ohnostalgia
Staff member
She/her
A Troye or Years and Years song could start vacating soon.
20GAYTeen the Rate: WINNER!!
- Thread starter Trouble in Paradise
- Start date
londonrain
Staff member
Oh, this is harsh.
Rod did actually release an album under his own name, called Until Something Fits, and I first discovered him when he was opening for Sara Bareilles and promoting what would become the first single from it, Same Old Lines. It’s very acoustic-man-with-guitar and nothing like his later work.
(If I remember correctly, someone tried to enter this, or a remix of it, in an early round of PJ00s and was instantly vetoed.)
He relaunched as Bright Light Bright Light (the name is a Gremlins reference) around 2012 and switched to a more electronic sound. As those of you who read the AlbumJustice thread may remember, his debut under that moniker is one of my top ten albums of all time and contains a number of huge bops:
His albums have included collaborations with every member of the Scissor Sisters and several duets with Elton John, including this bop from a couple of years ago:
The Tough Love EP is one of a number of EPs he’s released over his career, and although it’s not my favourite, the title track just clicks with me and the lyrics are direct without being hackneyed. If you weren’t here for it, though, I strongly recommend the bops above.
Rod did actually release an album under his own name, called Until Something Fits, and I first discovered him when he was opening for Sara Bareilles and promoting what would become the first single from it, Same Old Lines. It’s very acoustic-man-with-guitar and nothing like his later work.
(If I remember correctly, someone tried to enter this, or a remix of it, in an early round of PJ00s and was instantly vetoed.)
He relaunched as Bright Light Bright Light (the name is a Gremlins reference) around 2012 and switched to a more electronic sound. As those of you who read the AlbumJustice thread may remember, his debut under that moniker is one of my top ten albums of all time and contains a number of huge bops:
His albums have included collaborations with every member of the Scissor Sisters and several duets with Elton John, including this bop from a couple of years ago:
The Tough Love EP is one of a number of EPs he’s released over his career, and although it’s not my favourite, the title track just clicks with me and the lyrics are direct without being hackneyed. If you weren’t here for it, though, I strongly recommend the bops above.
Last edited:
He/Him
I knew you'd come through with the recommendations!
@Trouble in Paradise lovely write-up on Trick of the Light, I'm sobbing. I didn't even know that Villagers were a hunty affiliated group so that song was a big revelation in a lot of ways for me. It's absolutely gorgeous - a delicate, glimmering little beacon of a song. I love it.
londonrain
Staff member
The Elton connection helped land him a Graham Norton guest spot a couple of years ago.
Another recent bop is Into The Night, one of my favourite songs by him.
Also, I think he might be the only Welsh artist in this rate. He’s from Neath, although he now lives in New York.
she/her
I love Bright Light Bright Light so much! Sad to see his song go so early.
Some of my faves that haven't been mentioned yet:
Some of my faves that haven't been mentioned yet:
Mr. Gremlin deserved a 10 for his career, sorry.
He/Him
Sad that's gone, should have raised my score.
He/Him
Thanks so much! I adore this description of the song! I've been hammering the album all week and it's just so well done.
He/Him
Also trying to get another elimination out tonight but I really need to do it justice!
He/Him
Indian poet and novelist Vikram Seth introducing our next elimination. Seth is the author of the novel A Suitable Boy which is over 1,000 pages long and many collections of poetry. He is a leading voice for LGBT equality in India and wrote the poem "Through Love's Great Power" in 2013 after the Supreme Court rejected a petition against its verdict criminalizing gay sex.
Through love's great power to be made whole
In mind and body, heart and soul -
Through freedom to find joy, or be
By dint of joy itself set free
In love and in companionhood:
This is the true and natural good.
To undo justice, and to seek
To quash the rights that guard the weak -
To sneer at love, and wrench apart
The bonds of body, mind and heart
With specious reason and no rhyme:
This is the true unnatural crime.
73. "Pose"
By MRSHLL
6.924
Highest Score: 10 x 2 (@Sanctuary @inevitable)
Lowest Score: 3 x 2 (@Untitled @Empty Shoebox)
My Score: 7.25
Pose
Baby go and get your life
Pose
Cause you know you livin' right
Just pose
Take a beat and realign
Pose
We sadly lose the first out and proud K-Pop singer at number 73! I will begin this write up by fully admitting that I am not an avid K-Pop listener and my only exposure is whatever I happen to listen to in @ohnostalgia's monthly charts. MRSHLL himself has been pretty clear that his style is much more RnB than straightforward K-Pop but he still has accepted the mantle of the first gay K-Pop star.
MRSHLL, birth name Marshall Bang, first came out in 2015 at the very start of his career. He had friends tell him it would be "career suicide" and many questioned if he'd even be able to find a label. Thankfully, he found support from rap veterans Tiger JK, Tasha and Bizzy who he credits with allowing him to create the music he wants to while being authentically himself. He told Billboard "My sexuality was never an issue with them and it never came up. I was never forced or told to 'tone down,' or asked not to say something, and that means everything.” Interestingly, a year after his Billboard interview, he talked with Paper magazine and they asked about what it's been like a year after his friends saying he'd commit "career suicide" by coming out. What he's found is that "at least in Korea, the media hasn't really talked about me being the "first openly gay" — or anything gay-related — quite yet." This has proven to be a bit of a double edged sword as he's been able to focus on the music which is his goal as a musician but it's allowed the continuation of a recurring difficulty MRSHLL has experienced as an out gay man in Korea: homosexuality is a Western concept that is inherently not Korean.
When asked if pride was important to him, MRSHLL explained to Paper Magazine:
Pride is still very important to me. I think there are many parts of the world that are not so open to people of different genders and sexual orientations, and there are still a lot of countries where you can't live freely as yourself. There's still a lot of work to be done, although there's been great strides. Pride is still a very important event for people who may not know that we exist. Even in Korea, there are still people from my parents' generation who still believe that the LGBTQ community is more of a Western thing, and not really a global thing.
This concept that homosexuality is a Western trend has not only impacted MRSHLL's professional career but his personal life as well. His mother is an evangelical pastor who had a difficult time accepting his sexuality. He confided that after being interviewed by NBC about his role as an out gay K-Pop singer, his mother had not spoken to him since. Even with the difficulties both professionally and personally, MRSHLL has stayed committed to the importance of the music he's making now as he explained in his NBC interview:
Not only does MRSHLL's music carry an important message, it also totally slaps. "Pose" is a fun, flirty bop about living your best life. When I first listened, I didn't quite get it. He says "pose" and there's a beat? That's it? However, I soon found myself singing it over and over and the slight lyrics took on more meaning. I still wish there was a bit more there lyrically or musically but you can't deny this is a bop! Also MRSHLL has some flawless musical taste as he named fellow rate artists MNEK and SOPHIE as dream collaborators and just imagine the all caps queer excellence that would create! In his NBC interview he named some of his musical influences and expanded that
It was quite the happy surprise that he so explicitly acknowledged that the music he is performing is rooted in black musicianship and that it illuminates how intersectionality can be such a beautiful thing. We see each other in our struggles and find strength in each others resilience.
I want to close out with MRSHLL's answer to how he wants to be known beyond being just "The First Gay K-Pop Star!"
Now on to y'all's thoughts!
constantino This is cute and all, but Naomi Smalls outsold.
ufint Hey sweets, let me introduce you to my friend. Her name is MRSHLL. Not quite up there with the impeccable work of ms. Naomi Smalls, but this is pretty cool nevertheless.
Untouchable Ace I'm always judgmental towards monotone choruses this one's nearly is, but this also has an overly repeated phrase which doesn't help. It's fun nonetheless and I've subscribed so he can wow me with something else.
Posh Spears Come on femme #gaysian talent!
londonrain Excuse me while I go get my life.
The Hot Rock baby, go and get your life” and I did @ this whole rate tbh...
Through love's great power to be made whole
In mind and body, heart and soul -
Through freedom to find joy, or be
By dint of joy itself set free
In love and in companionhood:
This is the true and natural good.
To undo justice, and to seek
To quash the rights that guard the weak -
To sneer at love, and wrench apart
The bonds of body, mind and heart
With specious reason and no rhyme:
This is the true unnatural crime.
73. "Pose"
By MRSHLL
6.924
Highest Score: 10 x 2 (@Sanctuary @inevitable)
Lowest Score: 3 x 2 (@Untitled @Empty Shoebox)
My Score: 7.25
Pose
Baby go and get your life
Pose
Cause you know you livin' right
Just pose
Take a beat and realign
Pose
MRSHLL, birth name Marshall Bang, first came out in 2015 at the very start of his career. He had friends tell him it would be "career suicide" and many questioned if he'd even be able to find a label. Thankfully, he found support from rap veterans Tiger JK, Tasha and Bizzy who he credits with allowing him to create the music he wants to while being authentically himself. He told Billboard "My sexuality was never an issue with them and it never came up. I was never forced or told to 'tone down,' or asked not to say something, and that means everything.” Interestingly, a year after his Billboard interview, he talked with Paper magazine and they asked about what it's been like a year after his friends saying he'd commit "career suicide" by coming out. What he's found is that "at least in Korea, the media hasn't really talked about me being the "first openly gay" — or anything gay-related — quite yet." This has proven to be a bit of a double edged sword as he's been able to focus on the music which is his goal as a musician but it's allowed the continuation of a recurring difficulty MRSHLL has experienced as an out gay man in Korea: homosexuality is a Western concept that is inherently not Korean.
When asked if pride was important to him, MRSHLL explained to Paper Magazine:
Pride is still very important to me. I think there are many parts of the world that are not so open to people of different genders and sexual orientations, and there are still a lot of countries where you can't live freely as yourself. There's still a lot of work to be done, although there's been great strides. Pride is still a very important event for people who may not know that we exist. Even in Korea, there are still people from my parents' generation who still believe that the LGBTQ community is more of a Western thing, and not really a global thing.
This concept that homosexuality is a Western trend has not only impacted MRSHLL's professional career but his personal life as well. His mother is an evangelical pastor who had a difficult time accepting his sexuality. He confided that after being interviewed by NBC about his role as an out gay K-Pop singer, his mother had not spoken to him since. Even with the difficulties both professionally and personally, MRSHLL has stayed committed to the importance of the music he's making now as he explained in his NBC interview:
A lot of immigrant children, third-culture kids, mixed-race children, and people who are in the LGBTQIA community, we kind of have to grow up quicker. We’re kind of forced to deal with our identity issues a lot sooner than I feel like the general public would. I feel like in doing that and simultaneously doing music it fed into each other. Which is why I feel like the music that I’m making now is so important not just to me but just to everyone in general.”
Not only does MRSHLL's music carry an important message, it also totally slaps. "Pose" is a fun, flirty bop about living your best life. When I first listened, I didn't quite get it. He says "pose" and there's a beat? That's it? However, I soon found myself singing it over and over and the slight lyrics took on more meaning. I still wish there was a bit more there lyrically or musically but you can't deny this is a bop! Also MRSHLL has some flawless musical taste as he named fellow rate artists MNEK and SOPHIE as dream collaborators and just imagine the all caps queer excellence that would create! In his NBC interview he named some of his musical influences and expanded that
A lot of my musical influences are black musicians, and I feel like a lot of the music that’s popular today has been paved for us by African-American or black musicians. I’m forever grateful to be able to do this music. I will forever pay homage to them for paving the way for a little gay Korean kid to be able to do R&B music.
It was quite the happy surprise that he so explicitly acknowledged that the music he is performing is rooted in black musicianship and that it illuminates how intersectionality can be such a beautiful thing. We see each other in our struggles and find strength in each others resilience.
I want to close out with MRSHLL's answer to how he wants to be known beyond being just "The First Gay K-Pop Star!"
First and foremost, I want to be known for my music and my performance skills more than anything. Everything else is just an extension of who I am. The music is the most important. Otherwise, I'm just a gay person. [Laughs] I'm a musician, I'm an artist, I'm a performer – everything else is part of who I am. It's the many different factors that make up a person. I think I'm blessed enough to be in a position that I can make a positive impact on the world. Granted, I'm human. I'm going to make mistakes and say things I don't necessarily mean, but I'm allowed to make mistakes. I'm blown away by the different experiences I've had so far, and the talented people I've met. I can't wait for the next step and the next part of my journey. I can't wait to release new music, do crazier collaborations — Britney, MNEK, call me boo. I hope people are excited what I have to offer in the future, and I'm excited to show them what I can do.
And yes, one of his other dream collaborators is Britney Spears cause he's a gay man who loves pop music.
Now on to y'all's thoughts!
constantino This is cute and all, but Naomi Smalls outsold.
ufint Hey sweets, let me introduce you to my friend. Her name is MRSHLL. Not quite up there with the impeccable work of ms. Naomi Smalls, but this is pretty cool nevertheless.
quietly googles Naomi Smalls "Pose" to avoid feeling too out of the loop
Kalonite Feels fairly insubstantial, but it's catchy as fuck.Untouchable Ace I'm always judgmental towards monotone choruses this one's nearly is, but this also has an overly repeated phrase which doesn't help. It's fun nonetheless and I've subscribed so he can wow me with something else.
Posh Spears Come on femme #gaysian talent!
londonrain Excuse me while I go get my life.
The Hot Rock baby, go and get your life” and I did @ this whole rate tbh...
He/Him
@Trouble in Paradise - the important figures of LGBTI+ culture you are selecting for the eliminations are super informative and diverse - love this portion of your already excellent write-ups so much too! Thank you for your research! XX
He/Him
Thank you so much! I should point out that I get a lot of them from the lgbt_history instagram which is amazing! Though I'll humbly say I have found many on my own as well haha
londonrain
Staff member
Aw, another high score gone? My poor faves.
Vikram Seth’s mother Leila Seth was also an absolute icon. She was the first woman to be Chief Justice of an Indian High Court, was instrumental in ensuring daughters had the same inheritance rights as sons under Hindu family law in India, and wrote extensively against the law criminalising same-sex sexual activity in India, including this amazing op-ed in a national newspaper after the law was reinstated by the Indian Supreme Court in 2013. (The decision was finally overturned a few months ago.)
Vikram Seth’s mother Leila Seth was also an absolute icon. She was the first woman to be Chief Justice of an Indian High Court, was instrumental in ensuring daughters had the same inheritance rights as sons under Hindu family law in India, and wrote extensively against the law criminalising same-sex sexual activity in India, including this amazing op-ed in a national newspaper after the law was reinstated by the Indian Supreme Court in 2013. (The decision was finally overturned a few months ago.)
He/Him
Another song I underscored bites the dust.
ohnostalgia
Staff member
She/her
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
