20 LGBTQ+ Musicians Who Will Add More Than a Little Pep to Your Step
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Listen up, children. Yes, it's LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Yes, that means you should spend all 30 days of June living your most colorful, authentic, dazzling truth. But you know what? I also firmly believe you should be living that life all year long. And what better way to be your best self than to put on some spectacular music and strut your stuff? When it comes to the art of song, today's most prominent LGBTQ+ artists are at the top of the game, releasing anthems, bops, bangers, jams, and whatever other terms you might use to refer to a tune that really slaps. So if you want to inject your Pride Month (and the rest of your year) with some truly stellar music, we've plucked a bunch of queer-identifying individuals for your next needed eargasm. Turn the sound up and live, honey.
Troye Sivan
Sivan is going all out for his second studio effort, titled Bloom. By balancing vibrant bops like "Bloom" and "My, My, My" with sorrowful ballads like "The Good Side," Sivan is setting himself up for an explosive Summer.
Janelle Monáe
Monáe has always had impeccable music, and fans have long surmised that queerness may be part of her identity. The artist lifted the veil and came out as queer in May, and now she's more authentic and badass than ever. And she has the game-changing music to back her up.
Years and Years
Years and Years has been delivering spectacularly queer music for quite some time, and the latest music is no exception. "If You're Over Me" is a perfect way to forget about that person who broke your little heart.
Kim Petras
Petras has been delivering smash hit after smash hit for almost a year, and she doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Her latest video, "Heart to Break," speaks to the universal yearning for that one lover who just doesn't seem to love you back.
Tove Lo
Clearly not afraid to push boundaries, Tove Lo has come from "Talking Body" and "Habits" to her completely addictive "Disco Tits." If you ask me, though, "Cool Girl" is the one song that will really have you bumping your shoulders.
MNEK
If you peeped our Summer jams playlist for 2018, you'll know MNEK has an addictive new song with none other than Hailee Steinfeld. But "Tongue" is the, um, cheeky song from earlier this year that has even more sauce in its beat.
Kehlani
Kehlani set the charts on fire with 2017's SweetSexySavage, and we can't wait to see what she'll do next. In the meantime, here's a literal "Distraction" for you.
Superfruit
With Pentatonix's Mitch Grassi and Scott Hoying at the helm, there was no way Superfruit wasn't going to be lit. Case in point: "Imaginary Parties."
St. Vincent
St. Vincent hasn't exactly stated her identity in an explicit way, but she has talked about her sexual fluidity with Rolling Stone, and she's been romantically linked to Cara Delevingne and even Kristen Stewart. But let's all stop splitting hairs and bask in the glory of "Los Ageless."
Lady Gaga
Yes, Gaga is a champion for the LGBTQ+ community, but she's been vocal about her own bisexuality for quite a long time. Talk about being strung out on "John Wayne," am I right?
Perfume Genius
All you need to do is watch "Slip Away" to be filled to the brim with Perfume Genius's brilliance.
Hayley Kiyoko
Kiyoko's unapologetically queer music has earned her the nickname "Lesbian Jesus" with her fans. There's something incredible about the brazen way she owns her identity in her songs, and that includes "Curious."
Frank Ocean
Ocean has long been a powerful and artistic voice in music, and he's the perfect addition to those mellow days when you just want to chill out. Turn up the volume and turn down.
Sia
Sia's queer identity aside, "The Greatest" is a striking demonstration of her love for the LGBTQ+ community. Meant to be a tribute to the lives lost in the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, FL, the song's powerful sounds and visuals will stay with you for a long time. And, frankly, the rest of Sia's music is just as powerful.
Sam Smith
Smith has been quite open about his identity from the very start, and you'd be hard pressed to find modern music as soulful and sweet as his. (OK, Adele's up there too.)
Miley Cyrus
Cyrus revealed her pansexual identity in a 2016 interview with Variety, and her 2017 album, Younger Now, even nods to it with "She's Not Him."
Kesha
Kesha has been quite vocal about her bisexuaity, and nothing captures her journey more brilliantly than the work on her most recent album, Rainbow. The title track especially speaks to a triumphant exploration and embrace of self.
Adam Lambert
Lambert has quite a few hits under his belt, including "Whataya Want From Me," "If I Had You," "Another Lonely Night," and "Ghost Town." Mostly recently, he delivered a bona-fide bop in "Two Fux," which has been stuck in my head for the better part of a year.
Halsey
Halsey tends to wink at fans quite a bit in her music, so let's all wink right back.
Demi Lovato
Though Lovato has historically been very private about her sexuality, she's recently been a little more lax about it. Not we can listen to "Sorry Not Sorry" and project so many more things onto it.