Loretta Everswood shows herself in full fire and velvet with “I Wear the Crown b/w The Soul Is Mine,” a double-sided statement piece released today via Earl Six Records and available now on all major streaming platforms. Shaped as a love letter to classic soul and a rallying cry for the present, the Single brings into focus Loretta Everswood—the Soul Queen who never was—fiery vocals, velvet tones, and timeless grooves. An icon of imagined ’60s–’70s soul, she embodies love, power, and eternal rhythm.
“I Wear the Crown” opens with a gospel-tinged invocation—Ohhh—mmm—yeah!—before Loretta steps forward with testimony: “I walked through fire, I walked through rain / Carried my sorrow, carried my pain.” The record surges on bass swagger, suited for handclapping, and transistor-tight drums as the chorus lands like a manifesto: “I’m rising up, no chains on me… I wear the crown.” Her voice is raw, powerful, and resolutely present—an exquisitely honed instrument that channels the urgency of liberation anthems while refusing nostalgia. The bridge turns vulnerability into steel and flame—“Every note a weapon, every tear I cried / Turned to steel, turned to flame, turned to pride”—before the call-and-response finale lifts the roof: “Still standing! (still standing!) I wear the crown! (wear the crown!).”
Flip the record and “The Soul Is Mine” answers with a resolute oath, a fighting fist groove that could have ruled any jukebox in 1966. Where the A-side declares sovereignty, the B-side guards it— bass walking, and Loretta’s powerful statement to acquire soul. Together, the sides complete a great single new single with vintage vibes. The dry und straight production honors the familiar architecture of classic funky soul.
In the context of Everswood’s evolving repertoire, this release is a crown jewel. If earlier chapters sketched midnight devotion and late-night longing, “I Wear the Crown b/w The Soul Is Mine” steps into daylight with anthemic purpose—music for headlines and dance floors alike. It is a Single so rare it never existed, now realized with a voice that could have carried through the era’s most storied rooms and still feels born for today’s playlists.
“I Wear the Crown b/w The Soul Is Mine” is out now on otticmusic / Earl Six Records and available on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and all major DSPs. For review streams, assets, and interview requests, journalists and editors may contact the Earl Six Records press team at music@ottic.de. High-resolution artwork and wav audio files are available upon request.
