Call her Nostradamus, because JoJo Siwa foresaw this: 2024 was, in fact, the year of “gay pop.”
While Siwa certainly didn’t create the sub-genre (as she herself readily admitted), she did reap its benefits at the exact right time this year. In a year that was filled to the brim with massive, world-dominating pop songs, the LGBTQ+ experience was more well-reflected than ever, specifically when it came from queer women.
Chappell Roan dwarfed her own breakout success from 2023, charting a whopping 7 songs on the Hot 100 and slowly bringing her year-old album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess to the second-highest slot on the Billboard 200. Billie Eilish managed to earn a quartet of top 40 entries on the chart, two of which directly talked about her sexuality. As rising LGBTQ+ acts like Doechii, Reneé Rapp and dozens of others began to take up space in music’s mainstream, media outlets hailed our current musical era as a sapphic pop renaissance.
While dozens of column inches have pointed to why this surge in music focused on WLW happened — some point to greater societal acceptance, others to the groundwork laid by artists like Tegan and Sara or even Tracy Chapman — one simple answer has eluded the headlines: these songs are just great. Both from queer women and other members of the LGBTQ+ community, queer music has been steadily gaining steam over the last few years, which has only emboldened more LGBTQ+ artists to find their own voice and knock their tracks out of the park in 2024.
In a year so heavily defined by musical success for queer people, Billboard is picking our 25 favorite songs from LGBTQ+ artists. See who made the list below:
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Arca feat. Tokischa, “Chama”
For anyone who’s wanted to find an accessible entry point into Arca’s discography, look no further than “Chama.” On this beguiling track, with a technically glorious feature from Dominican star Tokischa, Arca leans back from the grinding industrial sounds she’s built so much of her career on, instead opting for shimmering trance-pop that slowly reels you in before pulling rug out halfway through the track. Over a thundering electronic beat, Arca’s voice pierces through the noise as she asks you to “take it” over and over again. — STEPHEN DAW
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Beabadoobee, “Take a Bite”
Over a delectable Minivan Rock shuffle pitched exactly halfway between Incubus’ “Drive” and Ashlee Simpson’s “Piece of Me” — co-produced by Rick Rubin, of all people — indie pop singer-songwriter Beabadoobee examines her own need to self-indulge. “‘Cause I’m craving expectations/ That are unattainable temptations,” she allows, before admitting, “I think I might take a bite.” You don’t totally know whether you want her to or not, but you know that by the time she doubles-down with yearning “to do it all over again,” you’ll be right there with her. — ANDREW UNTERBERGER
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Billie Eilish, “Lunch”
While most people tend to enjoy a nice salad or sandwich for their midday meals, Billie Eilish is interested in a whole different page of the menu. Even all these months later, it comes like a shock to the system when she opens her delectable single “Lunch” with unfiltered frankness: “I could eat that girl for lunch/ Yeah, she dances on my tongue,” she croons. Then, the blown-out bass and dreamy guitars send the track in a completely different direction, while Billie promises that this is a “craving,” rather than a simple “crush.” There’s no subtlety here, no alternative reading to the singer-songwriter’s wry lyrics; just the blatant, clear-eyed honesty of a woman who knows exactly what (or whom) she wants. — S.D.
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Blondshell feat. Bully, “Docket”
The first verse of “Docket” promises a lo-fi, bedroom rock song examining the myriad complexities of Sabrina Teitelbaum’s relationship; the first chorus instead delivers some of the best capital-R Rock sounds of 2024. Fuzzy, chunky guitar chords accompany Blondshell and Bully’s confession of apathy in their respective relationships, with excellently executed turns of phrase (like calling themselves “someone eating for free” in their love lives) perfectly capturing the feeling of the song. “Docket” surprises just as much as it soothes, proving that these two artists were a stellar match from the jump. — S.D.
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Chappell Roan, “Good Luck, Babe!”
Chappell Roan, Dan Nigro and Justin Tranter teamed up for this irresistible ‘80s-inspired gem to eviscerate a former lover. On “Good Luck, Babe!” Chappell will not settle for second-rate love, and she’s not above saying, “I told you so.” On this track, which took an already-ascending star to pop world domination, Chappell laments the loss of a lover who won’t stop making excuses for why they can’t be together, and keeps running back to her basic man — with electric keys and high notes that would sync perfectly with any rom-com breakup montage. — TAYLOR MIMS
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Clairo, “Sexy to Someone”
For Charm‘s lead single, Clairo got a little bit “sexy.” Across notably upbeat drums and steady hi-hats, Clairo effortlessly captures the tragic beauty of forlorn sapphic lonesomeness. “Sexy to somebody, it would help me out/ Oh, I need a reason to get out of the house/ And it’s just a little thing I can’t live without,” she sings, shining a light on the collective desperation we all share when it comes to feeling wanted, desired and loved. For all of the song’s preoccupation with outside sources of love, there’s a remarkable warmth that permeates every chord of Clairo’s track and gives her voice a gorgeous soundscape to explore. — KYLE DENIS
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Doechii, “Nissan Altima”
Doechii takes fans on a thrilling ride on “Nissan Altima,” the standout track from her third mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal, which earned a 2025 Grammy nomination for best rap album. She flaunts her rap prowess and bisexuality on the single, which is up for best rap performance, with cunning, rapid-fire bars about flexing on anyone who doesn’t bow down to the Swamp Princess. “Take a trip out of Japan and I tsunami her vagina/ Wine and dine her, Benihana, I’m the new hip-hop Madonna/ I’m the new hip-hop Madonna, I’m the trap Grace Jones,” Doechii spits over Childish Major’s titillating synths and pulsing bassline. — HERAN MAMO
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Ethel Cain, “Punish”
It’s tempting to call “Punish,” the first single from Ethel Cain’s forthcoming Perverts, a slow-building song, but that phrase implies that eventually you arrive at something complete and definite — and that’s simply not the way this indie auteur works. From a forlorn piano lament to a wash of electric guitar chords and feedback, “Punish” gradually increases in intensity and pain, without coming close to a conclusion or a release; instead, Cain cuts the track back into near silence after nearly seven minutes of haunting vibes. When she brings this one to her remarkable, singular live show, you know it’s gonna hit hard. — JOE LYNCH
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Gigi Perez, “Sailor Song”
Although it exists in an atmospheric sonic landscape that harks back to the indie boom of the ‘00s, Gigi Perez’s “Sailor Song” is an extremely ‘20s success story, in that it went from bedroom guitar jam to TikTok success to international smash in less than a year. A wistful, yearning ballad about a girl who looks like Anne Hathaway and can’t quite handle her pen (not the writing kind), “Sailor Song” feels like a long-lost folk-rock classic thanks to the unusual sound of the recording (the vocals and guitar strumming seem to be coming at the mic from a distance) and Perez’s poetic, striking turns of phrase: “Won’t you kiss me on the mouth and love me like a sailor” and “I don’t believe in God, but I believe that you’re my savior” are instant classics. — J.L.
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Girl in Red feat. Sabrina Carpenter, “You Need Me Now?”
Timing is everything in pop music, and if “You Need Me Now?” had come out just a couple months later into 2024 — once Sabrina Carpenter had already caffeinated the entire pop world — it could’ve gotten cult hero Girl in Red the overground moment that she’s deserved for nearly a decade now, while earning Carpenter a fun new indie edge (and maybe even her first look on alt-rock radio). The distorted charms of the I’m Doing it Again Baby! two-woman kiss-off are still plenty alluring just as a fan favorite, but maybe once the Short n’ Sweet cycle is winding down, we can take another crack at getting it the crossover success it deserves. Better “Now” than never. — A.U.
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Halsey, “Ego”
Halsey has been through a lot the past few years, navigating her ongoing health struggles and their new life as a single mother. A lot of her latest album, The Great Impersonator, feels like a temperature check on themselves during ups-and-downs of life, and “Ego” stands out as one of her most reflective tracks to date. “I’m all grown up, but somehow lately/ I’m acting like a f—ing baby/ I’m really not as happy as I seem,” the 30-year-old star declares, deciding that it’s officially the time to “kill” their ego. — RANIA ANIFTOS
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Hope Tala, “Thank Goodness”
In the same year that Sabrina Carpenter asked her lover not to “prove I’m right,” alt-R&B star Hope Tala laid out how her ex did exactly that. The effervescent “Thank Goodness” doesn’t sound like a breakup track on its face — bouncing bass, light drums and far-off guitar strums create that late-summer groove that underscores so many pleasant love songs. In a sense, that’s a correct choice, since “Thank Goodness” turns out to be a love song written both by and for Tala, as she wipes the sweat from her brow after a harrowing end to her relationship. As she so eloquently puts it, she’s “not in it” but rather “through” it, and we couldn’t be happier that she dodged this bullet. — S.D.
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Kali Uchis feat. Peso Pluma, “Igual Que Un Ángel”
Leave it to Latin stars Kali Uchis and Peso Pluma to drop the best disco song of 2024. “Igual Que Un Ángel” (that’s “Just Like an Angel” in Spanish) sees Uchis spinning the soothing R&B sounds that permeated her masterful LP Orquídeas into groovy gold, as she and Pluma narrate the story of a woman so perfect that she must have fallen from the heavens. That perfection is matched in the pair’s chemistry here — Peso’s emblematic rasp offers a natural contrast to Uchis’ wispy soprano, making their duet sections that much more … well, angelic! — S.D.
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Kehlani, “After Hours”
Kehlani promises that the real party happens “After Hours” on the lead single from their fourth album Crash, which earned a 2025 Grammy nomination for best progressive R&B album. On the sensual dancefloor filler, which is up for best R&B song, she loses track of time with someone new. “We ain’t even know they turned on the lights/ We missed the last call, ridin’ on a high,” they sing in the second verse. If Kehlani’s suavity doesn’t convince them to stay after the party is over, the use of Cordell “Skatta” Burrell’s Coolie Dance riddim will certainly make them want to move their bodies all night long. — H.M.
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Lil Nas X, “Light Again!”
On “Light Again!” Lil Nas X lets go of the darkness and his inhibitions, opening the song with the proclamation, “Society’s tie on me released now/ F–k crazy, I’m finna go senile.” The Grammy-winning star, who has faced criticism at times for his artistic choices, particularly since coming out in 2019, decides that he’s “way too toned to be toned down,” and that no one else’s opinion matters in his carefree, party-ready hit, shifting his focus to going out and having fun — a book we all could take a page from. — R.A.
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Maren Morris, “Push Me Over”
Bisexuals, pick your jaws up off the floor and join in singing our new national anthem: “Sittin’ on the fence feels good between my legs/ The more that you come closer, want you to push me over.” Maren Morris’ immediate bi anthem “Push Me Over” takes the pop sounds the singer has toyed with for the last decade of her career and turns their dials to 11. With a songwriting assist from the queer superheroes in MUNA, this sensual single sees Morris wholeheartedly embracing her identity and narrating a tale that every baby queer knows; the experience of pleasure you didn’t think was possible for the very first time. — S.D.
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Omar Apollo, “Spite”
There’s something so tender about Omar Apollo’s God Said No standout “Spite.” Like picking at a scab, Apollo can’t help but open up a wound that’s already started healing on this choice pop-n-B cut, as he tries to get back at his long-distance lover for being too far away. Apollo’s unvarnished flow and pained vocal brings real pathos to his vindictive jabs, asking his lover why he has to “ruin every night” by staying away. The song never feels like the temper tantrum it’s describing, which only plays in its favor — the moody, bubbling-under atmosphere gives the singer all the space he needs to stew in his frustration. — S.D.
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Orla Gartland, “Little Chaos”
If the storm brewing in Orla Gartland’s head feels anything like her song “Little Chaos,” count me in! The Irish musician takes the listener on foot-stomping voyage into the inner workings of her brain as she mashes around from contemplating “a good day for a meltdown” to her inability to easily express love (you can thank her mom for that). It’s a wild ride of screaming guitar that’s then pulled back for the listener to really hear Gartland delve into her inner chaos. It’s a perfect encapsulation of her warning, “if you really want me, take me as I am.” — T.M.
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Rebecca Black, “TRUST!”
Let’s all say it in unison: 2025 is the year where everyone finally starts to take Rebecca Black seriously. Not that “TRUST!,” the pop singer’s Brat-adjacent club banger, asks you to take her seriously. If anything, this propulsive party track only asks that you hang on for dear life as Black turns up the heat and sends her production into overdrive. Once the first chorus hits, Black never takes her foot off the gas, spinning her steamy lyrics even further outward until she’s just asking you to “bang-bang-bang me down the door.” If Black is working for our trust, then consider it earned. — S.D.
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Remi Wolf, “Toro”
Remi Wolf’s excellent 2024 LP is chock-full of Big Ideas, but nowhere is it more deliciously unhinged than on the spicy “Toro.” Speaking to the unending joys of hotel sex, “Toro” revs itself up (somewhat literally, in this case) into an eclectic frenzy on the funk-driven chorus, where Wolf plays the part of the matador baiting her bull into rushing full speed at her. The brash, often bizarre production flairs make complete sense in Wolf’s discography, making “Toro” another neon-colored tile in the pop singer’s growing musical mosaic. — S.D.
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Reneé Rapp feat. Megan Thee Stallion, “Not My Fault”
Is there a hotter duo than Reneé Rapp and Megan Thee Stallion? The Mean Girls soundtrack hit is so playful and fun, with Rapp musing frisky lines before Meg, a.k.a. the “black Regina George,” comes in with her characteristically bold bars to drive home the (true) assumption that we, as a society, are deeply in love with both of them. It’s also not Rapp’s fault that she came up with the ultimate LGBTQ+ line of 2024 when she declares: “Kiss a blonde! Kiss a friend! Can a gay girl get an amen?” — R.A.
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St. Vincent, “Big Time Nothing”
Dedicated fans of St. Vincent are certain to hear a very clear message in her self-produced seventh studio album All Born Screaming — she’s having a lot of fun. “Big Time Nothing” is a clear example of this with the lyrics “don’t trip, sashay” and “don’t show, don’t flake, go hard, debase.” St. Vincent’s spoken word singing is juxtaposed by a soulful chorus of “big time nothing” again and again. Meanwhile, the production is as experimental as St. Vincent herself, as she adds heavy synth and funky bass to create this danceable alt hit. — T.M.
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Tinashe, “Nasty”
“Is somebody gonna match my freak?” the pop/R&B singer asks on “Nasty.” Tinashe’s vixenish vocals and Ricky Reed and Zack Sekoff’s hypnotic production make for a horny slice of heaven. And after a video of her whining her hips while biting her finger went viral on TikTok, fans let their freak flag fly for Nasty Nashe: She received the ultimate cosign when Janet Jackson mixed it in with her 1986 smash of the same name, while other icons like Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera and Ms. “Get Ur Freak On” herself, Missy Elliot, also gave it their stamp of approval. Tinashe loved that Billboard matched her freak when the song hit No. 69 on the Hot 100 – it eventually climaxed at No. 61, which feels less poetic, but does make it Tinashe’s highest-charting hit since ScHoolboy Q’s “2 On” 10 years ago, confirming that those pinnacle moments don’t just come once. — H.M.
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Willow, “Big Feelings”
This year, Willow earned her first two career Grammy nominations — and they couldn’t have been more deserved. Though Empathogen is her sixth in a string of terrific albums, her latest LP distinguishes itself from the rest of the catalog by way of “Big Feelings,” an absolute career highlight. Irresistibly dark and dissonant, “Big Feelings” thrives on its grandiose melodrama; at a moment’s notice, Willow’s voice shifts from a strained whisper to rapid-fire riffs seemingly pulled from the outermost edges of experimental jazz and new age melodies. There’s a staggering amount of ambition in the song — and that’s exactly what Willow needed to help paint this kaleidoscopic rendering of queer emotion. — K.D.
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Zolita, “Small Town Scandal”
Take the “o” out of “country,” and you’re left with something resembling Zolita’s purposely provocative single “Small Town Scandal.” Line-dancing her way down the outrage train, the rising pop singer-songwriter plays up the sapphic sensuality as she insists she and her partner go out and piss off the attendees at their local honky-tonk. The track never dives all the way into the country sound it touches on, but instead puts the focus on its own hilarious, scene-stealing lyrics as the singer insists that everyone’s “so damn mad that they’re so turned on” by an all-femme love affair. With all the bigotry aimed at queer folks in 2024, Zolita’s giving you the space to laugh in a homophobe’s face with this killer bop. — S.D.