Lady Leshurr’s quaint, mischievous voice is best when it jumps at you unexpectedly: during early hours at El Cortez, in Bushwick; on Alexander Wang’s New York Fashion Week runway; in a Samsung ad on Hulu, before “Seinfeld.” Her viral single, “Queen’s Speech Ep. 4,” has been pervasive in recent months. It’s the latest in a series of self-shot YouTube videos, released in the past year, that reveal the pint-sized Solihull, England, native to be a nimble lyricist. Caribbean lilts tumble out in droll two-liners slandering girls who take off their heels on rave dance floors and dudes with receding hairlines. Released in August, the track has found an international audience, in part owing to a goofy hook about nasty mouths (“How could you talk my name and you ain’t even brushed your teeth?”), quips about Caitlyn Jenner and Fetty Wap, and a minimalist, addictive bounce that distinguishes it from stateside contemporaries. Leshurr’s going for laughs, much like Missy Elliott and Monie Love before her, and the jokes are landing: “Queen’s Speech Ep. 4” has clocked a healthy amount of U.K. airplay and more than eleven million views on YouTube.
