Matt Fishel, “Twinks” | LGBTQ Bopz 🌈🎶

On the 9^th edition of LGBTQ Bopz 🌈🎶 (2021), we highlight “Twinks” performed by British LGBTQ+ pop/rock musician Matt Fishel. 

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ring on the B-O-P-Z, like #SLAYYY! LGBTQ Bopz 🌈🎶 is a column t that embraces, highlights, and celebrates singles and tracks by LGBTQIA musicians.  On LGBTQ Bopz 🌈🎶we provide background info and insight into the respective musician(s), as well as analyze + go gaga over the bops being served up.  Furthermore, when the music dictates deeper, more transcendent discussion, we ensure the point is articulated to the fullest.  All styles of music are welcome and the BOPZ can be classics or brand-spanking new. So, without further ado, on the 9^th edition of LGBTQ Bopz 🌈🎶 (2021), we highlight 🎵 “Twinks” performed by 🎙 Matt Fishel.  

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Theme & Lyrics ✍

“Tell me / Whatcha gonna do for love if you don’t know who you are?” That is a legitimate question! Many people, gay, straight, or otherwise struggle with identity and experience identity and existential crises.  On 🎵 “Twinks” (💿 M/F, 2018), British LGBTQ+ pop/rock musician 🎙 Matt Fishel explores the identity crisis of the aging twink.  If you’re unfamiliar with what a twink is, Urban Dictionary describes it as “a homosexual male with attractive, boyish qualities.” Chloe O. Davis provides a fabulous definition with more depth from her awesome book, 📚 The Queens’ English: The LGBTQA+ Dictionary of Lingo and Colloquial Phrases – you should totally indulge! Focusing on “Twinks” the song, basically as the twink is exiting his 20s, he’s losing himself.

If you’ve never partaken of the music of Matt Fishel, you may not know what to expect.  He embraces queerness, adding an ample amount of entertainment.  While an aging twink is a serious identity issue within the gay community, listening to “Twinks” the song, how seriously does one really take the plight of a nameless twink? “Is it all over? / Now his twenties are coming to an end,” Fishel sings on the first verse, concluding, “When he’s no longer a twink, will they dance on his grave?” As the song progresses, this twink becomes older, but doesn’t know what part of the gay community he is.

On the second verse, Fishel asserts, “All his friends are enjoying other scenes / Bears, cubs, wolves, otters, and queens / While the clubs he frequented are full of twenty-somethings and teens / Makes him feel like some tragic has-been.”  If you’re unfamiliar with all those terms, well, buy Davis’ book! You don’t need to know them specifically though.  All you need to understand is this man doesn’t know who he is a quite possibly, he never knew where he fit. Fishel is critical of him for being aloof of how he acted as a twink: “Clinging to youth like a narcissist / He’s isolated himself from his peers.”

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Final Thoughts 💭

“Twinks” is an intriguing record, period.  For folks unfamiliar with gay slang and various types of gay individuals, this record sheds some light on it.  No, it’s not definitive by any means – you can’t expect every twink to experience such issues as they become older (that would be a generalization or stereotype). That said, it’s an interesting narrative that Matt Fishel presents, and it certainly makes you think.

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🎙 Matt Fishel • 💿 M/F • 🏷 Young Lust • 🗓 2018
Matt Fishel, “Twinks”: LGBTQ Bopz 🌈🎶 No. 9 [📷: Anna Shvets, Brent Faulkner, Kurious, The Musical Hype, Pexels, Pixabay, Young Lust]

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