new music

Looking forward to a long weekend? Spend it properly by listening to some new tunes from your favorite queer artists. Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.

From Kim Petras’ sexy sequel project to Serpentwithfeet’s club-inspired new album, check out just a few of our favorite new releases from this week below.

Kim Petras, Slut Pop Miami

After stunning fans in 2022 her surprise, sex-positive EP Slut Pop, Kim Petras is ready to do it again — this time, in some warmer weather. Throughout Slut Pop Miami, the singer returns to raunchy lyrics, club beats and absolutely wild song titles. Whether she’s talking about the various things she’d be interested in riding (“Banana Boat”) or taking on her role as the girlboss of the bedroom (“Head Head Honcho”), Petras spends all 12 tracks of her latest project letting everyone know just how far she’s willing to go.

Serpentwithfeet, GRIP

Queer folks know what it means to find both safety and intimacy in the confines of a queer club — so Serpentwithfeet decided to make an album dedicated purely to that feeling. GRIP chronicles as many different iterations of queer-affirming encounters as the singer can, from diving into a full-blown relationship after a one night stand (“Deep End”) to the anxiety of feeling isolated on the dance floor (“Black Air Force”). Tinged throughout with Serpent’s “kinetic R&B” sound, GRIP is here to give you everything you could ask for from a night out on the town.

VINCINT, “Good II Me”

If there’s one thing you can expect from a VINCINT song, it’s euphoric vocals over thundering dance production. “Good II Me,” the singer’s latest single, delivers just what you were hoping for as VINCINT shimmies off his problems and dances the night away. House pianos, electro drums, and a full choir join his stratospheric voice as the song reaches its climactic chorus — and any chance you had at resisting the urge to dance along disappears right along with it.

PVRIS feat. Tommy Genesis & Alice Longyu Gao, “Burn the Witch”

If you’re feeling pessimistic about the general progress of our world, then PVRIS has a song for you to rage along to. “Burn the Witch,” Lyndsey Gunnulfsen’s hardcore collaboration with fellow female rockers Tommy Genesis and Alice Longyu Gao, is a pissed-off middle finger to an establishment of men who would rather bring the world crumbling down around them than stop persecuting women. The song’s relentless drums and gothic guitar lines serve as apt punctuation for the trio’s message to the misogynists of the world: “You f–ked the world for power, look who’s got it now.”

Laura Jane Grace, Hole in My Head

After a lifetime of fighting against the machine, Laura Jane Grace is ready to take a look back. Her new album Hole in My Head serves as a series of reflective entries about the Against Me! frontwoman’s life of sheer punk rock chaos. Reexamining her origins (“Punk Rock in Basements”), her transition (“Dysphoria Hoodie”) and her beliefs (“I’m Not a Cop”), Grace embraces folk-rock to tell her story in the best way she knows how — through utterly excellent music.

Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:

As we head into Super Bowl LVIII, why not amp up your party playlists with some new tunes from some of your favorite queer artists? Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.

From Girl in Red’s infectious new anthem to Shygirls’ exhilarating new dance EP, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:

Girl in Red, “Too Much”

For everyone who has ever tried to dim her shine, Girl in Red would like to raise a defiant middle finger. “Too Much,” the singer-songwriter’s debut track off her forthcoming new album I’m Doing It Again Baby!, is a stunning pop-rock kiss-off to a lover who just cannot understand her idiosyncrasies. Girl in Red delights in her own dramatics, letting her partner know how much she hates being told that she’s overdramatic in the most theatrical and thrilling way possible.

Shygirl, Club Shy

Don’t let her name fool you — Shygirl is ready for a night out with her latest project. Club Shy sees the English upstart diving headfirst into the world of electronic music, delivering a phenomenal tribute to East London’s club scene. Whether she’s waving off a former flame (“Mr. Useless” feat. SG Lewis) or on the prowl for someone new (“4eva” featuring Empress Of), Shygirl basks in the glory of her new sound for every second of Club Shy, inviting you to come and dance along.

Zolita, “Bloodstream”

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Zolita is here to give you a song that can help express just how much you want to be with your partner. Brandishing her unique brand of alt-pop artistry, Zolita spends much of “Bloodstream” penning her very own declaration of love. Declaring that wants to be as physically close to her partner as possible, the star’s hazy vocal and rollicking production sound like they could soundtrack the climactic moment of any late-2000s rom-com. And that’s just part of what makes “Bloodstream” so irresistibly good.

Brittany Howard, “Power to Undo”

With a toxic former lover knocking down her door, Brittany Howard is ready to stand firm and take her power back. Her rollicking new single “Power to Undo” — off her new album What Now — follows the former Alabama Shakes frontperson as she refuses to let herself fall back into the arms of an ex, reminding them that “you have the power because I gave it to you” time and time again. Add in the chaotic production, from chest-pounding drums to haywire guitar riffs, and you’ve got a song that will put you right in the moment with her.

MICHELLE, Glow

NYC-based alternative group MICHELLE isn’t interested in a bright burst of light; they’d rather just Glow. Their awaited 5-song EP fulfills on the promise of its title, highlighting the smaller — but still emotionally important — moments that make up day-to-day life. It could be a recognition that they’re stuck in a series of patterns (“Glow”), or just another phone call with a lover (“On the Line”) — MICHELLE makes use of the little things that can still have massive effects, and they’ve never sounded better.

Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:

Another week means another set of new tunes from your favorite queer artists. Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.

From Fletcher’s delicate new pop single to Lil Nas X’s introspective new song, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:

Fletcher, “Lead Me On”

Throughout her short-but-lively career, pop singer-songwriter Fletcher has proven to be particularly adept at creating emotive pop ballads about the messiest parts of love. But with “Lead Me On,” the singer’s latest single off her forthcoming album In Search of the Antidote, Fletcher takes on new meaning. While the thrilling guitar-and-drum-led melody echoes back to songs of Fletcher’s past, the lyrics play double duty — the words let the singer fall down the rabbit hole of a new romantic interest, or they help her follow a path toward becoming a better version of herself. However you interpret the star’s new song, one thing’s for certain: it’s a bonafide banger.

Lil Nas X, “Where Do We Go Now?”

Lil Nas X’s detractors love to claim that his songs lack substance — so the superstar decided to show them exactly what he’s capable of on “Where Do We Go Now?” The emotive soft-rock ballad, which appears in his new documentary Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero, sees Lil Nas X searching for meaning in the space he occupies — he’s already become a pop icon at age 24, so what is meant to do next? The song doesn’t provide easy answers to the star’s complex question, but it does show just how versatile Lil Nas X can be as a forward-thinking artist.

Brittany Howard, “Prove It To You”

Brittany Howard wants you to dance — she just also wants you to think while you’re busy tearing up the dancefloor. “Prove It To You,” the latest single off the performer’s forthcoming album, breaks out from Howard’s past discograhpy, embracing pure dance aesthetics to create a deliriously fun sound. As bass bumps and synths flitter in and out of your ears, Howard’s voice reminds you that she’s also a phenomenally good songwriter: “I’ve never been good at saying what I mean/ Every time I try, it comes out incomplete,” she shares in the song’s opening lines. “Believe me, baby/ I will show you how I feel for you right now.”

Jade LeMac, “Narcissistic”

We often get to hear songs of people figuring out their lover is toxic — but Jade LeMac is embracing her own toxicity on the thrilling “Narcissistic.” Throughout the pounding pop track, LeMac paints a picture of an imbalanced relationship where she is more than happy to play the part of the villain. With a set of moody synths permeating every inch of the song, LeMac directs the listener’s attention with a gentle touch and deliciously stern lyrics, perfectly laying out why she’s an artist to keep your eye on.

Cakes Da Killa feat. Stout, “Mind Reader”

Leave it to an artist as multifaceted as Cakes Da Killa to give you a song that revels in its own volatility. “Mind Reader,” Cakes’ new track off his forthcoming album Black Sheep, follows the celebrated MC as he flexes his supernatural flow and reminds his listeners that he’ll “never code switch, I shape-shift, it’s drastic.” Much like his words, the song’s club production never confines itself to one space — moving between four-on-the-floor, house and even jazz as featured guest Stout croons over an ecstatic chorus, “Mind Reader” serves as yet another reminder that Cakes Da Killa is one of the best to ever do it.

Cavetown, “Let Them Know They’re on Your Mind”

DIY artist Cavetown could have easily returned with a gorgeously-written, minimally-produced ballad, and fans would have loved it — instead, the indie star decided to give fans something unexpected. “Let Them Know They’re on Your Mind” is a chaotic little thing; a song that shifts effortlessly between Cavetown’s quieter indie sensibilities, and balls-to-the-wall pop-rock production that makes it a thrilling listen everytime you press play.

Isaac Dunbar, “Apartment A”

There is a unique chaos that comes with attending a crowded house party in New York City — a chaos that Isaac Dunbar brilliantly bottles on “Apartment A.” The pop singer’s latest track basks in its own revelry, inviting the listener in the door for a bacchanalian celebration. Fuzzy production and relentless drums keep the song in a constant state of hyper speed, as Dunbar wails that he’s looking for “love, no ricochet.”

Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below: