Struggling to find new music from your favorite queer artists? Fear not — Billboard Pride is here to help with First Out, our weekly roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.
From Remi Wolf’s unhinged new single to Kevin Abstract’s mellow new track, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Remi Wolf, “Quiet On Set”
In need of some deeply chaotic energy in your life? Remi Wolf is here to help with “Quiet On Set,” one of two new singles she released this week in advance of her upcoming album Juno. The wilder of the two, “Quiet On Set” sees Remi embracing her childish side, as she raps about everything from ordering Chuck-E-Cheese on Postmates to having an orgy with five guys at a Five Guys. The grooving electric keyboard only adds to the anarchic song, which you should start bumping in your headphones ASAP.
“Every song on this record is a vivid snapshot into what was going on in my life and mindset the day I wrote each one,” Wolf said of her upcoming album. “I hope my Remjobs can hear my honesty and passion come through and, if not, I just hope they think each song is a banger!”
Kevin Abstract feat. Ryan Beatty, “Sierra Nights”
Kevin Abstract has always been one to transform pure emotions into lush sonics on his solo releases, and “Sierra Nights” is no exception. Throughout the mellowed-out, echoing new single, Abstract raps and sings his way through his own recent history, while the vibes of hanging with friends on a summer evening wends its way throughout this “ode to the end of summer,” as stated in a press release for the track. Add in frequent Brockhampton collaborator Ryan Beatty for a gorgeous chorus, and you’ve got an instantly memorable and completely different new single added to Abstract’s discography.
Michaela Jaé, “Something to Say”
For those wondering how to release a debut single, look no further than Michaela Jaé. The Pose star’s new single “Something to Say” is a stunning display of old-school musicality mixed with new-school lyrics and beats, all brought into harmony by Jaé’s incredible vocals. Co-written by Jaé with stars like Neal Pogue, John Paris and Earth, Wind, and Fire’s Verdine White, “Something to Say” sees Jaé taking her rightful place back in the spotlight, and encouraging others to do exactly the same. As she so eloquently sings on the song’s chorus, “We all got something to say/ Speak up, stand out, wake up, get down.”
Jake Wesley Rogers, “Weddings and Funerals”
Life is all about the balance of the good and the bad, or at least that’s what Jake Wesley Rogers contends with on his latest single, “Weddings and Funerals.” The luscious ballad sees Rogers taking a look at his own life and wondering why he’s always left to follow the great by the awful, the creative by the destructive, with no room for anything else in between. Once again, Rogers’ voice is the real star here, as he wails out the goosebump-inducing chorus, singing, “Everything’s always weddings and funerals/ No time to celebrate everyday miracles.
“When I sat down with Justin Tranter and Eren Cannata to write ‘Weddings & Funerals,’ my grandpa had just died, and all of my friends were getting engaged. Everything felt like it was monumentally wonderful or terrible. I wrote this song as a reminder to appreciate the magical mundane parts in my life—as I sing, ‘like the sun in the sky / like your body on mine.'”
Joy Oladokun, “Who Are You”
You probably didn’t ask for a cover of one of The Who’s signature songs by Joy Oladokun, but as it turns out, that’s because you didn’t know to ask for it. The cleverly arranged cover sees the fast-rising singer-songwriter plugging in and bringing the drama of thumping drums, shredding guitars and frayed strings, all while maintaining her personal brand of gorgeous, intimate vocalization. It’s yet another testament to Oladokun’s staying power that she can take a song as iconic as “Who Are You” and still make it her own.
Anna Akana feat. Macedo, “Wanted Woman”
Ready to hop on your horse and become an outlaw riding through the desert? Then pop in your headphones and start jamming to Anna Akana’s “Wanted Woman,” a driving, amped-up pop single, where the singer makes it clear then when it comes to love, she’s practically an outlaw. The song’s simple guitar riffs and pounding chorus bring the kind of drama that you’d want from a song about a romantic bandit of sorts, making this an instant earworm that you may as well just give in to.
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