Music Editor Ellie Harris reflects on the transformative and empowering effect of the artists that made up the soundtrack of her life
Aged about 14, I started to get into music for the first time in my life. Previously I had listened to what was popular, or what my friends were into, but never really found anything that inspired me. As an angst-ridden teenager, that all changed and I found myself becoming passionate about the artists I was listening to. This also happened to be the same time that I came out as bisexual, with a whole range of LGBTQ+ artists showing me that I was not alone in my identity, at a time when I knew few queer individuals personally. As Pride Month draws to a close, it seems an opportune time to reflect on the LGBTQ+ musicians and songs that have contributed to the soundtrack of my life.
Panic! at the Disco – ‘Girls/Girls/Boys’
My realisation that I was bisexual coincided strongly with my emo phase, hence Panic! at the Disco’s inclusion on this list. I listened to this band almost exclusively for a couple of years and went to see them at London’s iconic Ally Pally for my first concert. Brendon Urie, Panic’s frontman, openly identifies as pansexual, and acted as a queer role model for me alongside Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance fame. The song ‘Girls/Girls/Boys,’ which features on Panic’s fourth studio album, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die, is an open celebration of queer love, declaring that ‘Girls love girls and boys / And love is not a choice.’ As someone who struggled with self-acceptance and was terrified of coming out, this song was a powerful mantra, even if stylistically the track is nothing exciting. I may not listen to Panic! all that much anymore, but ‘Girls/Girls/Boys’ will always have a special place in my queer journey.
Hayley Kiyoko – ‘Girls Like Girls’
Kiyoko’s music sought to normalise non-heterosexual desire at a time when few artists were doing the same
Dubbed the ‘Lesbian Jesus’ by Tumblr, Hayley Kiyoko walked so girl in red could run. Released in 2015, ‘Girls Like Girls’ is a defiant stand against the heteronormative culture of pop music, with Kiyoko threatening to steal the girlfriends of the ‘boys’ who refuse to see her as competition. Besides having an upbeat and catchy tune, ‘Girls Like Girls’ was empowering for a generation of queer women on the internet, with my new-found online friends listening to Kiyoko’s discography religiously. Stating that ‘Girls like girls like boys do,’ Kiyoko’s music sought to normalise non-heterosexual desire at a time when few artists were doing the same.
Troye Sivan – ‘WILD’
Starting out as a YouTuber before making the transition to music, Troye Sivan was someone I watched religiously back in the day. His coming out video made me cry, whilst his collaborations with other queer YouTubers, such as Tyler Oakley and Connor Franta, were some of the first times I was exposed to LGBTQ+ content creators. ‘WILD’ – alongside the rest of the Blue Neighbourhood Trilogy – was a song I played on repeat, with its central theme of escaping the small and overwhelmingly heterosexual ‘blue neighbourhood’ hitting quite close to home. Coming from a small island where everybody knows everybody, the idea of forbidden love and closeted identity resonated strongly with me, with ‘WILD’ providing a source of hope through its classic pop sound and quietly inspirational lyrics.
Dorian Electra -‘Adam and Steve’
Their confidence is infectious, with the song entering my life at a time when I was able to fully embrace my sexuality and explore how I presented myself to the world
Arguably the most chaotic example of gender expression I have ever seen, Dorian Electra is one of my favourite hyper-pop artists and a non-binary icon. Commenting on a range of social issues throughout their discography, ‘Adam and Steve’ addresses homophobia grounded in traditional religious arguments, responding to the phrase ‘it’s Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve’ in a tongue-in-cheek manner. Incorporating biblical language into the lyrics and playing with hymnal sounds, Electra insists that ‘God made me, and Adam and Steve, And He loves me,’ leaving no room for disagreement. Their confidence is infectious, with the song entering my life at a time when I was able to fully embrace my sexuality and explore how I presented myself to the world. The track unapologetically demands queer acceptance, something which I myself am passionate about (plus, it is also is a bop).
YUNGBLUD – ‘Strawberry Lipstick’
For my last pick, I decided to go with ‘Strawberry Lipstick’ by one of my favourite artists, YUNGBLUD. Had I been writing this article last year, I would not have been able to include him, as he only recently came out as pansexual and polyamorous in an interview with attitude magazine. However, as I have followed his journey as both a musician and with his identity I have found plenty to inspire me, as well as similarities to my own exploration of queer existence. Declaring ‘they’re gonna lock me in the closet but I’m coming out,’ ‘Strawberry Lipstick’ is a celebration of sexual fluidity and experimental gender expression, something which 14-year-old me could only dream about, but now forms part of my everyday life.
You Might Also Like:
A Press Conference for YUNGBLUD in Anticipation of New Album weird!
Comments