Music’s New Generation Of Gay Icons

Mainstream pop will never fall short of gay stans because of artists full of sass, glamour and everything in between. Most gay men are a fan of someone who can “slay” them just by watching these musicians strut them hips while performing difficult dance routines on heels. Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Madonna, and many other artists like them have been making gay fans love being who they are. But these artists are just like the first 10 results of a Google search, the most visible ones and the most recognizable names in the game. But just like some industries, we also have here what we call underdogs. These musicians may have already been in the scene for quite some time and definitely reached a status of obtaining a “gay” cult following despite being underground. If you’re looking for an alternate savior for your musical faith, well you can look through some of these artists’ discographies. Who knows you may find your new gay anthem.

Kiesza

Kiesza has appeared on several music charts way back 2014. Her hit single that time “Hideaway” is reminiscent of 90’s deep house music which is very popular with our culture. Her influences and those times she was doing gigs in New York can be heard on her debut LP “Sound of A Woman” which peaked at number 42 on the Billboard 200.

Try listening to “Hideaway” or “No Enemiesz“. We bet you would not be able to resist dancing to it’s Hi-NRG Grace Jones/RuPaul/Madonna influences. The music video for “Giant in My Heart” is also very heart-warming for the gay community. See the video below!

SOPHIE

This brilliant Scottish record producer has been making waves in the underground electronic scene. She started this journey as an anonymous music producer and worked with several known musicians like Vince Staples and Madonna. Her sound is like bubble-gum pop on crack. She likes working industrial snippets like scratched latex, balloons, the sound of bubbles or anything that’ll make her music sound plasticy.

Hear her signature sound on “LEMONADE” and “HARD” or basically, listen to her full EP “PRODUCT”. She remained anonymous until 2017 she released her music video for her song “It’s Okay To Cry” using her own vocals. That was her coming out video as a trans woman and that was aesthetically stunning!

Charli XCX

The 26-year-old British singer has a life of a party. Currently touring with Taylor Swift and Camilla Cabello, Charli XCX may have made it to the mainstream pop scene but seems like she wants her reputation and appeal to remain underground. And in case you did not know, she wrote that party anthem “I Love It” by Icona Pop which perfectly represents her recent materials. She is wild and bubbly just like her sound.

There is no denying that she loves two things when it comes to her craft, collaborating and introducing queer artists. Her “Pop 2” EP features gay favorites like Brooke Candy, cupcaKke, and Carly Rae Jepsen and also queer musicians like Dorian Electra, Mykki Blanco, Kim Petras, and Pabllo Vittar.

Kim Petras

This beautiful Cologne native made headlines in Germany when she had reportedly started going through gender transition at the age of 12 and may have been one of the youngest people to receive female hormone treatments. Turns out that all those treatments worked for her very well. Her sassy attitude and soaring high notes have always been perfectly paired with funky fun and rainbow-tinged beats.

I mean just look at how pretty and proud she is of her identity. She has always been seen so happy with her decisions about her sexual identity which makes her adorable. And also she got to make Paris Hilton appear on her video for “I Don’t Want It At All” which is a fun and satirical Italo-Disco inspired track!

Hayley Kiyoko

She’s dubbed as the “Lesbian Jesus” and makes beautiful music that is also catchy af! Once in an all-girl group with Tinashe, this lady can dance, sing and also act. She’s a triple threat. Her first LP “Expectations” may be full of “woman loving woman” references but the fact that she is singing about homosexual love makes her music very relatable in some levels.

Jam to “What I Need” feat. Kehlani where they sing about finding someone who would not be ashamed of their queer relationship and “Curious” which talks about falling for a heterosexual you don’t really know if they’re reciprocating with their sincere feelings or just merely experimenting. We’re telling you they are very relatable. Her LGBT advocacy is phenomenal. Her normalization of homosexual relationship on her music is what makes her a true messiah for the gay community. She just recently won as Push Artist of The Year at the 2018 MTV VMAs.

Troye Sivan

Hailing from Australia, Troye Sivan’s transformation from gloomy indie artist to a glamorous pop star is fast phased. His synth-heavy music is an ode to New Wave and 80’s aesthetics which we really love. He mostly writes songs based on his experiences as a homosexual and that honesty is what the critics are really doting on with his music.

Watch “TRYXE’s” Trilogy which is a chronicle about a secret relationship between two male teenagers. And also see the envy-inducing music videos for his “Blue Neighborhood” Trilogy as he is paired with this very handsome Matthew Eriksson. His efforts in bringing same-sex relationship narratives into his visuals are brave and bold. And also try listening to “Bloom” which is a cleverly-written song about “bottoming“.

Mykki Blanco

Self-described as a transgender and multi-gendered. Mykki Blanco is an underground rapper, poet, and activist born in California. If you’re into alternative hip-hop, his music would certainly make an appeal. His artistry is mainly influenced by Lil’ Kim, Lauryn Hill and Rihanna and his written works and music videos discuss the struggles of being black and queer.

Mykki has successfully penetrated a male-dominated music genre and it’s a glorious way of pushing for diversity. This socio-political lyricist has become an inspiration to a lot of people living with HIV to continue their passion. He’s come out as HIV positive amidst the Pride season in June 2015 and has since been taking action in bringing important LGBT and race issues front and center.

Pabllo Vittar

The South American queen can take you to a Brazilian Mardi Gras in no time just by listening to his tecnobrega hits and pop songs. Dressed in full drag, Pabllo always takes the stage with confidence and grace but makes sure that he is the commander at the same time. She rose to fame when she covered Major Lazer’s “Lean On” and modified its lyrics to Portuguese. He was then later featured in a Major Lazer track “Sua Cara“.

Pabllo has been dubbed as the voice of LGBTQ+ in Brazil. In a community where dangers in the LGBTQ+ community are very inevitable, someone has stood up and brought his glam into the public eye. And also, “Corpo Sensual” will get you in the mood and also “Então Vai” will keep you dancing. Also, watch the latter’s music video where he shares a passionate kiss with this hot daddy and music producer Diplo.

cupcaKke

You can never compare cupcaKke to Nicki Minaj or Cardi B or any other femcees in this generation. She speaks for the gays without getting political. She puts most of gay sex fantasies into lyrics and raps about them. She’s one of the few female artists of this era who can shamelessly rap about sucking dicks and swallowing cum. She raps about pubic hairs too in full liberty! Her beats are also sick like they could bring the club into chaos when played.

Speaking of sucking dicks, take a listen to “Deepthroat” so you would know what we’re talking about. This song will keep you begging like “Hump me, fuck me, daddy better make me choke!“. Also do not leave “Duck Duck Goose” unheard, which is an ode to the “head of a dick”. Just in case you’re wondering, she also raps about socially relevant matters in “Scraps” and “LGBT” so you would know she is not just into cocks!

MNEK

Proudly out singer-songwriter has been behind some of your favorite modern gay anthems and pop songs like “Touch” by Little Mix and “Living For Love” by Madonna. Aside from them, MNEK has also worked with some other big names like Dua Lipa, Christina Aguilera, and Beyonce. He promised that his debut album set to be released later this year is going to bring “black gay pop” experience. His 10 years in the music industry is mostly composed of songwriting credits and music production. Now is the perfect time for him to get his own star shining to represent diversity in the music industry.

He released the summery “Colour” featuring Hailee Steinfeld which can be freely interpreted as a song for a celebration of love in all forms. He also once said in an interview that the music industry needs more out gay artists. He believes that every gay artist has a different story particularly his as a gay musician of color. Now that’s empowering.