Celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month with these diverse artists
Photo courtesy of Don’t Bore Us
Kim Petras
A transgender artist who made waves in the music community with her mastery of the unique 80s pop diva, 2018 princess sound. Her high soprano belting, carefree Paris Hilton attitude and indulgent lyrics make her bumping tracks a fun listen on any day of the week, especially the weekend. Her best songs include “I Don’t Want it at All,” “Hillside Boys,” “Heart to Break” and “Faded.” She recently released “All the Time,” a song about the fun of constant… uh, yeah. She also released a spooky Halloween album, TURN OFF THE LIGHTS.
Troye Sivan
Anyone in the LGBTQ+ community knows who Troye Sivan is. His 2015 album, Blue Neighbourhood, explored so many facets of the lives of gay men through both the soft indie tracks and the accompanying music videos. Since then, he has seen great success and serves as a great role model for young gay men everywhere. He released Bloom in 2018, while also releasing a collab with Ariana Grande, “Dance to This” and other bangers like “My My My!”
Janelle Monáe
Though she’s been producing music since 2003, Janelle Monáe made headlines with her 2018 album, Dirty Computer. She shows incredible versatility in her songs, switching between mellow, inspiring, raw and sexy with ease. She captures a classic 90s soft rock vibe effortlessly and delivers a memorable performance on each song. My personal favorites are “Screwed” and “Make Me Feel.”
Hayley Kiyoko
Hayley Kiyoko brings a strong lesbian presence to her debut album, Expectations. With songs like “Curious” and “Girls Like Girls,” she explores the intersections of gender and sexuality in relationships in fun but introspective ways. She’s a strong LGBTQ+ advocate, she has raised awareness of violence against trans women, donated to several LGBTQ+ organizations and called out biphobia in Rita Ora’s track, “Girls.”
Kadie Elder
A recently-discovered pop duo, Kadie Elder released an underrated gay anthem, “First Time He Kissed a Boy,” in 2014. The duo have since released an EP, B O Y. Though there is no confirmation on either of the men’s sexualities their songs express attraction to both men and women, which makes their tracks perfect for everyone.
And more…
There are tons of up-and-coming LGBTQ+ artists that I haven’t listed here, like Kelala, St. Vincent, Pabllo Vitar, SOPHIE, Leland, Brooke Candy and Arca, among other. If you’re trying to expand your playlist with LGBTQ+ artists, get searching. You’ll find plenty.
By: Trever McKenzie | Online Editor
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