Over the past few weeks I’ve walked by Portland House of Music a number of times and have noticed the big poster advertising a show by Emily King.

The name rang a bell but I had no idea what she sounded like.

That all changed a few days ago and in a word: Wow!

King was in town a few weeks ago. The native New Yorker shared an Instagram clip of herself walking around downtown Portland holding a tiny dog and hanging flyers for the show on bulletin boards. Her song “Remind Me” is playing loudly. It was the first time I heard her sing.

King’s been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards, including last year’s “Special Occasion,” which was nominated for Best R&B Album. It’s a gorgeous collection of 11 tracks that flow through romance and heartbreak as King sets her heart on a self-mending path.

“Special Occasion’s” “False Start” moves through a slow-moving landscape of trying to get over someone. “Endings never tell you where to start, or just how many times they fall apart, and I’ve been sitting, wondering where you are,” sings King with a voice that is silky smooth and full of quiet desire.

“Bad Memory” is a duet with Lukas Nelson, son of Willie Nelson. King and Nelson both pour their hearts out with measured emotion so as to draw the listener in closer, rather than belting lyrics out full force. It makes for a moving piece of music, enhanced with some slide guitar.

In 2021, King earned a Best R&B Performance nomination for the single “See Me,” which she wrote in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. During the acoustic song she asks “What’s the use of trying if everyone thinks we’re wrong? Well, I’ll keep singing it, singing to myself.”

It would not surprise me that if the next time King comes to Portland, she’ll be playing a bigger venue than Portland House of Music. For now, don’t miss the chance to catch her talent in an intimate space.

IF YOU GO

8 p.m. Friday. Portland House of Music, 25 Temple St., Portland, $35 in advance, $40 day of show, 21-plus. statetheatreportland.com.