26 Notable LGBTQ Songs Since 2010 | Playlist

21. Halsey, “New Americana”

Album: Badlands, 2015

On “New Americana,” Halsey paints a portrait that doesn’t look like your parents’ America:

“We are the new Americana / High on legal marijuana / Raised on Biggie and Nirvana / we are the new Americana.”

Beyond marijuana and gangsta rap, she tackles same-sex marriage, breaking stereotypes.

“Young James Dean, some say he looks just like his father / But he could never lover somebody’s daughter / Football team loved more than just the game / So he vowed to be his husband at the altar.”

A good-looking dude on the football team who is also gay and eventually marries a guy?  All part of “The new Americana.”

22. Steve Grand, “All-American Boy”

Album: All American Boy, 2015

A male country artist who is gay? Do those even exist? In the case of Steve Grand, he is indeed gay. Grand did something that no mainstream country artist would dare do – he recorded a same-sex love song, “All-American Boy,” in 2013. Love songs are commonplace in country music, where hunky male artists sing about wooing girls.  While Grand has the “hunky” part covered, t the fact that the object of his affection is a male shocked the world.

“Ripped jeans, only drinks whiskey / I find him by the fire while his girl was getting frisky, oh / I say we go this road tonight…”

All said and done, the one thing that truly separates “All-American Boy” from any other country love song is sexual preference. Few country songs address the LGBTQ community. Grand has filled a gap and initiates the discussion.

“Be my all-American boy tonight / Where every day’s the fourth of July / And it’s alright, alright / And we can keep this up ‘til the morning light / And you can hold me deep in your eyes / It’s alright, alright / So be my, be my / My all-American boy.”

23. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Ft. Mary Lambert, “Same Love”

Album: The Heist, 2012

Rap music isn’t the go-to for LGBT friendly music.  Arguably, hip-hop is less receptive than country music.  Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, with the help of gay singer/songwriter Mary Lambert, aimed to shift the perception with “Same Love.” Macklemore isn’t gay, but supports the LGBT community wholeheartedly.

“For those that like the same sex had the characteristics / The right-wing conservatives think it’s a decision / And you can be cured with some treatment and religion / Man-made, rewiring of a predisposition, playing God.”

Throughout the song, he references the fears that folks have about same-sex relationships and how hip-hop is on the wrong-side of the issue.

“America the brave still fears what we don’t know / And ‘God loves all his children’ is somehow forgotten / But we paraphrase a book written thirty-five hundred years ago / I don’t know.”

Lambert locks down “Same Love” on the hook, specifically the lyric, “She keeps me warm.”  Interestingly, Lambert – who appears earlier on this list – has her own expansion of “Same Love,” “She Keeps Me Warm.”

24. Panic! At the Disco, “Boys/Boys/Girls”

Album: Too Rare to Live, Too Young to Die, 2013

Brendon Urie and Panic! At the Disco delivered one of his most risqué singles of its career with “Girls/Girls/Boys.” The single, not to mention Urie’s revelation of sexual experimentation caused the media to incorrectly label him as bisexual. He isn’t a gay or bi-, but he’s onboard with the freedom to be and do what you’d like.

“Girls/Girls/Boys” embraces  bisexuality, from a girl’s perspective:

“And never did I think that I / Would be caught in the way you got me / But girls love girls and boys / and love is not a choice.”

Later on, Urie admits to interfering with his love interest’s preferences:

“I’m just a villain vying for attention from a girl / A girl who can’t decide / And here’s the reason why / Girls love girls and boys.”

While he proclaims himself as the villain in this case, he’s ultimately thinking bigger. Since “Girls/Girls/Boys” is bisexual anthem, he suggests those interfering with people choosing who to love – judgmental or otherwise – are the villains.

25. Sara Bareilles, “Brave”

Album: The Blessed Unrest, 2013

“And since your history of silence / Won’t do you any good / Did you think it would? / Let your words be anything but empty / Why don’t you tell them the truth.”

“Brave” is among the most inspirational songs on this list.  It was specifically written about coming out.  It’s not about Bareilles coming out, but a friend, according to The Huffington Post. Regardless, it’s an anthem applicable to any number of situations

“Say what you wanna say / And let the words fall out / honestly, I wanna see you be brave.”

Beyond the aforementioned chorus, the verses yield their own fair share of uplifting, empowering lyrics of overcoming adversity:

“Everybody’s been there / Everybody’s been stared down by the enemy / Fallen for the fear / And done some disappearing…maybe there’s a way out of the cage where you live / Maybe one of these days you can let the light in / Show me how big your brave is.”

26. Lady Gaga, “Born This Way”

Album: Born This Way, 2011

Lady Gaga says it best at the top of “Born This Way”:

“It doesn’t matter if you love him, or capital H-I-M / Just put your paws up / Cause you were born this way.”

Ultimately, “Born This Way” is an anthem that celebrates every person being special, regardless of sexual preference or otherwise.

“I’m beautiful in my way / Cause God makes no mistakes / I’m on the right track, baby / I was born this way / Don’t hide yourself in regret / Just love yourself and you’re set / I’m on the rick track baby / I was born this way.”

Note: The original version of this article, 20 Notable LGBT Songs Released in the Last Five Years was published on The Musical Hype on October 6, 2016.

Photo Credit: Def Jam, Astralwerks, RCA, M.A. Music, Island, Hollywood, RCA, Warner Bros., Columbia, Mercury, Republic, Def Jam, Steve Grand, Macklemore, Fueled By Ramen, Epic, Interscope