10 incredible Queer artists you should have in your playlist
It is undeniable that the queer community has produced some of the most iconic musicians in the last decade — or even century.
Now pride festivals have come and gone across the globe and we’ve seen companies scram to change their logo to a rainbow for a month, I wish to keep upcoming queer stars in the limelight no matter the date. This is my definitive guide to LGBTQIA+ stars to have on your playlist all year round.
L.A. Exes
Photo: Molly Adams
With their debut album released earlier this month, L.A. Exes are fast becoming the queer supergroup of our dreams. Produced by Jake Sinclair (known for producing the likes of Weezer and Panic! At The Disco), the group infuse a sense of powerful femininity and playfulness. Their witty lyrics and addictive, refreshing sound are the ingredients to a fierce sentiment of empowerment. Temporary Goodbye, the foursome’s first single and taster of their sound, fuses lively pop guitar lines with bratty yet relatable lyrics, which is consistent with the release of their album, Get Some.
FOR FANS OF: Courtney Barnett, The Cranberries, The Shangri-Las
2. King Princess (she/her)
Photo: Collier Schorr for Calvin Klein
Genderqueer lesbian sensation Mikaela Mullaney Straus has been active on the scene since 2018.
In her debut album Cheap Queen, released in 2019, she bares her heart and reaches out to young queer people through her soft ballads, such as tracks like Homegirl. In stark contrast, the self-made superstar has concocted flamboyant pop numbers such as Pussy Is God, and her most popular track, 1950. King Princess smashes boundaries and flips the conventional; presenting as masculine, feminine and non-conforming. House Burn Down, her new single released earlier this year is both emotional and anthemic, whilst also retaining a unique edge common to the rest of her work. Whilst she has not explicitly announced her next project, she has hinted in an interview with ABC that the follow-up album may take a more ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ direction. I certainly look forward to seeing what her future work entails!
FOR FANS OF: HAIM, Phoebe Bridgers, SOPHIE
3. Walt Disco
Photo: Press
Glam, goth and based in Glasgow. Walt Disco bring an entirely new sound to the table. In their most popular track Cut Your Hair they combine both modern and vintage sounds, and create something entirely new. From the punkish punches in Drowning in your velvet bed to theatrics and flamboyance taken to a new level, Walt Disco are anything but predictable. Their music has incredible range - there is something for everybody - which is what gives them the potential to unite all faces of the queer community. With astute social commentary cutting through their work, Walt Disco embody glitz, glamour and social conscience - undoubtably one of my favourite bands of recent years. Following the release of their single Selfish lover earlier this year, its evident Walt Disco have more to give, and I eagerly await their next release.
FOR FANS OF: The Cure, Cabaret Voltaire, The Human League
4. Paper Citizen (she/her)
Claire Gohst fronts this dreamy, feminine, indie-rock project. With interesting instrumentalism and lonesome lyrics, Paper Citizen produce music tailor-made for the summertime. Claire Gohst bares all in the final track from her recently released EP Wandering Ghost. Won’t Be Losing Sleep is a soft ballad that embodies heartbreak which greatly contrasts the cutesy indie-pop sound of Lifeline. Claire talks about her experience as a young romantic lesbian through her music, from the highs of love to the lows. It is refreshing to hear pop ballads framed through the lens of a woman loving a woman — Claire’s heartfelt lyricism certainly reaches out to young WLW everywhere.
FOR FANS OF: Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers, Mitski
5. Honey Dijon (she/her)
Photo: Benjamin Huseby
Creative sensation Honey Redmond (known as Honey Dijon) is a trans DJ and producer whose work embodies Saturday nights on the town. From remixing Lady Gaga’s latest work, to creating her own albums, Honey Dijon’s music is one big party. She is notorious in New York for her tantalising underground DJ sets as she cleverly fuses disco and house to cultivate something incredible. Honey Dijon takes dance music to an entirely new level as she embodies modernity whilst embracing vintage techno sounds. Honey is currently on tour and is set to play at Boardmasters, Neopop and Defected Croatia.
FOR FANS OF: David Penn, Jayda G
6. Dua Saleh (they/them)
Photo: Grant Spanier
Dua Saleh’s music fuses R&B, rap and hip-hop genres to create something that can only be described as extremely chilled out. Inspired by queer artists Mykki Blanco and Kilo Kish, Saleh writes about their life experiences as a non-binary individual in order to reach out to closeted trans and queer folk in their home country of Sudan. Their music is authentic and self-expressive, not to mention incredibly unique. Their jazz influences are evident in the track Warm Pants through the prominent bass line — these influences are absolutely what make their work so colourful and soothing to the ears.
FOR FANS OF: Mykki Blanco, Kilo Kish
7. Cavetown (he/they)
Photo: Emily Heath
If you love mellow ukelele based indie-pop, Cavetown is the artist for you. Robin kick-started their career in 2015 posting covers on YouTube and subsequently has continued his YouTube career to the present day. His music is mellow and stripped-back, for those evenings where you feel like watching the golden sun slowly set alone. He released his most recent album last year, with lyrics such as “I don’t want to meet your mom, I want to meet your dog” — showing Robin appreciates the simplicities of the human experience as well as the complexities. Also, who wouldn’t prefer to meet a dog. They are lined up to play at Lollapalooza and The Waterfront, so definitely watch his set if you get the chance!
FOR FANS OF: dodie, girl in red
8. Weakened Friends
Photo: Adam Parshall
Best known for their track Blue Again on their debut album Common Blah, Weakened Friends are a queer-led rock trio from the heart of the states. They infuse passionate punk-ish vocals and thrashing guitar — see Blue Again — with catchy choruses. Think indie-rock verging on Riot grrl. Sonia’s lyrics are entirely mood dependent, and in this way they are tumultuous; Common Blah is a masterful ode to the highs and lows of your mid-twenties, even if you haven’t had them yet.
FOR FANS OF: Bratmobile, Le tigre
9. Aaron Porter (he/him)
Photo: 1883 Magazine
Another inspiring face in the queer community — Aaron Porter’s tunes cover the entire spectrum of humanity. From love, sexuality, loss and heartbreak, he has a song for every life situation. BOY — his debut and most popular track to date — is dance-pop to the max. With a cheeky bassline and futuristic synth, BOY is the track that sent me down the rabbit hole of his music. Aaron’s vocals are rich in sensuality and vulnerability, yet his tunes are absolutely party suited. He only has a few tracks released at the moment, though he undoubtedly has even more to give.
FOR FANS OF: FHAT, Miss Benny
10. Declan McKenna (he/him)
Photo: Rachel Kiki
By no means a new occurrence in the UK indie music scene, Declan McKenna’s odes to coming of age and political conscience will forever hold a special place in my heart. Since the release of his debut album What Do You Think About the Car?, McKenna’s musical style and lyricism have drastically matured. Combining indie-pop with a social conscience is the component that has undoubtedly made his music so influential to young queer people everywhere. McKenna defines his sexuality as ever-changing but takes the label ‘pansexual’, and his queerness is ever-present from his music to his style. Consistently smashing gender roles and boundaries, McKenna’s music guided me and many of my peers in our formative years, his style and lyricism is welcoming and heartfelt. His new single My House speaks for itself and is out now.
FOR FANS OF: Wallows, Sea Girls
Although these are just a small selection of the huge pool of queer artists releasing music today, they are some of our favourites who are paving the way for even more exceptional talent to rise in the future. The future is bright if these artists are anything to go by.
