Marcus King Releases New Single “F*ck My Life Up Again” with Rick Rubin

Marcus King has released a new single produced by Rick Rubin. “Come Fuck My Life Up Again,” is King’s first collaboration with the legendary producer, and the duo’s respective styles meet to present a stunning track that broadens the bounds of King’s sonic arsenal. On his latest offering, the country star bares his deepest emotions over Rubin’s lush soul-tinged production in an arresting new direction for the performer.

King is known foremost as a guitar prodigy and son of the road for his inexhaustible touring with The Marcus King Band. On the record, his bluesy, virtuosic instrumental stylings tend to lead reserved vocals in a more traditional country-rock format, reminiscent of influences like Merle Haggard. The artist’s latest is something different altogether, foregoing his typical arrangements for a slick, R&B-tinged rhythmic backing layered with shimmering strings that radiate Rubin’s straightforward finesse. In fact, King’s guitar only makes its first appearance at the three-minute mark, where a virtuosic solo is tripped-out and reversed by Rubin to meet the song’s emotional climax.

The song’s most distinctive highlight is its emphasis on King’s singing, which spins a yarn of yearning and self-destruction in fervent, fiery tones. The artist is at his rawest here, showing distressed introspection and vocal prowess unmatched elsewhere in his catalog. “I was hesitant to record a song with such a foul word in it given my southern, Christian upbringing,” King stated, testifying to his arrival at a new horizon, “but there were no other words I could find to capture the emotion I felt, the anger associated with missing someone you know is only going to bring you pain, missing a relationship that only hurts you, feeling hopeless to the point of wanting them to come back because the only thing worse than the co-dependent hell you created together is the profound loneliness you feel.” His determination to capture this emotion has granted us an unforgettable window into the artist’s interiority.

“Come Fuck My Life Up Again” is available now on all streaming services.