Around the Sydney Mardi Gras, everyone’s blaring Ce Ce Peniston. Or blasting Diana Ross. Or bopping to some old Scissor Sisters song. But in the modern queer context, fast-paced dance pop from the late '90s often isn’t what we vibe with & what makes us feel good. I thought I’d take this time as the 40th Mardi Gras approaches to showcase a smorgasbord of different LGBTQIA artists that come from different countries, backgrounds & genres - an artist for everyone’s taste and hopefully, an artist that talks to everyone’s experience.
Hayley Kiyoko - for the pop kids
Former Velma in a couple of Scooby-Doo flicks & consistent deliverer of good pop songs Hayley Kiyoko is a no-BS voice for young queer women. Hayley talks in her songs about the intricacies of dating other women - she’s a self-confessed nervous oversharer, she incessantly questions whether she’s saying the right things, but applies a thin layer of braggadocio when navigating the dating circle. LGBT people do that naturally - our experiences of never being sure if we’re doing the ‘right’ thing become a big part of how we date, and Hayley’s so incredible at explaining that in her music.
BROCKHAMPTON - for the rap heads
For a lot of young people, rap’s always felt like a queer-exclusionary genre - but a new wave of LGBT rap artists like Miss Blanks, Le1f and BROCKHAMPTON are really turning that on its head. Rap can be an amazing tool for expression and catharsis and this ~193-piece collective, spearheaded by Kevin Abstract, who’s a gay artist - are pushing an incredibly freeing movement that allows LGBT people - and all people - to feel part of this genre.
Janelle Monae - for… literally everyone
Janelle’s particularly exciting because she’s never actually defined her sexuality. Her once-in-a-career new single Make Me Feel arrived parallel with a video that buys into internet queer culture’s obsession with ‘bisexual lighting’ - blue on one side and magenta on the other. As Vulture observed, it provides “a gently playful tone [that] leaves space for young queers to learn to love themselves while simultaneously reckoning with the difficulties of their lot.” An icon, without even trying to be one.
Sports Bra - for the emo kids with big hearts
Sydney’s Sports Bra haven’t been together for that long but as soon as they started releasing their DIY music, they immediately built fans for life in the oodles that could relate. Their sweet take on punk comes with so much heart, positivity for the future & a heart-on-sleeve expression of their experiences as queer people.
Brayton Bowman - for the unashamed, loud queers
I have never heard a Brayton Bowman song I didn’t like. His slickly-produced bops all surround being a young gay man - but with the added themes of being dirt broke, being a small town kid living in the big city of NYC and navigating that as a realist.
Kehlani - for the smooth operators
Kehlani takes being in an openly queer relationship seriously. She knows her role as an openly queer woman with success in music means she can show other young women it’s okay to be gay, proud, and loud. She delicately navigates her ‘type’ on her song Honey - a beautiful ode to the comfort and escape a perfect relationship can bring, regardless of who it’s with.
Lontalius - for the indie kids
Before I was in a really comfy relationship I used to listen to sad songs like this one by underrated NZ kid Lontalius and it would make me yearn for something I had never had. Now I listen to it and it makes me grateful for what I’ve got after the shit I’ve been through as a young queer guy. It’s worth having in your playlist during whatever part of that journey you’re at.
