LGBTQ+ Artists to add to your playlist for Pride Month (and the rest of the year)

By Sergio Niblett-Morales 20 June 2021

Happy Pride Month! To all our LGBTQ+ readers, however you identify, here’s a reminder that you are valid, and you are cherished. In honour of Pride Month, I have compiled a list of LGBTQ+ artists to add to your playlist.

Demi Lovato

Image courtesy of Hollywood Records

Identifies as: Pansexual and Non-Binary

Favourite tracks: California Sober, Butterfly and Carefully

Genres: Pop

Latest release: Dancing with the Devil... the Art of Starting Over (2021)

Lovato came out as non-binary on 19 May 2021, following the release of their album Dancing with the Devil… the Art of Starting Over. They said on Twitter, ‘I am proud to let you know that I identify as non-binary & will officially be changing my pronouns to they/them moving forward’. This follows their tragic overdose in 2018, succeeded by a long journey of self-reflection.

Though their identity as non-binary is not explicitly referred to on Dancing with the Devil… the Art of Starting Over, Demi does refer to their sexuality as pansexual. In The Kind Of Lover I Am, Demi sings, ‘Doesn’t matter, you’re a woman or a man/ That’s the kind of lover I am (or you can be anything in-between)’.

Their highly introspective approach to their past makes Dancing with the Devil… the Art of Starting Over an enjoyable and raw album that I have come back to time and time again. Their vocals are top-notch throughout not only this album, but their whole discography.

Rina Sawayama

Image courtesy of Dirty Hit

Identifies as: Pansexual

Favourite tracks: XS, F*** This World (Interlude), Tokyo Love Hotel

Genres: Pop, Rock, R&B, Alternative, Nu-metal

Latest release: Chosen Family (with Elton John)

Rina Sawayama’s success has skyrocketed since my review of her debut album SAWAYAMA. A BRIT nomination, a collaboration with Elton John and a lead role in John Wick: Chapter 4 have all aided her journey into the spotlight.

Chosen Family, her collaboration with Elton John, details her life within the LGBTQ+ community. On Genius, she said, ‘at certain points in my life where I’ve been having a hard time, the LGBTQ community has always been there for me.

The concept of chosen family has been long-standing within the queer community because a lot of people get kicked out of their homes and get ostracized from their family for coming out or just living true to themselves’. Chosen Family is widely loved by fans, myself included, and it feels like a warm hug every time I listen to it. Rina is definitely an artist to look out for.

Victoria Monét

Image courtesy of victoriamonet.co

Identifies as: Bisexual

Favourite tracks: Jaguar, Experience, Freak, Touch Me, Moment

Genres: R&B, Pop

Latest release: F.*.*.*.

Victoria is an artist that consistently outdoes herself with each new release. Even though Jaguar is almost a year old, I still listen to it in heavy rotation.

Speaking on her latest single ‘F.*.*.*.’, released back in February, she said, ‘we do not have to be confined to traditional commitment ideals, and instead, embody the freedom to be intimate when and with whom we mutually please!’

Victoria has been vocal about her sexuality in songs such as Touch Me, and its remix with fellow queer artist Kehlani (who the song is believed to be about). Victoria Monét is another talent to watch out for and definitely an artist to add to your playlist.

Troye Sivan

Image courtesy of Capital Records and Universal Music Australia

Identifies as: Gay

Favourite tracks: Strawberries & Cigarettes, My My My!, Talk Me Down, Bloom

Genres: Pop

Latest release: You (with Regard and Tate McRae)

Of all of the artists on this list, Troye Sivan is the artist I have followed for the longest. Beginning his career on YouTube back in 2007, he is now one of the most prominent LGBTQ+ artists in the music industry. His two albums, Blue Neighbourhood (2015) and Bloom (2018) were met with widespread critical acclaim and propelled him into projects such as Strawberries & Cigarettes for the 2018 film Love, Simon, and his most recent EP In A Dream (2020).

When Troye came out as gay on YouTube in 2013, he said, ‘this is not something that I’m ashamed of and it’s not something that anyone should have to be ashamed of’. In a speech he gave at the 2017 GLADD Awards, he commented on his experience growing up gay, and those that fought for LGBTQ+ rights in his speech. Troye is an artist I would wholeheartedly recommend if you haven’t heard any of his songs before.

Isaac Dunbar

Image courtesy of RCA Records/Jasper Soloff

Identifies as: Gay

Favourite tracks: fan behaviour, makeup drawer, scorton’s creek

Genres: Pop, Alternative Pop

Latest release: evil twin EP (2021)

At just 18 years-old, Isaac is a rising star in the music industry. His three EP’s, Balloons Don’t Float Here (2019), Isaac’s Insects (2020) and Evil Twin (2021) are all refreshing bodies of work in which Isaac is unapologetic about his identity as a gay person. His track ‘makeup drawer’, an upbeat Pop song, refers to the internalised homophobia that he has experienced in his life.

In a statement posted on Instagram, Isaac stated, ‘my sexuality was outed by someone I thought I could trust most. I hated myself because I was not surrounded by the right support system at the time. Now two years later, I’m finally ready to share my experiences and any sort of wisdom I have regarding self- love and acceptance’.

Isaac is set to become a big presence in the music industry, and definitely another artist to check out.

Wafia

Image courtesy of Wafia Official

Identifies as: Pansexual

Favourite tracks: Butterflies, Good Things, Pick Me, Flowers & Superpowers, Only Love

Genres: R&B, Electronica

Latest release: Good Things EP (2020)

Whilst I have known of Wafia Al-Rikabi for a short amount of time, her encapsulating melodies and refreshing R&B productions have quickly cemented her as one of my favourite artists. Her song Butterflies, a smooth and silky R&B track, is one of my most played songs in recent days, which is unlikely to change anytime soon.

Wafia explores her sexuality explicitly within her song Only Love in which she comes to terms with being attracted to another woman for the first time. In an interview with Autostraddle, Wafia said, ‘representation has always been so important for any sort of minority historically and it’s awesome that that’s what kids want out of their pop stars now’.

If you would like to learn more about Pride Month, Student Communications Co-ordinator at the University of Kent, Miriam Sandiford, explores its rich history and significance in this article.