes music and comedy to promote body positivity and destigmatize mental health and addiction therapy. On the album,King tackles a lot of personal and universal issues in an irreverent way.
“SEX. MONEY. GOD dives into the quest for a spiritual connection in a society that often dismisses the existence of a higher power, suggesting instead that joy comes from material possessions and superficial glamor," said King. “SEX. MONEY. GOD is about rediscovering our inherent value and the idea that our worth isn't tied to the things we own or how we look. It questions how we can come back to a place where we understand that we're all deserving of love just by being ourselves.”
Ava King is a skilled guitarist, pianist, bassist, singer, and songwriter. King follows the path that alt-pop icons such as Lady Gaga, Charli XCX, and Gwen Stefani have walked before, but King adds her unique style. King mixes pop with a punk attitude.
King recently debuted with a special performance at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theater in Los Angeles. The SEX. MONEY. GOD showcase was directed by Christopher Renfro and choreographed by Fernanda Teixeira.
“Think of the one-woman show FleaBag, but with music and comedy. Kind of like chocolate chips in cookie batter, haphazardly folded in. It might be jarring, yet entertaining….I always felt I didn’t fit into the music industry on the label side. I wasn’t ‘cool’ enough as an artist. I’m more interested in telling self-deprecating jokes about myself than being an icon. I feel like this show answered what it would feel like to be truly fulfilling my artistic vision.”
SEX. MONEY. GOD TRACKLISTING
1. SEX - Be Pretty
2. SEX - Father Harvey
3. SEX - Let’s Make a Porn
4. $$$ - Prayer for the Basic Bitch
5. $$$ - I’m so Fucking Rich
6. $$$ - I Do It For the Likes
7. GOD - Self Love (A Bitch)
8. GOD - Is Someone There
9. GOD - Surrendered
“Some of the songs [on the album] are humorous. For instance, ‘I’m so F*cking Rich’ was written in response to all the rap songs that talk about money and sex. I thought to myself, ‘it would be hilarious to write a full-on orchestral film anthem, but use boisterous lyrics that talk about money, cash, n’ hoes.’ Some tracks are a journey through my interpretation of their titles. Take 'Self-Love,' for example– I honestly really didn’t know what it meant, and one day through my recovery work I had an epiphany and realized that most people don’t know what it means. They think it’s bath salts and candles. But to me, it's a fundamental, albeit less flashy, form of caring for oneself, that's essential and profound.”
While there is a great deal of humor in King’s songs, she still finds a way to tackle serious issues. Her lyrics are defiant, and she doesn’t shy away from edgy subject matter. For example, “Father Harvey,” was inspired by the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
“Definitely the darkest and most adventurous track from the album. While writing, I thought a lot about false idols: who and what we worship when spirituality isn’t part of the picture. I see Harvey Weinstein as a symbol of the money and power that we as a society aspire to (that is, before his downfall)... From a young age, I received messages that I needed to be a certain way if I wanted to be in (or close to) power, and so I’ve internalized the values of men like Harvey Weinstein, and started seeing myself from their point of view: worth only as much as I could be pretty, young, and charming, or rich and powerful… I’m very proud of the writing in the bridge of the song– it’s a prayer to be released from that way of thinking, and instead to see myself the way a benevolent, loving figure would see me.”
Despite its contrasting mix of darkness and humor, SEX. MONEY. GOD is a spiritual album according to King.
"The album is about how our society worships false gods, like sex and money, at the expense of the real God, which resides within each of us. I go on the journey of seeking validation and love outside of myself, and slowly, as the album progresses, I learn how to love myself and find love within. SEX. MONEY. GOD represents my growth spiritually and emotionally, more than as an artist. Sure, my production might have gotten better, but it's more about me figuring out what my finite life is about and what to do with the time I have. Western capitalist society teaches us that pleasure and the senses are king and the person who wins is the person with the most toys. I tried to live my life that way, but it didn't work for me. This album is about my search for something different.”
