As if you needed reminding, the time in between this year's Mardi Gras and last has been weird. Clubs were stripped from us for the most part and a year of dancefloor bangers were left to exist in a world without dancefloors. This year's Mardi Gras is going to be a little different in Sydney with dancing still banned but it doesn't mean you can't jig in a chair or cut moves at home. 

With that in mind, it's time we updated our Mardi Gras playlist and gave some volume to the songs that didn't get the dancefloor justice they deserved last year. These are the bangers by LGBTQI artists we need to hear. 

Tayla Parx - Dance Alone

Parx released Dance Alone off her second record Coping Mechanisms when it was basically all we could do. "I don't wanna dance alone," she sings but honestly if it's to this song we'll take it. A slick, disco-tinged cut that reinforces Parx ability to write an effortless bop. 

Sam Smith - Dance (Til You Love Somebody Else)

Sam Smith decided they were going to go back to club jams in the year that the clubs shut. Dance (Til You Love Somebody Else) is taken from their third album Kids Again and it's co-produced by Guy Lawrence, one half of Disclosure. We all know that Disclosure and Smith make magic together so it's no surprise that this is a floor-stomper. A pulsating, glossy track with a euphoric chorus.

G Flip - Queen (Feat. mxmtoon, Touch Sensitive Remix)

G Flip wrote a laid-back anthem with mxmtoon and then decided it needed to be danceable too. That's where Touch Sensitive comes in. He gave this a shiny, disco update to ensure that it gets people dancing in their socially distanced apartment parties for Mardi Gras. And once dancing returns later this month, we're going to tear it up to this in the club. 

Ashnikko - Deal With It (Feat. Kelis)

If you've got a little anger to rid yourself of this Mardi Gras, Ashnikko's middle-finger anthem Deal With It is the perfect song for it. Incorporating Kelis' iconic hook from Caught Out There, Deal With It packs an angsty punch doubled down by Ashnikko's eclectic, powerful voice.

Carlie Hanson - Good Enough

If dancefloor euphoria isn't really your vibe then Carlie Hanson has the right bangers for you. Good Enough from last year's DestroyDestroyDestroy is the perfect soundtrack to a little dancefloor angst. It's the most trap-driven song on the list and while it's not a hands-in-the-air moment, it's certain to get you all in your feels.

Troye Sivan - Easy (Remix Feat. Kacey Musgraves)

Troye Sivan is no stranger to making gay anthems. Easy may not be as danceable as My My My! but it's a moody banger in its own right. With Kacey Musgraves on board, it's the perfect opportunity to whip out the cowboy boots and bring a little line dancing to Mardi Gras. It may not sound like the appropriate setting but it will go off. Promise.

Romy - Lifetime

The xx's Romy decided last year that everyone needed a little pick me up and so she gave us Lifetime. Finding inspiration in '90s UK rave, she made a euphoric, transcendent anthem that just makes you feel good everywhere. It's a warm hug on the dancefloor from a time when physical versions of those weren't available. 

Kim Petras - Malibu

We're always living out the final days of summer warmth during Mardi Gras and nothing will extend the heatwave like Kim Petras' Malibu. The most accessible thing Petras has ever made, it's a glorious, widescreen pop song that holds absolutely nothing back. When this plays, we'll take a cocktail for every chorus, thanks. 

King Princess - Only Time Makes It Human

King Princess has made dancefloor anthems before but nothing with as much immediate groove as Only Time Makes It Human. That beat slaps straight away and KP struts through with an effortlessly cool vocal. If you've got an ex you're getting over, this song will feel cathartic. 

Honey Dijon - Not About You (Feat. Hadiya George)

Absolute queen of the dancefloor Honey Dijon would usually have burnt up dancefloors all around the world throughout the year. She didn't, obviously, but she did give us this bass-rattling tune Not About You. It's rooted in Chicago house with a beat that drives straight through to the core. 

Rina Sawayama - Lucid

Take your pick of Rina Sawayama songs to add to the list but Lucid may just go off the most on a dancefloor. The Bloodpop-produced jam was tacked onto SAWAYAMA at the end of last year and confirms Sawayama's place as a pop icon. That drop is ecstatic, dancefloor-filling stuff. 

Victoria Monet - Experience (Feat. Khalid)

Last year was the year of disco's return but few did it with as much class as Victoria Monet. Her track Experience features Khalid and was produced by SG Lewis (who was also behind Dua Lipa's Hallucinate). The result is a track that sounds like Donna Summer's music was pulled into 2020. 

Lil Nas X - Holiday

Lil Nas X held out on new music for a long time but he finally returned at the end of last year dressed like gay santa. Stripped of the country vibes that graces Old Town Road, this one's a futuristic cut that comes complete with choreo. It's all below if you feel like learning it.

United Kingdolls - UK, Hun?

Ru Paul's Drag Race UK has breathed new life into the series and now it's got a hit of its own. UK, Hun? co-produced by Troye Sivan writer Leland is so ridiculously catchy it should be illegal. The chorus is absolute nonsense but one listen and you'll be hooked. BING BANG BONG SING SANG SONG. 

Joel Corry - Head & Heart (Feat. MNEK)

MNEK, who has been writing bangers for yonks, had a standout year in 2020. He nabbed a big record both in the UK and Australia with Head & Heart. It's a thumping, UK house track with one of the most recognisable choruses of the year. On top of that MNEK has one hell of a voice. 

Kali Uchis - telepatía

Kali Uchis is currently enjoying a runaway hit with telepatía and it's too good not to include here. When you've reached your tempo peak for the night, pull it back with this suave, neon-lit cut. It goes without saying, we could simply melt into Uchis' voice. 

Arca - KLK (Feat. Rosalia)

For those who search for something a little pointer, Arca's Rosalía collab from last year KLK is perfect. It's an alarming, industrial track that's relentless from start-to-finish. It feels like it's constantly attacking you with sound and it's absolutely thrilling. 

Get around our Mardi Gras playlist here if you're after some more dancefloor fillers!