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Ten Queer Artists to Celebrate During Pride Month and Beyond By Katerina Gebhardt

Hayley Kiyoko

Known as “Lesbian Jesus” to her fans, Hayley Kiyoko is one of the most well known openly lesbian artists in the music industry. Kiyoko rose to fame with her landmark song “Girls Like Girls,” which now has over 100 million views on YouTube. She recently released her fourth EP titled “I’m Too Sensitive For This S***,” which features songs that touch upon mental health and being in the closet. For those looking to build the ultimate Pride playlist, Kiyoko’s ballads and upbeat bops are a must have.

Photo: Rolling Stone

Todrick Hall

Todrick Hall has been an icon among the queer music community for years, producing hits with millions of views on YouTube such as “Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels” and “Dem Beats.” Additionally, Hall is known for his work with Taylor Swift on her hit song “You Need to Calm Down” and for his visual albums “Straight Outta Oz” and “Forbidden.” Hall recently released a quarantine themed album titled “Quarantine Queen,” and his third EP in his “Haus Party” series is expected sometime this year.

Photo/ Billboard

Kehlani

Kehlani, who identifies her sexuality as pansexual, is a singer-songwriter powerhouse from California. Kehlani first became famous through the musical group Poplyfe and her mixtapes released after she split from the group. In addition to releasing two albums, she has also collaborated with artists such as Justin Beiber, Cardi B, and Hayley Kiyoko.

Photo: Forbes.com

Betty Who

Betty Who is a bisexual Australian singer-songwriter known for her hit dance songs such as “Somebody Loves You” and “I Love You Always Forever.” An independent artist, she releases all of her own music by herself. Betty Who has so far released three studio albums, available for streaming on most platforms.

Photo: Metro Weekly

Superfruit

Superfruit is a musical duo made up of Scott Hoying and Mitch Grassi, who are also members of acapella band Pentatonix. Superfruit so far has released one full length album, “Future Friends,” and one single, a cover of When in Rome’s “The Promise.” While the duo has not released music in a while, their upbeat tracks are definitely worth a listen.

Photo: out.com

Shea Diamond

Shea Diamond is a black, transgender woman whose songs are just as inspiring as her story. At age 20, Diamond robbed a convenience store to try to pay for her gender reassignment surgery, and was put into a men’s correctional facility as a result, despite the fact that she identified as a woman. She faced constant discrimination in the prison system, being misgendered on purpose and humiliated by correction officers. It was there that she wrote “I Am Her,” a powerful anthem about the struggles of being an outcast in society for simply being herself. Mixing elements of rock, blues, R&B, and rock, Diamond’s music is a powerful testament to the power of black transgender women.

Photo: Billboard

girl in red

Marie Ulven Ringheim, known in the music world as girl in red, is a lesbian singer-songwriter from Norway. Girl in red’s music is very popular with teenagers, with songs such as “girls” and “I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend” becoming popular on TikTok. Girl in red’s indie anthems focus on issues such as mental health as well as falling in love, making her especially popular among younger generations.

Photo: Wikipedia

Drebae

DeAndre Clark, known as Drebae in the music industry, has been bending the norms of the rap scene as a femme, gay rapper known for his fierce lyrics and outgoing style. Drebae has been a prominent voice in making sure queer hip hop artists and rappers are supported and given a platform year round, as many are only recognized during Pride Month. For rap fans looking to diversify their playlist with queer voices, Drebae’s songs are the perfect addition.

Photo: Billboard

Siena Liggins

Siena Liggins blends hints of pop and hip hop in her unapologetically lesbian music. Liggins’s confident lyrics often focus about the joys of being in a relationship and often have a playful and confident ‘steal your girl’ attitude, a refreshing change from the more longing themes of more famous queer artists. The high energy of Liggins’s songs is sure to boost the confidence of listeners and add some pep to one’s Pride Month playlist.

Photo: Detroit Metro Times

Sam Smith

In September, queer artist Sam Smith came out as nonbinary, using they/them pronouns. With hit songs such as “Latch” (a collaboration with Disclosure), “Stay With Me”, and their recent hit “To Die For,” Smith has risen to the top of the pop charts multiple times. They had originally planned to release a new album in spring of 2020, but its release has since been pushed back to later in the year.

Photo: MTV.com