He/Him
Queerly Beloved,
We are gathered here this day to celebrate the year 20GAYTeen of our Lorde and all the tremendous music created by LGBT+ artists this year! We have been embarrassed with riches when it comes to music created by queer artists! It feels like within every genre -and pop especially- us queers are leading the way!
I have spent a lot of time this year tracking down fantastic music created by queer artists to share with you all. I’ve been so grateful to all the amazing recommendations sent my way by so many wonderful members of this forum! Our list of 92 songs is my attempt to create a list that is representative of the multitude of experiences that exist in this world for a person who is queer. We have countless genres and multiple languages present as well as artists from just about every letter of our acronym. At this point, the list is pretty set in stone but if you see a glaring omission please let me know!
Thanks to the suggestion of the always gracious @beyoncésweave, our song selection is broken down into two categories. The first are a selection of songs from the major albums of 20GAYteen representing different members of the L, the G, the B, and the T in LGBT (quick disclaimer: the B side of the main artists is represented by artists who have identified as Pansexual). Let's take a look at our main contenders:
The second category is our extras compromised of single tracks from a plethora of genres and identities. Please be sure to give this section a good listen as it includes not just PJ Faves like Rina & St. Vincent but little known artists with lots of talent and too few listeners!
In case this is your first foray into Rates & Charts, you’ll copy and paste the song list below and rate every song on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the best. You are allowed to bestow 11 whole points on one song only so choose wisely! I highly encourage you to include commentary cause otherwise our eliminations are gonna be a lot of me talking in circles. Please don’t troll vote! If you give one artist all 10’s and another artist all 0’s, I’m not gonna keep your ballot. If things look suspicious or I have questions, I will ask you to revisit things and decide from there.
As this rate is specifically geared to a specific group of artists here are some guidelines I’d love for us to follow to keep everyone having fun. If one of these really rubs you the wrong way please let me know, I’m always down for a discussion:
Finally, the moment you've been waiting for: The Song List!
Hayley Kiyoko “Feelings”
Hayley Kiyoko “Curious”
Hayley Kiyoko ft. Kehlani “What I Need”
Hayley Kiyoko “Sleepover”
Hayley Kiyoko “HLNY”
Hayley Kiyoko “Molecules”
Christine and the Queens “Girlfriend”
Christine and the Queens “5 Dollar”
Christine and the Queens “Goya! Soda”
Christine and the Queens “Doesn’t Matter”
Christine and the Queens “What’s-her-face”
Christine and the Queens “The Walker”
Troye Sivan “My My My!”
Troye Sivan “Good Side”
Troye Sivan “Bloom”
Troye Sivan ft. Ariana Grande “Dance to This”
Troye Sivan “Lucky Strike”
Troye Sivan “Plum”
Ssion “Comeback”
Ssion “ At Least the Sky is Blue”
Ssion “Inherit”
Ssion “Heaven is My Thing Again”
MNEK “Correct”
MNEK “Tongue”
MNEK “Body”
MNEK “Girlfriend”
MNEK “Crazy World”
Years & Years “All For You”
Years & Years “Hallelujah”
Years & Years “Karma”
Years & Years “Rendezvous”
Years & Years “Up In Flames”
Years & Years “If You’re Over Me”
Janelle Monae “Make Me Feel”
Janelle Monae “Screwed”
Janelle Monae “Django Jane”
Janelle Monae “Pynk”
Janelle Monae “I Like That”
Janelle Monae “Americans”
SOPHIE “It's Okay to Cry”
SOPHIE “Ponyboy”
SOPHIE “Faceshopping”
SOPHIE “Is It Cold in the Water?”
SOPHIE “Infatuation”
SOPHIE “Immaterial”
The Aces “Volcanic Love”
Ah Mer Ah Su “Heartbreaker”
Anna Calvi “Don’t Beat the Girl Out of My Boy”
Big Freedia ft. Lizzo “Karaoke”
Black Belt Eagle Scout “Soft Stud”
Blood Orange “Charcoal Baby”
Boygenius “Stay Down”
Brandi Carlile “The Joke”
Bright Light Bright Light “Tough Love”
Brockhampton “Weight”
Bronze Avery “Want 2”
Calvin Arsenia “Headlights”
Charlotte Day Wilson “Doubt”
Dizzy Fae “Don’t Hate For Me”
Fischerspooner “Have Fun Tonight”
G Flip “Killing My Time”
Goldilox “Decision”
Halsey "Without Me"
Holland “I’m Not Afraid”
Jaime WIlson “Everything Is New”
Jake Zyrus “Diamond”
Jeremy Dutcher “Mehcinut”
Jess Glynne “Thursday”
Jessica 6 “The Storm Inside”
King Princess “1950”
Leadr “11:11”
Leo Kalyan “Stranger”
Merlot “Bad For You”
MRSHLL “POSE"
Now, Now “SGL”
Pale Waves “There’s a Honey”
Perta “From Fire”
Planningtorock “Transome”
Rae Morris “Lower the Tone”
Reyna “Baby Forget It”
Rina Sawayama “Cherry”
Ryan Beatty “Powerslide”
Serpentwithfeet “Cherubim”
Shea Diamond “Keisha Complexion”
Solomon Ray “Asi Asi”
Sofya Wang “Found Love”
St. Vincent “Fast Slow Disco”
Teddy <3 “Body and Soul”
Too Attached “I’m Afraid of Men”
Vardaan Arora “Dance Like You”
Villagers “Trick of the Light”
VINCINT “Mine”
Zolita "New You"
We are gathered here this day to celebrate the year 20GAYTeen of our Lorde and all the tremendous music created by LGBT+ artists this year! We have been embarrassed with riches when it comes to music created by queer artists! It feels like within every genre -and pop especially- us queers are leading the way!
I have spent a lot of time this year tracking down fantastic music created by queer artists to share with you all. I’ve been so grateful to all the amazing recommendations sent my way by so many wonderful members of this forum! Our list of 92 songs is my attempt to create a list that is representative of the multitude of experiences that exist in this world for a person who is queer. We have countless genres and multiple languages present as well as artists from just about every letter of our acronym. At this point, the list is pretty set in stone but if you see a glaring omission please let me know!
Thanks to the suggestion of the always gracious @beyoncésweave, our song selection is broken down into two categories. The first are a selection of songs from the major albums of 20GAYteen representing different members of the L, the G, the B, and the T in LGBT (quick disclaimer: the B side of the main artists is represented by artists who have identified as Pansexual). Let's take a look at our main contenders:
Hayley Kiyoko: Lesbian Jesus
Troye Sivan: God of the Twinks
Years & Years: Drama Gay With A Budget
MNEK: Underloved & Overtalented
Ssion: The Artistic Genius You Haven't Heard of Yet
Janelle Monae: Queer Black Excellence in Human Form
Christine & The Queens: Very French & Very Talented
SOPHIE: Producing Extraordinaire & The Best Part of PC Music
[Editor's Note: I haven't made a single graphic for this so please don't expect anything fancy]
Troye Sivan: God of the Twinks
Years & Years: Drama Gay With A Budget
MNEK: Underloved & Overtalented
Ssion: The Artistic Genius You Haven't Heard of Yet
Janelle Monae: Queer Black Excellence in Human Form
Christine & The Queens: Very French & Very Talented
SOPHIE: Producing Extraordinaire & The Best Part of PC Music
[Editor's Note: I haven't made a single graphic for this so please don't expect anything fancy]
The second category is our extras compromised of single tracks from a plethora of genres and identities. Please be sure to give this section a good listen as it includes not just PJ Faves like Rina & St. Vincent but little known artists with lots of talent and too few listeners!
The Rules
In case this is your first foray into Rates & Charts, you’ll copy and paste the song list below and rate every song on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the best. You are allowed to bestow 11 whole points on one song only so choose wisely! I highly encourage you to include commentary cause otherwise our eliminations are gonna be a lot of me talking in circles. Please don’t troll vote! If you give one artist all 10’s and another artist all 0’s, I’m not gonna keep your ballot. If things look suspicious or I have questions, I will ask you to revisit things and decide from there.
As this rate is specifically geared to a specific group of artists here are some guidelines I’d love for us to follow to keep everyone having fun. If one of these really rubs you the wrong way please let me know, I’m always down for a discussion:
- I don’t think there’s such thing as “queer music” and the diversity of sounds in this rate is a testament to that. Feel free to analyze and contemplate what makes a song “queer” or not to you but don’t zero a song cause you don’t think it’s “gay enough.”
- I’m all for reclaiming terms but let's be sensitive that different people may be in different places with that. I want this rate to be fun and full of kii’s but I don’t want any member to feel unwelcome or set off. Let’s be careful with what we’re saying and to who we’re saying it to. Me calling Troye a twink is the pot calling the kettle black and all in good fun, calling him our f-word may not be fun for another user.
- Please, please, please give the extras section a good chunk of time. There are SO many under heard queer voices in music today and so often they are from groups that are already under heard (people of color, people who are trans, First Nation people). If a song doesn’t click on first listen, especially if it’s not your typical pop song, give it a few more listens.
Finally, the moment you've been waiting for: The Song List!
Hayley Kiyoko “Feelings”
Hayley Kiyoko “Curious”
Hayley Kiyoko ft. Kehlani “What I Need”
Hayley Kiyoko “Sleepover”
Hayley Kiyoko “HLNY”
Hayley Kiyoko “Molecules”
Christine and the Queens “Girlfriend”
Christine and the Queens “5 Dollar”
Christine and the Queens “Goya! Soda”
Christine and the Queens “Doesn’t Matter”
Christine and the Queens “What’s-her-face”
Christine and the Queens “The Walker”
Troye Sivan “My My My!”
Troye Sivan “Good Side”
Troye Sivan “Bloom”
Troye Sivan ft. Ariana Grande “Dance to This”
Troye Sivan “Lucky Strike”
Troye Sivan “Plum”
Ssion “Comeback”
Ssion “ At Least the Sky is Blue”
Ssion “Inherit”
Ssion “Heaven is My Thing Again”
MNEK “Correct”
MNEK “Tongue”
MNEK “Body”
MNEK “Girlfriend”
MNEK “Crazy World”
Years & Years “All For You”
Years & Years “Hallelujah”
Years & Years “Karma”
Years & Years “Rendezvous”
Years & Years “Up In Flames”
Years & Years “If You’re Over Me”
Janelle Monae “Make Me Feel”
Janelle Monae “Screwed”
Janelle Monae “Django Jane”
Janelle Monae “Pynk”
Janelle Monae “I Like That”
Janelle Monae “Americans”
SOPHIE “It's Okay to Cry”
SOPHIE “Ponyboy”
SOPHIE “Faceshopping”
SOPHIE “Is It Cold in the Water?”
SOPHIE “Infatuation”
SOPHIE “Immaterial”
The Aces “Volcanic Love”
Ah Mer Ah Su “Heartbreaker”
Anna Calvi “Don’t Beat the Girl Out of My Boy”
Big Freedia ft. Lizzo “Karaoke”
Black Belt Eagle Scout “Soft Stud”
Blood Orange “Charcoal Baby”
Boygenius “Stay Down”
Brandi Carlile “The Joke”
Bright Light Bright Light “Tough Love”
Brockhampton “Weight”
Bronze Avery “Want 2”
Calvin Arsenia “Headlights”
Charlotte Day Wilson “Doubt”
Dizzy Fae “Don’t Hate For Me”
Fischerspooner “Have Fun Tonight”
G Flip “Killing My Time”
Goldilox “Decision”
Halsey "Without Me"
Holland “I’m Not Afraid”
Jaime WIlson “Everything Is New”
Jake Zyrus “Diamond”
Jeremy Dutcher “Mehcinut”
Jess Glynne “Thursday”
Jessica 6 “The Storm Inside”
King Princess “1950”
Leadr “11:11”
Leo Kalyan “Stranger”
Merlot “Bad For You”
MRSHLL “POSE"
Now, Now “SGL”
Pale Waves “There’s a Honey”
Perta “From Fire”
Planningtorock “Transome”
Rae Morris “Lower the Tone”
Reyna “Baby Forget It”
Rina Sawayama “Cherry”
Ryan Beatty “Powerslide”
Serpentwithfeet “Cherubim”
Shea Diamond “Keisha Complexion”
Solomon Ray “Asi Asi”
Sofya Wang “Found Love”
St. Vincent “Fast Slow Disco”
Teddy <3 “Body and Soul”
Too Attached “I’m Afraid of Men”
Vardaan Arora “Dance Like You”
Villagers “Trick of the Light”
VINCINT “Mine”
Zolita "New You"
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