15 Gay Anthems That Exude Joy (Vol. 1) | Playlist 🎧

1. Todrick Hall, “Rainin’ Fellas”

💿 FEMULINE • 🏷 Todrick Hall / frtyfve • 🗓 2021

“Get your umbrellas, get your umbrellas / It’s raining fellas, it’s raining fellas.” Where is this happening, 🎙 Todrick Hall? With 🎵 “Rainin’ Fellas”  (💿 FEMULINE), Hall keeps things GAY AF.  A prime example of the gayness served up? Well, “It’s raining dicks and ass, ass” on the pre-chorus.  Honestly, isn’t Hall’s weather report a lot more interesting and stimulating than the weather report on the local news?

There’s no cure for horniness like Hall’s forecast that proclaims, “It’s gon’ be raining all night / And I’m hoping it rains the kind of dudes that I like.” He later elaborates on what those dudes look like, with their “pecs and abs, abs.” Aside from the chorus, the most fun section of this bright, energetic LGBTQ+ pop gem is the bridge:

“It’s raining thighs, tris, briefs and boxers
It’s raining fly guys, flight attendants and doctors
It’s raining feminine gentlemen, dripping down like a faucet
Yeah, these boys are coming out like the sky was the closet.” 

Adding fuel to the fire is an unapologetically gay music video 🎶📼, including cross dressing, makeup, and ample skin. Totally that After Dark 🕛 🌃 💩 we love!

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🕛 🌃 Todrick Hall, “Rainin’ Fellas”: After Dark No. 20
🔗 🎧 Queer Joy: 5ive Songs No. 82 (2021)

2. The Weather Girls, “It’s Raining Men”

💿 Success • 🏷 CBS • 📅 1982

“It’s raining men! Hallelujah! / It’s raining men! Amen!” HALLELUJAH 👏!!!  Maybe it’s blasphemous – pretty sure it is – but “Picture it…” Sophia Petrillo (📺 Golden Girls)!!! F**k that rain! Imagine that chiseled, hunky men are falling from the skies – a gift from heaven 👼 – just ready to be 🎵 “Boo’d Up” with various 🎵 “Prospects”? Oh, the joystick 🕹️ action! Now that you’ve been properly stimulated and titillated, you can see why 🎙 The Weather Girls’ 🎵 “It’s Raining Men” is considered an iconic, joyful gay anthem based on its infectious, lustful chorus!

Long before 🎙 Todrick Hall informed us “It’s raining fellas, it’s raining fellas” – those Weather Girls (🎙 Izora Armstead and 🎙 Martha Wash) gave us that legendary forecast in 1982. A 💿 Success? Well, surprisingly only moderately to the tune of no. 46 on the Billboard Hot 100, but hey, the charts had to be hating on this surefire post-disco bop, penned by 🎼✍ Paul Jabara and 🎼✍ Paul Shaffer (yes, that Paul Shaffer) back then!

“God bless Mother Nature, she’s a single woman too
She took off to heaven and she did what she had to do
She taught every angel
She rearranged the sky
So that each and every woman could find her perfect guy.”

Perhaps Mother Nature is a single woman, but she could be anybody these days, and with how beloved “It’s Raining Men” is within the gay community, I’m not so sure Mother Nature isn’t a member of the LGBTQ+ community! Regardless, with “Humidity… rising” and “barometer’s getting low,” “For the first time in history / It’s gonna start raining men.” To that, again I say, HALLELUJAH 👏!!!

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🌈🎶 The Weather Girls, “It’s Raining Men”: LGBTQ Bopz 🌈🎶 No. 7

3. Asbjørn, “Be Human (Pride Version)”

🎵 “Be Human (Pride Version)” • 🏷 Embassy of Music • 📅 2021

He’s done it again! Who? Danish pop artist 🎙 Asbjørn (Asbjørn Toftdahl Terkelsen), of course! On 🎵 “Be Human (Pride Version)”, Terkelsen writes a marvelous, personal, and transcendent sermon to the LGBTQ community that speaks volumes. Regarding representation, Terkelsen asserts, “…Queer youth doesn’t only need representation once a year. They need support every single day, so nobody grows up feeling wrong in our society.” Agreed!

Vocally, on “Be Human,” Terkelsen gives a marvelous performance, including a rich middle register and ripe falsetto. His tone is gorgeous and the nuances spot-on.  Lyrically and thematically, he candidly speaks about gender and gender stereotypes. Ultimately, rather than focus on gender – being a man or woman – he places emphasis on being human.  He executes this masterfully on the chorus, the centerpiece of “Be Human.” Beyond the chorus and those personal verses, I heart the contrast on the bridge, where he doubles down on the narrow-minded nature of labels.  In addition to a fine vocal and sublime songwriting, “Be Human” features fantastic, slick production (Terkelsen, 🎛 Tom Stafford, and 🎛 Rangeklods).  We should all take the wisdom Asbjørn serves up here to heart – why should we conform? Aren’t we all human regardless of if we walk, talk, or act differently than others?

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 13 Marvelous Human Songs
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: October 2021

4. Lil Nas X, “Scoop”

Ft. Doja Cat

💿 Montero • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 2021

“I been workin’ on my body / You ever seen a nigga hit Pilates? (Ah) / … I been movin’ work on the daily / Understand, I’m just tryna be the daily / SCOOP!” 🏆 Grammy winning pop artist 🎙 Lil Nas X is the SugarHoneyIcedTea totally the 🎵 “Scoop”! He’s embraced being black and queer, and ‘doesn’t give a what’ what the homophobes have to say about him. “Scoop,” appears on his debut album, 💿 Montero, and enlists the services of 🎙 Doja Cat.  This surefire banger isn’t deep but fun.

Lil Nas X wants to be the “scoop” or trending topic, but he also wants to ‘scoop’ sexually, asserting, “And I’m tryna fuck, lil nigga, fuck the chit-chat / I ain’t talkin’ guns when I ask where your dick at.” Woo! Doja, similarly, plays off both meanings, stating, “I just got my veneers, now bitches wanna rip they face up.” Woo again! Of course, she thrives most sexually: “He named my right cheek Jennifer and left one Lopez.” All said and done, Lil Nas X is the “Scoop” – deal with it.  Also, worth noting, “Scoop” interpolates the 🎙 Post Malone record, 🎵 “Spoil My Night” featuring 🎙 Swae Lee.  That’s a ‘scoop’ itself!

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🌈🎶 Lil Nas X, “Scoop”: LGBTQ Bopz 🌈🎶 No. 1
🔗 🎧 Queer Joy: 5ive Songs No. 82 (2021)

5. Diana Ross, “I’m Coming Out”

💿 Diana • 🏷 Motown • 📅 1980

Folks, let’s start this list off right: “I’m coming out / I want the world to know / I got to let it show.” Three words come to mind when the 1980 🎙Diana Ross dance/disco/funk/pop/R&B classic 🎵“I’m Coming Out” is mentioned: ICONIC GAY ANTHEM.  The thing is, with the gem from 💿 Diana, you honestly don’t have to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community to appreciate the positive, uplifting vibes, not to mention the sheer funkiness of the record itself.  The big takeaway for anybody from this superb 🎼✍ 🎛 Bernard Edwards and 🎼✍ 🎛 Nile Rodgers co-write /co-production is exuding confidence without holding back or showing the least bit of fear.  This is all about being fearless – living unapologetically without suppression.

On the first verse, Diana Ross sums up the liberation perfectly:

“There’s a new me coming out
And I just had to live...
I think this time around
I am gonna do it...
The time has come for me
To break out of this shell
I have to shout
That I am coming out.”

Apparently, a visit to a gay club by Nile Rodgers inspired the song.  Also, Rodgers “fibbed a little to a skittish Ross” regarding the song.  Regardless, it’s no secret that Diana Ross had a sizable gay following.  Furthermore, whether one takes “I’m Coming Out” at its most literal, or more metaphorically, it is an incredibly positive song free of limitations.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 19 Songs That Reference Coming Out
🔗 🎧 A Compendium Comprised of 100 Notable LGBTQ+ Songs
🔗 🎧 15 More Oldies That Tickle My Fancy (Vol. 2)

6. Scissor Sisters, “Harder You Get”

💿 Night Work • 🏷 Polydor • 🗓 2010

“And what I really want to do tonight / Is toughen you up.” Woo! Face it, the minute 🎵 “Harder You Get” (💿 Night Work, 2010) commences, it sounds like the soundtrack to a sexual experience, period.  The music is enigmatic and groovy, and set in a minor key.  It’s perfect fuel for the fire of 🎙 Jake Shears and 🎙 Scissor Sisters. Of course, where the Sisters excel most on “Harder You Get” are the innuendo-laden lyrics.  Also, worth noting, “Harder You Get” is unapologetically gay 🏳️‍🌈, and we wouldn’t have it any other way 🌈!

“It ain’t Steven
It isn’t Adam
I got some apples if you want ‘em
You can grab ‘em.”

See what I mean about the gay part? Adam and Steve, etc.  Anyways, while the infamous reference is intriguing, more intriguing is the S-E-X, #Lyfe Jennings! “Beatin’ my drum / Faster you’re done” can’t possibly be an innocent lyric! Furthermore, what about the assertion “Hell is my heaven / A loaded weapon / Don’t point that thing at me / Unless you plan to shoot.” Hmm, shoot what, Jake, a ‘natural’ gun 🍆 💦? On “Harder You Get,” Scissors Sisters manage to make a sexy pop record without crossing the line.  Gotta ❤️ sexual innuendo!!!

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🕛 🌃 Scissor Sisters, “Harder You Get”: After Dark No. 16
🔗 🎧 15 Steamy Songs Best Listened to After Dark
🔗 🎧 Queer Joy: 5ive Songs No. 82 (2021)

7. Troye Sivan, “Angel Baby”

🎵 “Angel Baby” • 🏷 Universal Music Australia Pty Ltd • 📅 2021

“I need a lover to keep me sane / Pull me from hell – bring me back again.” On Instagram, openly gay Australian (via South Africa) pop artist 🎙 Troye Sivan described 🎵 “Angel Baby” as a “surprise gushy juice doting adoring power bottom gay ballad.” Sivan has consistently embraced his sexuality, doing so once again, brilliantly on “Angel Baby.”

“Angel Baby” checks off all boxes.  Sivan gets gorgeous production work from 🎛 Jason Evigan, who embraces a lush, plush, 80s-infused sound. Vocally, Sivan sounds utterly sublime, coming off authentic and honest. I heart the dedication that he exhibits towards his ‘angel.’ “I tell you how I almost died, while you’re bringing me back to life,” he sings on the pre-chorus, before unveiling the epic chorus.  On the chorus, there’s a fuller sound with more punch from a production perspective.  Furthermore, Sivan also performs with more oomph. The chorus is incredibly tuneful, bearing a memorable melody:

“I just wanna live in this moment forever
‘Cause I’m afraid that living couldn't get any better
Started giving up on the world forever
Until you give up heaven so we could be together.”

Troye Sivan excels in the pop lane, unafraid to embrace queerness. Musically, “Angel Baby” showcases a high level of musicianship in all facets: great performance, songwriting, and production work.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 15 Steamy Songs Best Listened to After Dark
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: September 2021
🔗 🎧 Queer Joy: 5ive Songs No. 82 (2021)

8. The Village People, “Y.M.C.A.”

💿 Cruisin’ • 🏷 The Island Def Jam Music Group • 🗓 1978

“Young man, there’s a place you can go, I said / Young man, when you’re short on your dough,” 🎙 The Village People assert on 🎵 “Y.M.C.A.”, the biggest hit of their career.  The collective continues, on the first verse, singing, “Stay there and I’m sure you will find / Many ways to have a good time.”  They have a point considering the Young Men’s Christian Association or simply, “The Y” is a place to have fun without the expense. However, “Y.M.C.A.,” which appears on the collective’s 1978 LP, 💿 Cruisin’ (😏), isn’t thought of celebrating “The Y” for its moral endeavors.

It’s no secret that The Village People were gay. “Y.M.C.A.” was intended to celebrate “The Y” but instead, it’s become one of the preeminent gay anthems.  Nothing wrong with that, of course! Young men having a good time playing sports? They can, of course, but the read into this place of fun is one for those young men hooking up.  Again, it probably didn’t help Village People that the album was titled Cruisin’, a term that’s slang for seeking out sex.  Worth noting, Ys were a spot for gay men to meet. It’s hard to believe that the collective wasn’t referencing sex, particularly on the high-flying chorus:

“It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
They have everything for young men to enjoy
You can hang out with all the boys
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal
You can do whatever you feel.”

The biggest message on “Y.M.C.A.” isn’t hooking up but rather acceptance.  Yes, plenty of gay men ended up at the Y, and yes, they hooked up, but, ultimately, the song is about a positive place.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🌈🎶 Village People, “Y.M.C.A.”: LGBTQ Bopz 🌈🎶 No. 2

9. serpentwithfeet, “Same Size Shoe”

💿 DEACON • 🏷 Secretly Canadian • 📅 2021

“Can’t love no man ‘til I measured his feet,” alternative R&B artist 🎙 serpentwithfeet (Josiah Wise) asserts on 🎵 “Same Size Shoe”. “Same Size Shoe” is arguably the best song from his sophomore album, 💿 DEACON.  Later, Wise heeds the advice of his aunt singing, “My auntie’s right, don’t fuck a man / If his shoes are two times the size of your hands.” Woo!

Besides the unique lyricism of the record, serpentwithfeet delivers an expressive, nuanced, and truly refined vocal performance. His best moments include the ad-libs, the bridge where he asks for his trumpet (you just must hear it for yourself), and of course, the chorus.  The chorus, as to expected, is infectious to the nth degree: “Me and my boo wear the same size shoe.” Additionally, the production (Wise, 🎛 Brandon Juhans, and 🎛 Batu) allures as well.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Same: 5ive Songs No. 33 (2021)
🔗 🎧 12 Captivating Same & Different Songs
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: April 2021
🔗 🎧 ‘S’ Songs: No Rhyme or Reason, Vol. 2
🔗 🎧 A Must-Hear PRIDE 🏳️‍🌈 Compendium: 2021
🔗 🎧 Queer Joy: 5ive Songs No. 82 (2021)

10. Tom Robinson Band, “Glad to Be Gay”

💿 2-4-6-8 Motorway: Best of • 🏷 Warner Music Group / X5 Music Group • 🗓 2019

🎙 Tom Robinson Band contributed an important gay anthem in the 1970s with 🎵 “Glad to Be Gay”. As the title suggests, Robinson carries the megaphone for all the gays who had been disrespected and disregarded because of their sexuality. The utterly infectious, sing-along chorus is enough by itself to make homophobes everywhere cringe (“Sing if you’re glad to be gay / Sing if you’re happy that way”)!

Those catchy lyrics merely scratch the surface as 🎙 Tom Robinson ‘goes in’ on those hating on gays.  “Picking out people and knocking them down / Resisting arrest as they’re kicked on the ground,” he sings on the first verse, adding, “Searching their houses and calling them queer / I don’t believe that sort of thing happens here.” It is sad that such persecution occurred.  Worth noting, queer back in the day was considered a gay slur while being reclaimed positively for some in present times. Robinson addresses the double standard for gays, including “No nudes in Gay News” despite the “Pictures of naked young women” that appear in Playboy.  Most disturbing is the mischaracterizing:

“Molesters of children, corruptors of youth
It’s there in the paper, it must be the truth.”

Robinson even dives into being discreet and a friend beat up (verse three), as well as the susceptibility of gay clubs being shut down (verse four).  The BBC banned it, though this British gay anthem, which slays, ended up being played regardless.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🌈🎶 Tom Robinson Band, “Glad to Be Gay”: LGBTQ Bopz 🌈🎶 No. 5

11. Keiynan Lonsdale, “Gay Street Fighter”

💿 Rainbow Boy • 🏷 Keiynan Lonsdale • 📅 2020

🎵 “Gay Street Fighter” appears as the second track on 💿 Rainbow Boy, the debut album by actor and musician 🎙 Keiynan Lonsdale.  Lonsdale is best known for his acting roles on the CW TV series 📺 The Flash, and the films 🎦 Insurgent and 🎦 Love, Simon.  As you might expect, with a song named “Gay Street Fighter,” Lonsdale isn’t merely playing a role; he proudly identifies himself as queer. 

“Gay Street Fighter” is quite ear catching to say the least with biting brass, infectious groove, and most importantly, the unapologetically G-A-Y lyrics from Lonsdale (“I’ll preach it louder for the back / The truth is (Everybody) / Everybody’s just a little bit gay”). Indeed, on this co-write/co-production with 🎼✍ 🎛 Tyler Minford he crafts a record where he doesn’t give a fizzuck (😂) what the haters say.  The chorus makes it crystal clear that the haters can kiss his a$$.

“I’m tryna love ya but you’re makin’ this shit so hard
Stay tryna help you clean yo mess cause you done fuck it up
And even though you might not thank me for your happy life
Just know it’s gay that makes the world so goddamn bright.”

“Gay Street Fighter” is a big FU to homophobia.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Gay: 3BOPS No. 22 (2021)
🔗 🎧 15 Utterly Thrilling, GAY Songs
🔗 🎧 A Must-Hear PRIDE 🏳️‍🌈 Compendium: 2021

12. Lazarus Lynch, “Black Queer Anthem”

🎵 “Black Queer Anthem” • 🏷 Lazarus Lynch • 📅 2021

🎙 Lazarus Lynch is fearless. More people should have the fearlessness and bravery of this self-described black gay artist, intellectual, and activist.  A prime example of his fearlessness is his assertive, bold single, 🎵 “Black Queer Anthem”.  The title alone is enough to make conservatives, homophobes, and racists cringe in sheer ire.  I’m pretty sure Lynch is like, ‘bring it on.’

“Black Queer Anthem” runs just two-minutes-and-change, but that is ample time for Lynch to share both black and queer pride alike.  Honestly, it is an intriguing listen that latches instantly.  The vocals are distorted intentionally, adding a gritty tone to support Lazarus’ cause – thoughtful musical, activist move.  Furthermore, the production is anchored by hard, pummeling drums that scream and incite a march for justice.  The groove is enough to feel this track, sparking body movement but also passion. Lyrically, Lynch keeps it repetitive and simple, constructing a surefire vibe, call for action, and empowering the black, queer army.  Hopefully, allies join the cause as well as Lazarus is preaching good stuff.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: June 2021 🎧
🔗 🎧 13 Q Songs: No Rhyme or Reason

13. Britney Spears, “Work Bitch”

💿 Britney Jean • 🏷 RCA • 📅 2013 

🏆 Grammy-winning pop superstar 🎙 Britney Spears informed the world in 2013, “you better work… BITCH!”  Honestly, 🎵 “Work Bitch” was the best thing that went down on her 2013 album, 💿 Britney Jean. No, Britney Jean didn’t slay like the preceding album, 💿 Femme Fatale, or the follow-up, 💿 Glory, but “Work Bitch” was more than enough to atone – at least in my eyes.  Also, while Britney Spears isn’t a member of the LGBTQ+ community, she’s a gay icon, and “Work Bitch” ranks among her most beloved songs within the community.

Honestly, even if you don’t approve of her use of the word ‘bitch’ for emphasis, Britney had a legit point with this song.  Exhibit A:

“You want a hot body?
You want a Bugatti?
You want a Maserati?
You better work bitch.”

Facts, facts, facts! If I don’t work out and eat healthy (ugh), I can’t have that hot body, dammit! If I don’t somehow find a job that pays mad bread, well, there’ll be no Bugatti or Maserati for me!  I mean, Britney Spears gives us a life lesson here! She’s oh so wise on “Work Bitch.”

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 13 Incredibly Hard-Working Songs

14. Elton John & Rina Sawayama, “Chosen Family”

💿 The Lockdown Sessions • 🏷 Mercury • 🗓 2021

“So, what if we don’t look the same? / We been going through the same thing, yeah / You are, you are / My chosen, chosen family.” 🎙 Rina Sawayama already had a phenomenal record with 🎵 “Chosen Family”, which appeared on her 2020 full-length debut, 💿 SAWAYAMA.  However, on 💿 The Lockdown Sessions (2021), Sawayama is joined by the legendary 🎙 Elton John on an impressive duet version.  Worth noting, The Lockdown Sessions marks iconic musician’s 32^nd studio album.

The collaboration between John and Sawayama feels right given the fact that both musicians are members of the LGBTQ+ community 🏳️‍🌈. Furthermore, they celebrate the notion of ‘chosen Family’, which is masterfully summarized by the chorus:

“We don’t need to be related to relate
We don’t need to share genes or a surname
You are, you are
My chosen, chosen family.”

Gorgeous, meaningful lyrics (and theme), and expressive, nuanced vocals make “Chosen Family” a must-hear.  It exemplifies pride and the notion of celebrating who you are unabashedly.

15. Sylvester, “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)”

💿 Step II • 🏷 Concord Music Group • 📅 1978

“Still your hot and you kiss me back and it / Feels real good and I know you love me / Like you should…” Those lyrics hail from the seminal disco classic, 🎵 “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” by the late, great R&B artist, 🎙 Sylvester.  Sylvester was known for his androgynous style, overall flamboyance, and of course, being an openly gay musician. Sadly, this talented man would die at the young age of 41 from AIDS.  That said, his legacy speaks for itself, specifically “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real).”

Though less explicitly than other songs on this list, “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” embraces the door being ajar as closed – catch my drift.  Perhaps it is how open that Sylvester was regarding sexuality itself, or the quick tempo coupled with a magnificent beat and otherworldly synths.  Regardless, this iconic gay anthem feels like a ‘coming out’ party if there ever were one.  From the dancing on the first verse, to the sex that’s suggested on the second, it feels like a true embrace of being true to self romantically and sexually. 

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 19 Songs That Reference Coming Out
🔗 🎧 A Compendium Comprised of 100 Notable LGBTQ+ Songs