Queer Song Recs!
Hey Travelers!
Happy Pride Month! I know it looks like I literally only write blog posts during pride but I promise I’m working on it lol.
It has been pointed out to me that I have been quite open with my life and sexuality in my blog and newsletter lately, which is true. I find it politically important to be open about being queer during a time when many different groups in our country are being actively silenced. That being said, I know I have a lot of family and old friends in my audience, and if you are not comfortable hearing about my personal life, I completely understand if you want to unsubscribe/stop following me. It is not my intent to make anyone uncomfortable and there are no hurt feelings from me if my content is not for you.
If you are still here, thank you! I wanted to share my favorite queer songs for Pride Month! There are so many songs that have been friends to me in the last few years as I’ve been figuring out my identity and working through shame. I tried to pick a nice breadth of music topics and genres, so in no particular order:
Honorary Mention:
I can’t talk about queer music this month without mentioning Fletcher’s new song “Boy.” If you don’t know the drama, Fletcher is a queer artist that has made music about her experience being queer for a while. The song “Boy” is about her falling in love with a man and being afraid and self conscious about how her fanbase would react. Well, they reacted badly and this song had been a large talking point on Tik Tok. This year is the highest rate of biphobia I’ve personally seen from my own community (great timing, ya’ll, not like we have more important issues to worry about) and I am here to say that there is nothing wrong with this song and nothing wrong with the way Fletcher presented it. Fletcher is an individual person sharing her experience in a way that feels right to her and neither she nor her art owe anyone shit. Feel however you want to about the song, but whether she was “right” or “wrong” in her artistic choices isn’t up for debate because art is subjective and her experience is not obligated to reflect your preferences. I feel pretty strongly about this debate so let me know if you want a deeper blog post about it!
“The Bug Collector” -
“And there's a praying mantis
Prancing on your bathtub
And you swear it's a priest
From a past life out to getcha
And I digress
'Cause I must make you the perfect evening
I try my best
To put the priest inside a jam jar”
This song is not explicitly queer but I definitely listen to it like it is. “The Bug Collector” is one of my favorite love songs in general, not just for Pride Month. It captures the love in mundane situations (capturing bugs) and the lyrics are gorgeous.
“She” - Dodie
”And she smells like lemongrass and sleep
She tastes like apple juice and peach
Oh, you would find her in a polaroid picture
And she means everything to me”
Dodie has some truly beautiful songs about her experience as a queer person. “Rainbow” is also one of my favorites along with this song. I listened to this song a lot during a time where I was questioning my sexuality and dealing with the shame that can come along with that. It’s a calm and light song about yearning and confusion.
“Wipe Your Tears” - Halsey
“You know I tell her all the time
Nothing's gonna hurt you, baby
Nothing's gonna make you cry
I'll be damned if I ever let another hand
Wipe your tears before they dry”
Halsey is my favorite artist, period. I recently got to go see their latest tour, “For My Last Trick",” and it was MAGICAL omygosh, one of the coolest and most well-thought out concerts I’ve ever seen. “Wipe Your Tears” is an older song from Halsey’s album, “Manic.” The album contains themes of mental health, past relationships, and queerness. “Alanis’ Interlude” featuring Alanis Morissette is also a great queer song. I just had this song on REPEAT for a while, so I think it sticks in my mind as one of my favorites.
“That’s What I Want”
- Lil Nas X
“I want someone to love me
I need someone who needs me
'Cause it don't feel right when it's late at night
And it's just me in my dreams
So I want someone to love, that's what I fucking want”
This song is high energy and perfect for summer. I listen to a lot of sad music so I was like “I gotta add something with a little more energy, not everyone enjoys dismal” lol. I first found this song in the movie soundtrack for “Red, White, and Royal Blue.” (An adorable gay rom com) Lil Nas X is obviously an iconic queer artist, and it’s a great song to dance around to.
Slumber Party -Ashnikko
“Me and your girlfriend playing dressup in my house
I gave your girlfriend cunnilingus on my couch
She cute, kawaii, hentai boobies, that excites me
I think she really likes me, ask politely, can I (ooh-ooh-ooh)”
This song is definitely sexual and explicit, listen with that knowledge. I think this song (and Ashnikko in general) is a vibe for when you need loud and unapologetic energy. There are multiple versions of this song and I linked the version I personally like best that features _______, but the original is great too. It might be an acquired taste but it’s a repeat listen for me and lands as one of the top queer songs in my music library.
(TW: religious trauma and violence)
Butcheress -Rabbitology
“I made myself my
I made myself my butcheress
Wiping blood down the front of my nice white dress
Took a cleaver, carved my heart out
For a taste of claimed saintliness
At the hand of a holy man who never fully gave a damn
I became a butcheress”
Butcheress (TW: religious trauma and violence)
Rabbitology is an amazing artist and is the writer of one of my favorite songs of all time. (That song is “The Bog Bodies,” it’s not queer but go listen to it) This song is gorgeous, but also dark and violent. It talks about the shame involved in growing up queer around harmful religious messages, and the self hatred and self harm that can come out of that. I think the lyrics of this song are unapologetic, honest, and create striking imagery. I am always a fan of art that does not sugarcoat things, and I consider this a healing song.
