King Charles has praised the “incomparable” Beyoncé and admitted he finds it “incredibly hard to sit still” while listening to Kylie Minogue in a special music show.
The monarch shared his very eclectic list of top tunes in The King’s Music Room, created in celebration of Commonwealth Day.
In the hour-long programme for Apple music, recorded in his office at Buckingham Palace, the King chose 17 songs and spoke about meeting some of the artists. He chose 15 tracks by artists from the Commonwealth and two to which he felt he had a special connection – including Beyonce’s Crazy in Love.
Charles described the US singer as “a performer so exceptional that I just could not resist including her music”. Recalling the Prince’s Trust Fashion Rocks concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 2003, during which Beyoncé performed the song, he added: “I would like to congratulate her for winning her first album of the year Grammy.”
The other non-Commonwealth track is ‘Upside Down’ by Diana Ross, which Charles describes as “a particular favourite”. “When I was much younger, it was absolutely impossible not to get up and dance when it was played! So, I wonder if I can still just manage it…?!”
Kylie also gets a special mention from the King. “The song is The Loco-Motion, and this is music for dancing,” Charles says. “Again, it has that infectious energy which makes it, I find, incredibly hard to sit still! There is such an irresistibly joyous feeling to that song…”
The oldest song loved by the King is The Very Thought of You, by Al Bowlly, one of the songs his “much-loved grandmother” used to play. “This was an era of songs made memorable by brilliant lyrics, incredible bands and unstoppable rhythm,” Charles says.
Bob Marley & The Wailers — Could You Be Loved
The King called watching a concert arranged by Rita Marley during a 2008 visit to Jamaica as “one of those unforgettable moments” and spoke about meeting “the great man himself” at an unspecified event in London.
“That marvellous, infectious energy, of course, he had, but also his deep sincerity, and his profound concern for his community,” he says. “I always recall his words, ‘The people have a voice inside of them’. He gave the world that voice in a way that no one who heard can ever forget…”
Millie Small – My Boy Lollipop
The Jamaica-born singer was one of those who came to the UK as part of the Windrush Generation of the late 1940s, and “whose gifts have so greatly enriched our country,” the King says.
Al Bowlly – The Very Thought Of You
The track reminds Charles “of my much-loved grandmother, because she used to play these sorts of music a lot.” The monarch adds that the tune “also never fails to lift my spirits”.
Kylie Minogue – The Loco-Motion
This song “is music for dancing”, Charles says. “Again, it has that infectious energy which makes it, I find, incredibly hard to sit still. There is such an irresistibly joyous feeling to that song.”
Grace Jones – La Vie En Rose
Revealing that he and his wife Queen Camilla have known Grace “for some time”, Charles adds: “I had the great pleasure of seeing recently at a reception at the St. James’s Palace”.
Raye – Love Me Again
“She is a great ambassador for British music,” Charles says of the artist, who he previously met at Battersea Power Station at a King’s Trust event.
Daddy Lumba – Mpempem Do Me
With a connection to Ghana, which Charles last visited in 2018, he says, “I found myself dancing along” to this track.
Davido – KANTE (feat. Fave)
The King points out that this song “features lyrics in pidgin, which I love in all its forms, and in which I attempted to make a speech when I last visited Nigeria”.
Miriam Makeba – The Click Song
Noting that the track is in the Xhosa language, Charles jokes, “I shan’t try too much to pronounce the title, as it requires a great deal of practice!”
Anoushka Shankar – Indian Summer
Charles says he likes the sitar playing in the song for being “deeply redolent of the ancient culture of India”.
Jools Holland & Ruby Turner – My Country Man
Jools Holland is another British musician the King has known for years, while he also praises the “unstoppable phenomenon” of soul singer Ruby.
Siti Nurhaliza – Anta Permana
The royal celebrates how the Malaysian artist sings “about love that is stronger than time”.
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa – ‘E Te Iwi E (Call To The People)
A Maori song performed by the “inimitable soprano” Dame Kiri, the song holds special meaning to Charles; the New Zealand opera singer performed it at his wedding to the late Princess Diana.
Michael Bublé – Haven’t Met You Yet
The King also picked Canadian singer Michael Bublé and his hit track as one of his top artists. It comes as Bublé joined Charles’ son Prince Harry at the Invictus Games, where the duo enjoyed a couple of dinners together.
Arrow – Hot, Hot, Hot
From Monserrat, the King says of the title: “When I last visited the island, it certainly was!”
Diana Ross – Upside Down
The song, Charles says, is one of his “particular favourites”. “When I was much younger, it was absolutely impossible not to get up and dance when it was played,” he further explains. “So, I wonder if I can still just manage it?!”
Beyonce – Crazy in Love
“Here is one of the Trust’s most faithful supporters, the incomparable Beyoncé, with the song Crazy In Love,” he says. “And incidentally, I would like to congratulate her for winning her first ‘album of the year’ Grammy.”
The King’s Music Room is available from Monday, and played on Apple Music 1 at 10am, 1pm and 6pm.
