INTRIGUING MUSIC RELATED LISTS. HONEST OPINIONS. MUSICAL DISCOVERIES. CONCERT STORIES. ALBUM REVIEWS. INFORMATIVE PIECE.
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PRIDE ANTHEMS WITH FRIENDS
Hello friends, music fans, strangers, members of the community, and allies, thank you for taking the time to read this important and beautifully empowering article that some of my best friends and I worked hard on. I hope exploring this piece makes you feel as proud as writing and sharing it has made us feel. Depending on your personal experiences and where you stand, I also hope this article provides you with comfort and hope and perhaps opens your heart and mind to accept people (including yourself) for who they are and who they love. Enjoy reading about this incredibly special and diverse collection of songs!
TRUE TRANS SOUL REBEL BY AGAINST ME!
As a transwoman, one of the musicians I have to talk about and is essential to any pride playlist is Laura Jane Grace, one of the greatest punk rockers ever and a trans icon. When the Against Me! frontwoman came out as trans in late 2012, it was crucial to my journey in figuring out my gender identity. My 18-year-old self thought "Whoa, I can do that?" It's hard to pinpoint exactly when I knew I wanted to be and identify as female, but this moment was one of many that made me realize who I am and who I want to be. And Against Me!'s 2014 album Transgender Dysphoria Blues was one of those life-changing albums for me. True Trans Soul Rebel perfectly describes the desire to be trans but also the feelings of isolation in a world where people wrongfully judge and hate trans people for no reason. Laura Jane Grace sings in the chorus "Does God bless your transsexual heart?". I don't know about the MAGA Christians who blindly worship Republicans over their own god these days and hate others for who they love, but my god loves me. It's an emotional yet comforting punk rock anthem, especially now more than ever since. It might even be the best punk song of the 2010s.
Miracle, Polysexual/Asexual, Trans girl, She/Her
GIRL OF MY DREAMS BY FLETCHER
A BEAUTIFUL SELF-LOVE ANTHEM. Here is a wild take: even the most confident looking people (whether they will admit it or not) can struggle loving themselves. Who knows? Those folks might be the ones who have the most difficult time practicing self-appreciation. That (flagrant) self-hatred would explain why some people violently hate others for being who they are. I am not saying every single queer individual has a more tragic existence than any (for example) straight white dude but it is often the reality. So yes, we queer kids, including me (clearly not a kid anymore, you get the idea) need a song like this one to remind ourselves that we are good enough; falling in love with who we are is achievable. My friends know way too well I have not been the luckiest when it comes to romantic love; however, this song has a way of validating every feeling and experience (or lack of). I am proud of what I have felt and for whom I have felt it. I may have never been in a romantic relationship; however, I know I am still worth loving. I applaud Fletcher for employing both he and she pronouns when referencing past personal experiences. We live in a world where some people are still convinced that being bisexual equals not being capable of choosing between boys and girls; NEWS FLASH: it is not even a fucking choice. Therefore, as someone who has friends who are not just gay or straight, I am grateful this track exists.
“I am the only girl of my dreams.”
Owner of this blog (if you know, you know), she/her, lesbian
VOICES BY MOTIONLESS IN WHITE
“If you're a fan of our band and you're also racist or homophobic or any of that kind of stuff, we don't want you anyway so...like, yeah I can't say that, like we don't want you as a fan of our band.” -Chris Motionless
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community and a fan of heavy music, when I discovered that song, I was thrilled. I think it is a cool thing that a hardcore band such as MIW made a song to support people who struggle inside. When their lead singer, Chris Motionless wrote the song, he said he was inspired by conversations he had with people from the community who have been having a hard time because of who they are and who they love. I was lucky enough to have a supportive circle when I came out as bisexual but I know it is not the case for everyone. Music helps people go through difficult moments, and I am sure this song has helped so many of their fans. When the band plays the song live, they always put the LGBTQ+ flag on the big screen behind them. Isn't it awesome? “If I showed you my soul, would you cover your eyes?”
Val, she/her, bi
TA REINE BY ANGÈLE
This French song by Belgian singer-songwriter Angèle is both beautiful beyond words and heart wrenching. In her soft and longing voice, it tells the story of a girl who secretly has feelings for another girl—for if only her lover knew how she felt, maybe she would feel the same too, despite what society has to say. The meaning behind this song is why I chose it for Pride Month. As a bi woman herself, Angèle faced a lot of backlash for her sexuality when a reporter outed her to the world—without her permission! Like her lyrics say, some people still unfortunately don't accept two women being in a relationship. Using the metaphor of kings and queens, Angèle shows how sexuality isn't a choice, no matter what. Why should you care about what society thinks, anyway? You simply aren't into "kings," and that's that. She doesn't need to say too much in her lyrics to perfectly and concisely illustrate how people treat queer folks on a daily basis and how heartbreaking an unrequited crush can feel, especially if you're unsure of their orientation too. As she says, they may not even be sure themselves of how they feel until a girl makes them realize what they have been denying in themselves, especially when society discourages those feelings. It's also hard sometimes for wlw to find love songs about their experience, let alone one in the French language, so "Ta reine" is one rare and precious gem if you ask me. For an even more ethereal and unique experience, check out the orchestral version of the song!
Cinti, she/her
FAST CAR BY TRACY CHAPMAN
When Ariane P. first invited me to join this writing journey, I had a hard time setting my mind on one song alone. While there are a lot of queer artists that I’ve discovered 7 years after I first came out to myself, my youth and that of many of my peers was shaped by songs that covertly expressed the desire for freedom, self-expression and love one holds before they can put a label on those feelings. I was reminded of this as “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman came on the radio the other day, and while it is not explicitly about two women to me it can not be about anyone else. It is a song about escaping the suffocating and limiting reality of one’s promised life within the heteropatriarchal status quo and living a life that may not be luxurious, but one that is lived with freedom and dignity and hope. The protagonist longs for this very freedom - they have given up their education in order to take care of their father who is struggling with alcohol addiction and have spent a large portion of their life putting their dreams aside. As they feel like they have already survived so much, they have “nothing to prove” - they invite their love interest to make something with them. This confidence to build a life for yourself in a world that does not hold space for you, where your history as a queer and, in Chapman’s case more specifically, Black American woman has been erased and expects you to conform to the lifestyle and constraints of your oppressors, the protagonist invites their lover to dream. The car represents the reality that they are independent and the only thing stopping them is the fear of failure, of taking the first step. The possibilities of a queer life, one with little to no blueprint, is enough to give our protagonist “the feeling that [they] can be someone”. As neither of the protagonists are men (I would argue), there is also less of direction for how they are to provide for each other - instead of having strict gender roles, they will have to figure out what each of them has to give. Both of them have to get a minimum wage job, one of them can be relied on for their car, but that’s about all there is. They “make a deal” on equal grounds, at zero, something that queer women have historically done for as long as records of our existence have been preserved. Still, such a life is full of possibilities but also full of obstacles that many people, especially back in the day, did not survive or developed unhealthy coping mechanisms to keep themselves going. As the protagonist’s lover succumbs to alcohol addiction, she does not give up - she is going nowhere, she is sticking it out alongside her partner and maintains her hope for a better tomorrow. Why am I crying?
“You gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way”
A.E., she/her, bi :)
SAME LOVE BY MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS FEAT. MARY LAMBERT
Despite being written by two straight white males, I believe in the legitimacy and authenticity of this song. It is crucial to specify that Macklemore and Ryan Lewis did not work on this track alone; they teamed up with singer-songwriter Mary Lambert: a proud lesbian. I discovered this song at a pivotal moment of my existence: I was recently out to myself.
Furthermore, I was fortunate enough to experience this song in a live setting almost ten years ago at Osheaga (a music festival in Montreal), and even though I was 1000000000000 miles away from the stage, I could feel the magic. Instead of using playback for Mary Lambert's part (which would have been more than okay), Macklemore and Ryan Lewis joined forces with the first queer icons I have discovered; the legendary Canadian twins Tegan and Sara. I can recall my jaw dropping; feeling surprised, excited, and so so happy. There is something about this track lyrically and sonically that always seems to get me emotional. This powerful tune is a reminder that while homophobia still affects millions; there is hope for the future. Who would have thought we would live in a world where certain rappers are courageous enough to write rhymes about gay rights. “And I can't change. Even if I tried Even if I wanted to.”
Owner of this blog (if you know), she/her, lesbian
MARS BY YUNGBLUD
I've decided to talk about Mars by Yungblud. I mainly chose this song because I know that it was inspired by a transgender fan he met at the 2018 Vans Warped tour. The song came to him after he was so moved by the fan's story and their parent's refusal to accept them. Not only do the lyrics tell the story of a transgender person, but they also speak to me personally as two of my best friends are transgender as well. Even though their stories differ and are not my own, they're both asking for the same things: to be accepted and respected. At the end of the day, isn't that what everyone deserves? A lot of people love this song too and how it represents one of the first times that some of them felt understood, seen and accepted. In a society like ours, I think that it's important to have artists like Yungblud—and the others mentioned in this article—who know how to use their voice and platform for a good purpose. On top of representing an entire community of people, they validate them in a way that is undeniably vital these days. I know that this article is mostly about songs, but since so many of Yungblud's songs relate to this topic, I can't help but recommend giving him a chance and dedicating a bit of your time to listening to him. Yungblud is such a special and unique artist to me, and I hope that listening to Mars will have convinced you that he is worth a shot. If that still isn't the case, I'd like to leave you with his own words.
“In terms of sexuality, I want to be an advocate for relaying the idea that you can love whoever the f**k you want to love without judgement at all, and you can identify any way you want to identify and no one should judge you for it." -Yungblud
Ariane T, She/Her
HONEY BY KEHLANI
That song is really important to me since it represents the starting point of my journey of becoming comfortable with my sexuality. Growing up, I knew something was different; however, I didn’t know what it was. Near the end of high school, I realized I liked girls and started finding more and more artists that were singing about girls. Those musical discoveries made me feel seen and understood. During my time in CEGEP in a visual art program, I learned a lot about myself; many of my friends were in the community. I actually used that song in one of my final projects. It felt very liberating in a way. I have also had the chance to hear that song live twice; it always feels amazing seeing fellow queer people and allies sing every single lyric. The experience makes me feel safe.
Alexandrine, she/her, lesbian
25:06 for the song
SAVE MYSELF BY ASHE
There are several different ways one can connect with music: the beat, the lyrics, the emotions behind the songs. There are a lot of songs out there about romance and sex, and as an aro-ace woman, I’m not going to connect with the sexual ones though I can find the ones with good beat entertaining. The love related songs though are filled with emotions that I can easily connect with. When my dad died, I couldn’t listen to rock music (which dad and I loved) anymore. This is when Ashe’s music came to my rescue. Her music is very soft, and her songs, many talking about her past relationship, spoke to me due to the emotions we shared. In“Save myself”, there is anger, regret, sadness, and guilt, which when you are grieving, you also feel, so I connected with the song so much. There were even parts of the lyrics that could fit my situation despite it being a completely different situation I was in. No matter what, there is always a way to find comfort in music.
Mel, she/her, aro-ace
FEELINGS BY HAYLEY KIYOKO
As someone who admittedly has many feelings and feels them very intensely while simultaneously having no idea what I feel, songs are a great way to unlock them. I knew I had strong feelings for one of my closest friends at the time, but couldn't decipher which variety they were. Then this specific song came along when I needed clarity. It was one of those situations where the songs start to make sense. It just lay out in the open what I couldn't figure out for a long while, a eureka moment if you will. It allowed me to come to terms with the things I had been struggling with at that point. It was wave after wave of surprise, acceptance, sadness, nostalgia; and that sometimes it's better to know than not to know at all.
Tango, she/questioning, bi-ace
RUSH BY ALY & AJ
During this time of year, many artists will step up in their allyship to support their LGBTQ fans. Aly & AJ are one of these artists but always go above and beyond year-round. Proceeds from some merch items in their online store go to The Trevor Project and the sister duo have played Pride events in the past. I am including Rush, the opening track from their 2005 debut album Into The Rush in this article because it has become a pride anthem in recent years. The chorus "Don't let nobody tell you that your life is over/Be every color that you are" is so powerful and inspiring. And again they released this song back in 2005 back when they were in their teens in their Disney channel era. In the 18 years since Aly & AJ's allyship supporting their LGBTQ+ fans has gotten even stronger time and time again. They have created a safe space for fans to be every color that they are.
Miracle, polysexual/asexual, trans girl, she/her
D&D + ASEXUALITY BY SKULL PUPPIES
Despite being written from a male's point of view, I can still easily relate to the lyrical content of the song. The lyrics of this track perfectly describe how I feel about relationships; I could not care less about the physical aspect. Someone's looks do not catch my attention.
I can still recognize a person's beautiful appearance; however, that's where the line is drawn. My interest in someone is not sparked by their pretty face. Moreover, the band has done an amazing job defining what intimacy means to me; it is all about spending quality time with the person.
Venus, Ace, They/Them
JUNKY BY BROCKHAMPTON
So when I heard this article was going to be about a Pride playlist, I obviously had to talk about Brockhampton, a group synonymous with inclusivity, queerness, and aesthetic! Brockhampton is a hip hop group formed in 2015 in San Marcos Texas, with 13 members from various backgrounds and identities, including queer members : Kevin Abstract, who is an openly gay black man, Dom McLennon and Joba, who are both bisexual. The Brockhampton albums have been a medium for these members to speak freely about their queer identities and promote acceptance and visibility. The group has developed a unique sound that blends hip hop with elements of pop and R&B. The beauty of this group is how they are breaking the stigma and “traditional” image of hip hop, often associated with toxic masculinity, criminality, and money. This group is quite literally changing the hip hop scene from being a homophobic space to being a space of self-expression and transparency. Their music talks about such important subjects such as problems relating to drug use, race, sexuality, homophobia, depression, and mental health, sexism, etc.
The song I picked explores Kevin Abstract’s coming out, his struggle to being accepted, and the internal demons he had to face. I particularly love the line : “I do the most for the culture, n****, by just existing”. By just being in the space, rapping about the themes like he does, by being openly himself, Kevin has become a role model for the young boys that are struggling to come out and feel confident in their sexual identity. Another line that stuck with me is “Why you always rap about bein’ gay? ‘Cause not enough n***** rap and be gay”. Kevin is saying it as it is, he’s paving the way for, hopefully, more queer artists in the hip hop community.
Serina, she/her
GIRLS LIKE GIRLS BY HAYLEY KIYOKO
One of the lines of the chorus is so simple yet incredibly compelling: “Girls like girls like boys do, nothing new.” It might sound obvious to the ones who are open-minded in the slightest but a lot of people out there are still completely ignorant or in denial about the fact that women falling in love with women has been a reality as old as time. No, it is not a new trendy concept created by teenagers and young adults to appear and sound cooler; being oppressed, getting rejected by your parents, and risking getting killed for being who you are is everything but cool. Once again, despite having it pretty easy for a gay young woman, I still had moments of doubt where I felt like I was not “normal” and almost refused to accept that I was not straight. Hearing this song simultaneously feels like receiving a warm hug and kicking homophobes in the ass. I recall watching this music video for the first time and feeling amazingly high; high on blissfulness. The two girls in the music video get to have a happy ending.
Owner of this blog (if you know, you know), she/her, lesbian
I KNOW A PLACE BY MUNA
When I was asked by Ariane if I wanted to collaborate on this article, one of the first artists I knew I wanted to talk about is MUNA. The all-queer trio has become one of my all-time favourite bands in recent years. Originally, I was going to include their song Silk Chiffon (ft. Phoebe Bridgers) but after watching their Coachella 2023 set on YouTube, I decided to instead go with I Know A Place. The 2017 single from their debut album About U is about going to a gay dance club where LGBTQ people can be themselves and be safe. Before playing the song in their set on the livestream, vocalist Katie Gavin said "I'd like to dedicate this song to our trans and queer fans in the audience and watching at home. We love you and are fighting for you". I almost teared up watching this moment in the stream. It was then I decided I wanted to write about I Know A Place instead. It is one of MUNA's many pride anthems and another comfort song for me. I felt safe when I saw MUNA in concert last August and always feel safe when I listen to them on my headphones. With all the scary anti-trans bills that have been introduced across the US, I Know A Place is my fight song.
Miracle, Polysexual/Asexual, Trans girl, She/Her
BOYFRIEND BY TEGAN AND SARA
INFECTIOUS POP PERFECTION WITH OPENLY QUEER LYRICS.
It was impossible for us to share some of our favourite Pride songs without including a track by our idols/Canadian queer icons: Tegan and Sara. We believe that if it were not for those amazingly talented twins, artists like Hayley Kiyoko and Fletcher would not necessarily have the opportunity to share flagrantly queer messages through their lyrics today. Tegan and Sara have never shied away from being honest from who they are and who they love despite how homophobic and sexist the music industry can be. Thank you for being incredibly brave, girls!
As Ariane mentioned, Tegan And Sara are essential to any pride playlist. We could have picked any song from their ten studio albums or even Everything Is Awesome! for this article. We agreed to include Boyfriend, the lead single from their 2016 masterpiece Love You To Death. The song channels Real McCoy's "Another Night" as it feels like a lost 90s dance song. As someone who discovered Tegan And Sara back in 2009 oddly enough through The White Stripes' cover of Walking With A Ghost, I feel like Boyfriend was the song that transformed me from a casual listener to a diehard Tegan And Sara fan. It is one of the catchiest songs in their discography (along with the rest of Love You To Death and basically every song they have recorded so far) and also feels like a perfect introduction song for newcomers.
Despite being bright and catchy, this song perfectly encapsulates a certain sadness; the sadness of being with someone who is perhaps ashamed to be with you. Yes, sadly, queer folks can also be homophobic. However, it is crucial to remember that some people are not ready to come out despite how incredibly in love they are with you. It hurts. Let’s face it; it hurts for them too. No matter what your situation is, I do believe this stellar track by T&S is an important reminder that you are not alone. Sometimes, significant others will treat you in inexplicable ways. Please know there is nothing with you.
Miracle and the owner of this blog
Honestly, this has to be one of the coolest (if not the coolest) articles I have ever had the chance to share with the world. Not only was it an absolute delight to compose, it truly felt like what we had to say about those songs mattered. As always, I hope this article provided you with the opportunity to discover music you would not normally be exposed to. A good song is a good song no matter what genre it is. If you are part of the community (whether you are out or not), I hope at least one of those tracks has made you feel hopeful and joyful. I know you have heard it before but I'll repeat it; you are NOT alone. It is okay to be proud but not loud yet. Thank you for existing. If you are an ally, thank you for taking the time to read and share this article. Your support matters more than you know (trust me, ask your loved ones). Thank you to my incredible friends who agreed to participate in this beautiful project with me. Thank you to my (also incredible, obviously) friends who are reading this article right now.
Happy Pride Month!
Much love.
Your favourite emo lesbian music blogger,
Ariane P-G
More LGBTQ+ artists or bands with LGBTQ+ members in them (can be also found in the playlist):
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