Queer pop music
April 5, 2024 8:14 PM Subscribe
I'd like more pop music by queer artists. My favorites are: Tove Lo, Troye Sivan, Hayley Kiyoko, Pale Waves, Halsey, and PVRIS. I also like some amount of: Years and Years, Janelle Monáe, FLETCHER, Sir Babygirl, girl in red, Rita Ora, MUNA, Lil Nas X, Miley Cyrus, Baby Queen, Kim Petras, and Rina Sawayama. Who else in the last decade or so have I missed?
I'd love Spotify links or, if you're feeling very kind, links to CDs at Seattle or King County libraries. I'd also appreciate articles or blog posts by people who pay attention and review queer pop music specifically (imbedded youtube or spotify to listen along with the post appreciated).
I'd love Spotify links or, if you're feeling very kind, links to CDs at Seattle or King County libraries. I'd also appreciate articles or blog posts by people who pay attention and review queer pop music specifically (imbedded youtube or spotify to listen along with the post appreciated).
I just started listening to The Beaches, which I found via this TikTok of the live intro to their song Edge of the Earth.
Also, I assume you’re familiar with boygenius, but just in case, here’s them performing Not Strong Enough on jimmy kimmel.
posted by bluloo at 8:59 PM on April 5
Also, I assume you’re familiar with boygenius, but just in case, here’s them performing Not Strong Enough on jimmy kimmel.
posted by bluloo at 8:59 PM on April 5
I follow the site Them on Instagram and they often have posts about pop artists. I think they do playlists too.
posted by matildaben at 9:57 PM on April 5 [1 favorite]
posted by matildaben at 9:57 PM on April 5 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Shamir!!!! I just learned about him. Stylistically promiscuous and utterly delightful. Latest album is Homo Anxietatem. P.S. If your library has a Hoopla account, you can stream Shamir's Heterosexuality album.
posted by spamandkimchi at 10:01 PM on April 5 [4 favorites]
posted by spamandkimchi at 10:01 PM on April 5 [4 favorites]
Hercules & Love Affair.
posted by lieber hair at 10:10 PM on April 5 [1 favorite]
posted by lieber hair at 10:10 PM on April 5 [1 favorite]
Steve Lacy
Aamarae
Stromae
Doechii
Yaeji
Darkoo
posted by stinker at 12:31 AM on April 6 [1 favorite]
Aamarae
Stromae
Doechii
Yaeji
Darkoo
posted by stinker at 12:31 AM on April 6 [1 favorite]
The entire soundtrack of All of Us Strangers is something of a who's who (though with some additions), would recommend!
posted by Augenblick at 1:19 AM on April 6
posted by Augenblick at 1:19 AM on April 6
Snail Mail
posted by Thorzdad at 1:23 AM on April 6 [1 favorite]
posted by Thorzdad at 1:23 AM on April 6 [1 favorite]
Beth McCarthy
IDK How to talk to girls is a great tune.
posted by unicorn chaser at 4:58 AM on April 6
IDK How to talk to girls is a great tune.
posted by unicorn chaser at 4:58 AM on April 6
Best answer: Skaiwater, and they have a new song with Lil Nas X.
Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Yung Miami, Reneé Rapp, Keke Palmer, Omar Apollo, Victoria Monet, Zolita, Rosalía, and Cat Burns!
Boygenius have been mentioned several times but here are all the members: Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker.
Autostraddle write about queer musicians regularly.
posted by ellieBOA at 5:22 AM on April 6
Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Yung Miami, Reneé Rapp, Keke Palmer, Omar Apollo, Victoria Monet, Zolita, Rosalía, and Cat Burns!
Boygenius have been mentioned several times but here are all the members: Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker.
Autostraddle write about queer musicians regularly.
posted by ellieBOA at 5:22 AM on April 6
Slothrust is amazing. Weakened Friends are also amazing, they're one of my favorite indie bands.
posted by maryellenreads at 7:57 AM on April 6 [1 favorite]
posted by maryellenreads at 7:57 AM on April 6 [1 favorite]
I know the aforementioned Chappell Roan already got her kudos last year when her album came out but watching clips of her performing on tour recently...damn, that's a megastar about to explode.
Tsatsamis - Good Time (this would fit right onto the All of Us Strangers soundtrack if Adam wasn't perpetually stuck in 1989)
Ryan Beatty - White Teeth (his album Calico from last year is astonishing from beginning to end; same producer as boygenius if you want to know the vibe)
posted by bcwinters at 8:11 AM on April 6 [1 favorite]
Tsatsamis - Good Time (this would fit right onto the All of Us Strangers soundtrack if Adam wasn't perpetually stuck in 1989)
Ryan Beatty - White Teeth (his album Calico from last year is astonishing from beginning to end; same producer as boygenius if you want to know the vibe)
posted by bcwinters at 8:11 AM on April 6 [1 favorite]
The Japanese House [dreampop, androgynous vocals, dated Marika Hackman]
Jay Som [bedroom pop/dreampop]
Fever Ray [electropop, experimental, gender-fluid, of the sibling duo The Knife]
Joy Oladokun [folk pop, R&B]
Torres [indie rock, non-binary, married to/muse of/muse is painter Jenna Gribbon]
Pixel Grip [electronic, pop hooks, "goth disco"]
Them Are Us Too [dreampop, darkwave] (RIP Cash Askew)
Vagabon [indie rock, electropop]
posted by meemzi at 1:05 PM on April 6 [1 favorite]
Jay Som [bedroom pop/dreampop]
Fever Ray [electropop, experimental, gender-fluid, of the sibling duo The Knife]
Joy Oladokun [folk pop, R&B]
Torres [indie rock, non-binary, married to/muse of/muse is painter Jenna Gribbon]
Pixel Grip [electronic, pop hooks, "goth disco"]
Them Are Us Too [dreampop, darkwave] (RIP Cash Askew)
Vagabon [indie rock, electropop]
posted by meemzi at 1:05 PM on April 6 [1 favorite]
Patrick Wolf - astounding, mythical art pop/folktronica. He actually came out a decade and a half ago, before the world was "ready" for it, and faced a lot of casual homophobia for which I will never forgive the media (shakes fist).
Arlo Parks - gentle dreampop with lovely poetic lyrics.
NoSo - indie dreampop, a bit folky? NoSo is nonbinary and Asian-American.
posted by fire, water, earth, air at 1:53 PM on April 6
Arlo Parks - gentle dreampop with lovely poetic lyrics.
NoSo - indie dreampop, a bit folky? NoSo is nonbinary and Asian-American.
posted by fire, water, earth, air at 1:53 PM on April 6
Gossip, whose lead singer Beth Ditto also has solo stuff out there. I don't know her solo stuff that well, but Gossip are really good indie rock, and Beth Ditto has an amazingly powerful voice.
posted by pdb at 2:02 PM on April 6 [2 favorites]
posted by pdb at 2:02 PM on April 6 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: These are great, thanks! I'm slowly making my way through them. Really appreciate the spotify links to whole albums or five best songs--it's nice to get a longer feel for these artists than a single song.
posted by blueberry monster at 5:32 PM on April 6
posted by blueberry monster at 5:32 PM on April 6
You have so many good suggestions. Here are a couple Spotify playlists I enjoy that contain many of these artists and more: Black Queer and Proud and Lesbian Songs that Aren't the Same Five Artists and Queer as in F You. The playlists on Autostraddle's profile are consistently good, very queer, and great for new music discovery.
posted by donnagirl at 6:10 PM on April 6 [2 favorites]
posted by donnagirl at 6:10 PM on April 6 [2 favorites]
Tash Sultana! And Alex Lahey!
posted by limeonaire at 6:24 PM on April 6
posted by limeonaire at 6:24 PM on April 6
Brittany Howard.
Crys Matthews.
Heather Mae.
Amythyst Kiah
posted by musicinmybrain at 7:33 PM on April 6 [1 favorite]
Crys Matthews.
Heather Mae.
Amythyst Kiah
posted by musicinmybrain at 7:33 PM on April 6 [1 favorite]
This is complicated and controversial, But Taylor Swift puts a lot of queer culture references in her work
FWIW, girl in red opened several dates for Swift on the Eras tour.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:39 PM on April 6
FWIW, girl in red opened several dates for Swift on the Eras tour.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:39 PM on April 6
Best answer: Darren Hayes (who you might remember from Savage Garden) recently released an album called Homosexual (the singles are on Spotify but not the album???). I however am partial to his 2nd album The Tension and The Spark (also blank on Spotify, weirdly)
posted by creatrixtiara at 12:44 AM on April 7
posted by creatrixtiara at 12:44 AM on April 7
It was made in response to JoJo Siwa claiming she invented gay pop.
posted by ellieBOA at 4:35 AM on April 11
posted by ellieBOA at 4:35 AM on April 11
Best answer: MNEK is a British-Nigerian pop singer and songwriter:
Tongue
Colour
Rae Spoon is a nonbinary Canadian who makes quirky pop and collaborated with Ivan Coyote on the book and stage project Gender Failure:
I Hear Them Calling
Ocean Blue
Worriers is a group led by nonbinary songwriter Lauren Denitzio and makes music described as punk-adjacent indie rock:
They Them Theirs
Trust Your Gut
4MIX is an LGBTQ Thai pop group:
คิดผิด (KID PID)
Y U COMEBACK
Holland is the first out queer person to debut as a solo Kpop idol:
Neverland
I'm Not Afraid
Lionesses (who seem to have two profiles on Spotify) are the first LGBTQ Kpop boy group:
Show Me Your Pride
Will You Be My Groom?
QI.X are the first mixed-gender queer Kpop group:
Lights Up
The Cliks were the first band with an open trans man as a leader signed to a major label:
Savanna
And some more artists I don't know as much about but like:
The Variants - Gender Bender
Joe Stevens - Daughterson
Ryan Cassata - Daughter
Namoli Brennet - Thorn in Your Side
Shea Diamond - I Am Her
Evan Greer - The Tyranny of Either/Or
Benny - Little Games
posted by Lexica at 4:48 PM on April 16
Tongue
Colour
Rae Spoon is a nonbinary Canadian who makes quirky pop and collaborated with Ivan Coyote on the book and stage project Gender Failure:
I Hear Them Calling
Ocean Blue
Worriers is a group led by nonbinary songwriter Lauren Denitzio and makes music described as punk-adjacent indie rock:
They Them Theirs
Trust Your Gut
4MIX is an LGBTQ Thai pop group:
คิดผิด (KID PID)
Y U COMEBACK
Holland is the first out queer person to debut as a solo Kpop idol:
Neverland
I'm Not Afraid
Lionesses (who seem to have two profiles on Spotify) are the first LGBTQ Kpop boy group:
Show Me Your Pride
Will You Be My Groom?
QI.X are the first mixed-gender queer Kpop group:
Lights Up
The Cliks were the first band with an open trans man as a leader signed to a major label:
Savanna
And some more artists I don't know as much about but like:
The Variants - Gender Bender
Joe Stevens - Daughterson
Ryan Cassata - Daughter
Namoli Brennet - Thorn in Your Side
Shea Diamond - I Am Her
Evan Greer - The Tyranny of Either/Or
Benny - Little Games
posted by Lexica at 4:48 PM on April 16
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posted by acidic at 8:59 PM on April 5 [5 favorites]