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nerdygaymormon · 3 years

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My Queer Playlist - Part 4

This is my playlist from 2018 to Present

2018 - Crayons : Cupcakke - warning, the lyrics are explicit. Cupcakke calls out heterosexual men who cheer when they see two gay women together, but not when they see two gay men. The chorus is aggressive positivity about gay sex. Boy on boy and girl on girl, like who you f*ck and like f*ck the world. In other words, like who you like and don’t pay no mind to the naysayers. I love this lyric: Transgenders are people, so I'ma treat 'em equal.

2018 - Most People are Good : Luke Bryan - Even Country music is coming around. Here is a Country music star singing the words I believe you love who you love, ain't nothin' you should ever be ashamed of. I believe this world ain't half as bad as it looks, I believe most people are good.

2018 - My My My! : Troye Sivan - Troye said “'My My My!’ is a song of liberation, freedom, and love. Throw all inhibition to the wind, be present in your body, love wholeheartedly, move the way you’ve always wanted to, and dance the way you feel”

2018 - Curious : Hayley Kiyoko - “Curious” is a term used in the queer community for same-sex experimentation. In the song, Hayley uses it to ask, I’m just curious, is it serious? In other words, I’m just curious, are you “curious”? Hayley says she wrote the song about a past relationship with a closeted woman, as well as various romantic experiences with women who were unsure about their sexuality and were experimenting

2018 - Proud : Rita Ora - This song is about being proud of someone who has come out.

2018 - Neverland : Holland - Holland is the first openly gay K-pop star. He goes by the name Holland as a way to honor the first country to legalize same-sex marriage. In this song, he sings to his younger self about how finding acceptance and love for who he is seemed like it would only happen in a far away neverland, but it is no longer a fantasy. Holland is helping erase the stigma around homosexuality and bringing LGBTQIA+ awareness to South Korea with his music.

2018 - LGBTQI (A New Generation) - Matt Fishel - The song and video pay tribute to queer history and to all the LGBTQI pioneers, activists and trailblazers who paved the way and broke new ground in the fight for equality. The song also celebrates today's generation of open-minded youth and is a reminder to oppose those who try to oppress freedom, equality, and progress.

2018 - Perfect : Alex G - This cover of Ed Sheeran’s song is beautiful, and because Alex doesn’t change the pronouns, it’s a very sweet lesbian love song.

2018 - All Things (Just Keep Getting Better) : Gracious Crane - This is the original theme song for the Netflix series Queer Eye

2018 - Like You Like That : L Devine - How nice is it to have a song of a girl saying to a girl, I like you like that, do you feel the same?

2018 - Heart to Break : Kim Petras - The song is about giving someone your heart even if they might break it. Kim is a trans woman and the video features an inclusive group of queer performers

2018 - Make Me Feel : Janelle Monáe - The song’s message is sexuality is simply how a person makes you feel. In the music video, Janelle crawls between women’s legs and grinds up on both a male and a female under bisexual-colored lighting

2018 - Only You : Cheat Codes & Little Mix - A video with a lesbian mermaid? Yes, please!

2018 - 1950 : King Princess - This is the debut song by a singer who identifies as genderqueer and it did exceptionally well in Australia. It’s a story of unrequited queer love, I didn't get the bitch in the end.

2018 - Tongue : MNEK - When you’re scared to tell someone you love them because it hasn’t gone well before. So I'm not gonna say it. No, I don't wanna say it. I don't know how you'll take it so I'mma try not to say it. 'Cause when I said it in the past, each time it didn't last. So I'mma try not to say it. But it feels like I might say it so I'm putting both hands over my mouth. I can only hope nothing's gonna come out but there it is on the tip of my tongue (I think I love you). The video is a futuristic dinner party with MNEK growing more confident to approach his male love interest and say the words “I think I love you.”

2018 - Sanctify : Years & Years - This song is about a relationship the singer had with a straight man. “On the one hand, the guy is struggling with his sexuality and feeling unable to express himself as anything other than straight while also desiring me. I’m on the other side feeling like both a sinner and saint or a devil and angel, leading this guy down a path of ‘sinfulness’ while, at the same time, helping him explore his sexuality.”

2018 - Only You : Calum Scott - Calum dedicated this to his best friend who accepted him unconditionally. Even when he was closeted as a kid, he never had to hide his true self from them

2018 - Simply the Best : Noah Reid - Noah’s character on Schitt’s Creek serenades his boyfriend with this heart-felt rendition of the Tina Turner hit. Noah actually created this arrangement.

2018 - Kitty Girl : RuPaul feat. The Cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, Season 3 - “Kitty girl” is a term of endearment for someone who is sassy and can take on the world. This song was performed by Trixie Mattel, Shangela, Kennedy Davenport and Bebe Zahara Benet and is one of the most popular songs from the Drag Race franchise.

2018 - Dem Beats : Todrick Hall feat. RuPaul - Todrick is living his best drag unicorn fantasy as he struts around a nightclub full of club kids & gorgeous men

2018 - Kiss the Boy : Keiynan Lonsdale - While he doesn’t ascribe to a specific label in terms of his sexuality, Keiynan is openly attracted to men & women. In the movie Love, Simon, Keiynan played the enigmatic Blue, the love interest of Simon. The video is adorable & super-inclusive

2018 - And I Love Him : Benjamin Gibbard - The lead vocalist for the group Death Cab for Cutie is a gay rights activist (his sister is a lesbian) and sings this 1964 Beatles song, but changes the pronouns. Hearing this classic song with the “him” pronoun hit me in the right place.

2018 - Never Been In Love : Will Jay - This song seems perfect for my aro friends. I’m not missing out so don’t ask me again. Thanks for your concern, but here’s the thing, I’ve never been in love and it’s all good

2018 - Raining Glitter : Kylie Minogue - Kylie performed this at 2018 New York City Pride and the lyrics are a salute to the progress made in the 50+ years since Stonewall. No more hiding in the shadows and we all want the same, yeah, we're looking for that hand to hold. Powerful lyrics

2018 - I Need a Woman to Love : Ke$ha - This is a reworking of the song "I Need a Man to Love" by Janis Joplin, but changed for those who desire a same-sex relationship. The video features Ke$ha officiating at a same-sex wedding

2018 - PYNK : Janelle Monáe feat. Grimes - Monáe says the color pink “unites all of humanity” because it is the color “found in the deepest and darkest nooks and crannies of humans everywhere.” The video finds Monáe and Tessa Thompson (her girlfriend at the time) along with a group of other women dancing in a desert, having a slumber party, and wearing some iconic pussy pants, truly a testament to the power of pink.

2018 - no tears left to cry : Ariana Grande - After going through something sad, you pick yourself up, live, and love. Oh, and the lyric Comin' out, even when it's rainin' down reminds for of queer people who come out and it’s often difficult, but we manage.

2018 - Category Is : RuPaul feat. The Cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Season 9 - One of the catch phrases of RuPaul’s Drag Race is when RuPaul announces the theme of that week’s catwalk: “Category Is...”

2018 - If You’re Over Me : Years & Years - The song is about how trying to stay friends with an ex-romantic partner seldom works.

2018 - Girls : Rita Ora ft. Cardi B, Bebe Rexha & Charli XCX - I ain't one sided, I'm open-minded, I'm fifty-fifty and I'm never gonna hide it. Bisexual singer Rita giving us bi-realness and the chorus is all about kissing girls.

2018 - Solo : Clean Bandit feat. Demi Lovato - Solo is about self-love in spite of heartbreak, finding strength after a break up, and salvaging the power of independence from the wreckage of a relationship. Plus, Madonna lip-synced to “Solo” on her Instagram to celebrate Pride Month

2018 - High Hopes : Panic! At the Disco - Brendon Urie says the uplifting message of “High Hopes” is “No matter how difficult your dreams seem, keep going.” The lyrics say It's uphill for oddities, but don't give up, it's a little complicated. Urie created the Highest Hopes Foundation, an organization that assists nonprofit organizations in human rights efforts across the globe. The foundation donated $1 million dollars to the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) to establish Genders & Sexualities Alliances, or GSAs, at high schools across the United States.

2018 - What I Need : Hayley Kiyoko feat. Kehlani - Kiyoko draws from personal experience as she expresses frustration with dating a girl who’s uncomfortable with her sexuality. The video opens with Kehlani in a heated argument with her aunt, Kehlani storms out and into Hayley’s car. They go on a road trip adventure and get in a few messy situations before sweetly reuniting as a couple at the end of the video.

2018 - All Things : Betty Who - This is the theme song for the wildly popular Netflix show Queer Eye. The message things keep getting better is a good one to remember.

2018 - Colour : MNEK feat. Hailee Steinfeld - released for Pride month, it's full of rainbow metaphors and positivity

2018 - American : RuPaul - Announcing to the country that we're here, we're queer, and we’re American. Get used to it because ain't no way we're going back in time, forward to the future baby

2018 - Girls : Girl in Red - The lyrics are about a person who’s been hiding their orientation and worried about how people will respond if they come out. After confirming I know what I like. No, this is not a phase or a coming of age, this will never change, she declares It's not like I get to choose who I love.

2018 - Dance to This : Troye Sivan feat. Ariana Grande - According to gay singer Sivan, the song is about “that moment when you feel like you’ve been to enough house parties or events, that staying home, making out in the kitchen and cooking dinner sounds like a much, much better alternative”

2018 - Immaterial : SOPHIE - SOPHIE declares that gender norms are "immaterial." We're just Im-ma-ma-material (I could be anything I want)

2018 – Boys : Lizzo – Lizzo sings a song about all the boys she loves, and plenty of gay boys sing along and cheer when reaching the lyrics From the playboys to the gay boys. Go and slay, boys, you my fave boys

2018 - I'd Be Your Wife : Mary Lambert - Mary released this video on Equality Day, the anniversary of the US Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage across the USA. The video features videos from queer couples all over the country proposing and saying "I do." In the video's description, Lambert wrote “Our love is inherently radical and political and every time we decide to hold hands, it is a revolutionary act. Every time we leave our homes and move through the world unashamedly, we challenge heteronormative structures. There is still work to be done for many of those under the LGBTQ umbrella, but the supreme court's ruling on gay marriage changed the course of history for the better. I am grateful to celebrate love with all of you on this anniversary. Happy Pride!!”

2018 - American Pie : Shea Diamond - Shea preaches about acceptance and equality and waiting for her piece of the American pie. People are holding onto antiquated ideas of what it means to be an American, ideas which serve to keep marginalized people on the margins, so it’s time for new ideas. Shea also did this powerful acoustic version

2018 - Americans : Janelle Monáe - Janelle calls out the bigotry that keeps Black people, women, and queer people relegated to second-class citizens. She includes part of a sermon from Rev. Dr. Sean McMillan that “this is not my America until women get equal pay for equal work, same-gender loving people can be who they are, Black people come home from a police stop without getting shot, and Latinos & Latinas don’t have to run from walls.” The song ends on this hopeful note: Because it's gon' be my America before it's all over. I believe that, too.

2018 - Secrets : P!nk - This song is about hiding your true self while wanting to be honest with someone and reveal your true self, while acknowledging that revealing yourself can be scary and even threatening, themes which resonate with queer people. I've got some things to say, 'cause there's a lot that you don't know. It's written on my face. It's gonna be hard to swallow, suggesting that she wants to open up but is aware that it may be challenging or uncomfortable.

2018 - Promises : Calvin Harris, Sam Smith - The music video is a glittery homage to vogueing and drag ballroom culture.

2018 - All I Am : Jess Glynne - Bisexual Jess Glynne sings about being in love and being united with a person. The music video starts off at the Brighton Pride festivities and then there’s a trip to Brazil with her two best friends, illustrating two different ways of being united and together.

2018 - Bloom : Troye Sivan - The lyrics are about opening up to a new love...in more ways than one. The subtext makes this our first mainstream pop song about bottoming. I bloom, I bloom, just for you. Or maybe it’s just about flowers.

2018 - What a Heavenly Way to Die : Troye Sivan - The title and inspiration for this song comes from the song "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" by The Smiths, which includes the line To die by your side is such a heavenly way to die. Sivan heard the song on a road trip with his partner and "pictured them 30 years later, 'two old gay guys' listening back and reminiscing."

2018 - Revelation : Troye Sivan and Jónsi - The movie Boy Erased is about a gay man who is put in conversion therapy. The song was written for a scene where the main character Jared has a pure interaction with another boy for the first time and it feels so right and he recognizes that maybe he is just fine the way he is. Sivan explained the song as "The idea of that person being a revelation in your life, where you can kind of do something that feels so natural and so right and be fine on the other side, that was a really potent thing in my head."

2018 - No Matter What : Calum Scott - This is a lovely song about a son coming out to his mom and her responding I just want you to be happy and always be who you are. She wrapped her arms around me and said, Don’t try to be what you’re not ‘cause I love you no matter what

2018 - If Our Love is Wrong : Calum Scott - This is Calum's response to society's negative views about his sexuality. He sings to his lover if our love is wrong then I don't ever wanna be right

2018 - Baby : Clean Bandit feat. Marina and the Diamonds & Luis Fonsi - The video shows two girls falling in love at a summer camp, but then an adult leader tells them it is unacceptable. Years later, one of them is about to marry a man, but he can tell that her heart still belongs to her first love.

2018 - Hometown : Brandon Stansell - "I experienced rejection from the people who were supposed to love me the most and I thought I would never get over it. As painful as those experiences were, I can’t help but be thankful for them; they made me who I am and that is a person I am deeply proud of." These lyrics really get to me: It’s been a while since I’ve seen you with your one red light and your Baptist steeple. The people here are hard to face, the memories harder to erase. This is the first video addressing queer topics that CMT ever played. It covers coming out, feeling rejected by your family, finding the queer community, and holding space for all parts of yourself — in just under five minutes. I prefer the accoustic version better, I think it lets the emotions come through more

2018 - We Fell In Love In October : Girl in Red - A sweet song about falling in love. We fell in love in October, that's why I love Fall. Also the chorus which repeatedly says You will be my girl and You will be my world

2018 - Somebody to Love : Troye Sivan - Troye does a remake of the 1976 Queen classic

2018 - Old Town Road : Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus - Lil Nas had the biggest hit song ever. Since coming out as gay, his choice in cowboy apparel in the video makes sense

2019 - Juice : Lizzo - Lizzo’s message of radical self-love that celebrates the beauty of being different has earned her a huge queer following. She spreads a message of acceptance and love. Juice is upbeat, fun, and full of confidence-boosting lyrics. She made a video for Juice featuring RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni.

2019 - Nights Like This : Kehlani feat. Ty Dolla $ign - Kehlani starts the song by singing of her regrets for giving her heart to her ex-girlfriend who dumped her for a man. Thought you was mine, but you decided to be with him though. You took my feelings and just threw 'em out the window. Despite this, sometimes Kehlani misses her ex and contemplates whether to text, but decides against it. The video is quite a ride--a human-looking robot has collapsed at Kehlani’s front door. Kehlani repairs it and teaches it about love. It’s a lovely story until the android knocks Kehlani unconscious and uploads its own consciousness into her. When Kehlani awakes, the android appears to now be in control as it destroys the robot body, knocks out Ty Dolla $ign, and burns down the house, destroying all evidence, before driving away.

2019 - Lucky Strike : Troye Sivan - The lyrics feel so carefree with words such as I wanna skip stones on your skin, boy, and I wanna tiptoe through your bliss

2019 - Dancing with a Stranger : Sam Smith and Normani - This is a song about missing your former love and the person you're with now feels like a stranger because they’re still new to you

2019 - Dead of Night : Orville Peck - The song begins with two guys having an adventure hitchhiking through Nevada. But then Six summers down, another dreamless night, you're not by my side. Yet that summer together is Stained on my mind. Even thought that night was a one moment in their lives, it’s something the singer remembers fondly.

2019 - She : dodie - This is a beautiful song about crushing on a straight person and knowing you won’t tell them. You can enjoy being around them while knowing there won’t be anything more than the friendship

2019 - No Scrubs : Weezer - Weezer’s version of TLC’s 1999 hit song “No Scrubs” did not change the pronouns, so their lead male singer is detailing reasons why certain men may not be good to pursue for romance. Wanna get with me with no money? Oh no, I don't want no scrub

2019 - Undrunk : FLETCHER - This is Fletcher's first song to chart and is about wishing she could unlove her former lover, and wishing you can undo last night. Wish I could get a little un-drunk so I could un-call you

2019 - 1, 2, 3 Dayz Up : Kim Petras feat. SOPHIE - The trans music producer SOPHIE adds her voice on this pop song by the trans singer Kim Petras, which is about partying and having a good time with your friends

2019 - Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored : Ariana Grande - The lyrics make you think she's telling a guy to break up with his girlfriend so then he can be with Ariana. However, in the video, Ariana wants a couple to break up so she can be with the girlfriend. Turns out the lyrics are vague about exactly who it is Ariana wants to get with.

2019 - Rainbow : Kacey Musgrave - The song is about hope that the bad times will one day be over. Musgraves wants it to serve as an anthem for those facing adversity, particularly in the LGBTQ community. “I feel a kinship and a friendship with that community. They really opened my eyes up to a lot of different things that I wasn’t aware of growing up in a small town in Texas. I will always be an ally and a strong supporter. ‘Rainbow’ is something that I can dedicate to that community, but also to anyone who has any kind of a weight on their shoulders."

2019 - A Little Bit Alexis : Annie Murphy - This song is from the sitcom Schitt's Creek and is inspired by the music of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and Britney Spears, which means it’s self-indulgent and confident, and also, those three are icons in the queer community, so is it any wonder this the song began showing up in gay clubs and queer people performing to it on TikTok?

2019 - Wish You Were Gay : Billie Eilish - Bi-icon Billie sings this song about how it felt to be rejected by a boy she liked. Billie wishes that instead of not liking her that the reason he doesn’t like her is that he is only attracted to boys, that would be easier to accept.

2019 - So Am I : Ava Max - Ava has revealed that she’s been attracted to women in the past but chooses not to label her sexuality. Do you ever feel like a misfit? Everything inside of you is dark and twisted. Oh, but it's OK to be different, 'Cause baby so am I.

2019 - Monopoly : Ariana Grande and Victoria Monét - BFF’s Ariana Grande and Victoria Monét sing this song which compares their successes to gathering property in the board game Monopoly. Monét came out as bisexual in November 2018 and she wrote these lyrics: And if they try come stoppin' me, I swerve both ways, dichotomy. I like women and men. There’s not a lot of Black bisexual representation, so good on Monét. Warning, this song includes the F-word, so maybe not something you wanna play around the office.

2019 - Better in Color : Lizzo - This is a celebration of love in all its forms. Lizzo said the song is a declaration of freedom for people to love whoever they want regardless of what society dictates. "I wanted to talk about love, attraction and sex without talking about those boxes in which we put those things, who we feel are allowed to be in love, you know? No matter the gender, sexual orientation, skin color or economic background, because who cares about that s--t. Spice up life, love is better in colors."

2019 - ME! : Taylor Swift feat. Brendon Urie - This is a campy, bubbly song about embracing one’s uniqueness. I’m the only one of me and that’s the fun of me.

2019 - Brave : Don Diablo with Jessie J - There was a time I wasn’t ready to be honest, but now I wanna tell the world about it, give a little, give a little something more of me. If that message doesn’t sound like coming out and feeling empowered, I don’t know what does. Some things might get in my way, but I know I'll be okay. I will stand here all the same

2019 - Queens Everywhere : RuPaul and the Cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Season 11 - A’Keria Chanel Davenport, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, Vanessa Vanjie Mateo and Yvie Oddly perform this exciting song.

2019 - Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels : Todrick Hall - A fun song and video about being who you are and using that confidence to strut and slay

2019 - I Like Boys : Todrick Hall - This is a coming-out-of-the-closet song. Tell them girls I'm sorry, I like boys

2019 - Parents : Yungblud - Yungblud sees the older generation as acting in ways that are outdated, hypocritical, and abusive. The song quickly turns intense when he sings, My daddy put a gun to my head and said, "If you kiss a boy, I'm gonna shoot you dead." So I tied him up with gaffa tape and I locked him in a shed. Then I went out to the garden and I f*cked my best friend

2019 - Love Yourself : Sufjan Stevens - This song was released for Pride month, and the lyrics are asking us to love ourselves and to show the reasons we believe in ourselves.

2019 - Ice Cream : MIKA - It’s a scorching hot day and Mika is hungry for ice cream. The lyrics go from talking about the heat of the day to letting a special someone know that you are interested in them, with ice cream becoming a metaphor. I want your ice cream. I want it lying in the sun. I want your ice cream. I want it melting on my tongue. I want your ice cream. I want it, whatcha waiting for?

2019 - Cattitude feat. RuPaul : Miley Cyrus - This raunchy, fierce, over-the-top song tells everyone to show more gratitude and stop hating on other people. Turn up your gratitude, turn down your attitude. I love my p*ssy, that means I got cattitude. If you don't feel what I'm saying, I don't f*ck with you

2019 - Number One Fan : MUNA - The song is about the struggle to find your self worth rather than let the naysayers who criticize you bring you down. Wouldn't you like if I believed those words? If I'm born to lose, I'll never try and I will never learn. Queer people often grow up hearing negative and rejecting messages from church, from politicians, and others, we have to learn to love ourselves in spite of those things. I've been looking at myself in the mirror, saying "Don't leave me now" and I turn around like "Oh my God like, I'm your number one fan. So iconic, like big, like stan, like I would give my life just to hold your hand. I'm your number one fan. I'm your number one, number one fan"

2019 - You Need to Calm Down : Taylor Swift - The video features a large number of celebrity cameos, most of whom are queer, including Queer Eye's Fab Five, figure skater Adam Rippon, singers Adam Lambert and Hayley Kiyoko, television personality Ellen DeGeneres, entertainers Billy Porter and RuPaul, and numerous Drag Queens from RuPaul's Drag Race as they impersonate famous women. To all the haters, Why are you mad? When you could be GLAAD?

2019 - Love Yourself : Billy Porter - An upbeat song about loving yourself. And if you just believe that you're really all you need, You won't need nobody else. Oh, love yourself, love yourself, love yourself

2019 - God Control : Madonna - This is a song about gun control. The video pays homage to the Pulse nightclub massacre. The video features cameos from drag stars Monét X Change and Gigi Gorgeous.

2019 - C7osure : Lil Nas X - Lil Nas talks about expressing himself in a new way and living his truth, being true to himself, and following his own heart rather than looking to please other people. On June 30, 2019, the final day of Pride Month, Lil Nas X hinted that the song's lyrics about liberation and freedom was his coming out announcement.

2019 - Higher Love : Kygo & Whitney Houston - Whitney recorded a cover of the Steve Winwood song “Higher Love” but only released it in Japan. The Houston estate selected DJ Kygo to remix Whitney’s version of the song. Kygo embued it with all the EDM sounds you’d expect in a 2019 dance song and debuted it at Pride in New York City

2019 - American Boy : Years & Years - A cover of the Kanye & Estelle song, sung by Olly Alexander, a gay man, who is the lead singer for the band Years & Years. With Olly singing, this makes the song about one guy crushing on another guy

2019 - How do you Sleep? : Sam Smith - Sam’s poor track record with men continues. A heartbroken Sam wonders how their deceitful lover can live with himself.

2019 - Flash Pose : Pablo Vittar feat. Charli XCX - Brazilian singer and drag queen Pabllo Vittar teamed up with Charli XCX to sing a song about selfies to say maybe I do want someone else in my life. Yeah come over, come over baby. Come in my picture, that's right, 'Cause I wasn't trying to get a nice picture by myself.

2019 - Sofia : Clairo - Clairo is singing about a girl she likes named Sofia, and how she’s standing here alone now...wishing that you were mine. Unfortunately for Clairo, Sofia seems to think same-sex relationships are wrong, and Clairo’s response is: Sofia, know that you and I shouldn’t feel like a crime.

2019 - Tiny Love : MIKA - Grand gestures of love are great but not sustainable, however doing tiny acts of love for each other can be the basis of a relationship. True love is not a sunrise over canyons shaped like hearts, or bursting into song in Central Park. Rather, it’s a still-there-Monday-morning’ kind of love.

2019 - What Mattered Most (Alternative Take) : Ty Herndon - This is a remake of Ty’s #1 song from 1995. The difference is in 1995 he wasn’t out, now he’s changed the pronouns to make it the song he wished he could’ve sung back then

2019 - Sanremo : MIKA - The song is an idealized romantic experience in San Remo, Italy. Mika spent time growing up in San Remo as a teen and wished it were a city where individuals could be free regardless of whoever they are. Mika wants to be there, doing the things lovers do, such as dancing and sitting by the seaside. In the video, which is set in 1950′s Italy, Mika’s character is kissing his wife and daughter goodbye, then venturing out into the city, looking for a gay partner to shack up with while avoiding suspicion from police, clergymen and others. Mika winds up at an underground gay bar and leaves with another man, but on his way home is stopped by a police officer.

2019 - Tomorrow : MIKA - A lovely song about living in the moment, and reassuring his lover to focus on now and let’s worry about tomorrow until tomorrow. So kiss me under the light of a thousand stars. Oh, who gives a sh*t about tomorrow? When you know how lucky we are, oh, tomorrow worry 'bout tomorrow

2019 - I Rise : Madonna - This song was made specifically to honor the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising and to inspire marginalized people to stand up and fight. It is about resilience, surviving, and rising up against adversity. The video includes footage of Parkland H.S. shooting survivors, LGBTQ supporters, women’s rights protesters, Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman’s testimony about sexual abuse and other social justice heroes.

2019 - Lights Up : Harry Styles - It’s thought that this song is Styles coming out as bisexual. The song was released on National Coming Out Day. The video has him surrounded by and pressing up against both men and women. Lights up and they know who you are. Know who you are. Do you know who you are? Is this song Harry turning the lights up?

2019 - Don’t Start Now : Dua Lipa - This song is reminiscent of disco anthems with lyrics about resilience that are popular with queer people. Aren't you the guy who tried to hurt me with the word "goodbye"? Though it took some time to survive you, I'm better on the other side. I'm all good already.

2019 - I Feel Love : Sam Smith - Sam remakes the 1977 classic from Donna Summer, a song about loving your body and your desires. Sam’s high notes on this song are amazing

2019 - Rock It (To the Moon) : RuPaul feat. KUMMERSPECK - Another catchy RuPaul song

2019 - Show Yourself : Idina Menzel, Evan Rachel Wood - This song from Frozen 2 is about Elsa being ready to be vulnerable and bare her soul. This song has been adopted by the queer community as a coming out anthem.

2019 - Believe : Adam Lambert - A remake of the 1998 song by Cher that is loved by many LGBTQ people. Adam’s rendition is absolutely gorgeous

2020 - She : Hayley Kiyoko - This is about Kiyoko’s struggles when she was coming into her own as a young, gay, aspiring pop-star.

2020 - L.O.V.E. Me : Hayley Kiyoko - Kiyoko sings that she wants someone who is honest with her and will have her back the way that Hayley would have their back. So girl don't tell me you love me if you don't really want me. I'm working through my issues, yeah, I'm gonna kiss you

2020 - Boss Bitch : Doja Cat - Doja has had boyfriends and girlfriends and describes her sexuality as fluid. This song of female empowerment and being your own love is fierce. A Boss Bitch is the she-ro of her own story. She is someone who takes charge of her future and embraces being a “boss” in all aspects of her life. To “shine like gloss” is to excel in a noticeable way. I'm a bitch and a boss, I'ma shine like gloss. The song charted again in 2023 thanks to being featured in an iconic lip sync on RuPaul’s Drag Race

2020 - Physical : Dua Lipa - The song is about sexual liberation. The video begins with first red, then moving to purple, yellow, blue, and so forth, Dua leads every color of the rainbow into a spectacular dance groove.

2020 - I am Gay : Liza Vassilieva - While other similar songs are often packed in metaphors, this one is quite direct, which I think makes it unique. I am gay (Gay). Doesn't matter what you do or say (Say). So excuse me if I sound cliché (Ché). I just wanna be myself. Every second, every hour, every day, ‘cause I am gay (Gay)

2020 - Chasing Rainbows : Big Freedia feat. Kesha - Freedia lists the various ways she's been put down throughout her life by schoolyard bullies, religious figures, and record labels. Kesha makes clear we won't be put down any longer when she sings You know me, bein' free. Won't be silent, I pray for my enemies. The video has Freedia using a jar of love to make a potione, then gets lifted into the sky by a rainbow where she meets up with Kesha and begins spreading their message.

2020 - Kings & Queens : Ava Max - Ava told Paper Magazine the song “Kings and Queens" is an anthem for all queens — girls & gays — ready to take over the world, because we would have a better world if queens took over. Billboard declared this the "unofficial anthem of the parade-free 2020 Pride season" when the world was in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020 - I’m Ready : Sam Smith & Demi Lovato - The song is about being ready to risk it all for a new love. As members of the LGBTQ community, Smith and Lovato are familiar with how shamelessly loving who you want to love is inherently a risk in a society that doesn’t fully accept queer relationships. But on this song, the two declare that they’re up for the challenge, and ready to reap love’s rewards. The video is basically the Glam Olympics

2020 - Secret Lover : Yuma X - The lyrics talk about how hard it is to have a secret lover and not be able to talk with them in public, and counting down the nights until they’re back together again. In the video, two couples go away together and the boys fall for each other. Their girls are suspicious of the growing bond.

2020 - I am America : Shea Diamond - This theme song for HBO's We're Here (a show where drag queens travel the USA doing makeovers while sharing life lessons), declares we're here and just as American as cherry pie

2020 - Malibu : Kim Petras - Kim is a trans woman who released a virtual pool party during the COVID-19 pandemic that includes cameos by queer icons Demi Lovato, Jonathan Van Ness, Todrick Hall, Pabllo Vittar, Jessie J, Scott Hoying, Aquaria, Nikita Dragun, Amanda Lepore, Dorian Electra, Bowen Yang, Slayyyter, and Teddy Quinlivan

2020 - Dance Alone : Tayla Parx - Tayla wrote "Dance Alone" about the night she met her girlfriend. I don't wanna dance alone. I'm not ready to go home. Not until the lights come on. So meet me right here

2020 - Be Me : Vincent - Gay singer Vincent recorded this song for Season 5 of Queer Eye. Was hiding away. For a minute I was thinking that I couldn’t be saved. But just like a prayer you were right there.

2020 - Rain on Me : Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande - Put two of the biggest pop icons together and of course you’ll get a song that everyone is clamoring for. The message is of persevering through troubles and embracing the pain. It’s a fierce message of being strong and getting through the hard times. “Rain on me” is like saying “bring it on.” I'd rather be dry, but at least I'm alive. Rain on me, rain, rain

2020 - Bring Back My Girls : RuPaul - One of the catchphrases from RuPaul’s Drag Race turned into a song.

2020 - Freedom : Tommy Atkins - This song was originally released by Wham! in 1984 and is about wanting to commit to someone, to be exclusive, to not want the freedom of being able to see other people...and the other person not wanting that. Tommy Atkins changed the “girl” to “boy” in the line boy, all I really want is you to make it a gay couple. George Michael wasn’t out in the 1980′s but I can imagine if he were, this is how he would’ve written the lyrics. Atkins’ recording reached the top 5 on download charts across the U.K., Canada and New Zealand. The recording made history, becoming the first country hit in the U.K. and Europe to feature overtly gay lyrics.

2020 - Somebody to Tell Me : Tyler Glenn - This is the theme song for the Hulu show Love, Victor, which is about a gay teen coming out. The lyrics of this song are amazing. It begins with someone in the closet and scared their secret will slip out. 'Cause I've been talking secrets into the mirror. Never ever more than a whisper. Lips airtight. Scared when I sleep at night that my subconscious take over and let out everything I don't wanna fall out, yeah. What they need is for Somebody to tell me it will be alright, somebody to tell me it will be just fine

2020 - Mood Ring (By Demand) (Pride Remix) : Britney Spears - The song was originally only released in Japan in 2016 and has Britney comparing her up-and-down roller coaster love to a mood ring. Fans found it and for years pleaded for it to be made available for streaming platforms. In a surprise move, Britney gave it a “Pride remix” and released it in 2020 during Pride month.

2020 - Hallucinate : Dua Lipa - This is about feeling so attracted to someone that it feels like you’re hallucinating. The video has a cartoon Dua Lipa hallucinating rainbows & pan-colored rainbows and it is very trippy.

2020 - Head and Heart : Joel Corry feat. MNEK - Joel Corry is singing his inner turmoil after meeting someone who might not be good for him. His head is telling him to stop, but his heart is certain it's more than a crush. There’s no gendered pronouns in this song, so he could be singing about a girl or a guy or someone who doesn’t fit the binary.

2020 - Say Something : Kylie Minogue - In this video, Kylie gives the gays everything they want: horses, stars, shirtless male dancers, glitter, and glamor.

2020 - Midnight Sky : Miley Cyrus - Miley says this song is a message of freedom and empowerment, that people should create the environment that you want to live in. This song also references the end of Miley’s marriage to Liam Hemsworth (Lotta years went by with my hands tied up in your ropes. Forever and ever, no more) and her subsequent relationships with Kaitlynn Carter (See my lips on her mouth, everybody's talking now) and Cody Simpson (Said it ain't so bad if I wanna make a couple mistakes. You should know right now that I never stay put in one place). Talk about pansexual realness.

2020 - betty : Taylor Swift - The song is about someone who’s in love with Betty but sees her dancing with a man. This song captures those feelings of being queer and closeted, not knowing if the person you’re crushing on will have you because you don’t know if she’s even into girls.

2020 - Be Alright : MKSM - MKSM is openly gay and views himself as a voice for all people who feel they don’t belong. This video captures some nice vignettes of a relationship between 2 women. The song lyrics are about accepting yourself and your relationship as it is, it doesn’t need to be perfect. Dance with our issues, won’t try to fix them, trusting we’ll be alright. And Remember the time when we were enough, there’s nothing to prove, it’s just me and you.

2020 - Diamonds : Sam Smith - Poor Sam, they’ve had a bad string of relationships which get turned into songs. This time their lover turns out to be a gold digger who leaves after getting what he wants. Sam refuses to give into heartbreak, defiantly dancing even if while crying.

2020 - Magic : Kylie Minogue - The song is a hopeful message of a brighter future, and that in every tragedy there is comfort to be had. Focus tonight on dancing and let tomorrow worry about itself.

2020 - High Heels : Mel C - The former Spice Girl has been an outspoken ally of the queer community. Mel C spent a year touring the world with Sink the Pink, a group of drag performers. “High Heels” was inspired by her time with the drag performers, who are featured in the glittery music video. The song is about an amazing night out dancing. The lyrics include the self-love mantra You gotta love yourself above anybody else.

2020 - positions : Ariana Grande - The lyrics talk about being able to change positions for your man, which got a lot of attention in the gay world. Many times gays are classified as ‘tops’ or ‘bottoms,’ while many, perhaps even most, are ‘vers,’ and the lyrics of the chorus can be seen as supporting this. The video shows the versatility of women as Grande is President of the United States while having time to make pasta. For her Presidential Cabinet of advisors, Grande brought some queer friends--Tyler Ford, Misha Lambert, Victoria Monet, and Tayla Parx. Whether its gender roles or bedroom fun, we shouldn’t limit what positions someone can perform

2020 - Kids Again : Sam Smith - Sam is reminiscing on a past relationship, one he’s not exactly gotten over. Sam recalls all the fun moments they shared and thinks about what if they could go back in time to restore the relationship. Knowing time travel is an impossibility, Sam concludes they can’t relive the past as kids anymore.

2020 - Man’s World : Marina - This song is how the world is designed by men for men, and whoever doesn’t fit the traditional manly standards is out, including women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and even Mother Nature. This has been going on since at least the Salem witch trials when anyone “deemed abnormal or slightly alternative was singled out.” Burnt me at the stake, you thought I was a witch centuries ago, now you just call me a bitch. Marina criticizes the Sultan of Brunei and mentions the Beverly Hills Hotel, which he owns. Owned by a sheik who killed thousands of gay men, I guess that's why he bought the Campest Hotel in LA then. The lyrics are biting

2020 - Prisoner : Miley Cyrus feat. Dua Lipa - It’s a song about being in controlling relationships where their lovers manipulate them to stay, which makes them feel like prisoners. In the video, Cyrus and Lipa are dancing and smoking together, grinding on and licking each other's bodies and singing the song's chorus face to face. When they eat cherries, it suggests they want to leave their manipulative male lovers to be with each other.

2020 - My Head & My Heart : Ava Max - The song is about Ava’s ex-boyfriend, should she return to him or not? Her heart says yes, her head says no. The video supports Mermaids, a UK-wide charity working to support transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse children, young people, and their families. Drag queen Bimini Bon Boulash lip syncs & dances in the video.

2020 - Break Up Bye Bye : Frock Destroyers - From the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, contestants Baga Chipz, Blu Hydrangea and Divina de Campo wrote their own verses and performed this song. The group name is a play on the name of the band The Cock Destroyers.

2021 - Condragulations : RuPaul - RuPaul’s catch phrase from the show RuPaul’s Drag Race has been turned into a song

2021 - Treat People with Kindness : Harry Styles - The sexually ambiguous icon released a song with a message much needed in this time of hyper-partisanship. Harry released a line of merchandise using the song title in celebration of Pride Month. While the song’s message isn’t deep or complex, who can disagree that all people should be treated the same regardless of gender, race or sexual preference?

2021 - Undivided : Tim McGraw & Tyler Hubbard - The message is to abandon black-and-white thinking and to be more accepting of others. The first stanza hits me, while it can apply to a wide number of things, it seems especially applicable to a queer kid getting picked on. See Billy got picked on in school for things he couldn't change. He tried his best to play it cool but in the seventh grade you either fit right in or you don't fit, that's just the cold hard truth. I wish that I'd have been the friend that Billy never knew

2021 - It’s a Sin : Years & Years - A beautiful cover of the 1987 Pet Shop Boys’ song. The song was released at the same time as the 5-episode show It’s a Sin, which included Olly Alexander, lead singer of Years & Years, and is about a group of friends who move to London in 1981 and how their lives are impacted by HIV/AIDS. A portion of the proceeds from the song went to the George House Trust charity which provides HIV support, advice and advocacy services.

2021 - Girlfriend : Rebecca Black - An unapologetically lesbian anthem about wanting to reunite with an ex-girlfriend despite others’ dissenting opinions. The glitter-filled video has Rebecca reuniting with an ex at a picnic.

2021 - UK Hun? : United Kingdolls - In season 2 of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, the drag queens Lawrence Chaney, A'Whora, Bimini Bon-Boulash, and Tayce formed the group called United Kingdolls. They wrote and recorded their own verses to the song, which was released and climbed to #27 on the UK Singles chart.

2021 - Agatha All Along : Kathryn Hahn - From the Disney+ show WandaVision, this delightful song was popular in the gay community. This song comes on when we learn Agatha is a witch. Witches in television and film have long been popular with queer people. Witches can pass in society as non-magical people, but when their true selves are found out they become the victims of a witch hunt.

2021 - Serotonin : Girl in Red - Marie Ulven Ringheim is the Girl in Red and is a queer icon. Serotonin is a hormone which regulates our feelings of internal happiness. Marie shares that she has a deficiency and deals with depression but takes medicine. I'm running low on serotonin. Chemical imbalance got me twisting things. Stabilize with medicine. Her transparency in this song about her struggles with mental health helps listeners with their own personal mental health challenges by letting them know they’re not the only ones. CW: self harm. This song’s lyrics includes intrusive thoughts where she considers self-harm and even suicide.

2021 - CINDERELLA Pt. 2 : CHIKA - No Prince Charming here, Chika is wooing Cinderella, who is a step up from the girls Chika usually hangs with. Something about you is different. You're all that I'm missing. I'm thinking about making you mine

2021 - Queen of the North : Brooke Lynn Hytes feat. Priyanka - Brooke Lynn was the first Canadian drag queen to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race and was dubbed “Queen of the North.” Brooke Lynn continues to use this title as host of RuPaul’s Drag Race Canada, she included the first winner of that show, Priyanka, on this song.

2021 - MONTERO (Call Me by Your Name) : Lil Nas X - To all those people who told Lil Nas X he was going to hell for being gay, he gave them what they wanted in this video, and of course the same people then complained.

This video uses classical imagery to tell a story of sin, banishment and redemption. The video is composed of three acts. The first act takes place in the Garden of Eden where Lil Nas is tempted into sin by a snake. After Lil Nas’ character gives in, the camera pans toward the tree of knowledge, which is inscribed with a Greek phrase that translates “After the division the two parts of man, each desiring his other half.” The phrase is taken from Plato’s Symposium which recounts an origin story of mankind, in which humans were originally two bodies stuck together—some man & man, some woman & woman, and some man & woman. When the bodies were separated by an angry Zeus, each longed for their other half—which explains why we feel love and desire for different types of bodies. It’s a way of saying all sexual orientations are equally natural and acceptable.

Act 2 of the video begins in the Colosseum where Lil Nas emerges shackled and wearing a Marie Antoinette-like wig. When Lil Nas starts to ascend to heaven, he is not greeted by St. Peter, but by the Greek mythological figure Ganymede, who has long been a symbol of homosexuality

Act 3, before Lil Nas can reach Ganymede, a pole emerges from below; Lil Nas’ fingers curl around it, and he sails downward to hell. As Lil Nas walks up to the Devil on his throne, he passes a phrase in Latin that states, “They condemn what they do not understand.” The narrative here is that in ancient religions different sexual orientations were okay, but before Ganymede could welcome Lil Nas to heaven, Christianity takes over. However, Lil Nas brilliantly uses his queerness to subvert oppressive systems and he defeats the Devil. He was condemned to hell but he is thriving.

2021 - My Girlfriends are my Boyfriend : Demi Lovato - A fun, upbeat dedication to Lovato's girlfriends, her support system, who stay with her after a breakup or anything else that happens in her life. It’s very easy to read this song as instead of a boyfriend, now she has girlfriends.

2021 - Starstruck : Years & Years - Starstruck is about the rush you get when you’re with somebody you’re really into, it’s about holding onto a good feeling and not letting it go.

2021 - Lucky : RuPaul feat. Gottmik, Kandy Muse, Rosé, & Symone - the 4 finalists of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 13 wrote lyrics and performed this fun song.

2021 - Chosen Family : Rina Sawayama & Elton John - Rina Sawayama, who identifies as both bisexual and pansexual, teamed up with gay icon Elton John for this song. The concept is that in the queer community, family isn’t always the people who share your last name, it’s those you surround yourself with and who support you.

2021 - Confetti : Little Mix feat. Saweetie - The video includes three Drag Queens, and the three women of Little Mix showcasing their own Drag King personas

2021 - Feel Something : Joshua Bassett - He is known for starring in Disney Channel’s High School Musical: The Musical. Joshua came out as gay in May 2021 and later released this song about people who feel numb and want to feel something. Queer people who are in the closet and suppressing who they are can feel numb, and coming out can be the beginning of no longer suppressing those feelings so that you feel something.

2021 - Got No Choice : Brooke Eden - In 2015, Brooke was preparing for a tour when she fell in love. When she told others the good news, she was warned to keep this a secret or it would ruin her newly-begun career. She followed their advice, but in 2021 Brooke came out publicly as gay, got engaged to her girlfriend (the one she fell in love with in 2015), and released this song where she sings of having no choice but to fall in love with her partner. The video features Brooke and her girlfriend and ends with the words As happy as we are now, it wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows. If you’re not there yet, it’s ok — you’re not alone! and this is followed with contact info for The Trevor Project

2021 - It’s a Sin : Elton John and Years & Years - This arrangement of the 1987 song by the Pet Shop Boys was recorded by the gay icons Elton John and Years & Years for the 2021 Brit Awards. The words are about a person’s lifelong feelings of shame and guilt for being taught that being gay is a sin. It was released as a single with proceeds going to the Elton John AIDS Foundation

2021 - Sun Goes Down : Lil Nas X - Lil Nas says he named the song “sun goes down” because it’s at night when those thoughts you try to avoid really start to hit and you can’t escape them. He sings of wanting to run away, and of feeling lonely, about depression, and suicidal thoughts. In the music video, we watch the singer return to scenes from high school, like working at Taco Bell and praying by his bed. We also watch him go to prom alone and have to leave to cry in the bathroom as he realizes just how lonely he is. After a bit he emerges feeling changed, and finds himself getting into the music and becoming the center of attention.

2021 - Romeo : Bryce Xavier - Bryce emotionally writes about having a romance you can’t reveal publicly and the pain which comes with that.

2021 - Boy Bi : Mad Tsai - Super cute song about the internal struggle of coming to terms with being bi. I love this lyric: Like I'm watching a Disney movie and the couple gets it on, but who should I look at, is it Shang or Mulan?

2021 - Judas : Big Freedia - Big Freedia identifies as gay, gender nonconforming, fluid, and nonbinary and gives this Lady Gaga song a bounce music makeover. The song is about always falling in love with the wrong type of man, and is a metaphor about learning to forgive yourself in order to move on with your life.

2021 - Chance : Hayley Kiyoko - Hayley is singing about how she should have taken chances, there are lost opportunities because she didn’t give it a shot. Cuz I never let her take a chance, let her take a chance on me. The video shows what happens when you do take a chance and portrays those early parts of a relationship when you’re head-over-heels for someone

2021 - Boys who like Boys : Eli Lieb - Eli sings these words against the anti-gay people who have a problem with boys who like boys. Maybe we just want a little love...Go keep on hating, I'll just keep dancing

2021 - Born this Way (The Country Road Version) : Orville Peck - For the 10th anniversary of this iconic song, gay singer Orville gives it a country music makeover

2021 - Something to Say : Michaela Jaé - This is Michaela’s debut single. My favorite lyric from the song is It’s Black and Brown and Yellow and White. Let’s stand for something. Love tonight. Michaela rose to fame on the FX series Pose as Blanca Evangelista, an HIV-positive trans woman, and the founder and mother of the House of Evangelista in New York City's ballroom culture, and Michaela became the first transgender actress to be nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series.

2021 - Younger Me : Brothers Osborne - In February 2021, singer-guitarist TJ Osborne came out as gay. The announcement instantly made Osborne the most visible gay man in country music. TJ wrote the song “Younger Me” about his experience coming to terms with his sexuality. The lyrics look back at the difficulty of being different but also assuring that it’ll be alright. Younger me, hanging out but not quite fitting in. Didn't know that being different really wouldn't be the end.

2021 - Marry the Night : Kylie Minogue - For the 10-year anniversary of her blockbuster album Born that Way, Lady Gaga chose several artists representative of the LGBT community to make covers of some of the songs. While Kylie isn’t queer, she’s well-loved by the gay community for her allyship and her danceable pop music. Minogue contributes her sparkly pop sound to the lyrics about loving of the nightlife and partying

2021 - She Said : Fletcher - The singer was innocently flirting with a girl at a party and it became a wild sexual encounter. She said, "Let's do something different" "I'll show you a good time" I could tell she meant it. She said, "Here's what you've been missin'" Oh, she opened my eyes. Ooh, she hit it different

2021 - The Edge of Glory : Years & Years - Olly Alexander sings this song about celebrating someone’s life just as they are.

2021 - Yoü and I : Ben Platt - Ben, who is best known for his role as the lead in the musical Evan Hanson, sings this Gaga song about walking from New York City to Nebraska to get your boyfriend back.

2021 Come Through feat. Lemon : Priyanka - Priyanka, first winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Canada, teams up with her fellow Canadian drag queen to sing this song about not staying in a relationship that isn’t good for you and holds you back. I'm here to slay, don't got all day, I gotta wipe you away

2021 - Industry Baby : Lil Nas X - In the video, he loses a court case and goes to jail where he has a lot of sex. Lil Nas takes what seems like a punishment and turns it on its head and says, “What if I actually had the best time?” We have people like Sam Smith and Troye Sivan who make their queer identity part of their art, but what Lil Nas does is he makes queer sexuality a part of his persona. Like Madonna who forced people to deal with women’s sexuality, Lil Nas X is doing the same with queer sexuality.

2021 - Goodbye : LP - Lesbian singer LP’s song contains the gentle reminder to release the things that no longer serve us.

2021 - Movin’ : David Archuleta - David came out publicly in June of 2021. A month later he released the song Movin’. There’s two versions, the regular version and the “After Hours” version. The video is a mashup of the two versions, and it’s interesting that the first minute of the video contains 3 men and 3 women, but then in the “After Hours” portion it is just David and the 2 male dancers.

2021 - Cold Heart (PNAU Remix) : Elton John feat. Dua Lipa - Elton John & Dua Lipa sing a song composed of 4 of Elton‘s past singles: “Rocket Man” from 1972, “Sacrifice” from 1989, “Kiss the Bride” from 1983 and “Where’s the Shoorah?” from 1976

2021 - Future Starts Now : Kim Petras - Petras, the first transgender performer at the MTV VMA awards, explains this song is “a metaphor for life: things are going to change whether you want them to or not and you can either roll with it and make the best out of it or let it drown you.” The video has it rain so much it floods everything and we see the Eiffel Tower sticking out of the water, and at the end of the video the tower collapses, and Petras appears on the wreckage to welcome a new future

2021 - Silk Chiffon : MUNA feat. Phoebe Bridgers - This song is a celebration of carefree queer love. Life's so fun, life's so fun. Don't need to worry about no one. She said I got her if I want. She's so soft like silk chiffon

2021 - Angel Baby : Troye Sivan - This is a very sweet love song (queer people need more of these). Troye sings he was giving up on love when you came out the blue on a rainy night, no lie. And now I just wanna live in this moment forever, 'cause I'm afraid that living couldn't get any better. Started giving up on the word "forever," until you gave up heaven so we could be together. By saying ‘you gave up heaven,’ he acknowledges his lover sacrificed a lot to be with him (and is probably a reference to religious teachings that gay love leads to Hell), and Troye declares him his angel baby.

2021 - Thats What I Want : Lil Nas X - This is a song of gay longing. He’s lonely and wants someone to love him. The video is steamy, he finds someone to love and the love turns physical right away.

2021 - Jolene : Lil Nas X - While at BBC Radio 1, Lil Nas performed Dolly Parton’s 1973 hit song. Having Lil Nas sing this changes the whole feel of the song. It’s a man begging Jolene to not tempt my man, don’t take him away from me. Lil Nas should release this as a single!

2021 - Rise : Calum Scott - This song is inspired by Calum’s own coming out experience and is about how no matter how difficult things seem now, we will rise. For every valley, there's a mountain. For every answer, there's a new question. Is it worth all this? I'm pushing myself to the edge. 'Cause we're all looking for a reason. Find a shelter from the storm within

2021 - Cherry : FLETCHER & Hayley Kiyoko - Lesbian Jesus, aka Hayley Kiyoko, and Queer Queen FLETCHER team up for this flirtatious queer bop. The video has the pair in a love triangle, they’re both dating the same girl, but they don’t know until they show up at the same time. Instead of fighting over her, they both head inside with her.

2021 - Coconuts : Kim Petras - The song is an ode to self-love and body positivity by celebrating the singer’s ‘coconuts’ by using all sorts of metaphors to describe them, such as piña coladas, ripe mangoes, hot air balloons, and the Olsen twins.

2021 - Catwalk : RuPaul feat. Skeltal Ki - RuPaul continues to put out singles, this one about walking down the runway.

2021 - Y’all Means All : Miranda Lambert - Lambert released this song in support of the LGBTQ community. The song was used in the trailer for the sixth season Queer Eye on Netflix. You can be born in Tyler, Texas, raised with the Bible Belt. If you're torn between the Y's and X's, you ain't gotta play with the hand you're dealt. Yes queen, go queen, dip it like a Dairy Queen. Put your inhibitions in a big U-Haul

2022 - Living My Life in London : The Cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World - The top 5 finalists sing an enjoyable song about the cities where they live, even as they mention being in London for this competition

2022 - Boyfriend : Dove Cameron - You should replace your boyfriend with me, that’s the message that Cameron sings to the woman she’s interested in. Thinking I'm gonna steal you from him. I could be such a gentleman. Plus all my clothes would fit. I could be a better boyfriend.

2022 - About Damn Time : Lizzo - In a minute I'ma need a sentimental man or woman to pump me up, talk about bisexual realness

2022 - Love Me More : Sam Smith - Have you ever felt like being somebody else? Feeling like the mirror isn't good for your health? Every day I'm trying not to hate myself, but lately, it's not hurting like it did before. Maybe I am learning how to love me more. Wow, these lyrics of learning to embrace ourselves unconditionally, that’s so relatable.

2022 - This Hell : Rina Sawayama - Rina, who is pansexual, wrote this in response to the attacks against LGBTQ people based on religious beliefs. The opening stanza of the song is fire. Saw a poster on the corner opposite the motel. Turns out, I'm going to hell if I keep on being myself. Don't know what I did, but they seem pretty mad about it. God hates us? Alright then, buckle up, at dawn we're riding

2022 - For the Girls : Hayley Kiyoko - This video is a parody of The Bachelorette with all the drama that you’d expect. Hayley is the Bachelorette, and Becca Tilley (she was the runner-up contestant on the 19th season of The Bachelor) appears at the end of the video to win over Hayley. Following the release of the music video, Kiyoko revealed she’s been in a relationship with Becca Tilley for four years. Watching this video has me asking could we get a women-only Bachelorette show? How is this not a thing already???

2022 - Team Queen : Betty Who - This cute song was written for the Discover+ show The Book of Queer.

2022 - Girls Make Me Wanna Die : The Aces - “‘Girls Make Me Wanna Die’ is a nostalgic call back to our adolescence and shared experience of being young, queer, and painfully in love with your best friend,” explained The Aces, a group who grew up in Provo, UT. On a beautiful Sunday, we're laying in sun rays. She's wearing my beat-up jean jacket so damn well. One swipe of a finger, she leaves and I linger. She's killing me with desire for someone else

2022 - Boys in the Street : Calum Scott - A dad rejects his son who comes out gay, How am I gonna answer when my friends tell me my son was kissing boys in the street? With time, dad accepts that his son is still part of the family and in the end his dad learns to love his son without reservation.

2022 - Break My Soul : Beyoncé - The album was dedicated to Beyoncé’s gay uncle and this song is a self-empowerment anthem and ode to the Black, queer community. The song inspires us to fall in love, and release ourselves from the stress of hate around us

2022 - What I Want : MUNA - In a world that’s too quick to tell us that queer desires are wrong, MUNA is here to say There’s nothing wrong with what I want. What is it that MUNA wants? Too many shots, some good drugs, finding a crush on the dance floor in a gay bar. This line is so reflective of the queer experience: I’ve spent way too-too-too many years not knowing what. What I wanted, how to get it, how to live it. And now I’m gonna make up for it all at once

2022 - Everybody’s Gay : Lizzo - Everybody's gay, Lizzo said so. The song is about dancing in a queer bar surrounded by LGBTQuties of every gender and how she feels safe there without all the straight men hitting on her. Everybody’s gay, yeah (It’s a happy place in here, baby, you’re safe).

2022 - Becky’s So Hot : Fletcher - Fletcher wrote this song about her messy feelings towards the current girlfriend of her ex. Fletcher can admire that she’s beautiful, but is also angry at her even though it’s her ex who she should be angry at. Are you in love like we were? If I were you, I'd probably keep her. Makes me wanna hit her when I see her 'cause Becky's so hot in your vintage t-shirt

2022 - Same Old Country Love Song : Brian Falduto - A playful song that goes through the typical elements of a Country love song and then declares: It’s the Same Old Country Love Song, but It’s Gay

2022 - Sunshine State : Ginger Minj & Brandon Stansell - Gay country singer Brandon Stansell in sunny California and Drag Queen Ginger Minj in sunshiny Florida sing a song about not letting life’s troubles get you down. I’m flyin’ these days, and nothing can get in my way. No thunder, no rain, I’m living in a sunshine state.

2022 - Hold Me Closer : Elton John & Britney Spears - This is Britney’s first new music since her conservatorship ended and is a song made up of pieces of Elton’s songs: “Tiny Dancer,” “The One,” and a bit of “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” Elton John is a queer icon and Britney is a gay fave, and when they make a song together, it is a must listen, as evidenced by the song shooting to #1

2022 - Faith in Me : David Archuleta - A year after David came out publicly, he announces he has stepped away from church and releases a song titled Faith in Me. These lyrics are🔥 Every time you touch me it's like I'm on fire, and I'm about to let my feelings win. Who cares what anyone else will say? No rules, no stops and only us. This is a new David!

2022 - Unholy : Sam Smith & Kim Petras - The song is about a husband cheating on his wife with a sex worker. This is Sam Smith's first #1 hit in the USA, and the first #1 for Kim Petras, making this the first time a nonbinary singer & trans singer together have a #1 song. This type of representation is beautiful to see, even if the song isn't about queer people or topics.

2022 - Mad About the Boy : Adam Lambert – This song by Noël Coward is about being infatuated with a male movie star on the screen. It’s been sung by many women over the decades, the most famous version by Dinah Washington was featured in a 1992 commercial. And now we have Adam Lambert, a gay man, restoring the original gay meaning of the song.

2022 - If I Was Gay : Andreas Kijv - 29-year-old Swedish singer and model Andreas Wijk wrote this song and debuted it in a TikTok video where he plays it for his parents as his way of coming out. It’s a vulnerable song that many will relate to. If I was gay would I be what they say, just a stereotype. If I was gay how do I get to heaven when there's "no church in the wild"

2022 - Lesbionic : Gia Woods - There’s been lots of songs of men hyperventilating over women, finally we have a song where a woman is lusting for another woman. It’s not iconic, it’s lesbionic.

2022 - Stacy’s Brother : Mad Tsai - Mad is a popular TikTok celebrity who came out in 2020 with his video “Boy Bi.” This song is a twist on the Fountains of Wayne’s song, “Stacy’s Mom.” I like the end of the video when Stacy gives a look that says "good for him." Maybe she’s thinking that since my Mom & brother are taken care of, next time he’ll like me just for me. Poor Stacy, someday I hope we have a sapphic love song where someone gives Stacy the romantic relationship she deserves.

2022 - Lavender Haze : Taylor Swift - The phrase “Lavender Haze” was used in the 1950′s to describe the early part of a relationship where you’re so in love with someone to the point of being oblivious to everything else around you. The video features Laith Ashley as her love interest, Laith is a trans man.

2022 - If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too) : Kelsea Ballerini - The song is about a supportive female friendship, that Kelsea will stick with her friend whatever trouble the friend winds up getting into. The song joins this list because in 2023, as states were passing bans on drag, Kelsea performed this song on the CMT Music Awards show with 4 drag queens, proving she’s an ally. If you go down, I’m goin’ down too.

2023 - Holding Out for a Hero : Adam Lambert - "Holding Out for a Hero" was sung back in 1984 by Bonnie Tyler and first gained popularity in British gay clubs. Lambert, a gay man, covers the song, giving it a fresh perspective as he sings Where have all the good men gone, and where are all the gods?

2023 - Because of You : Gustaph - Gustaph is openly gay and sang a song that fits right in at a Pride event as it is a call for celebrating freedom and having joy in being yourself. This song reached #3 on the Belgium charts and came in #7 in the 2023 Eurovision contest.

2023 - Go All In : Liza Vassilieva - This is the official song of Lillehammer Norway’s Winter Pride 2023. It’s a motivational song about standing up for who you are and living your life to the fullest.

2023 - Trustfall : P!nk - In this song, Pink encourages her fans to take a leap of faith to achieve a more fulfilling life, and these lyrics resonate strong with her queer fans: Close your eyes and leave it all behind. Go where love is on our side, it's a trustfall baby

2023 - I’m Not Here to Make Friends : Sam Smith, Calvin Harris & Jessie Reyez - Sam Smith wrote this song the day after a frustrating date. "I was just so sick of going on dates where people treated me like a friend or just wanted to meet me because I'm Sam Smith." In this song, Sam’s at a party, not to find friendship or even romance, but is looking for a hook up.

2023 - Who We Love : Sam Smith feat. Ed Sheeran - This is a beautiful song with a meaningful message, to trust your heart when it falls in love. Given Sam is queer, I think the unsung message is trust when your heart falls in love no matter their gender. I love these lyrics: It's not wrong to want the world for someone. It's not a feeling you can run from, 'cause we love who we love, so let go

2023 - Special : Lizzo - This is a self-affirming song that rebuffs the haters. Could you imagine a world where everybody's the same? And you could cancel a girl 'cause she just wanted to change? How could you throw f-----' stones if you ain't been through her pain? That's why we feel so alone, that's why we feel so much shame

2023 - Padam Padam : Kylie Minogue - This catchy bop by gay icon Kylie Minogue was released just in time for Pride month and has become THE song of summer 2023.

2023 - You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) : Adam Lambert & Sigala - Lambert has been putting his own spin on a number of iconic queer anthems, and he continues this by teaming up with British DJ Sigala for a remake of Sylvester’s classic 1978 song. This remake was the official song for London Pride 2023.

2023 - Up : David Archuleta - David explained that “Up is about hitting what we feel is rock bottom in our lives and like there’s nowhere to go. You feel helpless. The only thing to do from the bottom is get yourself off the ground and move up. It’s about finding the strength you didn’t know you had in you. And replacing fear and hate with love. Especially self-love.” We’re glad David is on his way up, and the positive, personal message in this song lifts us up

2023 - Like Whisky : Dallas Dixon - This is the debut single from Dixon Dallas, who is Jake Hill’s alter-ego. Dixon sings a Country music song of raw and intimate passion with his partner. Even though I hate to see him go, I love to watch him leave. Levi's on top, what a sight, I love them booty cheeks. And now he's grinding on my lap like it's the last night that we have. I said, "Baby, make it clap, I wanna make this lovin' last"

2023 - Good Lookin’ : Dallas Dixon - This country song became popular on TikTok. It tells a gay love story and the chorus features these sexual lyrics: He's bouncing off my booty cheeks, I love the way he rides. I can hardly breathe when he's pumping deep inside. I kiss him on his neck and then he kisses on my bussy. Call him "Daddy" while I holler. Man, that boy so damn good looking (looking, looking)

2023 - Rush : Troye Sivan - This song is a tribute to accepting yourself, to sexual liberation, and to feeling confident. Sivan says the title of the song was partly inspired by a poppers brand of the same name.

2023 - F150 : Dallas Dixon : Yet another gay country song by Dallas. Well, when we get to sippin' whisky, and we get a little frisky, I climb up on him, ride him like an F150.

2023 - Love U Like That : Lauv - In June 2023, Lauv came out as bi when he posted a TikTok of himself dancing in a car with the caption "when ur dating a girl bur ur also a lil bit into men" and "Does it have to be that big of a deal? I haven't done much aside from kiss so tbh don't wanna jump the gun but tbh I feel things and I don't wanna pretend I don't". A few months later, Lauv releases this song where the gender of their romantic partner is not made clear.

2023 - One of Your Girls : Troye Sivan - This is a song of having romantic or sexual feelings for a straight man, and it’s all a bit sad, not giving yourself the respect you deserve by thinking he’d only want to spend time, instead willing to pretend to be like someone else. Give me a call if you ever get lonely and Give me a call if you ever get desperate, I’ll be like one of your girls. In other words, he would only want me if no one else is around or available. Troye dressed in drag as the ‘girl’ character in the video and he is stunning, a super model.

2024 - Hell Together : David Archuleta - This is a song of David’s experience at church as a gay person: Bow your head, don't be bold. You'll survive by doin' what you're told. It became too much and he worries what his mom would think if he leaves the church: All I want is to make you proud. If I would run, would I let you down? In response, she replies: "If I have to live without you. I don't wanna live forever in someone else's heaven. So let 'em close the gates. Oh, if they don't like the way you're made, then they're not any better. If Paradise is pressurе, oh, we'll go to hell togethеr." A beautiful story of a mom supporting her queer child. In response to his mom, he answers that he’s worried about what’s ahead but is confident to take those steps together: You and me, that's all we need. Blood is thicker than the pages that they read. I'm afraid (I'm afraid) of letting go, of the version that I used to know. I’m not crying, you are.

2024 - Cowboys are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other : Orville Peck & Willie Nelson - Orville joins Willie to remake a song that Willie recorded in 2006.

Link to My Queer Playlist - Part 1 songs from 1939 to 1993

Link to My Queer Playlist - Part 2 songs from 1994 to 2011

Link to My Queer Playlist - Part 3 songs from 2012 to 2017

Link to my Queer Disney Songs Playlist

Link to my K-Pop Queer Playlist

Link to my Queer Religious Playlist

#queer playlist #long post

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x--daughters-of-darkness--x · 3 years

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The Pretty Reckless’ Taylor Momsen: “This record saved my life”

The Pretty Reckless frontwoman Taylor Momsen faces your questions about lost friends, life in quarantine and her band’s new album

Four years on from their last album, The Pretty Reckless return in the face of personal loss and depression for the follow-up, Death By Rock And Roll. In the meantime, we challenged frontwoman Taylor Momsen to answer your burning questions on the band’s new era, making dream collaborations come true and… really rubbish tigers?

What can you tell us about how the new album is sounding? Debbie Smith (email)

“Awesome! I’m ecstatic for people to hear it. It’s been a long time coming and we’ve been sitting on music waiting to put it out, it’s been torturous. I don’t want to say too much but I am very confident with this album – in a lot of ways, this might be our best album yet; it’s very much a rebirth for this band and it feels like the first record in a lot of ways. I know to my core that I’m extraordinarily proud of what we’ve accomplished on this album, it’s a new chapter in the band’s life. This record saved my life and I’m really excited to share it.”

If you could collaborate with anyone on a future album who would it be and why? Jenni Owens (email)

“I don’t know because I don’t think of music like that, I think collaborations have to come about organically and in these modern times of streaming, collaborations are used more as a marketing tool than an actual artistic statement and I don’t really like that. I very rarely collaborate with people, but I say that just as I got to collaborate on this new album with some amazing people like Matt Cameron and Kim Thayil of Soundgarden on a song called Only Love Can Save Me Now, which we recorded at London Bridge Studios in Seattle where Soundgarden made Louder Than Love, Pearl Jam made Ten and Alice In Chains recorded there. It’s such an iconic space, so being there with those guys and hearing the song I wrote come to life with them playing it was one of the best experiences of my life. The collaboration came about in a really natural way through a lot of tragedy; we were opening for them on that last tour before Chris Cornell passed and that created a bond. We also have a song, And So It Went, that features Tom Morello playing the guitar solo – again that was such an amazing artistic collaboration. When I wrote the song, he immediately came to mind as a voice that could really express the concept, the lyrics and the point of the song and really take it to another level and he certainly does; when he comes in, it’s undeniably Tom Morello and it’s awesome!”

What do you think of them rebooting your old TV show Gossip Girl? Danielle Harris (email)

“I’m curious to see it! Social media and technology has changed so much since that show first aired so it’ll be interesting to see what they do with it. I remember on the show, they used to periodically give your character a new phone and it was still flip phones when it started… now everyone’s glued to iPhones and you feel like you’re dying without a smartphone. The social commentary alone will be interesting to see how they take that and bring it into the modern life we’re all living in.”

What did 2020 teach you? @immortalevfan (Twitter)

“It’s taught me patience, which I think I had a pretty good handle on ahead of 2020 but it certainly has tested my boundaries of how patient I can be. It’s taught me to appreciate the small things that we overlook in life – if we were on tour right now, I wouldn’t be getting to spend time with my tiny dog ,who’s very old, before she’s inevitably going to pass. I’ve been enjoying the little moments of being at home because the rest of my life has always been a whirlwind and was always on the go, so now there’s no other option but to reflect on your own thoughts and your own life.”

Would you rather have an army of badass ducks or one really crap tiger? James Brian Fitzgerald (Facebook)

“Can’t it be one badass tiger or a load of ducks? I’m kind of a solitude, isolated person; I have very few friends but the friendships I have go deep. Because a lot of ducks seems a little overwhelming, I think I want one tiger but I’d have to get him on the game. He just needs a little sensei training; I’ll give him a Soundgarden record and we’ll be on the same page. I’ll reform that tiger!”

Who in the music industry was most helpful to you taking your first steps and adapting into that world? Jane McAhrane (email)

“I have to give credit to my managers who I’ve been with for a very long time, they’ve always supported my visions and always had my back, but I think the main people are in the band. It started when I first met Ben [Phillips], our guitarist and my songwriting partner, and our producer Kato at the same time. There was an undeniable chemistry and magic that you can’t duplicate – it was something otherworldly, if you believe in that kind of thing. It was a defining moment in my life. Through that, I met Mark Damon [bass] and Jamie Perkins [drums]. When we all came together and made the decision to see where this was going to go, quit our jobs and I quit acting, we really jumped in with both feet. The support, camaraderie and the way we looked at music and life, everything about it is amazing.”

In your opinion, has having the career in acting helped or hindered the public perception and success of the band? And how long do you think it took for people to see you as a musician rather than the actress who has a band? Matt Heeks (Facebook)

“I think it was a combination of both a hindrance that we had to overcome and a slight help to the press side. In the beginning it certainly helped get our name out there because I was known for something else and I was living in a tabloid world at the time, so it spread the band’s name around, but I don’t think it contributed anything to the actuality of what it is to be a band, to make music and to be successful at that – having your name written in a bunch of articles doesn’t validate anything. I think the people who gave the album a chance without judging it with a pre- existing notion and went in with an open mind, they noticed pretty quickly. The rest of the world took a while to see this for what it was. There’s no facade, it’s just who we are as people.”

Do you think we are more likely to cry or headbang during the new album? @xxrecklesstayxx (Twitter)

“I think you’ll get a bit of both! There’s a very full spectrum on this record; it starts in the dark and ends in the light and it really takes you on a journey. If the first half doesn’t work for you, you’ll find something in the second half and vice versa. It encapsulates everything we’ve been through since the last time we were out and about in the world. A lot of this record was made due to how much tragedy and loss that suddenly thrust itself upon our lives in a short amount of time, from Chris Cornell’s passing to our producer Kato Khandwala [who died following a motorcycle crash in 2018]. [Kato] was my best friend on the planet and that was the nail in the coffin for me. I went down into a hole of depression and substance abuse and I didn’t know how to get out of it; it was music that saved me, it pulled me out and made me want to keep going. Writing this record was all I had left and I think you can really hear that on the album.”

What do you miss most about touring? Aimee Baker (email)

“I miss you guys, the fans! I’m going through show withdrawal, I miss being onstage with my best friends and cranking the amps, screaming into microphones and never really knowing what’s going on. I miss the whole energy of live shows because there’s nothing like it; it’s a drug and there’s nothing that competes with it. Being in the studio and writing gives you a different substantial kind of high that lasts forever, whereas shows are just one night but you can’t beat that one night.”

Any plans to release an acoustic album of any of your songs or covers? @Jmj2022 (Twitter)

“No specific plans but it’s certainly something we’ve been talking about for years now at this point. Because we haven’t been able to get together as a band plugged in, I’ve been doing a lot of acoustic stuff from home. We just released a piano version of House On A Hill, which is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time and I think that turned out really beautiful. I’ve got to work with some amazing friends and musicians; Alain Johannes and I covered Chris Cornell’s The Keeper together, I also got to work with Matt Cameron and we recorded Halfway There by Soundgarden. Things are happening that wouldn’t have come about if we were on tour.”

#Taylor Momsen #the pretty reckless #2021 interviews

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whatisthiswitchcraft · 4 years

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books I read in 2019 (not including rereads, favorites are bolded!)

Come Close - Sappho

Shanghai Baby - Wei Hui

Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair - Pablo Neruda

Bad Feminist: Essays - Roxane Gay

The Mother of Black Hollywood: A Memoir - Jenifer Lewis

Sula - Toni Morrison

Reinventing the Enemy’s Language: Contemporary Native Women’s Writings of North America - ed. Joy Harjo and Gloria Bird

How to Write an Autobiographical Novel - Alexander Chee

Night Sky With Exit Wounds - Ocean Vuong

If They Come For Us - Fatimah Asghar

Heart Berries: A Memoir - Terese Marie Mailhot

Less - Andrew Sean Greer

The Astonishing Color of After - Emily X.R. Pan

Goodbye, Vitamin - Rachel Khong

Darius the Great is Not Okay - Adib Khorram

Exit West - Mohsin Hamid

Homegirls and Handgrenades - Sonia Sanchez

Heavy: An American Memoir - Keise Laymon

All You Can Ever Know - Nicole Chung

Unaccustomed Earth - Jhumpa Lahiri

The Wife Between Us - Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

The Way You Make Me Feel - Maureen Goo

A Very Large Expanse of Sea - Tahereh Mafi

Water By the Spoonful - Quiara Alegría Hudes

I Can’t Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I’ve Put My Faith in Beyoncé - Michael Arceneaux

Bury It - Sam Sax

White Dancing Elephants - Chaya Bhuvaneswar

Pulp - Robin Talley

Shit is Real - Aisha Franz

Silencer - Marcus Wicker

Forget Sorrow: An Ancestral Tale - Belle Yang

Bestiary: Poems - Donika Kelly

Monster Portraits - Sofia Samatar

No Matter the Wreckage - Sarah Kay

Violet Energy Ingots - Hoa Nguyen

Olio - Tyehimba Jess

The Kane Chronicles: The Serpent’s Shadow - Rick Riordan

There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé - Morgan Parker

Nylon Road: A Graphic Memoir of Coming of Age in Iran - Parsua Bashi

The Wedding Date - Jasmine Guillory

Fruit of the Drunken Tree - Ingrid Rojas Contreras

An American Marriage - Tayari Jones

Family Trust - Kathy Wang

Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture - ed. Roxane Gay

Little & Lion - Brandy Colbert

A Girl Like That - Tanaz Bhathena

Suicide Club: A Novel About Living - Rachel Heng

The Disturbed Girl’s Dictionary - NoNieqa Ramos

My Old Faithful: Stories - Yang Huang

Crazy Rich Asians - Kevin Kwan

Girls Burn Brighter - Shobha Rao

Moon of the Crusted Snow - Waubgeshig Rice

Kingdom Animalia - Aracelis Girmay

Happiness - Aminatta Forna

Devotions - Mary Oliver

The Proposal - Jasmine Guillory

The Kiss Quotient - Helen Hoang

When Katie Met Cassidy - Camille Perri

Heads of the Colored People - Nafissa Thompson-Spires

Friday Black: Stories - Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

The Word is Murder - Anthony Horowitz

Miles from Nowhere - Nami Mun

The Lost Ones - Sheena Kamal

All the Names They Used for God - Anjali Sachdeva

Confessions of the Fox - Jordy Rosenberg

Love, Loss, and What We Ate: A Memoir - Padma Lakshmi

On the Come Up - Angie Thomas

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali - Sabina Khan

See What I Have Done - Sarah Schmitt

Convenience Store Woman - Sayaka Murata

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter - Erika Sánchez

For Today I Am A Boy - Kim Fu

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid

Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings - Joy Harjo

They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us - Hanif Abdurraqib

Mongrels - Stephen Graham Jones

If Beale Street Could Talk - James Baldwin

Death of Innocence: The Story of the Hate Crime that Changed America - Mamie Till-Mobley and Christopher Benson

The Gilded Wolves - Roshani Chokshi

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before - Jenny Han

The Perfect Nanny - Leila Slimani, translated by Sam Taylor

The Travelling Cat Chronicles - Hiro Arikawa, translated by Philip Gabriel

Things We Lost in the Fire - Mariana Enríquez, translated by Megan McDowell

Sunburn - Laura Lippman

The House of Impossible Beauties - Joseph Cassara

Freshwater - Akwaeke Emezi

A Private Life - Chen Ran, translated by John Howard-Gibbon

Invisible: The Forgotten Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America’s Most Powerful Mobster - Stephen L. Carter

Undead Girl Gang - Lily Anderson

They Both Die at the End - Adam Silvera

The Friend - Sigrid Nunez

Severance - Ling Ma

Tiny Crimes: Very Short Tales of Mystery & Murder - ed. Licoln Michel and Nadxieli Nieto

Mapping the Interior - Stephen Graham Jones

Give Me Some Truth - Eric Gansworth

How to Love a Jamaican - Alexia Arthurs

All of This is True - Lygia Day Peñaflor

Swimmer Among the Stars - Kanishk Tharoor

The Wicked + the Divine, Vol. 7: Mothering Invention - Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie

This is Kind of an Epic Love Story - Kheryn Callender

Gingerbread - Helen Oyeyemi

Where the Dead Sit Talking - Brandon Hobson

The Ensemble - Aja Gabel

My Education - Susan Choi

More Happy than Not - Adam Silvera

Nobody Cares: Essays - Anne T. Donahue

Kiss and Tell: A Romantic Résumé, Ages 0 to 22 - Marinaomi

Oculus: Poems - Sally Wen Mao

Let’s Talk About Love - Claire Kann

History is All You Left Me - Adam Silvera

Opposite of Always - Justin A. Reynolds

The Crown Ain’t Worth Much - Hanif Abdurraqib

The Weight of Our Sky - Hanna Alkaf

If You See Me, Don’t Say Hi - Neel Patel

Girls of Paper and Fire - Natasha Ngan

What if It’s Us - Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

The Map of Salt and Stars - Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar

October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard - Lesléa Newman

The Big Smoke - Adrian Matejka

Dissolve - Sherwin Bitsui

The Woman Next Door - Yewande Omotoso

The Refugees - Viet Thanh Nguyen

White Tears - Hari Kunzru

Electric Arches - Eve Ewing

The Black Maria - Aracelis Girmay

Bloodchild and Other Stories - Octavia Butler

Soft Science - Franny Choi

The White Card - Claudia Rankine

Mad Honey Symposium - Sally Wen Mao

The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls - Anissa Gray

Next: New Poems - Lucille Clifton

The Marvelous Arithmetics of Distance: Poems 1987-1992 - Audre Lorde

Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea: Poems and Not Quite Poems - Nikki Giovanni

The Arab of the Future - Riad Sattouf

Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago’s South Side - Eve L. Ewing

Gruel - Bunkong Tuon

Marriage of a Thousand Lies - SJ Sindu

Parable of the Sower - Octavia Butler

Good Night, Willie Lee, I’ll See You in the Morning - Alice Walker

That Kind of Mother - Rumaan Alam

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows - Balli Kaur Jaswal

Hera Lindsay Bird - Hera Lindsay Bird

Queenie - Candice Carty-Williams

And Still I Rise - Maya Angelou

The Man Who Shot Out My Eye Is Dead - Chanelle Benz

Everyone Knows You Go Home - Natalia Sylvester

Naming Our Destiny: New and Selected Poems - June Jordan

The 100* Best African American Poems (*But I Cheated) - ed. Nikki Giovanni

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 - P. Djèlí Clark

Bury My Clothes - Roger Bonair-Agard

Selected Poems - Langston Hughes

Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston

Sonata Mulattica - Rita Dove

Winnie - Gwendolyn Brooks

Bicycles: Love Poems - Nikki Giovanni

The Black God’s Drums - P. Djèlí Clark

Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos - Lucy Knisley

Annie Allen - Gwendolyn Brooks

Parable of the Talents - Octavia Butler

After Disasters - Viet Dinh

Passing for Human: A Graphic Memoir - Liana Finck

Teeth - Aracelis Girmay

A Surprised Queenhood in the New Black Sun: The Life & Legacy of Gwendolyn Brooks - Angela Jackson

Peluda - Melissa Lozada-Oliva

A Map to the Next World - Joy Harjo

Magical Negro - Morgan Parker

Corpse Whale - dg nanouk okpik

Hawkeye: Volume 1 - Matt Fraction

Cenzontle - Marcelo Hernandez Castillo

Don’t Let Me Be Lonely: An American Lyric - Claudia Rankine

Selected Poems - Gwendolyn Brooks

She Had Some Horses - Joy Harjo

The BreakBeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hope - ed. Kevin Coval, Quraysh Ali Lansana, and Nate Marshall

Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories - Nichelle Nichols

The Past and Other Things that Should Stay Buried - Shaun David Hutchinson

Difficult Women - Roxane Gay

The Woman Who Fell From the Sky - Joy Harjo

The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays - Esmé Weijun Wang

Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest - Hanif Abdurraqib

The Frolic of the Beasts - Yukio Mishima

Hawkeye Omnibus - Matt Fraction

Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations - Mira Jacob

Karamo: My Story of Embracing Purpose, Healing, and Hope - Karamo Brown

Tipping the Velvet - Sarah Waters

When My Brother Was an Aztec - Natalie Diaz

Toxic Flora: Poems - Kimiko Hahn

Virgin - Analicia Sotelo

Easy Prey - Catherine Lo

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me - Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell

Saints and Misfits - S.K. Ali

Intercepted - Alexa Martin

Love from A to Z - S.K. Ali

Gemini - Sonya Mukherjee

The Atlas of Reds and Blues - Devi S. Laskar

My Brother’s Husband Vol. II - Gengoroh Tagame

Black Queer Hoe - Britteney Black Rose Kapri

Internment - Samira Ahmed

Dothead: Poems - Amit Majmudar

With the Fire On High - Elizabeth Acevedo

Sabrina & Corina: Stories - Kali Fajardo-Anstine

Milk and Filth - Carmen Giménez Smith

The Key to Happily Ever After - Tif Marcelo

If You’re Out There - Katy Loutzenhiser

Farewell to Manzanar - Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston

New Poets of Native Nations - ed. Heid E. Erdrich

Bodymap: Poems - Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

Wolf by Wolf - Ryan Graudin

Tell Me How It Ends - Valeria Luiselli

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood - Trevor Noah

Down and Across - Arvin Ahmadi

The Tradition - Jericho Brown

About Betty’s Boob - Vero Cazot and Julie Rocheleau

Fake It Till You Break It - Jenn P. Nguyen

Storm of Locusts - Rebecca Roanhorse

Silver Sparrow - Tayari Jones

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors - Sonali Dev

Mongrel: Essays, Diatribes, Pranks - Justin Chin

When I Grow Up I Want To Be a List of Further Possibilities - Chen Chen

The New Testament - Jericho Brown

Fumbled - Alexa Martin

If It Makes You Happy - Claire Kann

Brave Face - Shaun David Hutchinson

Words in Deep Blue - Cath Crowley

Lost Children Archive - Valeria Luiselli

Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice - Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy - Ta-Nehisi Coates

Anger is a Gift - Mark Oshiro

The Bride Test - Helen Hoang

Not Your Backup - C.B. Lee

Prelude to Bruise - Saeed Jones

The Night Wanderer: A Graphic Novel - Drew Hayden Taylor and Michael Wyatt

Naturally Tan - Tan France

Bloom - Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau

Like a Love Story - Abdi Nazemian

I’m Afraid of Men - Vivek Shraya

Juliet Takes a Breath - Gabby Rivera

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous - Ocean Vuong

Let Me Hear a Rhyme - Tiffany D. Jackson

I Wanna Be Where You Are - Kristina Forest

Hurricane Season - Nicole Melleby

Split Tooth - Tanya Tagaq

Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Love and Food - ed. Elsie Chapman and Caroline Tung Richmond

The Night Tiger - Yangsze Choo

Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls - T Kira Madden

Miracle Creek - Angie Kim

Ayesha at Last - Uzma Jalaluddin

Shout - Laurie Halse Anderson

The Breakbeat Poets Vol. 3: Halal if You Hear Me - ed. Fatimah Asghar and Safia Elhillo

The Tenth Muse - Catherine Chung

This Place: 150 Years Retold - various authors

Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens - Tanya Boteju

Midnight Chicken (& Other Recipes Worth Living For) - Ella Risbridger

Library of Small Catastrophes - Alison C. Rollins

Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune - Roselle Lim

No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black and Free in America - Darnell L. Moore

The Book of Delights - Ross Gay

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle - Stuart Turton

Speak No Evil - Uzodinma Iweala

How We Fight White Supremacy - Akiba Solomon and Kenrya Rankin

A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend - Emily Horner

Here and Now and Then - Mike Chen

The Ghost Bride - Yangsze Choo

Red White and Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston

Becoming - Michelle Obama

The Wedding Party - Jasmine Guillory

Magic for Liars - Sarah Gailey

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer - Michelle McNamara

Brain Fever - Kimiko Hahn

Life on Mars - Tracy K. Smith

Notebooks of a Chile Verde Smuggler - Juan Felipe Herrera

Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude - Ross Gay

Tentacle - Rita Indiana

Hapa Tales and Other Lies: A Memoir About the Mixed Race Hawai’i That I Never Knew - Sharon Chang

Loose Woman - Sandra Cisneros

Duende - Tracy K. Smith

Mostly Dead Things - Kristen Arnett

1919 - Eve L. Ewing

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race - Reni Eddo-Lodge

Negroland - Margo Jefferson

For Black Girls Like Me - Mariama J. Lockington

Super Extra Grande - Yoss

Home Remedies - Xuan Juliana Wang

You Can’t Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain - Phoebe Robinson

An Anonymous Girl - Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

The Abundance - Amit Majmudar

I Shall Not Be Moved - Maya Angelou

Helium - Rudy Francisco

Teaching My Mother to Give Birth - Warsan Shire

Tomie - Junji Ito

Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay - Phoebe Robinson

This Time Will Be Different - Misa Sugiura

Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon & Mu - Junji Ito

Stag’s Leap - Sharon Olds

Black Card - Chris L. Terry

It’s Not Like It’s A Secret - Misa Sugiura

Washington Black - Esi Edugyan

From Here To Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death - Caitlin Doughty

I’m Telling the Truth, But I’m Lying: Essays - Bassey Ikpi

A House of My Own: Stories from my Life - Sandra Cisneros

The Terrible - Yrsa Daley-Ward

The Black Tides of Heaven - JY Yang

The Red Threads of Fortune - JY Yang

Little Fish - Casey Plett

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion - Jia Tolentino

The Black Condition ft. Narcissus - Jayy Dodd

The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt

Dealing in Dreams - Lilliam Rivera

The Tiger Flu - Larissa Lai

The Island of Sea Women - Lisa See

America is Not the Heart - Elaine Castillo

Feel Free - Zadie Smith

Walking on the Ceiling - Aysegul Savas

My Time Among the Whites: Notes from an Unfinished Education - Jennine Capo Crucet

The Unpassing - Chia-Chia Lin

Maurice - E.M. Forster

Permanent Record - Mary H.K. Choi

The Downstairs Girl - Stacey Lee

Red Dust Road: An Autobiographical Journey - Jackie Kay

The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You - Dina Nayeri

I Married My Best Friend to Shut My Parents Up - Naoko Kodama

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI - David Grann

Ordinary Light - Tracy K. Smith

Cantoras - Carolina De Robertis

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness - Susannah Cahalan

How to Be Remy Cameron - Julian Winters

The Marriage Clock - Zara Raheem

Moon: Letters, Maps, Poems - Jennifer S. Cheng

Where Reasons End - Yiyun Li

Pet - Akwaeke Emezi

Meddling Kids - Edgar Cantero

A Lucky Man - Jamel Brinkley

Maiden, Mother, Crone: Fantastical Trans Femmes - ed. Gwen Benaway

What is Obscenity? The Story of a Good for Nothing Artist and her Pussy - Rokudenashiko

The Umbrella Academy Vol. III: Hotel Oblivion - Gerard Way

Who Put This Song On? - Morgan Parker

The Souls of Yellow Folk: Essays - Wesley Yang

Wave - Sonali Deraniyagala

Love War Stories - Ivelisse Rodriguez

Baby Teeth - Zoje Stage

A Fortune for Your Disaster - Hanif Abdurraqib

Eyes Bottle Dark with a Mouthful of Flowers - Jake Skeets

Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen - Jose Antonio Vargas

The Marrow Thieves - Cherie Dimaline

Polite Society - Mahesh Rao

Patron Saints of Nothing - Randy Ribay

The Body Papers: A Memoir - Grace Talusan

A Woman is No Man - Etaf Rum

Travelers - Helon Habila

Trust Exercise - Susan Choi

The Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides

The Intuitionist - Colson Whitehead

A People’s History of Heaven - Mathangi Subramanian

The Buddha of Suburbia - Hanif Kureishi

This is Paradise: Stories - Kristiana Kahakauwila

Brood - Kimiko Hahn

Don’t Look Now - Daphne du Maurier

How We Fight for Our Lives - Saeed Jones

I Hope You Get This Message - Farah Naz Rishi

Unmarriageable - Soniah Kamal

Bad Endings - Carleigh Baker

The Water Dancer - Ta-Nehisi Coates

The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick - Mallory O’Meara

Shapes of Native Nonficton: Collected Essays by Contemporary Writers - ed. Elissa Washuta and Theresa Warburton

Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass - Mariko Tamaki

Even the Saints Audition - Rachel Jackson

Slay - Britney Morris

#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women - ed. Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale

The Starlet and the Spy - Ji-min Lee

North of Dawn - Nuruddin Farah

Daisy Jones & The Six - Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Drowning Boy’s Guide to Water - Cameron Barnett

They Called Us Enemy - George Takei

Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, and Advice for Living Your Best Life - Ali Wong

The Right Swipe - Alisha Rai

Full Disclosure - Camryn Garrett

Searching for Sylvie Lee - Jean Kwok

Gideon the Ninth - Tasmyn Muir

Stubborn Archivist - Yara Rodrigues Fowler

The Wicked + the Divine, Vol. 8: Old is the New New - Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie

Never Grow Up - Jackie Chan

“All the Real Indians Died Off”: And 20 Other Myths About Native Americans - Roxanna Dunbar-Ortiz

In the Dream House - Carmen Maria Machado

Blame This on the Boogie - Rina Ayuyang

It - Stephen King

Sea Monsters - Chloe Aridjis

My Fate According to the Butterfly - Gail D. Villanueva

The Wicked + the Divine, Vol. 9: “Okay” - Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie

The Deep - Rivers Solomon

I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl’s Notes from the End of the World - Kai Cheng Thom

Mooncakes - Suzanne Walker

BTTM FDRS - Ezra Claytan Daniels and Ben Passmore

Hot Comb - Ebony Flowers

Notes from a Young Black Chef - Kwame Onwuachi

Bunny - Mona Awad

The Twisted Ones - T. Kingfisher

Shuri, Vol. 1: The Search for Black Panther - Nnedi Okorafor

I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir - Malaka Gharib

Thick: And Other Essays - Tressie McMillan Cottom

Royal Holiday - Jasmine Guillory

Boxers - Gene Luen Yang

Saints - Gene Luen Yang

Fox 8 - George Saunders

The Memory Police - Yoko Ogawa

Last Day - Domenica Ruta

Wakanda Forever - Nnedi Okorafor

The Revisioners - Margaret Wilkerson Sexton

The Future of Another Timeline - Annalee Newitz

We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir - Samra Habib

Somewhere in the Middle: A Journey to the Phillipines in Search of Roots, Belonging, and Identity - Deborah Francisco Douglas

Crier’s War - Nina Varela

Something in Between - Melissa de la Cruz

The Secrets We Kept - Lara Prescott

The Tao of Raven: An Alaska Native Memoir - Ernestine Hayes

One of Us is Lying - Karen M. McManus

Piecing Me Together - Renee Watson

Binti - Nnedi Okorafor

The Nickel Boys - Colson Whitehead

Recursion - Blake Crouch

Supper Club - Lara Williams

#books #2019 #my lists #year in books

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dustedmagazine · 5 years

Text

Kim Gordon — No Home Record (Matador)

Photo by Natalia Mantini

youtube

Kim Gordon finally has a solo album. After 40 years of music (and a variety of other creative endeavors), it seems like we've gotten a full picture of Gordon. No Home Record, though, somehow feels quintessentially her. The aesthetics come from recognizable places; her L.A. location doesn't sever that old New York sensibility. At the same time, she brings in new elements that puts a gap between this work and that of Sonic Youth or Body/Head. Lyrically, she manages to be both blunt and oblique. If she offers a commentary on our times, it's less grounded in the immediate moment and more in consideration on a general modern landscape.

The guitars remain relevant, of course. Maybe someday she'll make her great synth album or cut a banjo-laden folk record. In the meantime, those fuzzy guitars remain. The sound draws more from electronic music, with cuts like “Don't Play It” and “Cookie Butter” grinding into dark pulses. The latter track narrates its drama in two-word sentences before settling for a repeated, “Industrial metal supplies,” a phrase as descriptive of the music as it is evocative of an emotional state. Her approach here updates early no wave attitude with a skip to current production, handled grimly by Justin Raisen.

Much of the album takes on our contemporary lifestyle. “Air BnB” sets it up. Gordon appears to fantasize about her destination, looking at the site's big tv and nice bathroom and thinking the location “could set me free.” It's a trap, but not a simple one. A rental can be warm and cozy, and a bubble bath could be well needed, but the image of the thing never unflattens. In the end, her cultural analysis turns to a simple curse.

“Murdered Out,” one of the first tracks recorded, plays on violence but focuses more on erasure than on literal violence. The “trigger” of the track suggests a gun but refers to “black matte spray” paint. The attempt at cultural signification leads not to notability but to disappearance. The idea matches that of “Air BnB.” Something in our capitalist world keeps everything superficial. Even efforts at self-definition, when run through stylish paint or Pinterest-worthy vacation rentals, preclude depth.

The album closes with “Get Yr Life Back,” with its throwback spelling and offer of self-help. The pop psychology misdirects. “The end of capitalism,” she sings to start, and presses harder from there. The song turns dark and bloody, then suggestive, then explains, “In a plastic sign: get your life back.” Commodities promise relief, but deliver dissolution. “I feel bad for you / I feel bad for me,” Gordon sings, sensing the repetition of vain emptiness.

The album stops suddenly. Gordon never offers a way out, beyond maybe the system breaking under its own weight, but she makes a fine guide through it. Little about the album feels predictable, neither the musical texture nor the oblique and sometimes imagistic lyrics. Gordon can be startling at times, and she does it all with a cool (a non-commercial, unreproducible cool, that is) that, as much as anything, makes No Home Record so particular to Gordon.

Justin Cober-Lake

#kim gordon #no home record #matador #justin cober-lake #albumreview #dusted magazine #sonic youth #rock #guitars

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lauraramargosian · 5 years

Text

Celebrities when they were younger, how their past photos inspire.

Yes, this is Calvin Harris!

Isn’t it true that sometimes we look at celebrities as though they have always been “glamorous,” [yes, “Fergalicious” did help me remember how to spell that, I love that song]…

The entertainment industry shows the beauty, the glistening, the star-studded hotties wearing the biggest name brands like Prada, Calvin Klein, Versace or House of Drew.

In fact, that’s the goal, Hollywood talent tend to maintain the image they hope to inspire others with, luckily, it doesn’t take away from being human and that includes making mistakes.

These photos are some of your favorite celebrities when they were younger. Ryan Seacrest, for example, truly had my jaw hit the floor.

It’s nice to be like, “man, we would have been friends in middle school and high school.”

Further, we all had those “awkward phases,” growing up and many can relate.

The truth is, the majority of your favorite celebrities were bullied, they felt hopeless too at times.

Strength, that’s the word that brought them to where they are at this moment.

Youth is a process of growing and learning. Music videos, songs, lyrics, acting, it all comes with a past that influenced it, that’s why they say “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

It’s safe to say that many people want to leave the world better than you found it, Mac Miller, [and my heart still hurts] for example, was constantly worried about the legacy he would leave behind…

But that worry, was all for nothing because he left behind art, a story, a struggle and one that constantly inspires people to make better choices.

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Trials can make our emotions rise but they also help you in a positive way.

“When you feel sad, it’s okay. It’s not the end of the world. Everyone has those days when you doubt yourself, and when you feel like everything you do sucks, but then there’s those days when you feel like Superman. It’s just the balance of the world. I just write to feel better.”

-Malcolm James McCormick

Honestly, it’s one of the best quotes Positive Celebrity has remembered from watching Mac Miller’s past interviews.

It’s a quote that really hit emotions due to the fact that we have all said: “everything sucks right now.”

When you look through photos of celebrities when they were younger, it’s almost as though you connect on another level.

To be specific, maybe you looked completely different when you were younger.

Unfortunately, sometimes kids can be mean and maybe you were bullied.

Taking a look at celebrities when they were younger gives you a little perspective into who they were before Hollywood shined its lights on them and allowed them to follow their dreams.

Not only their dreams in music or acting… But being able to further help charity, or bullied LGBTQ youth.

Pride 2019: Daya was not afraid to open up about her sexuality!

The list goes on and on, so when you look at a picture, think of it the way Susan Sontag explains in her quote.

“All photographs are memento mori. To take a photograph is to participate in another person’s (or thing’s) mortality, vulnerability, mutability. Precisely by slicing out this moment and freezing it, all photographs testify to time’s relentless melt.”

― Susan Sontag

“A picture is worth a thousand words,” refers to any complex idea and how it conveys meaning, purpose, and essence more effectively than a description does.

With this in mind, maybe looking at where our favorite celebrities started is what we need for that extra kick in the butt to never doubt or settle for less than you deserve.

To end, we want to invite you to take a look at your favorite celebrities when they were younger. Most importantly, remember who they are now as well, you’ll see more than growth, it’s like looking into their soul.

Except, it’s yearbook photos and stuff, haha!

Blessed be and enjoy!

Beyonce

Britney Spears

Calvin Harris

Clint Eastwood

David Guetta

EMINEM

Jennifer Aniston

Justin Bieber

Kim Kardashian

Krewella

Lady Gaga

Leonardo DiCaprio

Mac Miller

Madonna

Martin Garrix

Matt LeBlanc

Ryan Seacrest

Selena Gomez

Shia LeBeouf

Skrillex

Taylor Lautnor

Taylor Swift

Zac Efron

Zedd

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Positive Celebrity Gossip - Laurara Monique

Laurara Monique is known by various celebrities as the youngest and kindest celebrity blogger. PCG has been described as a "celebrity safe zone."

Positive Celebrity Gossip - Laurara Monique shared a post.

Lmfao, this had me shoot coffee out of my nose. LOL. Kids really do say these things sometimes. bhahahaha.

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Positive Celebrity Gossip - Laurara Monique

Celebrities when they were younger, how their past photos inspire.

Celebrities when they were younger, how their past photos inspire. Check it out right here on positive celebrity gossip and entertainment news!

positivecelebrity.news

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Positive Celebrity Gossip - Laurara Monique was live.

Just having a laid back day.

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Fortnite fun, right, right? Maybe, and gamer rage. Lol.

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Positive Celebrity Gossip - Laurara Monique was live.

Just having a laid back day.

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Fortnite fun, right, right? Maybe, and gamer rage. Lol.

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Positive Celebrity Gossip - Laurara Monique

Animals don't have a voice but you do!

This Humane Society was named as 4-star charity for fiscal responsibility!

This Humane Society was named as 4-star charity for fiscal responsibility! Check it out right here on positive celebrity gossip, charity news as well as all entertainment news!

positivecelebrity.news

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Positive Celebrity Gossip - Laurara Monique

“I dreamt of being a famous singer or an actor who, through my work, could inspire others to be themselves or hang in there. I had no idea how I dreamt so big when I felt so small, but I know it got me through each day. I wanted to be the person I couldn’t find in my life.” - Ruby Rose

Ruby Rose: ‘Dreamt Big’ when she felt ‘so small.’

Ruby Rose: ‘Dreamt Big’ when she felt ‘so small.’ “I dreamt of being a famous singer or an actor who, through my work, could inspire others to be themselves or hang in there…

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Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus & more to attend Manchester tribute concert!

Ariana Grande: Watch ‘One Love Manchester’ benefit concert LIVE!

Behind the scenes at the Manchester benefit concert.

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#Positive celebrity gossip #celebrity gossip #news #love #positive vibes

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divinecuriosity · 5 years

Audio

(via https://open.spotify.com/user/rorytunes/playlist/0PZ6RKvHIQl8VmIPNCHoq8?si=N9WvX6Q_TieHfkmVDR97FA)

Einkil Stonespeech - Dwarf - Warlock

Here’s some Thoughts about my boy (he’s gay)!

Diplomat’s Son - Vampire Weekend

If I ever had a chance it's now then

But I never had the feeling I could offer that to you

This song’s actual lyrics don’t totally fit Einkil’s whole schtick, but it’s the song that inspired everything, so it will remain the first on the playlist. There was a lot Einkil could have said when he was stuck at Tirion’s, a strong temptation to just...stay and not look back. Maybe that’s the feywild talking? This snippet is immediately followed by the words “To offer it to you would be cruel//When all I want to do is use, use you”. Take that how you will, I guess.

Fantasy - Superfruit

Evergreen, chemistry

It feels like it's all a dream

We both have secrets

But you got me speechless

Here’s where our story picks up...five (?) days of Feywild, some kind of chemistry, some kind of Deal. “Take me back to your wonderland” and “We’re living in a fantasy”

Any Other World - MIKA

'Cause it's all in the hands of a bitter, bitter man

Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in

Take a bow, play the part of a lonely, lonely heart

Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in

So Einkil’s dad might be a little bit of an ass. He’s sent home, still injured from the Feywild, suddenly a scandal after all the work he put into repairing his image from his teenage years. Einkil takes it in stride, or at least, plays his part. But his world won’t ever be the same...

Worldly Matters - Carly Rae Jepsen

I keep on walking, I start ditching all my plans

I wanna climb that cedar tree and leave me in good hands

A scar heals over, a call takes root somewhere in Einkil’s mind. Let’s take a college gap year tour just a little late, what could go wrong? Also, we can do magic now?

World Is Ending - Matt and Kim

Please tell me what you want from me I gave it all i got and the world is ending

And

Told me there is no more laughs all the jokes been told time and a half now

And

There is so many fish in the sea but only a few that really know me now!

And

we wanted to see the world so open up your eyes take a look around you

can't explain it from the start but stories get better as stories fall apart yeah!

New friends, a town burned to the ground, this dwarf is really trying his best, the gods are making that a little hard...And all with the backdrop of not knowing his place or why he’s got the powers he has... Stress Times

Castle on the Hill - Maygen Lacey

Found my heart and broke it here

Made friends and lost them through the years

And I've not seen the roaring fields in so long, I know I've grown

But I can't wait to go home

And

And I miss the way you make me feel, and it's real

We watched the sunset over the castle on the hill

Hey, we’re headed back to his home town! New friends in tow, Einkil reflects a little bit on how much he’s changed in the past months. And the last time he was here...he was a little heartsick (see second lyrics, first line), and very lonely, friends wise. But what could go wrong with seeing Mom?

The second bit just has me picturing a post campaign image of the sun setting over the Keep, the party all gathered and swapping stories. Alternatively, there’s a white stone tower in the feywild, where the sun sets sometimes, when it feels like it.

Bloom - The Paper Kites

In the morning when I wake

And the sun is coming through,

Oh, you fill my lungs with sweetness,

And you fill my head with you

Of course these last two songs are love songs, as of 3/1 I have no excuse not to put them on this playlist. Or, I, Cas, have hesitation, but Einkil is feeling sappy and excited for this upcoming conversation. If anything, this could have been a backdrop way back in Feywild times, some sleepy mornings in that highest room...

No Plan - Hozier

There's no plan, there's no race to be run

The harder the rain, honey, the sweeter the sun

There's no plan, there's no kingdom to come

I'll be your man if you got love to get done

Sit here and watch the sunlight fade

Honey, enjoy, it's gettin' late

There's no plan, there's no hand on the reign

As Mac explained, there will be darkness again

And here’s a slightly more realistic take on the upcoming convo... Einkil doesn’t know what’s going on, just that he wants to help. He’ll put himself on the line (or, in the relationship. In the deal) if it means the power to stop the darkness (Nikoletta, Bane, good old Asmodeus). “ When I'm laying on the marble, marble of flowers you have made” I hope that’s not prophetic of something angsty to come, but Tirion certainly makes flowers!

#einkil #esmar #lgbt crdnd week

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honeypiehotchner · 6 years

Text

dancing on my own -- part seven

I’m back when I really should be doing homework. But I can’t help it. Every time I tried to do work, I just saw Rob. So here’s this.

Words: 2,162 (wow, hello)

Summary: Karaoke night. That’s all I’m saying.

Warnings: the fluff will probably kill you

~~~

“So, karaoke.”

Bri raises her eyebrows. “Yes. Karaoke.”

“What am I singing!” I laugh, shoving her shoulder.

Bri shrugs. “Ask the teenager.”

I nearly roll my eyes, looking around for my little sister. She’s been back in the green room with us since mom and dad left to get lunch – I also kind of told her to stay so they will get a little lunch date. Besides, she hasn’t met everyone yet, so this is a perfect time to do that.

I find her after a few seconds of looking – the green room isn’t that big – and to my surprise, she’s listening to the band have a little jam session.

She’s heard their music before, mostly from me playing it in the car and whenever I’m home helping out around the house. But she’s never listened to them really in depth. Judging by her face, though, I’d say she likes their sound.

I glance back at Briana, shaking my head as I try not to smile. I can’t help it. Seeing Anna have fun and smile with people that I love and that I know have genuine hearts makes me so warm inside.

Short story, because Anna hates when I talk about this, but she hasn’t had the smoothest childhood or experience with friends. She’s incredibly wise and mature for her age, probably at the fault of having an older sister like me who kind of threw herself into being an adult right when she turned sixteen, but still. She’s always gravitated toward the older generation or kids who are more mature. And if you know anything about middle and high school, then you’ll know it’s hard to find kids who are like that. So to see her hanging out with genuinely good people that I love, and to see them having a good time with her…

It makes me really happy. That’s all.

I make my way over to them at the ending of a song, Anna clapping and playfully saying, “Encore!!”

“Hey sis,” I tap her shoulder. Everyone’s eyes naturally fall on me, and I try not to blush when I see Rob smiling in my direction. “I need a song for karaoke. And you’re more knowledgeable in pop music than I am, so…”

She chews on the inside of her cheek, thinking. “Do you want old or new?”

“Something that’ll have a karaoke track we can pull up,” I laugh.

She narrows her eyes for a second, but then I see it when she has the perfect idea. “Oh, I’ve got a good one.”

I raise my eyebrows.

“‘Style,’” she grins. “By Taylor Swift.”

I remember the song clearly. My eyes widen in surprise, having not thought of that at all before. “That’s perfect! Thanks girl.” I pause, glancing around at the band. Everyone has gone to messing with their instruments, but I catch Rob staring and give him a teasing look that causes him to grin, letting out a small laugh. “I see you’re corrupting my sis into the Louden Swain world.”

Rob shrugs. “It’s nice to have an audience who doesn’t really know our stuff.”

“Which makes me mad!” Anna interjects, then looking at me. “Their stuff is so good!”

“I tried to tell you,” I laugh, messing with her hair. “Okay, off you go. I need more music.”

“What song?” Rob asks suddenly.

I take a deep breath, thinking for a moment. “‘Like The Heart Goes,’” I finally say. “It’s one of my favorites.”

His face falters for a second, probably not expecting that, but they begin playing it anyway. I look over my shoulder to see Briana discussing something with her handler, so I decide to join Anna on the couch, listening to my favorite band play my favorite song.

+++

After the rest of my solo photo ops and autographs, it is time to get ready for karaoke. Anna wanted to go see the vendors room, so she is there with mom and dad. Thankfully, they agreed to stay for karaoke, mostly wanting to see what all it’s about.

Also, thankfully, they agreed to let Anna be up front in the madness while they stay back and watch. I promised to keep an eye on her (which I always do).

But as I stand here in front of my bathroom mirror, Kim and Briana on opposite sides of me also getting ready, I find my brain unconsciously drifting to Rob.

We have ‘Style’ playing in the background to remind me of how it sounds and all, and every time I hear the lyrics, I think of Rob. I can’t help it. And I can’t tell if Anna chose the song because she could sense something, or just because she likes the song – she’s a massive fan of Taylor Swift, among many other artists; the girl has a music taste with zero boundaries.

Either way, singing it at karaoke is going to be interesting.

“Hey, Bri?”

“Yeah?”

I pause, bringing the mascara wand away from my eyes. “Do you have a red lipstick I can borrow?”

She grins. “Of course I do.”

+++

There isn’t really a theme for karaoke tonight, or if there is it must be leather and badass. Everyone is head-to-toe in black, most of us in leather jackets. I have my black heels on with my leather jacket and black crop-top. The red lips and messy hair have me looking, and I quote from Kim, “Sexy as hell.”

I take it as a compliment, despite the many predicaments Hell on Supernatural has been in.

We’re all onstage with the fans, dancing and having the times of our lives. It isn’t long before I’m scheduled to sing.

Rich announces me, the track starting after he says my name.

“Sing with me if you know it,” I nearly plead the crowd, smiling when they scream. “Midnight, you come and pick me up, no headlights.”

They’re singing with me, louder than I expected. I look to Anna, grinning as she sings with me from the audience with the biggest smile on her face.

“Fade into view, it’s been a while since I have even heard from you,” I try not to look at Rob too pointedly. “You’ve got that James Dean, daydream look in your eye and I got that red lip, classic thing that you like.”

“I said, “I heard—” Oh! “That you’ve been out and about with some other girl.” Some other girl…” I shake my head. “He said, “What you heard is true, but I can’t stop thinking about you,” and I said, “I’ve been there too a few times.”

“And when we go crashing down, we come back every time ‘cause we never go out of style.”

By the end of it I have completely given up on not looking at Rob. The first time I did, he grinned wider than I’ve ever seen him smile, so from there I just kind of…kept doing it. His smile almost seemed playful, like he wanted me to continue singing to him like that. So I did.

I don’t know why. I’m so much better than this. The last thing I need to be doing right now is flirting with Rob. If that even counts as flirting. I don’t know.

+++

After karaoke we all split off to our rooms – some people (Rob, Rich, and Matt) go off to go photos with fans – and end the night feeling both satisfied and exhausted.

I take a shower, just to wash off because I don’t feel like washing my hair before I put on a big hoodie and some shorts to sleep in. It’s not late, though, in my standards, so I’ve been texting with Anna.

As it gets closer to midnight, I hear a knock on my door. Thinking it’s most likely Bri or Kim, I scramble to open it.

“Hey.”

I stare.

“Can I come in?” Rob asks.

I open my mouth to protest, having spent the past hour convincing myself that singing ‘Style’ was a bad idea and that I should not sing ‘Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around’ tomorrow either. Bad idea. Completely.

But when he stands in front of me, those bad ideas don’t seem so bad.

Oh, I am so whipped.

“Uh, yeah. Sure.” I move back to motion for him to come in, which he does, standing around awkwardly like he isn’t sure if this was a good idea.

My nerves are mutual, it seems.

“What’s up?” I ask. “I don’t have a couch, so I guess just…” I gesture to the space on the bed next to me.

I don’t have to worry about it being too awkward, though, because he kicks his shoes off before I even finish speaking.

I smile as I watch him climb into bed next to me. He leans back against the headboard, and he won’t look at me, which is strange. He closes his eyes a second later.

“Rob?”

“I’m sorry.”

I furrow my eyebrows. “Are you okay?”

He chuckles then, opening his eyes to stare at the ceiling. They’re glassy. “Funny thing is, I should’ve asked you that more often.”

“Oh, Rob,” I frown. “I’m not mad at you, you know.” I grab a pillow and hug it to my chest, resting my chin on top of it.

“I know,” he says. “I’m mad at myself.”

“Well don’t be,” I pause, “but why are you?”

“I was…an asshole.”

I laugh, shrugging. “You were a little bit of a jerk. But you’re human. I get it.”

“You are incredibly forgiving for someone who has been put through hell by this world.”

“Grudges weigh me down,” I breathe, speaking truthfully. “It’s easier to learn the lesson and forgive. I think it’s healthier.”

“Did therapy teach you that?” I listen to his tone, but it is nowhere near as malicious as it was last night. This is softer, almost curious.

“Oh god, no,” I laugh. “I forgave you on the plane ride home to therapy. I’ve never been able to hold grudges for a long time. Therapy just…taught me to forgive myself as quickly as I forgive everyone else.”

He finally looks at me. “Therapy really helped you.”

I try not to smile. “That obvious?”

“You’re so…strong. And wise.” He pauses, studying my face. “You were before, but it’s different now.”

“I’m really happy,” I offer. “If that’s what you’re trying to get at.”

He smiles then. Finally. “I’m glad. You deserve to be happy.”

“Hey, so do you,” I nudge his arm playfully, causing his smile to widen. “What about you? How’s the girl?”

“Lily?” He chuckles, but it doesn’t sound good. “She, uh…she ended things a couple weeks after the con.”

My eyes widen. “Oh, Rob. I’m…I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he chuckles again, but I can tell it still hurts. “She told me she just thought my heart wasn’t all there,” he shrugs. “She could tell I liked her, but my heart was somewhere else. Her words. She’s a poet, if you can’t tell.”

I laugh, trying to lighten the conversation. “I can tell. But what did you think about what she said?”

He shrugs again. “I told her she was wrong. That I’d make it up to her. But she said I didn’t need to.” He pauses. “She’s in New York now, working in publishing and stuff. She said she thought with her gone I’d realize what she meant.”

“Rob…” I murmur, resting my hand on his arm without thinking. “I’m so sorry.”

He takes a deep breath, smiling as he rests his hand on top of mine. I try to ignore the warm feeling. “It’s okay. I think I’m starting to realize what she meant.”

“What?”

He pats my hand, bringing it to his lips and pressing a kiss to my knuckles. “I should go. You’ve got a full day tomorrow.”

I accept the subject change with a nod. “I do. Hey, are we singing?”

“If you want to,” he shrugs, trying not to grin. “But I’d like to.”

“Okay,” I smile. “We can practice tomorrow.”

“Okay,” he grins. “I’m going now.”

I laugh loudly. “You’re still sitting on my bed.”

“I know, I know.” He finally moves, sliding off my bed and grabbing his shoes from the floor.

I walk him to the door, pulling it open for him.

He’s barely halfway out before he turns around, holding out his arms. “Hug?”

I grin, stepping into his arms. I wrap my arms around his neck, burying my face in his shoulder. His arms move around my waist, holding me tightly.

“I missed you like hell,” he whispers.

I try not to laugh as I nod. “I missed you like hell, too.”

I push back from the hug, both of us really needing to get some sleep tonight. He kisses the side of my head, his hands lingering on my waist for longer than they should.

Then he turns and walks down the hallway.

And I shut my door and squeal.

~~~

Tags: @itsfunnierin-enochian @sirraxa @sherlockedtash88 @shanghai88

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wayhavenots · 2 years

Note

how about 6 and 16 for the shambles ros?

Thank you, aml!! Sorry for taking so long 😭😭

6. If they were videogame characters, what loot would they drop when they died?

Arif: A worn and annotated textbook on ethics, a pair of beat-up running shoes, a notebook filled with writing

Aspen: A weighted blanket with a funky peace sign design, a pair of heart-framed sunglasses, a violin

Blaire: A necklace with a charm in the shape of a dog bone, a tube of pink lipstick, a pair of boxing gloves

Denver: A bottle of expensive wine, a pair of designer shoes, a baseball

Penelope: A decades-old photograph of two parents with three small children, a pair of double helix earrings, a vial containing a mysterious substance

16. Is there a song lyric that they particularly identify with?

Answered here already but I'm adding some more :) now with music from my end of the world playlist for idk a theme.

Arif:

Empire Builder by Typhoon

I know you're feeling like you're overmatched Like the world’s against you, like the deck is stacked But don't get started, you're smarter than that You and I we both know that Everybody's angry Everybody's lonely And maybe it's hopeless and maybe Love is not enough But let's not rule out the possibility

Aspen:

A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got) by Fergie, Q-Tip & Listenbee

A little party never killed nobody So we gon' dance until we drop A little party never killed nobody Right here, right now's all we got

Blaire:

Pompeii by Bastille

But if you close your eyes Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all? And if you close your eyes Does it almost feel like you've been here before? How am I going to be an optimist about this? How am I going to be an optimist about this?

Denver:

It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) by REM

Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn World serves its own needs, don't misserve your own needs Speed it up a notch, speed, grunt, no, strength

Penelope:

The World is Ending by Matt and Kim

Doesn't matter who had won

The team broke up with the only ones

I lost along the way

The trophy that doesn't even say my name

#wip: shambles

0 notes

gaymusicchart · 6 years

Video

youtube

GAY MUSIC CHART - 2018 week 19

Welcome to the Gay Music Chart, the LGBTQA related music videos TOP 50 actuality and most request.

Vote for your favourite LGBTQA related music videos by leaving a comment for this post on :

YOUTUBE (in the comment section of the video of the week) : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz7yfp-xq-b08tD6mAWwclA

BLOGGER : http://gaymusicchart.blogspot.fr

FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/GayMusicChart/

TWITTER : https://twitter.com/GayMusicChart with #GayMusicChart

TUMBLR : http://gaymusicchart.tumblr.com

Here is the recap for this week :

OUT : MADOX - QRVA (LW: 17 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 17)

OUT : Matilda - Naked (LW: 19 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 19)

OUT : J. Balvin - Ambiente (LW: 25 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 25)

OUT : Danielle Alexa - Spin In Circles (LW: 27 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 27)

OUT : Allie X feat. VÉRITÉ - Casanova (LW: 28 / WO: 18 / PEAK: 03)

OUT : Charlie Puth feat. Kehlani - Done For Me (LW: 29 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 29)

OUT : Missy Higgins - Cemetery (LW: 33 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 33)

OUT : Hayley Kiyoko - Curious (LW: 34 / WO: 16 / PEAK: 08)

OUT : Scott Matthew - End of Days (LW: 35 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 35)

OUT : Yaysh - Light Up This Room (LW: 37 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 37)

OUT : Baby Yors - Bad Influence (LW: 38 / WO: 5 / PEAK: 12)

OUT : Matt Palmer - Inevitably (LW: 41 / WO: 12 / PEAK: 03)

OUT : Jussie Smollett - Hurt People (LW: 43 / WO: 2 / PEAK: 25)

OUT : MARUV & BOOSIN - Drunk Groove (LW: 44 / WO: 3 / PEAK: 37)

OUT : Todrick Hall feat. Shangela - Doll Hairs (LW: 47 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 47)

OUT : Bender & Schillinger - Lovelesson (LW: 48 / WO: 2 / PEAK: 15)

OUT : Sem&Stènn feat. Manuel Agnelli - Baby Run (LW: 49 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 49)

OUT : Bebe Huxley - Elaine (LW: 50 / WO: 1 / PEAK: 50)

01 (+ 3) : Calum Scott - What I Miss Most (1 Mic 1 Take/Live From Abbey Road Studios) (LW: 04 / WO: 9 / PEAK: 01 (x1))

UK - 2018 / from the album "Only Human"

02 (+ 7) : Kodaline - Follow Your Fire (LW: 09 / WO: 4 / PEAK: 02)

Ireland - 2018

There is a gay couple in this music video.

03 (+ 5) : Namuel - Poder (LW: 08 / WO: 11 / PEAK: 03)

Chile - 2018

04 (- 3) : Years & Years - Sanctify (LW: 01 / WO: 9 / PEAK: 01 (x3))

UK - 2018

Years & Years singer Olly Alexander says the band’s new single Sanctify is about straight men who experiment with gay sex.

05 (- 3) : Saara Aalto - Monsters (LW: 02 / WO: 13 / PEAK: 02)

Finland - 2018

YES ! Saara Alto has passed the semi-final 1 and is qualified to the final : don’t forget to vote for her next Saturday at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 !

06 (- 1) : Jackson Krecioch - Little Things (LW: 05 / WO: 3 / PEAK: 05)

USA - 2018

Jackson Krecioch is a 19 years old Musical.ly star and YouTuber. He came out publicly in 2016.

07 (- 4) : Ryan O'Shaughnessy - Together (LW: 03 / WO: 9 / PEAK: 01 (x4))

Ireland - 2018

YES ! Ryan has passed the semi-final 1 and is qualified to the final : don’t forget to vote for him next Saturday at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 !

08 (- 2) : Openside - I Feel Nothing (LW: 06 / WO: 13 / PEAK: 06)

New Zealand - 2017

Lead singer Possum Plows, who is gender non-binary, raises the transgender flag in this music video.

09 (+ 4) : Francisco Victoria - Todo lo que tengo (LW: 13 / WO: 4 / PEAK: 09)

Chile - 2018

10 (- 3) : Netta - Toy (LW: 07 / WO: 7 / PEAK: 04)

Israel - 2018

YES ! Netta has passed the semi-final 1 and is qualified to the final : don’t forget to vote for her next Saturday at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 !

11 (- 1) : Michael Blume - Blunder (LW: 10 / WO: 9 / PEAK: 02)

USA - 2018

12 (+ 18) : Lostchild - Blacklist (LW: 30 / WO: 5 / PEAK: 12)

UK - 2018

The official music video is now released, and will replace the acoustic cover in the chart.

13 (- 2) : Trevor Moran - Sinner (LW: 11 / WO: 22 / PEAK: 01 (x2))

USA - 2017

14 (+ 2) : Todrick Hall - Type (LW: 16 / WO: 5 / PEAK: 14)

USA - 2018 / from the album "Forbidden"

15 (+ 6) : Keiynan Lonsdale - Kiss The Boy (Official Lyric Video) (LW: 21 / WO: 6 / PEAK: 15)

Australia - 2018

16 (- 4) : SAKIMA - Daddy (LW: 12 / WO: 21 / PEAK: 05)

UK - 2017

17 (+ 15) : Troye Sivan - Strawberries & Cigarettes ("Love, Simon" OST) (LW: 32 / WO: 8 / PEAK: 12)

Australia - 2018 / from the album "Love, Simon" OST

18 (NEW) : Troye Sivan - Bloom (Lyric Video) (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 18)

Australia - 2018

The Australian singer deleted a tweet where he said that the song was talking about bottoming. Now, he answer that it only talks about flowers. If the first explanation is real, the brilliant metaphore makes this song an enjoyable gay sex anthem.

19 (NEW) : AURORA - Queendom (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 19)

Norway - 2018

20 (- 5) : Garek - Silhouettes & Ghosts (LW: 15 / WO: 4 / PEAK: 15)

USA - 2018

Champion in 2017 of the Gay Music Chart with his song "Stray", the singer is back with a new original track.

21 (RE-ENTRY) : Janelle Monáe - Pynk (LW: - / WO: 2 / PEAK: 21)

USA - 2018 / from the album "Dirty Computer"

22 (NEW) : Domo Wilson - I Wanna Be Me (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 22)

USA - 2018 / from the album "Hear Me Now"

An inspired LGBT anthem.

23 (NEW) : Tuure Boelius - Lätkäjätkä-Ville (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 23)

Finland - 2018

The 17 years old Finnish YouTuber decided to release this music video just before the debut of the Ice Hockey World Championship 2018, hoping changing mentalities for more acceptance and diversity in this sport. It caused a mediatic storm in Finland.

24 (- 10) : Openside - No Going Back (LW: 14 / WO: 2 / PEAK: 14)

New Zealand - 2018

25 (+ 15) : Francisco Victoria - Marinos (LW: 40 / WO: 19 / PEAK: 03)

Chile - 2017

This is the first single of the Chilean singer, produced by Alex Anwandter. A revelation.

26 (+ 10) : Todrick Hall feat. RuPaul - Dem Beats (LW: 36 / WO: 7 / PEAK: 26)

USA - 2018 / from the album "Forbidden"

27 (NEW) : Rainbow Riots feat. Brayo Music - We Need Love (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 27)

Sweden / Uganda - 2018 / from the album "Rainbow Riots"

It's the final single from the album Rainbow Riots featuring queer voices from some of the world’s most dangerous countries for LGBTQ people. All proceeds go towards fighting inequalities towards LGBTQ people in Uganda.

28 (NEW) : Don Diablo feat. Calum Scott - Give Me Love (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 28)

The Netherlands / UK - 2018 / from the album "FUTURE"

29 (NEW) : Lexy & K-Paul feat. Enda Gallery - peilSCHNARTE (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 29)

Germany - 2018 / from the album "Peilschnarten"

The music video follows a young man who struggles with his sexual orientation.

30 (+ 15) : Ariana Grande - No Tears Left To Cry (LW: 45 / WO: 2 / PEAK: 30)

USA - 2018

This is a tribute to the victims of her concert last year in Manchester. It conviced Kevin McHale (from TV show "Glee"), to came out.

31 (NEW) : Reigen - Smoke Drink Party (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 31)

USA - 2018

32 (+ 14) : Conchita Wurst - Rock Me Amadeus (Falco Cover) (LW: 46 / WO: 2 / PEAK: 32)

Austria - 2018

The famous drag queen came out as HIV-positive to destroy an attempted blackmail.

33 (NEW) : serpentwithfeet - cherubim (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 33)

USA - 2018 / from the album "Soil"

34 (NEW) : Todrick Hall - Wanted (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 34)

USA - 2018 / from the album "Forbidden"

35 (- 11) : Kevin Chomat - Petite Fée (LW: 24 / WO: 9 / PEAK: 08)

France - 2018

The French singer has made a song to support Lana, a young girl who has a rare genetic disease called neurofibromatosis.

36 (NEW) : Ben Davidson - Fallin In (Official Lyric Video) (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 36)

UK - 2018

37 (NEW) : Blair St. Clair - Now or Never (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 37)

USA - 2018

This is the first music video of the drag queen who was a contestant on the tenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race.

38 (NEW) : Thunderpussy - Badlands (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 38)

USA - 2018 / from the album "Thunderpussy"

39 (NEW) : Samuel Hope - Lead Me On (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 39)

USA / Germany - 2018

40 (- 9) : Not.Your.Regular.Boy. - Crazyland (LW: 31 / WO: 2 / PEAK: 31)

The Netherlands - 2018

Revealed on X-Factor and the Voice, this is his debut single.

41 (- 21) : Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers (Old Love) (LW: 20 / WO: 2 / PEAK: 20)

USA - 2017 / from the album "Pluto"

This fantastic animated music video tells the story of two samurais of opposite clans who fall in love.

42 (NEW) : Zolita - New You (LW: - / WO: 1 / PEAK: 42)

USA - 2018

43 (- 4) : Kim Petras - Heart to Break (LW: 39 / WO: 5 / PEAK: 15)

Germany - 2018

This is the new music video of the transgender teen.

44 (- 21) : MACO -「Sweet Memory」(LW: 23 / WO: 2 / PEAK: 23)

Japan - 2017 / from the album「メトロノーム」/ "metronome"

The music video tells the story of a sad love triangle which breaks a friendship.

45 (- 27) : MNEK - Tongue (LW: 18 / WO: 10 / PEAK: 13)

UK - 2018

46 (- 20) : DJ Aron & Beth Anne Sacks - Imagine (LW: 26 / WO: 5 / PEAK: 16)

USA - 2018

47 (- 5) : Sean Lionadh - Time For Love (Homophobia In 2018) (LW: 42 / WO: 2 / PEAK: 42)

UK - 2018

Two men hold hands in a public place, but even in 2018, something’s not quite right. "Time For Love" is a poem that explores homophobia in modern society, and also the concept of normality.

48 (- 26) : U2 - Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way (LW: 22 / WO: 2 / PEAK: 22)

Ireland - 2018 / from the album "Sound of Experience"

The music video celebrates Dublin’s youth and LGBTQ community.

49 (RE-ENTRY) : Les Funambules feat. Maximilien Philippe - Pardon (LW: - / WO: 6 / PEAK: 15)

This song is the confession of a man who's quitting his wife because he realised he was gay.

50 (RE-ENTRY) : Amber Liu - Lifeline (LW: - / WO: 2 / PEAK: 31)

South Korea - 2018 / from the EP "Rogue Rouge"

It's the first time there is a same-sex couple of dancers in a South Korean music video. Amber is a member of the famous kpop band f(x).

ALSO NEW THIS WEEK

Céline Dion - Ashes

Canada - 2018 / from the album "Deadpool 2 OST"

This is Yanis Marshall (and not Ryan Reynolds) who plays Deadpool dancing in high heels in this music video.

Jessie Standafer feat. Alsace Carcione - High

USA - 2018

Ängie - Here For My Habits / Venus in Furs

Sweden - 2018 / from the album "Suicidal Since 1995"

Anne-Marie - 2002

UK - 2018 / from the album "Speak Your Mind"

DJ Inox feat. Adam Joseph - Size Queen

Poland / USA - 2018

LSD - Genius ft. Sia, Diplo, Labrinth

UK / Australia - 2018

Violet Chachki - A Lot More Me

USA - 2018

Sasha Velour - Pirate Jenny

USA - 2018

This is the first installment of One Dollar Drags, a six-part anthology of short films that celebrates drag in its many forms, with each standalone short filmed in a different genre.

Aja feat. DJ Mitch Ferrino - Brujería

USA - 2018

Kacey Musgraves - Butterflies

USA - 2018

Katsbarnea - O Mundo Agora é Gay (MAG)

Brazil - 2018

Sailorfag - Inventadas y Modernas

Mexico - 2018

Virginia Ernst - Lay Down

Austria - 2018

Ivri Lider עברי לידר - My Princess נסיכה שלי

Israel - 2018

CoCo Giselle - Queen

USA - 2018 / from the album "C.H.A.M.P"

Todrick Hall - Changed My Mind

USA - 2018 / from the album "Forbidden"

Todrick Hall - Ka-Ching

USA - 2018 / from the album "Forbidden"

Todrick Hall - Silver Spoon

USA - 2018 / from the album "Forbidden"

Madblush - Cheguei ( Cover Ludmilla )

Brazil - 2018

Nathan Brake - Jealous (Live @ The Voice Australia 2018)

Australia - 2018

The contestant made his proposal to his boyfriend on stage.

Ada Vox - Circle of Life (live @ American Idol 2018)

USA - 2018

Paula Abdul - Cold Hearted - Choreography by Blake McGrath - #TMillyTV

USA - 2018

See you next week and don’t forget to vote for your best LGBTQA music videos ! Here are the rules :

1 ) You can vote for many videos as you want under the videos on YouTube in the comment section. It could be recent or past music videos, which must provide at least one among the following conditions:

- the music video has LGBTQA related content, in the lyrics or the music video

- the artist is LGBTQA, an LGBTQA icon or eventually ally

- LGBTQA medias talked about it.

2 ) You can’t vote more than 3 songs of a same artist per week.

3 ) In case of an artist who receive votes mostly by a fan base, we will count only one song, in a limited time of 10 weeks of presence in the top.

4 ) You can vote with only one account.

5 ) If you make 5 votes or less, your first vote will represent 5 points, your second vote 4 points, etc… until your last vote and following 1 point. If you make 6 to 10 votes, your first vote will represent 10 points, your second vote 9 points, etc… If you make more than 10 votes, your first vote will represent 20 points, your second vote 19 points, etc…

6 ) People who make 1 to 5 votes form the amateur ranking, those who make 6 to 10 votes form the fan ranking, those who make more than 10 votes form the expert ranking. We form the jury ranking. And we count now the ranking of minutes of views of our weekly playlist of the previous week. The Gay Music Chart is the addition of the five charts. In case of equality, the number of votes and the dates of votes will count.

7 ) The votes will close on Thursday, 8 PM, European time.

#gay music chart #2018 week 19 #LGBT

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independentartistbuzz · 3 years

Text

Indie 5-0: 5 Questions with Reggie Harris

A teaching artist in the Kennedy Center’s CETA program (Changing Education Through the Arts) and a fellow for the prestigious Council of Independent College lecture program, Reggie Harris also serves as Co-President and Director of Music Education for the Living Legacy Project—an advocacy group that sponsors Civil Rights pilgrimages throughout the South and online education seminars worldwide. His new album On Solid Ground is about all healing and inspiration in the face of injustice and dissension. From love songs (“Come What May”) to protest songs (“Standing in Freedom's Name”) to the album-closing tribute (“High Over the Hudson”) to his friend and mentor Pete Seeger, On Solid Ground has a little bit of something for everyone. Harris is the 2021 recipient of Folk Alliance International's Spirit of Folk Award and is a DJ on the new program Prisms: The Sound Of Color on SiriusXM’s The Village. He was recently featured on CNN’s Silence is Not An Option with Don Lemon and in The New York Times.

Listen to Reggie Harris via Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0HWFtZHIDLRaW9POYMsAtp

1. At what age did you realize that music was the career you wanted to pursue? What was your ‘ah-ha’ moment? Wow. It came late. I mean, I’ve been singing since I was three or four years old, but I never really had any reason to think of music as a possible career. No one in my family or for that matter, in my social circle, did anything of the sort. People asked that question “What do you wanna be?” all the time but I saw music as just something you did in church or at school or in family sings around the piano. I always loved music and I was always good at it. I learned to harmonize really early and I sang all through high school but never gave any thought to it as a profession. I thought I’d be a teacher. But the “aha moment” came when I heard James Taylors' "Fire and Rain" on the radio one night in 12th grade. Something about his guitar and his expressive voice lit a fire that burned inside until I got a guitar in my hands in 1974. That happened when a young woman I was dating dared me to learn 3 chord on the guitar. That event unleashed something inside of me that had gone untapped in all my years of singing in choirs and groups and at school. I now had the ability to accompany myself with music that I heard from within. I bought the album Sweet Baby James and played the grooves out. That opened the door to Gordon Lightfoot, Don McClean, Cat Stevens, Kenny Rankin and the singer songwriters. I started watching shows like The Midnight Special or Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert and I started going to concerts. And around that same time, I met another young woman named Kim who played guitar and loved the same artists I did. She and I started meeting up and practicing songs, then we began writing songs and quickly became singing partners. Eventually we got married and I’d say, we pushed each other out the door and onto the stage. We were both passionate about making music and helped each other learn and grow and we were both willing to struggle to make it work. We did that for forty years and then separated and I became a solo act in 2016. I love the way it feels to spend hours making music and I really love how it makes other people feel when they hear it. It also gives me a voice to express what I see in the world. My passion for creating music and connecting the dots is stronger than ever. 2. Who are your musical inspirations? What artists inspired you to start your career and find your musical passion? My musical inspiration started early and there have been so many streams. Hearing the “old folks” in my church sing spirituals and hymns was formative and Sunday afternoon church events where 6 or 7 or more church choirs would travel around and have a gospel song fest at another church was exciting and grounding. All those amazing singers covering those great songs. I remember hearing Harry Belafonte, Mahalia Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Sam Cooke and others on my mother's radio in the morning as she got ready for work. Their voices just made you feel emotions like nothing else in the world. Our teachers in elementary taught us the songs of Woody Guthrie, Paul Robeson, Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan and we sang “Blowing in the Wind” (The Peter, Paul, and Mary version) and "If I Had A Hammer" for 6th grade graduation. I remember standing on the steps of my house in Philly with three of my friends, in the summer of 1964, singing “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” at the top of our lungs. We all took different roles as The Beatles. I thought I was Paul of course! That strikes me funny now… four little black boys in inner-city Philadelphia thinking they were English rockers? Why not The Temps? Or Smokey and the Miracles? There was also Aretha Franklin and The Stones in 1965 with "Satisfaction." Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder fascinated me and all those great Motown artist’s voices came floating down the hall to my room as my sister came of age. I paid attention to the musicians and the arrangements too. Years later, after I discovered the guitar, I met Pete Seeger, Tom Paxton and Ritchie Havens and other folk musicians and started to find a groove that combined what they were doing with other music I loved. My inspiration stream crosses genres, race, decade and style. Stevie Wonder to Pete Seeger, to Bach to Dolly Parton to Joan Armatrading to the Yellow Jackets to Beyonce. Listening across genres gives me more information to process which I can incorporate in melodies, harmonies or language for lyrics. 3. What inspired you to write & record On Solid Ground? I got home on March 8, 2020 after my tour was abruptly ended by COVID-19 shutdowns. For 3 weeks, I sat watching the news, talking with friends, feeling the world come apart as concert dates disappeared from my calendar for months and months into the future. Since concerts, lectures and school programs are the major ways that I get to sow seeds of hope in the world, I felt at a great loss. Like everyone else, I saw tensions building and protests against the various issues of hate and division exploding in the streets and felt that I needed to make sense of it all.

Music is the place I go when I need the world to make sense. So I started doing online concerts and that helped me to see how hungry people were for music and connection. My answer to the desperation and fear that I saw rising all around was to write the song "On Solid Ground." It’s written in the style and frame of the spirituals which are songs I grew up singing and that I still sing now. They are songs composed by people who endured slavery…people who were suffering through devastatingly tough times and still found ways to persevere through music and community. So my message? We can get through this time of challenge and change if we pull together and face ourselves.

Then the floodgates opened. I watched people flood into the streets to protest the George Floyd and Breonna Taylor killings and the growing acts of election suppression and wrote “Standing in Freedom’s Name” and “Let’s Meet Up Early.” I also arranged Malvina Reynolds' “It Isn’t Nice" as a tribute. Inspired by articles about workers who were being put in danger by callous factory owners and government officials, I wrote “My Working Bones.”

In the isolation of missing my girlfriend, who lives 10 hours away, I wrote “Come What May.” Then, watching street scenes on TV in 2020 that mirrored C.T. Vivian’s classic stand-off with Sheriff Jim Clark in Selma in 1965, I was inspired to write “It’s Who We Are.” It’s my challenge to the avoidance of questions of race, inequality and disenfranchisement that we as a nation are still struggling to face. But the protests showed a possible willingness to change?

I wrote the song "High Over the Hudson" about Pete Seeger in 2014 but never put it on a CD. And "Maybe It’s Love" was a fun writing exercise about the nature of romance. Song after song was born as a timely reflection on what was on my mind every day and as I would finish one song, another would rise up.

Soon I had 9 originals and 4 songs that I was inspired to arrange as covers and I thought, ”Looks like a CD to me.” 4. What was the process like bringing the album to life, and who did you work with to create it?

Recording this CD was both supremely challenging, deeply therapeutic and also the most relaxed I’ve ever been in the studio. The project gave me an outlet for stress. We had to be very careful about COVID-19 protocols and close proximity at all times. Travel was weird and in a few impossible moments, we worked remotely. I was also wondering if I’d ever get to go out and perform the songs once they were done or if anyone would ever buy physical music again since that has been decreasing for years. But as I called on musicians who were not only good friends but who I knew would respond to my vision, the way to proceed got clearer. My core co-contributors, Greg Greenway and Dave Schonauer, have been critical collaborators on my last three CDs. Greg and I have known each other for over 30 years and were born three days apart. So we have a language that just flows. We met and did pre-production in August and then hit the studio in September. Dave, the engineer at Morningstar Studios, is just brilliant. He makes things possible that most people don’t think of. Pat Wictor is my improvisational exploration brother as is Tom Prasado-Rao. Pat got up from a bout with COVID-19 and a recovery from tearing a tendon in his arm and played his newly retrained fingers off. Tom came out of a major bout with cancer and simmered with vocal ideas. They were all amazing at helping me chase my vision and “letting me be me" while adding brilliance and calling me on things didn’t quite measure up. We work at a level of trust that transcends words. I met bassist Chico Huff and drummer Matt Scarano when I recorded the CD Ready to Go in 2017-18 and they both play my music like they were there when I wrote it! Eric Byrd is a friend who is an amazing musical force and funny as hell. And Colleen Kattau, Mark Murphy and Ken Ulansey are longtime friends who just find the right temperature and vibe all the time. Everyone did what I love: They came in the door with passion and flexibility, brought their “A” games and didn’t leave until we got it right. And now Kari Estrin, Sarah Bennett and my friend Joann Murdock are helping me get it out to the world. 5. What do you have in store for the rest of 2021? I’m looking forward to continuing to unveil these songs, first during online concerts and then, as things begin to open up, with the start of whatever the new in-person performing landscape will become. I’ll continue to provide education videos for schools and doing lectures and residency work with colleges and universities on my own and through the Council of independent Colleges. The pandemic also gave me the time to work on a memoir which I’m trying to finish with a friend who is co-writing. And I’ll continue my work in civil, voting and human rights with the Living Legacy Project organization as we work to extend awareness and social activism. In my spare time, I hope to go to a few baseball games, see fully vaccinated friends for visits and hugs, watch a few movies and hopefully see my 76ers win the NBA championship. And I think I also need to get some rest.

#reggie harris

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lastsonlost · 7 years

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GOD DON’T MAKE ME HAVE TO DEFEND TAYLOR SWIFT

San Francisco — The ACLU of Northern California today sent a letter to Taylor Swift and her attorney refuting their meritless legal defamation threats against a local blogger.

On Sep. 5, PopFront editor Meghan Herning wrote a post titled “Swiftly to the alt-right: Taylor subtly gets the lower case kkk in formation.” The post is a mix of political speech and critical commentary, and discusses the resurgence of white supremacy and the fact that some white supremacists have embraced Swift. It also provides a critical interpretation of some of Swift’s music, lyrics, and videos. The post ends by calling on Swift to personally denounce white supremacy, saying “silence in the face of injustice means support for the oppressor.”

On Oct. 25, Herning received an intimidating letter from Swift and her attorney labeling the blog post as defamatory and demanding that she issue a retraction, remove the story from all media sources, and cease and desist. The letter threatened a lawsuit.

“This is a completely unsupported attempt to suppress constitutionally protected speech,” said ACLU of Northern California attorney Michael Risher.

The letter went on to say that it should serve as an “unequivocal denouncement by Ms. Swift of white supremacy and the alt-right.” But that denunciation would only be known by Herning because the letter also attempts to use copyright law to forbid her from making it public.

“Intimidation tactics like these are unacceptable,” said ACLU attorney Matt Cagle. “Not in her wildest dreams can Ms. Swift use copyright law to suppress this exposure of a threat to constitutionally protected speech.”

Herning contacted the ACLU after receiving the letter from Swift's attorney, and ACLU lawyers determined the legal claims were unsupported. The blog post is opinion protected by the First Amendment.

“The press should not be bullied by high-paid lawyers or frightened into submission by legal jargon,” said Herning. “These scare tactics may have worked for Taylor in the past, but I am not backing down.”

The ACLU has requested a response from Swift and her attorney by Nov. 13 confirming that they will not pursue a lawsuit.

THIS IS THE ORIGINAL POP FRONT ARTICLE RIGHT HERE

Swiftly to the alt-right: Taylor Swift subtly gets the lower case “kkk” in formation with “Look What You Made me Do”

An anti–Marxist Mixtape review.

A little over a decade after her musical debut, Taylor Swift has made a career out of being portrayed as a good girl unjustly wronged. Her song catalog is stocked with tunes about how innocent she is, and how men seem to wrong her. But the most notable moment of the Taylor-as-an-innocent-victim narrative may have come when Kanye West interrupted her Best Female Video acceptance speech at the 2009 Video Music Awards to drunkenly ramble about how Beyoncé should have won.

Kanye upstaging Taylor in that moment not only gave that narrative merit in a lot of people’s eyes, it also looked like the personification of many a long-standing white fear: a black man taking away a white woman’s power. And Taylor has been playing off that narrative ever since, while America has embraced the notion of white victimhood — despite the reality. Kanye West is still hated for that moment, and the media has documented further fights between Taylor Swift and other pop stars such as Katy Perry, Calvin Harris, and Kim Kardashian. There is no shortage of media details about these “feuds”, whatever their purpose may be.

On the other hand, the idea that Taylor Swift is an icon of white supremacist, nationalists, and other fringe groups, seems to finally be getting mainstream attention. But the dog whistles to white supremacy in the lyrics of her latest single are not the first time that some have connected the (subtle) dots. A white supremacist blogger from neo-Nazi site The Daily Stormerwas quoted in a Broadly article in May 2016 as saying, “it is also an established fact that Taylor Swift is secretly a Nazi and is simply waiting for the time when Donald Trump makes it safe for her to come out and announce her Aryan agenda to the world.” What “facts” the blogger is pointing to are unclear (and likely invented); still, his statement exemplifies how neo-Nazis and white supremacists look to her as their pop icon.

And it is fitting: in the past few months, white supremacist trolls have jumped off line and onto the streets. Charlottesville was a coming out story for white supremacists and nationalists, a chance to show who they were and what they want — or really who they didn’t want in “their” country. But the brazen white supremacists on the streets are not the only ones who have bought into the current form of white supremacy. There is still a contingent of the country that agrees with the president and his response to the tragedy of Charlottesville. For all Trump’s tomfoolery and cavorting with white nationalism, his approval rating has stayed steady: almost 40% of the country thinks he is doing a good job. Perhaps this is an affirmation of the racist policies and climate that this administration has capitalized on and intensified, because racism and white supremacy have always existed in America — and the president alone cannot take credit for the movement.

The American eugenics movement — a pseudo-science theory that the human race would be improved by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics that favor the white or anglo race — was alive and well long before Hitler came to power. In fact, the American Eugenics movement actually inspired Hitler. During the Progressive Era of the late 19th and early 20th century, eugenics was considered a method of preserving and improving the dominant groups (a.k.a. “white” groups — a shifting political label) in the population. These early ideas paved the way for racist and nativist reactions to emigration from Europe rather than scientific genetics. Meaning, as the Italian, Irish, and other immigrants poured into the country, eugenics was used as the basis for keeping those groups out. [Source]

The American eugenics movements received extensive funding from various corporate foundations including the Carnegie Institution, Rockefeller Foundation, and the Harriman railroad fortune. Eugenics was championed by Ivy League scholars, Congressmen, and Presidents alike. One of the major campaigns emergent from the Eugenics movement was the restriction of immigration and scapegoating of immigrants, similar to what we see today. Another was the systematic sterilization of the poor and disabled. By 1910, eugenics had become so popular that even women’s suffragists groups were lobbying for eugenics legal reforms. Prominent birth control advocate and Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger advocated for controlling birth rates among poor people, people of color, and the disabled.

Eugenics was popular among those who wanted the US to stay out of World War II, and until the US was attacked at Pearl Harbor, they were successful. Eugenics only fell out of favor because of the Nazi defeat in that war. Yet America never quite defeated the eugenics-based racial hatred in our country and culture, which is why it is no surprise that today the alt-right is echoing the cries of eugenicists. Indeed, signs with slogans like “defend the European race” are not new; the support of Trump for “extreme vetting” is just another form of advocacy for segregation.

Indeed, we often forget that there were many Americans who thought we entered the wrong side of the war. The Nazis received myriad support from the American business community and wealthy, WASP-y Americans, who seemed to see common cause. And while prior to the U.S. entering World War II, American support for the Nazis was never explicitly stated, the silence and refusal to help in the face of racial atrocities said everything. The racialized politics of the era lived on in America through segregation in housing (e.g. redlining), banking, xenophobic immigration policies, reactionaries against the civil rights movement, the Reagan era, the War on Drugs, etc.

Taylor’s lyrics in “Look What You Made Me Do” seem to play to the same subtle, quiet white support of a racial hierarchy. Many on the alt-right see the song as part of a “re-awakening,” in line with Trump’s rise. At one point in the accompanying music video, Taylor lords over an army of models from a podium, akin to what Hitler had in Nazis Germany. The similarities are uncanny and unsettling.

Aziz Ansari has aptly referred to the quiet support of white supremacy as “the lower case kkk”: that is, the quiet racial hatred that has played a role in the social, cultural, legal, and political history of America, and not just the “backwards” south as some may think. Quiet racism only needs subtle encouragement, and it seems that “look what you made me do” fits the criteria perfectly. The song “Look What you made Me Do” evidently speaks to the lower case kkk; and they have embraced it.

The day the song came out, Breitbart jumped on the lyrics on Twitter: “I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time,” a line that they interpreted as racism and racial hatred rising from the dead. Those tired old beliefs about protecting the white race have found new racists to carry the torch (literally) and their beliefs into the 21st century. Breitbart and their loyal followers are central to the movement to be proud of being a racist, white supremacist and have the audacity to equate that with patriotism. And for liberal Bay Area natives like myself, who grew up with a healthy dose of 90’s era “racism is dead” propaganda, it feels like racism has risen from its grave with the stamina of a White Walker. While society at large seemed to reject racism as an abstract concept, the internet provided an “underground” space for racists to congregate without fear of retribution until Donald Trump encouraged them to come out in the open.

Taylor’s are lyrics that connect with whites that are concerned with what they see as the white dispossession of power. Breitbart highlighted another lyric on Twitter, the line, “but I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time. Honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time.” The lyrics were paired with the image of a story about a loophole for buying AR-15s. And the lyrics speak to even more than just unnecessary gun glorification but also to the white people who have been closeted racists for years.

Later in the song, there is another telling line: “I don’t like your kingdom keys. They once belonged to me. You asked me for a place to sleep. Locked me out and threw a feast (what?).” These lyrics are the most explicit in speaking to white anger and affirming white supremacy. The lyrics speak to the white people resentful of any non-white person having a position of power and privilege. Think of Barack Obama: the fears of white dispossession of power were actualized in his success, which was a huge factor in the appeal of candidate Trump. He is a patriarchal, rich white man that embodied the anger and white supremacist ideology.

From the White House to the streets, chants like, “ you will not replace us” and call and responses like “whose streets” “our streets” were yelled by white men carrying torches in the night in Charlottesville a few short weeks ago are reminiscent of Swift’s lyrics. “I don’t like your kingdom keys, they once belonged to me,” is another way of saying, I will not be replaced and anger over white dispossession of power.

The lyrics validate those who feel that have been wronged, e.g. white people angry about a black president. The chant, “our streets” is similar to saying “you locked me out and threw a feast.” It is about feeling displaced, feeling wronged.

In other words, these lyrics became the voice of the lower case kkk, and Taylor’s sweet, victim image is the perfect vehicle and metaphor for white supremacists’ perceived victimization. With the song at the top of the charts, it makes one wonder: how large is the lower case kkk? How much are people paying attention to the lyrics of the song? It is clear that Breitbart has embraced the song as being a white supremacist anthem, so why wouldn’t Trump’s base — and other white Americans that believe they deserve their white privilege — embrace it as well? And considering Taylor’s fan base is mostly young girls, does the song also serve as indoctrination into white supremacy?

It is hard to believe that Taylor had no idea that the lyrics of her latest single read like a defense of white privilege and white anger — specifically, white people who feel that they are being left behind as other races and groups start to receive dignity and legally recognized rights. “We will not be replaced” and “I don’t like your kingdom keys” are not different in tone or message. Both are saying that whites feel threatened and don’t want to share their privilege. And there is no way to know for sure if Taylor is a Trump supporter or identifies with the white nationalist message, but her silence has not gone unnoticed.

“Quiet racism only needs subtle encouragement, and it seems that ‘look what you made me do�� fits the criteria perfectly.”

Swift is not one for politics. She did not endorse Hillary Clinton until November 8th, 2016 on the eve of the election. She has stayed away from race conversations directly, but her music has been interpreted as racially offensive before. Her song “Shake it Off” has come under fire many times [salon]. The song has long been considered an insult to black America, yet it debuted at the top of the charts and is one of Swift’s biggest hits. It is clear her message of being white, pretty, and consequence-free is one that many in America have embraced. And like the quiet support that Trump received to the surprise of polls, Democrats, and the world, Taylor is giving support to the white nationalist movements through lyrics that speak to their anger, entitlement, and selfishness.

When Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Beyonce openly campaigned for Hillary Clinton, Taylor’s political silence appeared to be a rejection of her peers’ support of the inclusive Democrat platform. And when one of the most popular female artists in the world declines to join the many in her field in voicing for progressive politics, it could well be construed as her lending support to the voices rising against embracing diversity and inclusion emblematic of Trump supporters. Further, the single attacks other pop stars in the same way that the alt-right has attacked the “liberal” media. Taylor’s song identifies with the oppressed conservative trope, and the song is indeed their anthem.

Taylor Swift was called “Nazi barbie” by Camille Paglia, who stated that Swift is “a silly, regressive public image of white 50’s America.” That seems to fit nicely with the imagery of the alt-right. Her lyrics are like an affirmation for everything the alt-right has been feeling for years: oppressed, afraid to come out, and made to look like a fool. And now that they feel empowered, it befits the movement to have a white, blonde, conservative pop star that has no doubt been “bullied” by people of color in the media, singing their feelings out loud. And with a president that openly addresses hate groups and justifies racial hatred, this is not a time for neutrality.

And while pop musicians are not respected world leaders, they have a huge audience and their music often reflects their values. So Taylor’s silence is not innocent, it is calculated. And if that is not true, she needs to state her beliefs out loud for the world — no matter what fan base she might lose, because in America 2017, silence in the face of injustice means support for the oppressor.

AS MUCH AS I WOULD LOVE TO SEE KARMA COME TAYLOR SWIFT’S AWAY THIS IS BULLSHIT.

#tAYLOR sWIFT

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pjbehindthesun · 7 years

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chapter 4: acoustics and interruptions

Saturday, June 23rd, 1990

“Wait, where am I going??” Lucy squints over the wheel of her Corolla.

“Straight, straight, it’s just at the end of the block…” I do my best not to laugh at her, honestly, the girl has the world’s worst sense of direction. She could get lost in a paper bag with a map and a flashlight. “Ooh, ooh, park here, park HERE!” I shout, pointing to an upcoming parallel parking spot. Honestly we could have walked here too, but Lucy thought it was too far and she was nervous about the neighborhood.

My friend somehow works her car into the space, and I somehow occupy myself with something terribly interesting outside the car window to avoid laughing at the Morse code-like taps against bumpers and curbs that ensue in the process. “Hey, we made it! Will you relax now? Why are you so worked up anyway?”

“I’m just nervous! You’re not?? God, Cora, we saw them back in February, he’s like a legitimate rock star!”

“And also a legitimate pest.”

“But seriously, he’s so intimidating-looking…”

“Nah, you’ll see, he’s like… he’s like this big, lovable older brother you never wanted.”

“Well, it’s too bad Alex couldn’t come tonight to meet your brother…” she raises an eyebrow at me as she shuts off the car.

Yeah. Too bad. She knows me too well. Chris and Alex would have gotten along like cats and dogs, which is so stupid, because there’s absolutely no reason for Alex to be jealous. Chris is married! But Alex always gives me a hard time about guy friends. It’s just easier not to have them, usually, but Chris has been pretty persistent. I smile inwardly. I’m actually kind of relieved Alex decided to go out with the guys instead, but I can’t admit that, not even to Lucy. “Yeah, too bad, he just wasn’t feeling up to it tonight, poor guy.”

We walk under the overpass and along the brick wall to the door of the Off Ramp and make our way inside, where we are instantly greeted by the loud, sludgy chords of the opening band, so heavy that I can feel the air in my lungs shaking with the beat. Tad, I think Chris said? I’m way too short to see much of anything through the crowd, but they sound amazing. My Chucks stick slightly to the floor and the air smells thickly of beer and smoke, and it makes me grin ear to ear. School hasn’t left me with a lot of spare time to explore the music scene out here yet, but I missed the hell out of divey clubs like this one. I nudge Lucy and we head over to the bar. I squeeze past a pretty English girl with long, curly dark hair who’s even shorter than me and deep in conversation with some guy about acoustics in outer space. I have to will my not-so-inner science nerd not to barge into their conversation, so instead I flag down the bartender and check on my friend. Lucy is her usual willowy, tall, beautiful, unassuming self tonight in a cute floral dress and white Keds, fidgeting nervously next to me. Meanwhile, I might get mistaken for a roadie any second in a white T-shirt and old jeans that are literally acid-washed from a lab accident last fall. In my defense, I did spend the whole day in the lab, and at least I put on a shirt that doesn’t have soil stains on it.

The band wraps up their last song just as the bartender comes back with our beers. I look around for Chris, futilely, of course… even trying to lean up on the bar edge is not exactly helping my vertically challenged vantage point…

“CORAAAAAAA!” And suddenly my field of vision is obscured by a crazy tangle of black curls as a shirtless guy sweeps me off my feet and parks me on the bar itself. “You made it!”

“Hi to you too, Chris,” I grin lazily, as if this is a totally normal human interaction, mostly because Lucy’s jaw is on the floor and it’s hilarious to see her all shaken up. The bar is tall, putting me above eye level with Chris. I rest my hands on his shoulders and squint at him through his curtain of hair with mock concern… “say, did you get shorter or something?”

“You wish, baby bear.” He turns around and gestures to a group of guys over by the stage, who descend on us. “Guys! This is Cora!” He picks me up like I weigh nothing at all and whirls me around, setting me down on my feet in front of this newly arrived wall of musicians. “And you are?” he asks Lucy, who’s looking dazed as I introduce them and Chris shakes her hand.

“Matt, Kim, Ben – Cora, these guys are my posse – guys, this is Cora, the girl I was telling you about! And this is Lucy!” Another guy, one I actually recognize, nudges his way to the front of the pack to figure out the source of Chris’s commotion. “And this is Jeff” – he points to my neighbor, and I can’t help grinning as Lucy turns bright red – “and oh hey, Stoney!” he bellows as he flags down another tall, slender guy to come join us. Fuck, is everyone in Seattle tall but me? I feel like a Hobbit.

“Stone, just Stone,” the guy corrects with an eye roll in Chris’s direction, before looking back at me. “Nice to meet you, Cora,” Stone says in a lazy voice. “Chris has been talking about you nonstop for like two weeks. Had to see if you live up to the legend he’s told us,” he smirks down at me and flips his long brown hair over his shoulder. Based on the “dude, seriously?” look he just got from Jeff, I can tell that it’s not unusual for him to try to make people uncomfortable, so I fire back.

“The legend? Oh no, Chris, you told them about the tourists we killed and ate on the trail? That was supposed to be our little secret,” I say innocently, licking my fingers and picking my teeth. Lucy’s looks like she’s about to implode from embarrassment. Jeff’s smiling at her and Chris is hanging back, watching the scene, grinning like Satan himself.

Stone sputters with laughter. “Careful, I hear those tourists will go straight to your ass, very fattening.” Jeff tears his eyes off Lucy long enough to scowl at Stone and punch him in the shoulder.

“What the fuck, man?” Jeff glances sideways at me and then back to his friend. Aww. Defending the lady. I try not to roll my eyes. Bless his heart.

“Beats all these skin-and-bones Seattle boys, like a bunch of plants that have been kept in the dark,” I poke Stone hard in his skinny chest and pull a scowl. He blinks down at me with big doe eyes, and for a split second I can see he’s stumped for words. Time to ease up, I just met the guy.

“So you’ve been hearing about me for weeks, huh? What’s this moron been telling you?” I nod in Chris’s direction and try a gentle smile, more to make Jeff and Lucy feel at ease than anything else, although it seems like they don’t need my help because they’ve already turned away from us and are chatting in an appallingly cute and wholesome manner.

Chris is the one who answers. “Just that you’re a sexy soil scientist who’s going to save the world from pollution… and forest fires.” I shoot Chris a dirty look that makes him chuckle. “Ok, ok, I know when I’m not wanted… might as well go play a show!” He winks, rounds up his band, and makes toward the stage.

With Jeff and Lucy flirting animatedly over at the bar, I’m left with Stone, who raises an insolent eyebrow.

“So, sexy soil scientist… tell me about these sexy soils…”

My eyes roll so hard I fear I’ve maybe pulled a muscle. “Chris is unreal. Honestly, I study dirt and it’s the least fucking sexy thing imaginable, he just said it to piss me off.” The snap in my voice surprises even me, and I can tell it surprises Stone too. The poor guy blinks down at me with a stunned look on his face. How could he know I spent my entire Saturday in the lab troubleshooting an ancient ion chromatograph that will be waiting for me tomorrow, just as obstinate in its refusal to give me data as it was when I first got to the lab this morning. Or that my advisor is absolutely no help and there’s no one else around in the department I can even ask. Or that the lab fridge was out of beer so I couldn’t even day-drink my way through the two hours on hold with tech support because even they didn’t know what to tell me. Okay, enough moping, time to recover before this poor guy thinks you’re a total psycho.

“Sorry. Long day. I just don’t want to talk about work. Surely you don’t like to talk shop when you’re not… uh, doing whatever it is you do?” I give him what I hope is an encouraging smile.

“I’m a musician, I play guitar,” he says laconically, looking around at nothing in particular but clearly endeavoring to seem cool.

He’s got an affected manner, which usually makes me want to run screaming, but he’s not very good at it. Just below the surface you can see he’s a dorky, awkward kid (takes one to know one), so his pretension just makes me laugh. “Oh, sorry, so I guess you’re still at the shop then. What’s the name of your band?”

“In between bands at the moment. I had this one band with Jeff for a while but that, uhm, ended in March, so I’m kind of just writing songs on my own right now, or with a friend here and there, just trying to figure things out.”

“Oh, yeah?” I was about to ask more about the kinds of songs he’s writing, or what happened with the old band, but before I can say anything else, the crowd starts screaming and I hear the first notes of Hands All Over, my favorite song from the cassette I picked up at the show at the Moore.

Stone and I are both quickly absorbed watching the show, or what I can see of it from here. Chris really is amazing. I can see what Lucy finds kind of terrifying, maybe, with his black cargo shorts and huge boots, and that brutalizing, scorched-earth voice. But it’s beautiful, too. A voice that can sing while screaming. A voice that sounds like the terror of a plane crash, but also a voice that somehow manages to put the whole thing gently back on the runway in one piece. And then there are his lyrics. These intensely heavy songs laced with frighteningly fragile thoughts. I’ve never heard another singer like him.

“I think he’s possessed,” Stone whispers in my ear, as if reading my mind. I look up at him and he widens his eyes and gasps in mock horror.

“Maybe, but you never met a nicer demon,” and we share a smile before turning back to watch the show.

Stone and I watch the rest of the set together over our beers, cracking jokes occasionally but mostly just enjoying the music. When the show’s over, he motions his head to the rear exit and produces a little glass pipe from his pocket. I grin and trail after him as he heads over.

We sit down on the curb outside the club. “So Stone’s not just a clever name, huh?”

“I don’t have to take this abuse, new girl. Do you want the pot or don’t you?” I bite my lip to tamp down the smile and nod.

“So how long have you lived here?” he asks as he packs the bowl with a furtive glance around.

I chuckle at the ground. “Is it that obvious?”

“Y’all ain’t from around here, are ya?” He smirks off into the distance, doing possibly the world’s worst imitation of a Southern accent before taking a hit and passing me the pipe.

“Ha! Something tells me you don’t get out of Seattle much. And no, I’m not from here. Asheville North Carolina, originally. I moved here a year ago.”

“For school, Chris said? Didn’t get enough book learning back in the hollers?” His words are barbed but the smile that accompanies them is welcoming, disarming, as if to say don’t listen to me, I know I’m full of shit, I’m just playing around, please play along.

“Welllll I started to have my doubts after they taught us in 3rd grade that Jefferson Davis rode a pterodactyl to victory in every major American war…” I say, stretching out what little drawl I still have as far as it’ll go before I hit the pipe.

He chuckles. “Yeah. I think you belong out here with us.” It’s an odd thing to say to someone you’ve just met, so I look up to try and catch his meaning, but he’s still looking away, scanning the street. Not big on eye contact, this guy.

“Well it beats the sticks, at least. You grew up here, I take it?”

“Born and raised.”

“Always wanted to be a musician?”

“Yeah. Always. I went to art school and I have unrepentant hippies for parents, so there was never much hope.”

“Hippies, huh?”

“What, the name didn’t give it away?” He rolls his eyes and glances over with a small smile.

“I like it. Earthy. Grounded. Solid.” I can’t pun with a straight face to save my life. Or maybe the weed’s kicking in already. I stifle a giggle.

“Says the professional dirt worshipper!” he laughs.

“Unabashedly.” I hold my hands up like I’ve been caught robbing a bank, shuffling my sneakers on the pavement. “Honestly I’ve seen people worship stupider shit.”

“Well you’re not wrong there. Probably more of us could stand to find something like god out in the woods. Maybe we’d take better care of things that way.”

“Oh, a fellow tree-hugger then?” I grin.

“Afraid so.” He finally flicks his eyes up to mine with a serious expression. And his eyes are striking. Olive green, with eyelashes most girls would probably kill for.

“Yeah, well, Alex thinks I’m wasting my time in school for anything related to the environment, thinks we all just need to focus on getting the fuck to Mars so we don’t have to worry about conservation. Says the damage is already done, so why should our generation have to fix everyone else’s mistakes?”

“And who is this Alex? Some kind of Nobel laureate, clearly.”

“Oh, Alex is my boyfriend.” Hadn’t I mentioned him already?

“Huh,” is all Stone says. Evidently not. The pause that follows is uncomfortable after the steady rhythm we’d fallen into.

“He moved out with me from Asheville,” I say. Why I am answering a question Stone didn’t ask? Why did he clam up?

“So this Cletus fella, he’s not in graduate school with you?”

“Alex! And no. We met during the first week of college. He’s a programmer, and he’s brilliant.”

“I’ll bet he is. And how long have you and Jimbob been a'courtin’?” The momentary thaw seems to have vanished and he’s back to teasing me. I pull a face and elbow him in the ribs.

“ALEX. Five years now.” Stone raises his eyebrows and nods down at the curb. “So tell me about your glamorous guitarist life,” I ask, figuring it’s time for a change of subject. “You had a band?”

“Yeah. Me and Jeff did. Guitar and bass,” he points at his chest and then vaguely back at the club. “Mother Love Bone, maybe you’d heard of us?” he says, passing the pipe back without looking up.

I shake my head and take another hit. “Sorry. You forget I’m still pretty new here. What happened, why the past tense?”

“We uh, lost our singer,” he says quietly. “Couple of months back. Overdose.”

Gone is the imperviousness. The sarcasm. The insouciance. What’s left is an awkward kid sitting on a curb, boring a hole into the ground with his stare, cradling a raw wound. That I have just rubbed salt into with my blundering curiosity.

“Fuck… fuck, I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. I mean, you didn’t know, it’s okay.” He recovers his bearings a little. “Not okay that it happened, obviously, but it’s okay that you asked.”

I figure silence is my best bet right now, because what can I say? After a little while, Stone goes on.

“Andy. Andy Wood. He was our singer. And a really good friend. He… Jeff and I are still promoting the stuff we did as a group before he died. We put all this work in for two years on this album, so we’re trying to show that to people now. And trying to figure out what comes next, if anything. I’ve been playing guitar with this guy Mike, and he wants the three of us to pull something together, but I don’t fucking know.” He kills the rest of the bowl and taps out the ashes on the curb before stowing the pipe back in his pocket.

“Will it still be Mother Love Bone, or something else?”

“I think we would all need it to be something else. It’s hard, we’ve had people ask us about keeping the band going, sending us tapes of weird Andy tributes… I have no idea how –”

Stone is abruptly cut off by a pair of wasted guys who stumble outside and almost trip over us. “Watch where the fuck you’re going, would you?” I grumble. One of them gapes down at me.

“Hey, girl… your hair’s so red…”

“You’re quick.” My voice is level, but Stone’s watching me carefully like he’s unsure whether he should speak up or not.

“So baby, does the carpet match the drapes?” his friend slurs.

Stone’s mouth flies open, but before he can say anything, I respond in complete deadpan, “it’s tile.”

“What the fuck… god, whatever, these fuckin’ weird chicks, dude…” the guys stumble off into the night as Stone dissolves in hysterics on the curb next to me.

“That was great! Wait a second, did he think I was a chick?” he manages to gasp out between laughs.

“And you find that more offensive than what he thought about me??” I tease.

“Hell yes, I am as macho as they fuckin’ come.”

“My mistake, Stoner.” We’re still cracking up like a couple of fucking potheads when another pair comes tumbling out of the door, but this time I’m the one gaping as I see Lucy pulling a beaming Jeff by the hand out behind the club.

“See, that’s better,” she’s giggling, “we can actually hear each other out –”

Then she and Jeff notice us and shout, “Cora!” and “Stone!” at the same time, and he and I break down laughing all over again.

“Shit, they’re fucking high,” Jeff laughs. “You save us any?”

“Didn’t know you were coming out to sample the night air, otherwise we would have,” I’m grinning so broadly at Lucy that my cheeks hurt. She bites her lip sheepishly and mumbles something about it being too loud inside to hear.

“I bet. Stone, let’s give these guys some peace and quiet,” I say as we get up from our spot on the curb. Lucy’s stammering apologetic nonsense for no good reason at all, but Jeff’s smiling like an idiot.

“Oh yeah, carry on, children,” Stone purrs before following me inside.

***

Cora grabs me by the hand and pulls me back towards the bar. “WE NEED BEER!” she hollers over the din. I’m not arguing with that.

The club hasn’t emptied at all, but for a tiny little person, she cuts through the crowd like a knife. She drops my hand to flag down the bartender and puts down $2 just as I’m trying to get my wallet out of my back pocket.

“No, let me get it –”

She cuts me off. “Your macho is showing again. Come on, let me pay you back” she mouths the last three words “for the pot.”

“If you insist.”

“You bet your ass,” she hands me a bottle and smiles at me with those big, sparkling dark brown eyes. I wish she wasn’t so pretty. And unavailable. And hilarious, and kind, and warm. And unavailable.

“So do you and Billy-Bob – OW” I clutch my shoulder where she’s just punched me “– fine, Alex, do you guys live around here?”

“Yeah, we live on the same floor as Jeff, he didn’t tell you?”

Oh hell, it’s that Alex? This poor girl. I had no idea Cora was Jeff’s neighbor, but I’ve heard a fucking earful about Alex. “No, uh, he didn’t.” No need to tell her what he has actually told me, then.

“And what do you think of our fair city?”

She finishes a swig of beer and says, “not much at all yet, I don’t get out a lot.”

“But you’ve lived here a whole year?”

“Yeah, but I work a lot, and I go to Alaska every summer, and –”

I’m just cutting her off to ask what the hell she goes to Alaska for when Mike materializes out of the crowd and slumps against my shoulder.

“Heyyy Stone,” he slurs with a big dopey grin, and Cora smiles back with a quick bite of her lip.

“Friend of yours?” she asks with raised eyebrows.

“Mike, Cora. Cora, Mike. Cora, Mike is a guitar genius and a stinky drunk. Mike, Cora is a nerdy redneck and a friend of Chris’s.”

Mike garbles something about how any friend of Chris’s is a friend of his, much to Cora’s amusement, just as Chris appears over Cora’s shoulder with his arm around Susan.

“Looks like we got a drinker,” he says with a gentle smile. “You good, Cready?”

Mike hiccups and gives a thumbs up.

“How are you guys getting home?” Susan frowns. “You all look a little south of sober.”

“I left my car at Jeff’s place, we were gonna walk back in a little bit.” Whenever Jeff’s done putting the moves on Lucy, I guess.

Cora pipes up. “Oh, we drove, Lucy and me, I bet she’s still sober. Wanna ride?”

“Thanks, friendofChris’s,” Mike mumbles drowsily, still leaning heavily on me.

“You and Lucy?”

“Yeah, she lives in our building. Keep up, Stoner,” she winks at me. “Let me go find her.” She ducks off into the crowd, leaving me to support Mike and catch up with Chris about the tour they’re about to go on.

A few minutes later, she reappears with the two lovebirds in tow, and I notice they’re holding hands.

“I found your bassist,” she says with a sly smile.

“Fuck yes,” muses the drunk on my shoulder.

“Former bassist,” I roll my eyes and Jeff uses his free hand to flip me off with a lazy smile. “Lucy,“ I go on, “would you take pity on a bunch of drunks and give us a ride, please?”

“Of course,” she says with a smile, but she’s looking at Jeff when she says it. These two are so sweet it’s nauseating.

We say our goodbyes to Chris and Susan and make our way out to Lucy’s beat-up Corolla. I unload an almost-passed out Mike into one back seat before heading around the car to get in on the other side. Jeff’s lining up behind me, but Cora cuts in front of both of us.

“You’re the tallest, Jeff, I can’t let you squish back here! You should sit up front.” She sounds sincere, but there’s something in her face that loudly broadcasts mischief. Jeff just shrugs, clearly not willing to argue with anything that puts him closer to Lucy, and Cora tucks herself into the middle and pats the vacant seat impatiently. “You’re bossy, Red,” I laugh as I climb in.

“You’re ungrateful, Stoner.”

“God, you two are like an old married couple already,” Jeff grumbles from the front seat as Lucy brings the ancient car to life.

I breathe a sigh of relief as we pull into the parking lot of their apartment building. Lucy’s a very sweet girl, but I almost feel like we would have been safer with one of the drunks at the wheel. I hate to use the fucking stereotype, but she legitimately is one of the worst drivers I’ve ever seen.

On the other hand, I spent the entire car ride crammed in next to Cora and having a fabulous time bickering with her relentlessly about the music on the radio. As we wave goodnight to Lucy on the 3rd floor and Cora on the 4th, I already miss the way her hair smells and the way she talks with her hands and the way she swats at me when she’s annoyed and the way she gets my humor and the way she makes me feel like we’re the only ones around for miles. So, it’s not all bad.

#behind the sun #chapter 4 #fanfiction #fanfic #chris cornell #kim thayil #matt cameron #ben shepherd #stone gossard #jeff ament #mike mccready #pearl jam #soundgarden

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