October is LGBTQIA+ history month, so in honor of it, I thought I would share some of my favorite queer musicians and recommend a song to give a listen to!
Hayley Kiyoko
Lovingly called “Lesbian Jesus” by her fans, this pop artist has been on the scene for many years. If you grew up watching Disney Channel and Cartoon Network, you might recognize her from Wizards of Waverly Place, Lemonade Mouth, and some Scooby-Doo movies. Kiyoko has a very electro-pop/dance-pop sound and a lovely, deeper voice, which is so refreshing to hear in mainstream pop music. My favorite song by her is “Demons”, but I’d definitely recommend giving “Girls Like Girls” a listen.
Kehlani
Kehlani is an R&B artist with a really fantastic and versatile skill set. They first popped into the public eye when they first competed on America’s Got Talent with their band, Poplyfe. Since then, they’ve received Grammy nominations and a Billboard Women in Music award. My absolute favorite song by Kehlani is “Honey”, but I’d also recommend listening to “Can I”.
Clairo
Clairo is an American Lo-Fi singer-songwriter who went viral with her hit song “Pretty Girl” on YouTube. She has a very sweet voice and her music is very melodic and chill. You might also recognize her song “Hello?” featuring Rejjie Snow, which went viral on TikTok in 2019. Besides those two songs, I’d recommend “Flaming Hot Cheetos” and “Sofia”.
Olly Alexander/Years & Years
Years & Years started out as an electro-pop band that has since turned into a solo project for Olly Alexander, who is the original lead singer of Years & Years. Debuting in 2015, Years & Years had the fastest-selling debut album of the year from a UK-signed band. My favorite song is “Sanctify”, but I would also highly recommend “Take Shelter”, “Palo Santo”, and “Worship”.
Freddie Mercury/Queen
Freddie Mercury is an absolute icon. Queen is such a classic band, and their music is equally iconic, if not more iconic. Freddie Mercury was and is so well known for his incredible vocals, incredible stage presence, and his gifts as a performer. Queen has such a huge discography and it is so hard to pick just one favorite song, but my favorite Queen song has to be “These Are the Days of Our Lives”. There are so many iconic and well-known Queen songs, like “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “We Are The Champions”, and “Another One Bites The Dust”, that I am sure most everyone has heard of, so I would definitely recommend listening to “Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy”, “Killer Queen”, “Somebody to Love”, and “Love Of My Life”.
Happy LGBTQIA+ History Month!