Louis Dunford, Queer | Beaming with Pride

In the 70^th edition of Beaming with Pride (2026), we highlight “Queer” performed by English singer-songwriter Louis Dunford.

Are you ready to beam with P-R-I-D-E? Beaming with Pride highlights songs by LGBTQ musicians and allies, offering background, analysis, and discussion of the decadent bops served up. All genres are welcome, and both classics and new songs are recognized. So, without further ado, in the 70^th edition of Beaming with Pride (2026), we highlight “Queer” performed by Louis Dunford.

Sigh, just because someone is creative doesn’t necessarily mean they are queer. English singer-songwriter Louis Dunford commences “Queer” with a bang.  The thought-provoking lyricism is one of many selling points of the fifth track from his 2025 album, Be Lucky. Dunford composed the song, while James Mellor produced it. Of “Queer,” Dunford asserts in an Instagram post:

I’ve thought long and hard about what to say about this tune [“Queer”], but I think the lyrics speak for themself. I can’t listen to this song without feeling like I’m gonna have a panic attack, I doubt I’ll ever sing it again, but I’m glad I wrote it… For my friend, for his bravery, for his nature and for the monster of a father who hated him for it.

“Queer” features moody piano accompaniment (Dunford), which is fitting given a heavy theme.  Beyond his beautiful work on the keys, Louis delivers expressive, nuanced vocals. His tone is radiant as he conveys the clever, emotional, and again, thought-provoking lyrics. “Your father thinks you’re strange cause you like boys and girls / There’s no room for change in his little world,” Dunford sings in the second verse, and concludes, “And I’ve seen the bruises on your skin, but you say that you’re okay / I’m going to fucking kill him someday.” Being abused because he’s queer? Not cool in the least 😡. It gets worse, after the father discovers a text from a boy the friend Dunford sings about: “You say he nearly killed me today.” Terrible! Beyond the top-notch songwriting, “Queer” is melodious throughout. The crème de la crème is the chorus, where Dunford brings it with his powerful vocals.  In this particular section, you truly buy what he is selling – the authenticity and sincerity are through the roof.

“If I buy a gun, I’ll shoot him through the heart and run

Away from here

With you my dear

There ain’t nothing wrong with being Queer.”

His final lyrics are not only the big takeaway for “Queer”, but also for anybody who identifies as queer: “There ain’t nothing wrong with being queer.”

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Louis Dunford » Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited » 2025

Louis Dunford, Queer: Beaming with Pride No. 70 (2026) [📷: Brent Faulkner/ The Musical Hype; Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited; Cristyan Bohn, Ketut Subiyanto, Luis Morales Torres, SHVETS production, Uriel Mont from Pexels; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Gordon Johnson, Wolfgang Eckert from Pixabay]

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