This work is marked with CC0 1.0
This work is marked with CC0 1.0
Happy pride month! I haven't been very active with this blog; I've had a few ideas come through that I didn't finish and I'm generally entertained with other projects currently. But since its June, and I'm very queer and proud, I'd figure it would be fun to make a little list of my favorite lgbtq+ artists!
glass beach is a very obvious pick for anyone whos aware of them. Their 2019 debut Power Pop/Emo record is known for being vibrant and bold with its queer and non-conformity themes. From the sappy gay love song "cold weather" to the caring and encouraging "yoshi's island" about growing trans in an unacepting family, the amount they wear their pride on their sleeves is really refreshing.
100 gecs is known for sparking the flagship genre of the 2020s, Hyperpop. Their debut, also in 2019, "1000 gecs"is a wild mash of trap, brostep (what most "dubstep" actually is), and ska of all things. Its hands-down one of the most bombastic and unique albums i know of. Laura Les, the lead singer, has cited being trans as contributing to exploring different musical and singing styles, including the nightcore-style pitched up hyper-autotuned vocals used almost exclusively on their first record, which where used partially due to dysphoria with her voice. Their second release, "10,000 gecs", actually sees Les using much less autotune as a result of becoming a much more confident vocalist, and its detail that personally touched me and lead to her being a bit of an inspiration for me.
Tyler, The Creator made one of the hardest flipflops between attitude and aesthetic when he released "Flower Boy" in 2017. Up to that point, Tyler had been known for overly edgy lyricism and having roots in the niche Horrorcore genre. Flower Boy completely shattered this expectation with a beautifully produced fusion of Hip-Hop and Psychedelia, with incredibly introspective themes about materialism and wanting to break away from the reputation he had built up. This culminates in the track "Garden Shed", an ethereal and truely beautiful piece about coming out. If you have not heard this track before, i highly encourage you to go listen to it right now. Its the kind of song that could bring me to tears. This album meant a lot to me growing up, and helped a lot with me accepting my, at the time, confusing and changing identity.
12 RODS is probably the most explicit with their queer themes on this list. "Split Personalities", released in 1998, is a Dream Pop/Shoegaze record about growing up gay in a middle-of-nowhere traditionalist town. Its a really pretty listen, and the lyricism in tracks like "I Wish You Were A Girl" and "Make Out Music" are very personal and give insight into what its like to be a confused queer kid. If I was younger when I first heard it, I'm sure it would've been an incredibly formative album for me.