![Incredible LGBTQ Songs, Young & Old, Vol. 1 [📷: Barcelos_fotos, Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, Pexels]](https://themusicalhype.com/wp-content/plugins/accelerated-mobile-pages/images/SD-default-image.png)
![Incredible LGBTQ Songs, Young & Old, Vol. 1 [📷: Barcelos_fotos, Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, Pexels]](https://i0.wp.com/themusicalhype.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/incredible-lgbtq-songs-young-old-vol-1.jpg?resize=425%2C425&ssl=1)
Incredible LGBTQ Songs, Young & Old features, Vol. 1 features music courtesy of Kehlani, Oliver Sim, rei brown, Saucy Santana & Steve Lacy.
![Incredible LGBTQ Songs, Young & Old, Vol. 1 [📷: Barcelos_fotos, Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, Pexels]](https://themusicalhype.com/wp-content/plugins/accelerated-mobile-pages/images/SD-default-image.png)
![Incredible LGBTQ Songs, Young & Old, Vol. 1 [📷: Barcelos_fotos, Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, Pexels]](https://i0.wp.com/themusicalhype.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/incredible-lgbtq-songs-young-old-vol-1.jpg?resize=425%2C425&ssl=1)
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 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.
Appears in 🔻:
- Kehlani, “everything”: LGBTQ Bopz 🌈🎶 24 (2022)
- 13 E Songs: No Rhyme or Reason, Vol. 2
- 11 Epic Songs That Are Everything!
2. Saucy Santana, “Booty” (Ft. Latto)
🎵 “Booty” • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 2022
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!
Appears in 🔻:
3. Rina Sawayama, “This Hell”
💿 Hold the Girl • 🏷 Dirty Hit • 📅 2022
“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.”
Appears in 🔻:
- 11 Gloriously, Infernal HELL Songs
- 30 Best Songs of 2022 (So Far)
- Awesome Songs: June 2022
4. Years & Years, “Muscle”
💿 Night Call • 🏷 Polydor • 🗓 2022
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 💪 🏋 🌈!
Appears in 🔻:
- Years & Years, “Muscle”: LGBTQ Bopz 🌈 7 (2022)
- 11 Anatomical Songs – To Some Degree º
- Muscle: 3 or 4 BOPS No. 8 (2022)
- 15 M Songs: No Rhyme or Reason, Vol. 2
5. Leith Ross, “We’ll Never Have Sex”
🎵 “We’ll Never Have Sex” • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2022
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 🔻:
- 11 Compelling Songs About WE
- Awesome Songs: April 2022
- Have: 5ive Songs No. 20 (2022)
- 13 Amazing, Must HAVE Songs
6. Oliver Sim, “Hideous”
💿 Hideous Bastard • 🏷 Young • 🗓 2022
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.
Appears in 🔻:
7. brakence, “venus fly trap”
🎵 “venus fly trap” • 🏷 Columbia • 🗓 2022
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.
Appears in 🔻:
8. Rei brown, “Haunt Me”
💿 Xeno • 🏷 Jimaku Super • 🗓 2022
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?
Appears in 🔻:
9. Orville Peck, “C’mon, Baby Cry”
💿 Bronco • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 2022
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.
Appears in 🔻:
- Awesome Songs: April 2022
10. SOPHIE, “Ponyboy”
💿 OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES • 🏷 MSMSMSM INC / Future Classic • 📅 2018
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.
Appears in 🔻:
11. Erasure, “A Little Respect”
💿 The Innocents • 🏷 Sire • 🗓 1988
“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.
Appears in 🔻:
12. FLETCHER & Hayley Kiyoko, “Cherry”
🎵 “Cherry” • 🏷 Capitol • 📅 2021
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.
Appears in 🔻:
13. Steve Lacy, “Bad Habit”
💿 Gemini Rights • 🏷 L-M / RCA • 📅 2022
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.
Appears in 🔻:
14. Kim Petras, “Throat Goat”
💿 Slut Pop (EP) • 🏷 Amigo / Republic • 🗓 2022
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!
Appears in 🔻:
- Kim Petras, “Throat Goat”: LGBTQ Bopz 🌈🎶 8 (2022)
- 15 T Songs: No Rhyme or Reason, Vol. 2
15. Frankie Goes to Hollywood, “Relax”
💿 Welcome to the Pleasuredome • 🏷 ZTT Records Limited • 🗓 1984
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!
Appears in 🔻:
Leave a Comment