Queer Joy | 5ive Songs

1. Lil Nas X, “Scoop”

Ft. Doja Cat

Montero • Columbia • 2021

“I been workin’ on my body / You ever seen a nigga hit Pilates? (Ah) / … I been movin’ work on the daily / Understand, I’m just tryna be the daily / SCOOP!” Grammy winning pop artist Lil Nas X is the SugarHoneyIcedTea totally the “Scoop”! He’s embraced being black and queer, and ‘doesn’t give a what’ what the homophobes have to say about him. “Scoop,” appears on his debut album, Montero, and enlists the services of Doja Cat.  This surefire banger isn’t deep but fun.

Lil Nas X wants to be the “scoop” or trending topic, but he also wants to ‘scoop’ sexually, asserting, “And I’m tryna fuck, lil nigga, fuck the chit-chat / I ain’t talkin’ guns when I ask where your dick at.” Woo! Doja, similarly, plays off both meanings, stating, “I just got my veneers, now bitches wanna rip they face up.” Woo again! Of course, she thrives most sexually: “He named my right cheek Jennifer and left one Lopez.” All said and done, Lil Nas X is the “Scoop” – deal with it.  Also, worth noting, “Scoop” interpolates the Post Malone record, “Spoil My Night” featuring Swae Lee.  That’s a ‘scoop’ itself!

Also appears on :
Lil Nas X, “Scoop”: LGBTQ Bopz No. 1

2. Todrick Hall, “Rainin’ Fellas”

FEMULINE • Todrick Hall / frtyfve • 2021

“Get your umbrellas, get your umbrellas / It’s raining fellas, it’s raining fellas.” Where is this happening, Todrick Hall? With “Rainin’ Fellas”  ( FEMULINE), Hall keeps things GAY AF.  A prime example of the gayness served up? Well, “It’s raining dicks and ass, ass” on the pre-chorus.  Honestly, isn’t Hall’s weather report a lot more interesting and stimulating than the weather report on the local news?

There’s no cure for horniness like Hall’s forecast that proclaims, “It’s gon’ be raining all night / And I’m hoping it rains the kind of dudes that I like.” He later elaborates on what those dudes look like, with their “pecs and abs, abs.” Aside from the chorus, the most fun section of this bright, energetic LGBTQ+ pop gem is the bridge:

“It’s raining thighs, tris, briefs and boxers
It’s raining fly guys, flight attendants and doctors
It’s raining feminine gentlemen, dripping down like a faucet
Yeah, these boys are coming out like the sky was the closet.”

Adding fuel to the fire is an unapologetically gay music video , including cross dressing, makeup, and ample skin. Totally that After Dark we love!

Also appears on :
Todrick Hall, “Rainin’ Fellas”: After Dark No. 20

3. Troye Sivan, “Angel Baby”

“Angel Baby” • Universal Music Australia Pty Ltd • 2021

“I need a lover to keep me sane / Pull me from hell – bring me back again.” On Instagram, openly gay Australian (via South Africa) pop artist Troye Sivan described “Angel Baby” as a “surprise gushy juice doting adoring power bottom gay ballad.” Sivan has consistently embraced his sexuality, doing so once again, brilliantly on “Angel Baby.”

“Angel Baby” checks off all boxes.  Sivan gets gorgeous production work from Jason Evigan, who embraces a lush, plush, 80s-infused sound. Vocally, Sivan sounds utterly sublime, coming off authentic and honest. I heart the dedication that he exhibits towards his ‘angel.’ “I tell you how I almost died, while you’re bringing me back to life,” he sings on the pre-chorus, before unveiling the epic chorus.  On the chorus, there’s a fuller sound with more punch from a production perspective.  Furthermore, Sivan also performs with more oomph. The chorus is incredibly tuneful, bearing a memorable melody:

“I just wanna live in this moment forever
‘Cause I’m afraid that living couldn't get any better
Started giving up on the world forever
Until you give up heaven so we could be together.”

Troye Sivan excels in the pop lane, unafraid to embrace queerness. Musically, “Angel Baby” showcases a high level of musicianship in all facets: great performance, songwriting, and production work.

Also appears on :
15 Steamy Songs Best Listened to After Dark
Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: September 2021

4. serpentwithfeet, “Same Size Shoe”

DEACON • Secretly Canadian • 2021

“Can’t love no man ‘til I measured his feet,” alternative R&B artist serpentwithfeet (Josiah Wise) asserts on “Same Size Shoe”. “Same Size Shoe” is arguably the best song from his sophomore album, DEACON.  Later, Wise heeds the advice of his aunt singing, “My auntie’s right, don’t fuck a man / If his shoes are two times the size of your hands.” Woo!

Besides the unique lyricism of the record, serpentwithfeet delivers an expressive, nuanced, and truly refined vocal performance. His best moments include the ad-libs, the bridge where he asks for his trumpet (you just must hear it for yourself), and of course, the chorus.  The chorus, as to expected, is infectious to the nth degree: “Me and my boo wear the same size shoe.” Additionally, the production (Wise, Brandon Juhans, and Batu) allures as well.

Also appears on :
Same: 5ive Songs No. 33 (2021)
12 Captivating Same & Different Songs
Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: April 2021
‘S’ Songs: No Rhyme or Reason, Vol. 2
A Must-Hear PRIDE ‍ Compendium: 2021

5. Scissor Sisters, “Harder You Get”

Night Work • Polydor • 2010

“And what I really want to do tonight / Is toughen you up.” Woo! Face it, the minute “Harder You Get” ( Night Work, 2010) commences, it sounds like the soundtrack to a sexual experience, period.  The music is enigmatic and groovy, and set in a minor key.  It’s perfect fuel for the fire of Jake Shears and Scissor Sisters. Of course, where the Sisters excel most on “Harder You Get” are the innuendo-laden lyrics.  Also, worth noting, “Harder You Get” is unapologetically gay , and we wouldn’t have it any other way !

“It ain’t Steven
It isn’t Adam
I got some apples if you want ‘em
You can grab ‘em.”

See what I mean about the gay part? Adam and Steve, etc.  Anyways, while the infamous reference is intriguing, more intriguing is the S-E-X, #Lyfe Jennings! “Beatin’ my drum / Faster you’re done” can’t possibly be an innocent lyric! Furthermore, what about the assertion “Hell is my heaven / A loaded weapon / Don’t point that thing at me / Unless you plan to shoot.” Hmm, shoot what, Jake, a ‘natural’ gun ? On “Harder You Get,” Scissors Sisters manage to make a sexy pop record without crossing the line.  Gotta sexual innuendo!!!

Also appears on :
Scissor Sisters, “Harder You Get”: After Dark No. 16
15 Steamy Songs Best Listened to After Dark