Like many college students a part of the LGBTQ+ community, I have a Spotify playlist titled “I listen to girl in red” that makes me feel comfortable with my sexuality. My playlist, like many others, consists mainly of girl in red (of course), King Princess, The Neighbourhood, Hayley Kiyoko, Lorde, and Taylor Swift. Although not all of these artists are queer and the music made is for everyone to listen to regardless of their sexuality, the sound and the stories told have a feeling of what being gay can feel like.
In our society and, more specifically, in music, the media is centered around heterosexual relationships. So when the LGBTQ+ community begins to talk about being queer or being in a queer relationship, people begin to ask, “why are we talking about queerness so much?” We aren’t. We’re just finally focusing on stories that aren’t solely about being straight. Music gives queer people a place to escape reality and be surrounded by songs that represents who they are.
Being able to escape the heteronormative society we live in allows us to feel the love of our queer community through these songs. Being able to hear songs about gay relationships and being confident with being queer, is a very powerful feeling. I hope by now people finally begin to understand why music by queer artists makes us feel accepted, but some still question why music by straight artists makes us feel accepted. To answer this question, let’s talk about mommy? sorry. mommy? sorry- I mean Taylor Swift.
Many many gay Swifties believe that Taylor’s songs represent how it feels to be in a gay relationship even though her music is supposedly written from a straight perspective. One example is her song Dress. She starts out by singing “Our secret moments in your crowded room. They’ve got no idea about me and you.” I mean hello??? This is a definition of what it feels like to be in a gay relationship, if not a lot of people know. If this isn’t enough to convince you, she also sings, “Say my name, and everything just stops. I don’t want you like a best friend.” Lyrics like these allow gay college students, like myself, to connect their own lives to the music they listen to. In a society where we are underrepresented, having playlists like these allows us to escape reality and feel the love of the LGBTQ community.