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Incredible LGBTQ Songs, Young & Old, Vol. 1 [📷: Barcelos_fotos, Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, Pexels]Incredible LGBTQ Songs, Young & Old features, Vol. 1 features music courtesy of Kehlani, Oliver Sim, rei brown, Saucy Santana & Steve Lacy.  

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First and foremost, if you didn’t know, or couldn’t tell, The Musical Hype is, and always will be, a welcoming, open, and supportive place to the LGBTQIA community. Each and every year, there are superb additions to the LGBTQ+ catalog from musicians who identify as members of the community, as well as those serving as allies.  🎧 Incredible LGBTQ Songs, Young & Old, Vol. 1 – originally published as 35 Intriguing LGBTQ Songs, Young & Old before some unfortunate content loss on the website 🤬 – seeks to avoid song repeats from past published LGBTQ-themed playlists.  Rather than release one big list, Incredible LGBTQ Songs, Young & Old arrives in volumes.

🎧 Incredible LGBTQ Songs, Young & Old, Vol. 1 features music courtesy of 🎙 Kehlani, 🎙 Oliver Sim, 🎙 rei brown, 🎙 Saucy Santana, and 🎙 Steve Lacy among others. Stylistically, this list encompasses various musical styles. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into this LGBTQ-themed musical compendium!


 

1. Kehlani, “everything”

💿 blue water road🏷 TSNMI / Atlantic • 📅 2022

Kehlani, blue water road [📷: Atlantic]🏆 Grammy-nominated R&B singer/songwriter 🎙 Kehlani has been firmly planted in the LGBTQ+ community for a while.  She’s incorporated queer elements into her music many times. However, the formerly bisexual artist informed us she’s a lesbian in 2021. Knowing her sexuality brings more perspective to one of the brightest spots on her under-appreciated 2022 album, 💿 blue water road, 🎵 “Everything”.

Kehlani sings beautifully, expressively, and most of all, authentically.  Listening to the record, you don’t feel like she is holding back – she’s giving her true feelings and best performance.  The chorus is the centerpiece:

“’Cause, baby, it’s the everything for me

For me, yeah, for me

Baby, it’s the everything for me

For me, yeah, oh, for me

‘Cause, baby, it’s the everything, no tryin’

You be shinin’, my silver linin’

‘Cause, baby, it’s the everything for me

For me, yeah, oh, for me.”

Safe to say, Kehlani is vibing with this woman.  If you need further evidence, just check out the verses, where she compliments her.  The second verse, in particular, confirms these ‘everything’ feels.  All told, this is a terrific R&B song and, a great addition to the LGBTQ+ catalog.  Also, shout out 🎛 Pop Wansel and 🎛 Happy Perez for the chill, radiant production work.

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2. Saucy Santana, “Booty” (Ft. Latto)

🎵 “Booty” • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 2022

Saucy Santana, “Booty” (Ft. Latto) [📷: RCA]Question: “Who else got a ass like this? / Who else throw it back like this?” Well, apparently it’s the colorful, sassy, openly gay rapper, 🎙 Saucy Santana.  On the short but potent single 🎵 “Booty”, he links up with fellow rapper 🎙 Latto for an infectious, bootylicious anthem.  Has Pride month ever been so lit?

The prominent sample used on “Booty” probably sounds familiar.  That’s because 🎵 “Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So)” by 🎙 The Chi-Lites was notably sampled by 🎙 Beyoncé in her breakthrough solo hit, 🎵 “Crazy in Love”.  🎛 Johnny Goldstein produces this banger – good stuff! The Chi-Lites fuel both Saucy and Latto’s respective performances.  In the cause of Mr. Santana, there’s no doubt his ‘role’ as he highlights that his “Ass so fat but it still match the legs,” and, “Make him pass out when he hit it.” Woo! Confident AF, he later asserts in the bridge, “Booty make him cook, booty make him do the dishes (Uh-huh) / Booty-booty, make him wanna turn me to his Mrs/missus.” Day-um! Latto is ‘saucy’ too, kicking off the second verse touting her “flat tummy,” and adding, “One of ninety-nine reason bitches hate me.” Of course, it’s not the tummy these men ‘came for’ but rather the booty: “Girl, he love it here, I’ma shake it like dice (Shake it) /Wrapped around my finger, eatin’ booty from the bite (Ooh).” Well, one thing’s for sure – there’s no shortage of 🎵 “Booty”, and you can never have too many booty songs, right? Right!

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3. Rina Sawayama, “This Hell”

💿 Hold the Girl 🏷 Dirty Hit • 📅 2022

Rina Sawayama, Hold the Girl [📷: Dirty Hit]Just know, “This hell is better with you / We’re burning up together / Baby, that makes two.” 🎙 Rina Sawayama returns ferociously with 🎵 “This Hell” (💿 Hold the Girl). Although things are utterly hellish, the ear candy and musical excellence that Sawayama serves up is anything but! 

“This Hell” commences with energetic production (🎛 Paul Epworth and 🎛 Clarence Clarity) in the form of a compelling groove and a lit melodic guitar line.  After the intro, when Sawayama begins singing, the sound changes, revealing a couple of unexpected tricks. Ultimately, the verses have a different harmonic scheme compared to the pre-chorus and chorus, which the instrumental intro highlights.  In the verses, Sawayama keeps things real. “Saw a poster on the corner opposite the motel,” she sings in the first verse, continuing, “Turns out I’m going to hell if I keep on being myself.” She’s basically like, ‘fuck it,’ “God hates us? Alright then / Buckle up, at dawn, we’re riding.” Similarly, in the second verse, Rina flips birds, criticizes the paparazzi for how they’ve destroyed countless female celebs, and shows incredible resolve: “That Satan’s looking thirsty, not even he can hurt me.” Even though she’s got her “Invitation to eternal damnation,” Sawayama responds by saying, “Get in line, pass the wine, bitch.”

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4. Years & Years, “Muscle”

💿 Night Call 🏷 Polydor • 🗓 2022 

Years & Years, Night Call [📷: Polydor]“All the lights are focused on you / I can hear applause as your body talks.” Ooh-la-la! Please continue, 🎙 Years & Years aka 🎙 Olly Alexander! “Rumor has it you’re on the loose / What do you adore? / Shall we both explore this fantasy?” On 🎵 “Muscle”, sex is clearly on Alexander’s mind: “Don’t leave me now, stay at the party / I don’t wanna leave without your body.” “Muscle” appears on the deluxe editions of 💿 Night Call, the third studio album by the British synthpop act. Notably, Alexander wrote “Muscle” with 🎼✍ Stephen Wrabel and 🎼✍ Joel Little.

In the chorus, Alexander plays around with the notion of muscles.  Obviously, there’s a male objectification piece, in addition to strength, and perhaps, a different muscle.

“Say you’re gonna pick me up

Never gonna put me down

Are you getting me into trouble?

Look at all that, that muscle

Oh, I wanna take a bite

And I wanna take it now

‘Cause I wanna get into trouble

Look at all that, that, all that muscle.”

Clearly, Olly is enticed by this muscled-up hunk – who wouldn’t be? When providing commentary about the song, Alexander notes gay gym culture and George Michael’s expression of sexual desire as inspiration.  He also mentions wanting “to reference house music but have my fun gay spin on it.” Y&Y successfully achieves the intended effect. As always, Olly Alexander sings superbly and gets a big-time lift from the sleek production work of 🎛 Joel Little.  The only thing that would make “Muscle” better would be a killer music video, filled with buff, muscled dudes, of course 💪 🏋 🌈!

 

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5. Leith Ross, “We’ll Never Have Sex”

🎵 “We’ll Never Have Sex” • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2022 

Leith Ross, "We'll Never Have Sex" [📷: Republic]“Oh, you kissed me just to kiss me / Not to make me cry.” With a song title like 🎵 “We’ll Never Have Sex,” our minds are programmed to think that there is an unquenched thirst that will remain unquenched.  Honestly, that’s not the case in the least.  If anything, Canadian singer/songwriter 🎙 Leith Ross is more fulfilled than ever.  They are more fulfilled thanks to a legitimate, healthy relationship that’s not built on sex.  “We’ll Never Have Sex” might sound like it’s going to be negative before listening to it, but check out the lyrics and listen, and the reward is far greater than the perceived lack of pleasure.

Leith Ross has found healing on this short but potent ballad. Their new lover is authentic, something that’s been missing in the past.  “Depollute me, pretty baby / Suck the rot right out of my bloodstream,” Ross sings in the first verse.  In the second, Ross addresses the lack of sex, highlighting how authentic and real this person is: “If I said you could never touch me / You’d come over and say I looked lovely.” That’s awesome!  In the final verse, Ross invites them to “Come and kiss me, pretty baby / Like we’ll never have sex.” The song is incredibly sweet and thoughtful to the nth degree.

 

Appears in 🔻:

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6. Oliver Sim, “Hideous”

💿 Hideous Bastard🏷 Young • 🗓 2022

Oliver Sim, Hideous Bastard [📷: Young]“I’m ugly / I’m up and down right now, I’m down and bloody…” Wow – that’s incredibly heavy, 🎙 Oliver Sim.  That said, when the record is titled 🎵 “Hideous”, and appears on an album entitled 💿 Hideous Bastard, well, there has to be some heaviness and more importantly, hideousness.  Providing a bit of ease to the listeners, Sim continues singing in the first verse, “But I don’t feel as though I’ve been unlucky / I have people in my life that really love me.” A support system is a necessity for this beautiful voiced, handsomely talented man, who gets uber personal.  You see, at the end of the record, Sim reveals, “Been living with HIV / Since seventeen / Am I hideous?”

Sim not only shows vulnerability as a person with HIV, but he shows bravery and courage in telling his story.  In the second verse, Oliver sings, “Oh, I hide / Though the company at home can be unkind / Yet I live alone and refuse to go outside.” “Hideous” is about how he’s felt living with a disease with incredible stigma, particularly among gay men.  He never has to force things vocally; his baritone is potent without gospel histrionics.  Furthermore, with colorful production by 🎛 Jamie xx (his 🎙 The xx bandmate) behind him, the lush music – incredibly creative and distinct – speaks volumes.  The music that prefaces the bridge in particular is epic, leading into one of the song’s best moments, a 🎙 Jimmy Somerville feature:

“Follow my voice

Sweet natured boy

Just to keep you safe

Listen for me

Be brave, have trust

Just be willing to be loved.”

OMG, is it a stunning, truly meaningful moment from “Hideous.” 🎵 “Hideous” is incredibly powerful. The vulnerability and bravery Oliver Sim exhibits speak volumes. His honesty and transparency are to be commended because so many people – many of whom are going through the same things as Sim – need to hear it.

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7. brakence, “venus fly trap”

🎵 “venus fly trap” • 🏷 Columbia • 🗓 2022

brakence, “venus fly trap” [📷: Columbia]“I think it’s better when she don’t even ask me / Three chords and she all over me nasty.” Only three chords, 🎙 brakence (Randy Findell)? Wow! To his credit, prior to those key lines from the chorus of 🎵 “venus fly trap”,  the pop musician characterizes himself as “A hypochondriac / I think of you, blood pressure spikes / I’ll have a heart attack.” Just these excerpts from “venus fly trap” should give you a sense of how alluring and how cool this record is from an artist more folks need to be buzzing about.

Brakence is quite talented.  He possesses a distinct, incredibly nuanced voice that has sort of this huskiness but also has the ability to deliver a ripe falsetto.  Listening to him, he sounds like he could front a pop-punk band, but he’s not limited to pop-punk; he’s quite versatile.  In “venus fly trap,” our young romantic is taken with this girl, who fell for him quickly and, essentially, has sucked him in as a Venus fly trap does.  What’s interesting is, brakence, who is bisexual, also appears to rebound from a previous relationship with a man (“This ain’t love, boy, you’re just a pick-me-up”). Throughout, brakence emphasizes her power over him with a plethora of colorful lyrics such as, “I’m like, ‘god damn,’ she slid in, now we’re breaking the ice / The concoction just hit me, it’s dilating my eyes,” “I was hypnotized soon as her lips met mine,” and “She’s undercover, got a Trojan to crash me.”  Besides the voice, theme, and lyrics, the music is compelling as well – a backdrop perfect for this infatuated record, particularly the outro where we experience that angelic falsetto 😍. “Venus fly trap” is utterly sublime.

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8. Rei brown, “Haunt Me”

💿 Xeno🏷 Jimaku Super • 🗓 2022

rei brown, Xeno [📷: Jimaku Super]“I was in control; I’d been healing on my own / ‘til I saw the cold eerie glow from a call on my phone.”  Yep, 🎙 rei brown, that’s enough to completely stifle progress in getting over a breakup.  Brown’s reinstated anxiety and pain from the end of a relationship is the focus of 🎵 “Haunt Me”.  “Haunt Me” is one of the premiere songs from brown’s debut album, 💿 Xeno (short for xenophobia), released in July 2022. While you don’t wish anyone to relive traumatic happenings in their lives, brown’s heartaches are the listener’s pleasure in “Haunt Me.” This pop ballad by the Japanese, queer, alt-pop artist based in New York is gorgeous.

Brown goes on to sing, “And like a séance I felt your presence / It’s like you slipped in through the seams of all my dreams / tried to forget you…” This reemergence has thrown brown off – haunted him as the title reads.  In the chorus, he sums up these feelings perfectly, making them universally relatable whether you’re heterosexual, homosexual, or otherwise:

“Why do you haunt me? Pulling me back

Tryna get flames from a burnt-out match

Making me sad, keep picking these scabs

Nothing you do is gonna bring me back.”

Even though his ex is ‘trying him,’ and certainly getting under is skin, brown holds tough with that final lyric of the chorus.  He penned “Haunt Me” alongside 🎼 ✍ Harry Burr and 🎼 ✍ Stevie Bill.  Stitching up the production is brown, Burr, and 🎛 Frankie Scoca.  It’s unfortunate that rei brown is being haunted by the past on 🎵 “Haunt Me”.  But, had he not been bothered by his ex, would we have been given this radiant ballad?

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9. Orville Peck, “C’mon, Baby Cry”

💿 Bronco🏷 Columbia • 📅 2022 

Orville Peck, Bronco [📷: Columbia]🎵 “C’mon Baby, Cry” has a strong case as the best song record from 💿 Bronco, the sophomore album by South African, Canada-based, gay county musician, 🎙 Orville Peck. Like other songs from Bronco, Peck does a bang-up job resurrecting and preserving the country music of old.  These retro country stylings are incredibly refreshing in a time where country-pop is dominant and bigger-named musicians seem well out of new ideas.

The biggest selling point on “C’mon Baby, Cry” is that soaring voice, which is truly mesmerizing to listen to.  Peck fearlessly combats toxic masculinity thematically.  “But you’ve been smiling for so long / A thousand teardrops can’t be wrong, no,” he sings at the end of the first verse, adding in the chorus, “I don’t want you to be afraid / Let me see you cry /… Call me up anytime / C’mon, baby, cry.” It’s amazing how Peck’s music is idiomatic of classic country, yet seamlessly incorporates queer elements.  I love the fact that he doesn’t mask sexuality but rather embraces it. “C’mon Baby, Cry” is utterly sublime.

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10. SOPHIE, “Ponyboy”

💿 OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES🏷 MSMSMSM INC / Future Classic • 📅 2018

SOPHIE, OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES [📷: MSMSMSM INC / Future Classic]“Lock up the door / Put the pony on all fours / Crackdown the whip / Make the pony bite the bit.” Hmm, somehow, it doesn’t seem like those lyrics are really about horses.  Sure, a pony is referenced but it seems like the late, great Scottish musician 🎙 SOPHIE (Sophie Xeon) had something else in mind. Sadly, the 🏆 Grammy-nominated musician – the rare trans musician to be nominateddied from a tragic accident on January 30, 2021, at age 34 😢.  She exemplified the forward-thinking, progressive musician, something you can hear clearly on 🎵 “Ponyboy”, a single from her 2018 album, 💿 OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES.

The electrifying “Ponyboy” serves up decadent ear candy.  The production is epic, featuring sharp synths and a hard-hitting, grimy beat.  The minute you hear “Ponyboy,” it ‘hits different’ and for good reason. SOPHIE intended for “Ponyboy” to be risqué, unapologetic, and, judging by the lyrics, SEXUAL.  Both SOPHIE and co-writer 🎙 Cecil Believe serve up vocals and more notably, a rough brand of that beloved, universal three-letter word.

“Spit on my face

Put the pony on in his place

I am your toy

Just a little ponyboy.”

Wow! It doesn’t stop there, of course, as SOPHIE adds, “Step on my clutch / Can you feel the hot blood rush? /… Make the pony grease his mane / Harness your toy.” Woo! Also worth noting, SOPHIE and Cecil Believe welcome all genders, asserting, “He is just a pony / She is just a pony / They is just a pony.”  All inclusive! The late, brilliant SOPHIE steps into a world of sex that’s anything but vanilla. As ‘rough around the edges’ as “Ponyboy” is, it’s truly entertaining, ear-catching, and a testament to the legacy of a fantastic musician gone far too soon.

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11. Erasure, “A Little Respect”

💿 The Innocents • 🏷 Sire • 🗓 1988 

Erasure, The Innocents [📷: Sire]Hayden Manders of Nylon describes the 🎙 Erasure classic, 🎵 “A Little Respect”, as “a strikingly strong lesson in what it means to be queer and in love.” That is a great characterization of this beloved, surefire LGBTQ bop 🌈🎶.  Manders concludes his insightful article by asserting that the song, “sounds like … the triumph of queer people falling in love together and singing out about love’s glory.” Important to note, that 🎙 Andy Bell, the singer in the British synthpop duo (also including 🎙 Vince Clarke) is openly gay. Also, worth noting that “A Little Respect” arrived in the 1980s, when ‘openly gay’ pop stars were rarer.  The bop opens the duo’s 1988 album, 💿 The Innocents.

“I try to discover

A little something to make me sweeter

Oh, baby, refrain

From breaking my heart.”

Clearly, Andy Bell is deeply in love. In the first verse, he goes on to say, “I’m so in love with you / I’ll be blue forever / That you give me no reason / Why you make me work so hard.” Man does that hit like a brick! The second verse is like the first, as Bell sings, “What religion or reason / Could drive a man to forsake his lover?” It’s that line that helps solidify the queerness of this pop hit without revealing too many cards (for the times).  Of course, the centerpiece is the chorus, which shines over the brilliant production:

“Soul, I hear you calling

Oh, baby, please

Give a little respect to me.”

“A Little Respect” is one killer song. The vocals are superb, particularly that ripe falsetto.  The production (🎛 Stephen Hague) is bright and ear-catching, set in a major key – good old C major to be precise!  Furthermore, there’s a fine music video 🎶📼 to accompany this 80s classic and staple of the LGBTQ community. 

Mute Records GIF by ERASURE - Find & Share on GIPHY

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12. FLETCHER & Hayley Kiyoko, “Cherry”

🎵 “Cherry” • 🏷 Capitol • 📅 2021 

FLETCHER & Hayley Kiyoko, "Cherry" [📷: Capitol]On 🎵 “Cherry”, 🎙 FLETCHER (Cari Fletcher) and 🎙 Hayley Kiyoko (aka Lesbian Jesus), join forces to express their desires for a particular girl. Produced by 🎛 Jonah Shy, the backdrop sets up FLETCHER and Hayley for success.  Cari takes first blood, setting up how enticing this lady is.  “Your lips when you bite ‘em like this / And I’m blushing real hard got me moving my hips,” she sings on the first verse, adding, “You’re across from me / And it’s hard to breathe.”  In the chorus, she goes on to sing, “I want you on top of me like cherry.” Ooh la la!

In the second verse, Hayley Kiyoko keeps the lustful vibe going.  “Your body’s got me / Out of my mind,” she sings, continuing, “Girl, I’m taking over / Grab your things, we’re going to paradise, paradise.” Both artists sing well, with the personality infused being the biggest selling point.  Ultimately, they make a fabulous, formidable team.  They do a fantastic job singing about pursuing love with a girl that makes them feel some type of way.  Their personalities, vocals, and solid production make this two-and-a-half-minute pop cut a surefire winner.

Bitter GIF by FLETCHER - Find & Share on GIPHY

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13. Steve Lacy, “Bad Habit”

💿 Gemini Rights • 🏷 L-M / RCA • 📅 2022

Steve Lacy, Gemini Rights [📷: L-M / RCA]“I wish I knew you wanted me.” Ugh, don’t we all wish that we had that knowledge, 🎙 Steve Lacy🎵 “Bad  Habit” highlights Lacy’s incredible musicianship on his sophomore album, 💿 Gemini Rights. The timbre of his voice is radiant as he expresses regret about not expressing feelings to a potential lover.  “If I knew I’d be with you  / Is it too late to pursue?” he asks in the first verse. In the second verse, he seeks transparency, singing, “I wish you wouldn’t play with me / I wanna know.”

While it seems, he’s pointing the finger during the verses, in the chorus, he takes some responsibility, asserting, “I bite my tongue, it’s a bad habit / Kinda mad I didn’t take a stab at it.” Beyond the chorus and regretful post-chorus, the bridge is intriguing, mostly a cappella, leading to a unique break – a change of pace. There’s also a compelling outro, which hearkens back to the hip-hop soul/neo-soul era. Ultimately“Bad Habit” is well-written, with a relatable theme and lyrics.  It’s well-produced with a palette of soulful but non-anachronistic sounds that fit the aesthetic in 2022.  Lacy sounds amazing, perfectly capturing this regretful, love-oriented sentiment perfectly.  Impressive to the nth degree.

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14. Kim Petras, “Throat Goat”

💿 Slut Pop (EP) • 🏷 Amigo / Republic • 🗓 2022 

Kim Petras, Slut Pop (EP) [📷: Amigo / Republic]Sex is the modus operandi throughout 💿 Slut Pop, the 2022 EP from pop musician 🎙 Kim Petras.  Safe to say, throughout the course of this 16-minute effort, the German transgender singer goes ‘below the belt.’  The sex-positive vibes run rampant from start to finish with no shortage of naughty, sexed-up fun.

On 🎵 “Throat Goat” Petras sings/ melodically raps about oral sex, period.  She has no shortage of confidence, beginning with the chorus which is eyebrow-raising, mouth agape from the jump. “I could take it all, love it big or small / Make it hit the wall, I’m the throat goat,” she sings, adding, “I just sucked my ex, no gag reflex / I just had to flex, I’m the throat goat.” At least Petras accepts all sizes!  Even though she establishes her throat game is on-point from the jump, Kim doesn’t tone things down.  In the first verse, she packs a punch asserting, “These bitches can’t suck like me / Walk in, I’m the sucking queen / Look around, all eyes on me / Jack it off, I’ma suck it clean.” Also, apparently, Petras will perform the act anywhere – Slut Pop, indeed!

 

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15. Frankie Goes to Hollywood, “Relax”

💿 Welcome to the Pleasuredome🏷 ZTT Records Limited • 🗓 1984 

Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Welcome to the Pleasuredome [📷: ZTT]Relax, don’t do it / When you want to come,” front man 🎙 Holly Johnson sings on the naughty 1984 song 🎵 “Relax”.  “Relax” appears on the 🎙 Frankie Goes to Hollywood album, 💿 Welcome to the Pleasuredome.  Honestly, is there any way whatsoever that the band could deny that this song is about sex? Ultimately, they admitted it, but of course, they didn’t have to – the sexual innuendo is on-point.  What’s cool about “Relax” is the fact that it can be so risqué and unapologetic without the use of explicit language. The suggestive chorus, continues, “Relax, don’t do it / When you want to suck it, chew it…”  Suck it? Chew it?  Lollipop action?

The chorus is steamy, as is the verse.  Johnson sings, “But shoot it in the right direction / Make makin’ it your intention (ooh yeah, ooh yeah).” He adds, “Hit me with those laser beams / Ow, ow, ow! / Laser beam me / 1, 2.” Also, for good measure, during the various chorus sections, Johnson drops a few sexed-up gems.  First, there’s simply, “Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, uh! / I’m coming / I’m coming, yeah.” There’s also, “The scene of love, feel it.” In the end, he asserts, “Now’s the time, it’s party time.” Hmm, we can assume after ‘saving up’ throughout “Relax,” he can finally ‘release.’ Clearly, “Relax” is filthy describing an experience enjoyed oh-so-much by men worldwide. 

More overt is the music video 🎶📼.  This music video is incredibly gay for the time (and banned)! Even by today’s standards, the original video raises eyebrows. A gay club, with a drag queen, a large man dressed as a Roman, a tiger, and leather-clad patrons – it’s a sight to behold!  Also, that ‘coming’ experience happens when the man dressed as a Roman undresses and ‘releases.’ There are also some distinct facial expressions, which seem to depict the ‘O’ experience.  What can you say? “Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood was ahead of its time in the 80s.  The music video is more ‘controversial’ but again, there’s no denying those lyrics are about holding off on releasing those soldiers as long as possible! 

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Incredible LGBTQ Songs, Young & Old, Vol. 1 [📷: Amigo, Atlantic, Barcelos_fotos, Brent Faulkner, Capitol, Columbia, Dirty Hit, Future Classic, Jimaku Super, L-M, The Musical Hype, MSMSMSM INC, Polydor, RCA, Republic, Sire, TSNMI, Young, ZTT Records Limited]


the musical hype

the musical hype (Brent Faulkner) has earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music (music education, music theory/composition respectively). A multi-instrumentalist, he plays piano, trombone, and organ among numerous other instruments. He's a certified music educator, composer, and freelance music blogger. Faulkner cites music and writing as two of the most important parts of his life. Notably, he's blessed with a great ear, possessing perfect pitch.