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Looks like Dua Lipa is signing up for a new era. Are you coming with her?
After deleting all prior posts on Instagram, the 28-year-old pop star shared a cryptic teaser video Monday (Oct. 31) full of possible clues regarding long-awaited new music. Her hair dyed bright red, Dua closes her mouth on a gold necklace with a key-shaped pendant and shows a split-second flash of a stack of Polaroids, after which a series of seemingly random numbers flash onscreen: 4, 8, 9, 9, 14, 15 and 21.
The clip is set to what sounds like a snippet of upcoming music; following a descending line of piano notes, Dua sings the words “Tell me all the ways you need me” before a funky bass line kicks in.
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“🔑✨sign up dualipa.com,” the Argylle actress wrote in her caption.
On the star’s website, fans are prompted to “Sign Up” for “happiness, passion, love, joy, optimism, energy” and “fun.” After plugging in your phone number, expect a message welcoming you to “Dua’s text community.”
The teaser comes more than three years after Dua’s last album Future Nostalgia, her massively successful sophomore effort which spawned the single “Levitating.” Though the singer has remained busy with acting projects, her Barbie soundtrack contribution “Dance The Night” and various musical collaborations — most notably “Cold Heart” with Elton John and “Sweetest Pie” with Megan Thee Stallion — fans have been antsy for a new album for months.
Many have already started decoding the elusive numbers tacked onto Dua’s teaser, with some concluding that the digits are code for the name “Houdini.” The famed magician notably passed away on Halloween, the same day Dua’s teaser went live. The key in Lipa’s mouth may also be a Harry Houdini reference. During the magician’s public stunts, his wife, Bess, would often pass him the key to his handcuffs via a kiss. The cover of Kate Bush’s 1982 album The Dreaming – which shows the art rocker kissing a chained man with a key in her mouth – is a reference to Houdini.
See Dua’s new teaser video below:
Happy Halloweekend! Help prep for your spooky festivities this Halloween season with some new tracks 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.
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From Ashnikko’s annual Halloween single to Serpentwithfeet’s excellent new track, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Ashnikko, “Halloweenie V: The Moss King”
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For the last five years, Ashnikko has blessed our eardrums with a ghoulish new single around Halloween — and 2023 is certainly no exception. Replete with raging guitars and eerie synths, “Halloweenie V: The Moss King” conjures up a new creature from Ashnikko’s vivid imagination. With her typical industrial breakdowns and flaming hot lyrics, the alt-pop star makes The Moss King your newest nightmare, and ensures you’ll keep the haunting going by replaying her song over and over again.
Serpentwithfeet feat. Ty Dolla $ign & Yanga YaYa, “Damn Gloves”
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Don’t threaten Serpentwithfeet with a good time — let him show you just how good a time you can have. With his latest single “Damn Gloves,” the rising electro-R&B star gives in to his deepest, dance-fueled desires, letting his lover know all the various ways he could pleasure them. His crisp, clean vocals drift over a pounding dance beat, while hip-hop superstar Ty Dolla $ign joins him for a sexed-up verse of his own, and rising South African soul artist Yanga YaYa joins for a short-but-sweet bridge. It’s a steamy, thrilling new track that demands your attention.
Baby Queen, “I Can’t Get My S–t Together”
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We’ve all been in that headspace where it feels like everything you’re doing is just absolutely incorrect — so Baby Queen wrote you a whole song about it. On “I Can’t Get My S–t” together, the up-and-coming alt-pop star gives voice to chaotic thoughts that insist she’s screwing things up. While that might sound dire, don’t worry — Baby Queen’s tongue rests firmly in her cheek as she crafts this effervescent pop tune, ensuring whimsy and delight alongside the song’s impending mental breakdown.
Blondshell, “If It Makes You Happy” (Sheryl Crow cover)
What happens when you combine an exciting new alternative band with the classic songwriting of Sheryl Crow? You get magic, as Blondshell prove with their incredible cover of the rock icon’s “If It Makes You Happy” for Amazon Music. Keeping the spirit of Crow’s original intact, while adding their own distinct layer of grungy angst, Blondshell encapsulate the song’s raw power with this fiery, boastful rendition of an all-time great song.
Brandy Clark, “My Favorite Christmas”
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If you’re already looking forward to the winter holiday season, then Brandy Clark has you covered this Halloweekend. On “My Favorite Christmas,” the country icon embodies the holiday spirit with a moody, wistful new song. Listing out all of the things that she expects from the holiday season, Clark comes to the gorgeously-sung conclusion on the song’s effortless chorus, as she declares that “My favorite Christmas was you.”
Check out all of our picks below in Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist:
Another week means another chance to find 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.
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From Charli XCX & Sam Smith’s new team-up, to Kali Uchis’ hypnotic new single, check out just a few of our favorite release from this week below:
Charli XCX & Sam Smith, “In the City”
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As you prepare for a night out on the town this weekend, allow Charli XCX and Sam Smith to offer you a guide on your festivities. On “In the City,” the pair’s new duet, Charli and Smith celebrate the contagious, communal energy of an evening spent on the dancefloor. Over a shimmering synth-pop beat and euphoirc melodies played on house-style pianos, the duo encourage you to go find what you’re looking for “In the City.”
Kali Uchis, “Te Mata”
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Sure, Kali Uchis might be the devil in her ex’s story — but she doesn’t really have a problem with that. “Te Mata,” the rising Latin superstar’s latest single, sees Uchis taking back the narrative from a toxic situationship, all while lounging over a lush, cha-cha melody. With her velvety voice, Uchis lets her ex know in perfect Spanish that her “days are no longer gray,” and that “I finally realized that I deserve much more/ And that kills you.”
Dove Cameron, “Lethal Woman”
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Where Uchis is ready to move on from a toxic ex, Dove Cameron is looking to get just a little bit hurt. “Lethal Woman,” the lead single off of the singer’s forthcoming debut album Alchemical Volume 1, is Cameron’s ode to the kind of lover that will make her feel everything from pain to euphoria. Over a glitching industrial beat, Dove describes her ideal mate in detail, while declaring that she’s “not a masochist,” but just wants someone who’s “sharp like a knife under the table.”
Slayyyter, “Monster” (Lady Gaga cover)
When it came time for Slayyyter to pick a pop diva to emulate on her new Spotify Single, she chose 100% correctly. Covering Lady Gaga’s classic “Monster,” Slayyyter perfectly takes all of the elements of Gaga’s theatrical performance that made the original so good, while imbuing the song with her own brand of slinky, dark-pop sensibility. It helps that her voice has maybe never sounded quite as powerful as it does on this ridiculously good cover.
Kevin Abstract, “What Should I Do?”
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Leave it to hip-hop virtuoso Kevin Abstract to write an all-time great indie song. While “What Should I Do?” might not be exactly what fans of his expect to hear, the track practically bursts with the sense of longing and complex emotion that Abstract has proven himself to be a master at portraying. As the strums of an acoustic guitar accompany his intentionally pitch-shifted vocal, Abstract desperately tries to move past the intrusive thought of an ex he’s still hung up on, constantly begging them to please “don’t touch me, it turns me on,” while trying to find anything to get his mind elsewhere.
Maddie Zahm, Now That I’ve Been Honest
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After making a name for herself writing gorgeous, diaristic songs and sharing them with her massive TikTok audience, singer-songwriter Maddie Zahm is ready to show you all that she’s capable of. Throughout her debut album Now That I’ve Been Honest, Zahm flirts with every genre of pop music she can get her hands on, including angsty pop-punk (on the f–k-you anthem “Bedroom”), delirious funk-pop (on Sapphic Anthem “Lady Killer”), and straight up stadium-level pop (on the euphoric “Eightball Girl”). But fear not — her confessional songwriting is still the star of her debut, making Honest a cathartic, must-listen experience.
MICHELLE, “Glow”/”Agnostic”
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Supergroup MICHELLE is back, and they’re better than ever. With their new double single release, the NYC-based collective tries their hands at some new sounds to raving success. On “Glow,” the sextet dive headfirst into blissful bedroom pop as they let a potential lover know that “we’re never gonna happen.” Meanwhile, on “Agnostic,” the group basks in a chilled-out indie rock sound as they take stock of a love they’ve left behind. If this pair of tracks are any indication of what direction MICHELLE is headed in, then we highly recommend you join them for the ride.
King Mala, “Bug”
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Misogynists, beware — King Mala is on an extermination spree, and she’s got you in her sights. “Bug,” the latest release of the pop singer-songwriter’s forthcoming EP Split Milk, follows Mala as she begs toxic, self-important men to please, for the love of God, stop talking. Deliciously punchy bass lines punctuate her incisive lyrics, as she declares that these “insufferable” and “unbearable” men are little more to her than insects — and she’s more than happy to start squishing them.
Check out all of our picks in Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
With fall fully in effect, there’s no better time to cozy up with a new playlist of 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.
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From Troye Sivan’s long-awaited new album to Boygenius’ second act of 2023, check out just a few of our favorite new releases from this week below:
Troye Sivan, Something to Give Each Other
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Troye Sivan is arguably best known for his ability to convey love and heartbreak into soft, intricate indie-pop track. That is, until now — on Something to Give Each Other, the Australian star’s latest LP, Sivan proves that he can bring the party just as well as any pop star currently working. Diving headfirst into dance-focused songs, Sivan tries out long distance love (“What’s The Time Where You Are?”), late night hookups (“Honey”), and experimentation with straight guys (on the fabulous album standout “One of Your Girls”). Once you make it through Something to Give Each Other, you’ll find that “something” is nothing short of unbridled queer euphoria wrapped in delectable dance-pop.
Boygenius, The Rest
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After watching their debut album The Record received cultural and critical acclaim in early 2023, Boygenius — the trio comprised of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus — figured they might as well thank their fans with a little more. The Rest, a 4-track EP of brand new songs, sees the trio embracing the complex themes they’ve been grappling with since their self-titled 2018 EP, be it untapped potential (“Black Hole”) or reevaluating your own worth (“Voyager”). Each of the three stars gets their own chance to show how much they’ve grown together in the last few months, and to reclaim their image in the way they see fit; if The Rest is a victory lap for one of the year’s most exciting groups, then it’s a well-deserved one that we’re more than happy to watch.
Brittany Howard, “What Now”
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Simply put, Brittany Howard is done f–king around. On “What Now,” the lead single off her upcoming solo album of the same name, the former Alabama Shakes frontperson scorches the earth and gives her former flame a stinging kiss-off through blistering lyrics and a relentless melody. A syncopated groove beat and fuzzed-out guitar line perfectly compliment Howard’s raw voice as she bluntly lets her ex know that she’s “f–king up my energy,” and that she’s had enough. “If you want someone to hate then blame it on me,” she sneers on the scathing chorus.
Fred Again.. & Jozzy, “Ten”
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What happens when you take one of the most in-demand Dj-producers on the scene and partner him with a criminally underrated songwriting superstar? You get “Ten,” the excellent new track from Fred Again.. and Jozzy. Throughout this laid-back, instantly catchy banger, both Fred and Jozzy flex their respective skills, with lyrics hitting at the feeling of out of place and a meandering beat and production that facilitate the journey back home.
Chelsea Cutler, Stellaria
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Chelsea Cutler may have made a name for herself as a confessional singer-songwriter — but she’s never gone quite as far inward as she does on Stellaria. Throughout this contemplative new album, Cutler wrestles with her demons in full view of the world, whether she’s struggling with self-worth (“Loved by You”), her own communication skills (“Men on the Moon”), or the weight of the modern world’s constant disappointments (“Hunting Season”). Stellaria opens up a new world of inner reckoning for Cutler, making it one of her best works yet.
Billy Porter feat. Lady Blackbird, “Children (What Time It Is)”
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If you’re in need of a pick me up heading into the weekend, allow Billy Porter to give you the boost you’re looking for. With a reimagined version of his song “Children (What Time It Is),” Porter effortlessly blends his worlds of entertainment and activism into a disco-pop banger meant to activate the fire inside you. With a new feature from Lady Blackbird punctuating Porter’s incredible voice, “Children” resonates with a renewed fervor, ready to get you running to the nearest dance floor in no time.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
Ice Spice has recruited Rema for her newest single “Pretty Girl,” which was released on Friday (Oct. 13). This marks the first time the Bronx-bred rapper, who’s Nigerian by way of her father, and the Nigerian Afro-rave singer have collaborated on a song. But the two are no strangers to collaboration. Ice’s four Billboard Hot […]
This week in dance music: Kenya Grace made her Hot 100 debut with the drum ‘n’ bass infused “Strangers,” Michael Bibi announced he was leaving the hospital amid his ongoing cancer treatment, then immediately jumped on a flight to Ibiza to make a surprise appearance at DC-10, The BPM Festival released its phase one 2024 lineup, Daft Punk announced that a “drumless” version of Random Access Memories is coming in November, CloZee answered 20 questions upon the launch of her fall tour and we spoke with the founder of San Francisco’s Portola festival, happening this weekend, about the event’s lineup and adult vibe.
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And of course, there’s more. These are the best new dance tracks of the week.
Eliza Rose, “Take You There”
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The Label: Warner Records
The Spiel: “Yeah, I can take you there,” Eliza Rose offers on her latest, before simply proceeding to do so with the slick, swirling, simmering club track. Simultaneously playful and tough, “Take You There” marks another winner in the U.K. artist’s catalog, which already included “Better Love” and “Pleasure Peak” from this year, along with her 2022 smash “B.O.T.A. (Baddest Of Them All).” The new track comes with a trippy, fairly mesmerizing music video that features Rose playing dress-up with friends in a drop top, along with a claymation version of the artist.
The Artist Says: “‘Take You There’ and ‘Better Love’ always come together as a pair, a bit like two-sides of a coin showing how in underground dance music you can have both these slick, summery cute moments, as well as these more mad, chaotic ones. It’s important to me as an artist to touch both sides.”
The Vibe: We’ll literally go anywhere Rose wants to bring us.
VTSS & Boys Noize, “Steady Pace”
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The Label: Big Beat Records
The Spiel: “Feel that groove between our bodies, keep a steady pace,” VTSS whisper-sings on her euphemistic new collaboration with Boys Noize, “Steady Pace.” A punchy beat indeed keeps the track moving at a quick clip, creating the same sort of hypnotic, lightly industrial vibe that have long been core elements of both the Polish and German producers’ respective wheelhouses. Stick around for the gear shift in the last 20 seconds, which hits like a strobe light right in your eyes.
The Artist Says: “The track was made during mine & Alex’s session in LA in our friend’s Sonny’s studio,” says VTSS. “It really came about quite quickly – within probably first our we had a sketch and I’ve written the first verse. I haven’t done much in studio collaborations so I was extremely nervous and frankly I didn’t know Alex that well, but we instantly clicked and have been great friends since.”
The Vibe: High-octane sexual tension.
Logic1000, “Grown On Me”
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The Label: Therapy/Because Music
The Spiel: Berlin-based producer Logic1000 returns with her first release of 2023, “Grown On Me.” Built around a single lyric stating the title over and over, the track maintains the producer’s signature style of fusing an ethereal vibe with weighty production, with the message here taking on greater meaning given that the artist, born Samantha Poulter, recently became a mother.
The Artist Says: “It’s been way too long since releasing something new so this is a special moment for me. Ever since Tom (big ever) and I wrote ‘Grown On Me’ the vocal has been stuck in my head, and the lyric has a very special, private meaning to me, that in fact came after choosing the sample. This song was written (and now released) during a transformative period of my life. I hope it uplifts you the way writing it uplifted me.”
The Vibe: Lush, feminine, maternal.
LP Giobbi, “Time Expands”
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The Label: Yes Yes Yes
The Spiel: LP Giobbi launches her Yes Yes Yes imprint, part of the Defected Records family of labels, with “Time Expands.” The track functions as its title suggests, making three minutes and 24 seconds stretch into a good trip of a good time with a darkly pulsing bass line, flecks of rhythm guitar, a long windup with a percussive breakdown, and a voice spitting hippie philosophy while repeatedly declaring that “time shrinks or expands in exact opposition to what you want to do.”
The Artist Says: “I grew up going to this hippie festival in Oregon called the Oregon Country Fair,” LP says on the label name’s origin. “My parents started going in their 20s, and I have never missed it since the womb. It’s my favorite place on earth because it leans into weirdness, joy, and mind-opening experiences. The first thing you see when you walk on site is a sign that just says, ‘Yes Yes Yes’ and it makes me smile ear to ear every single year. This label is not beholden to one genre or one particular sound. It’s simply about good dance music, made for the dancefloor that expands your mind and makes you feel good.”
The Vibe: Shrinking, expanding, spinning, grooving, vibing — yes indeed.
Sam Gellaitry, UNDER THE ILLUSION
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The Label: Major Recordings
The Spiel: The Scottish producer follows his 2022 album VF Vol II with the UNDER THE ILLUSION EP. Sophisticated and pristinely produced, the four-track project is dancefloor fare equally well-suited for the dancefloor or the afterhours. Gellaitry will surely unfurl them all during his set this weekend at San Francisco’s Portola festival.
The Artist Says: “For this project, I decided to make an EP focused solely on dance music which actually feels like returning home after a long time away for me,” Gellaitry says. “I started making music due to my fascination with Daft Punk and French House when I was ten, so it’s almost bizarre that I haven’t officially dropped a project dedicated to the genre that got me started off in the first place! These tracks are intended for night time usage.”
The Vibe: That rare midnight-to-3 a.m. timespan, and all the possibilities contained therein.
Need some new tunes from your favorite queer artists? We’ve got you covered; 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.
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From Empress Of and Rina Sawayama’s delectable new team-up to LP’s gorgeous new album, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Empress Of feat. Rina Sawayama, “Kiss Me”
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After spending a few months on the road together, it makes perfect sense that indie-pop darlings Empress Of and Rina Sawayama would team up for a new single together. On “Kiss Me,” the pair fuse their respective R&B and pop-adjacent sounds to make a harmonious new track about finding that special connection with your significant other. Sawayama and Lorely Rodriguez’s voices are a match made in heave (as evidenced by their new music video), making “Kiss Me” the exact kind of sonic euphoria designed to kick off your weekend the right way.
LP, Love Lines
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As long as you’re feeling the love, you may as well tap into LP’s newest record, Love Lines. This sweeping, cinematic new project sees the singer-songwriter leaning into the romance of it all, whether that means basking in your lover’s sparkling personality (“Dayglow”) or bidding a bittersweet farewell to the ending of a relationship (“Long Goodbye”). With each passing song, their voice only gets stronger, showing what a powerhouse vocalist like LP can accomplish with a simple concept album.
Maddie Zahm, “Dani”
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Most queer people can relate to the idea of looking back on a “friendship” you had before coming out, only to realize that you were falling hard for that other person. Maddie Zahm takes that perspective and put it to gorgeous effect on “Dani.” Throughout this emotionally brutal ballad, Zahm revisits her infatuation with the titular Dani, only to realize that she was deeply in love with her, thus bringing an end to their friendship. Her voice sends bolts of electricity through you with just the mention of her old crush’s name, proving yet again the power of a good vocal and great songwriting.
Gia Woods, “Somebody Else’s Baby”
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Realizing that you were the bad guy in a past relationship is never particularly fun — so Gia Woods would like to know what she can do to make up for it. On “Somebody Else’s Baby,” the up-and-coming pop singer owns her mistakes and begs for forgiveness, as an unyielding bass line underscores each of her words. After all, as she sings, “Maybe if I tried to, I could learn to undo/ All the ways I broke us, never meant to hurt you.”
Liza Anne, “Internet Depression”
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Doomscrolling is a worldwide epidemic, and Liza Anne is here to let you know that she’s succumbed to it just as much as anyone else. “Internet Depression,” the art-rock artist’s newest single, sees Anne speaking directly to the toxic, algorithmic nature of online communication, and how truly isolating and dissociating that experience can be. There’s no fancy bells or whistles — just Anne’s excellent, slowly-distorting voice paired with a piano, telling you all of the intrusive thoughts that keep plaguing her mind — which makes “Internet Depression” that much more effective.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
TK. 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.
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See latest videos, charts and news
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From Troye Sivan’s stunning new single to Kim Petras’ surprise-release new album, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Troye Sivan, “Got Me Started”
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After coming down from the “Rush,” Troye Sivan kicks things right back into gear on his latest pop banger “Got Me Started.” This glittering, laid-back jam teems with sexuality and good vibes, as well as a sample of Bag Raiders’ viral hit “Shooting Stars” all throughout the track. It’s a fitting entry into Sivan’s latest era, as he croons to his lover “Boy, can I be honest?/ Kinda miss usin’ my body/ F–k it up just like this party did tonight.”
070 Shake, “Black Dress”
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Hip-hop star 070 Shake is in mourning — but damn, she knows how to make it sound good. On “Black Dress,” the latest ethereal ode to lost love from Shake, the rapper-singer-songwriter finds herself in the wreckage of a relationship at its end, questioning what’s supposed to happen now. As a relentless guitar accompanies her delicate vocal, punctuated by some gothic ’80s synths to amp up the atmosphere, Shake embraces the darkness, singing that “Even when it’s dark out/ I still can see your bone structure.”
Chappell Roan, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
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After spending years building a dedicated, feverish fanbase, DIY pop star Chappell Roan is ready to take her throne. The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, the rising star’s debut album, makes good on the promise of Roan’s chaotic singles. Throughout this whimsical joyride, Roan injects her songs with pop adrenaline (“Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl”) and disco fervor (“After Midnight”), all while delving deep into her own emotional worldview (“Picture You”). With this album’s release, we’re happy to witness this Midwest princess’ rise — but we certainly don’t see a fall in sight.
Kim Petras, Problématique
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Feeling a bit on ennui? Wanting to bid your troubles adieu? Kim Petras has an album for you that will make you say “C’est bon!” Problématique — Petras’ once-lost, now-revived French-pop album — is a headfirst dive into delicious pop ecstasy. Petras revels in her brattiest tendencies (the titular funk track), while partying her way through gay Paris (“All She Wants), and she does it with a signature sound that her fans have come to love. In a word, the latest Kim Petras LP is magnifique.
Doechii, “Pacer”
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If you finish listening to Doja Cat’s scarlet and are feeling in the mood for some more horror-adjacent rap, we strongly recommend Doechii’s spine-tingling new single “Pacer.” Throughout this furious, chaotic anthem from the Florida rapper, Doechii rages against her detractors and boasts her own glory. Transforming her signature flow into screaming “fits” with each verse, the rapper earns her anger with this thrilling new single.
Slayyyter, Starf–ker
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With her sophomore release, Slayyyter would like to reintroduce herself as the bonafide diva that she knows she is. Starf–ker delights in its own narrative, as Slayyyter embraces the chase of fame, the loss of love, and the wild, sexy, drug-fueled journey to the top. Whether she’s lampooning L.A. (“I Love Hollywood!”) or falling down a K-hole (“Purrr”), Slayyyter keeps this character-driven LP as delightfully chaotic as possible for all 35 minutes.
Dua Saleh, “Daylight Falls”
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Capturing a personal crisis in the form of a song can be a uniquely difficult process — but Dua Saleh makes it look easy. On their mesmerizing new song “Daylight Falls,” the multi-hyphenate performer ushers listeners through their own panic with top-shelf songwriting and their most emotive performance to date. The gorgeous but unyielding guitar backing only adds to the mounting tension, before Saleh explodes on the chorus; “I’m freaking out in the dead of the night,” they wail. Figure it out/ ‘Cause I’m gonna cry/ F–king me up in the dead of the night.”
Morgxn, “My Revival”
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Rebirth is a recurring theme for Morgxn — so it’s only fitting that he dedicate his latest single to reinvention. “My Revival,” the latest single off their forthcoming album BEACON, sees the rising star reflect on his journey thus far as an independent artist; embracing the famous “Hero’s Journey” by Joseph Campbell, Morgxn claims his own story for himself, promising that “I don’t plan on stopping/ My spirit’s never dropping.” Add in the fact that Morgxn’s voice has never sounded better, and you’ve got a winning new track on your hands.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
The weekend is here, which means it’s time to get some new tunes to jam out to 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.
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See latest videos, charts and news
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From Demi Lovato’s reimagined pop-turned-rock songs, to K.Flay’s raging new LP, check out just a few of our favorite new releases below:
Demi Lovato, Revamped
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While re-recording past work has become something of a trend as of late, no one is doing it quite like Demi Lovato. On Revamped, Lovato takes a look back through some of their biggest pop hits and reimagines them as bonafide rock bangers, whether it’s soulful ballads (“Tell Me You Love Me”), monster pop smashes (“Heart Attack”) or already rock-adjacent singles (“La La Land”). Revamped is the work of an artist taking the narrative back from her years of pop stardom, and it’s a raucous delight to listen to.
K.Flay, MONO
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If you’re still wanting to rage after hearing Lovato’s new album, might we suggest K.Flay’s excellent new LP MONO? Throughout this dynamic new project, K.Flay goes for the jugular over and over again by turning her songwriting inward and learning that her experience is just that — hers. Whether she’s delicately singing about a toxic ex (“Hustler”) or self-flaggulating alongside some gnarly production (the excellent “Punisher”), K.Flay goes all in on every song, making MONO a must-listen.
Vagabon, Sorry I Haven’t Called
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On Sorry I Haven’t Called, Vagabon offers to bring listeners on a journey of sorts — with a flourish of house beats and slick pop sounds, the singer-songwriter is ready to whisk you off into a brand new reality, built for the sole purpose of keeping the vibes pure. It’s a smartly-produced, lyrically-rich album that promises to capture your attention for all 35 minutes. As Vagabon told Billboard, “The ethos of what I wanted on this album was just to tell the audience, ‘We’re fine, at least for now.’”
Big Thief, “Born For Loving You”
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Anyone who’s attended a Big Thief show in the last few years likely already knows “Born For Loving You” — but if you haven’t attended, now’s your chance to hear it. The studio rendition of the song maintains the joyful, heart-melting energy of the band’s live performance, bringing a pure injection of dopamine into your day. “Doesn’t matter what dreams come true,” Adiranne Lenker sings on the song’s buttery chorus. “I was born for loving you.”
Snail Mail, “Easy Thing”
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On her last album Valentine, Lindsey Jordan — a.k.a. indie star Snail Mail — proved to be a master of yearning bedroom rock. Her latest single, “Easy Thing,” yet again underlines that point. On this doleful guitar ballad, Jordan pines for the love that got away, waxing poetic on their relationship even though her ex is left looking like a “loser” throughout the song. It’s a simple, sweet moment of melancholy that we highly recommend you listen to ASAP.
King Mala, “Never Wanna Know”
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Imagine giving a s–t what your ex thinks about your life? That’s the mission statement of King Mala’s delectable new kiss off “Never Wanna Know,” a bubbly, middle-finger single in which she proudly proclaims that she’s not even remotely interested in whatever her former flame is up to nowadays. The grooving bassline confidently brings you from one biting lyric to the next, while Mala styles her voice like an audible shrug as she sings, “I never wanna know / If your past keeps you up at night, cause I never worry about mine.” If you are striving to be unbothered, press play.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, Drake and SZA join forces for slime time, Doja Cat gifts us one more preview of Scarlet, and Demi Lovato lets those guitar solos squeal. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Drake feat. SZA, “Slime You Out”
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“I’ma fall back and let SZA talk her s–t for a minute.” That’s how Drake concludes his opening verse on “Slime You Out,” a new high-wattage collaboration from his imminent new album For All The Dogs, and indeed, he’s made a wise decision ceding the floor: this atmospheric evisceration of fake lovers is dominated by SZA, who’s become one of the biggest names in music in the months since Drake’s last project, and sounds wholly engaged while crooning through a brush-off here. It helps that “Slime You Out” exists within the woozy, brutally honest R&B lane that SZA perfected on SOS, and instead of trying to compete with his co-star, Drake fires off a few capable similes before and after she highlights the track.
Doja Cat, “Balut”
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When Doja Cat showcased her Scarlet singles (“Attention,” “Paint the Town Red” and “Demons”) during a show-stopping medley at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards earlier this week, not only did anticipation for her Planet Her follow-up continue to heighten, but the performance also demonstrated to those who hadn’t been paying attention: Doja is one of the most exciting rappers alive. “Balut,” a more contemplative track from the imminent album, glides where her other recent songs slam on the gas, but her flow remains just as hypnotic — “Is it coke, is it crack, is it meth / What the f–k do she put in them hits?” she asks, her voice fluttering through every syllable with casual swagger.
Demi Lovato, Revamped
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Although Demi Lovato recruited some of rock music’s heavy hitters — Slash, The Used’s Bert McCracken and The Maine, among others — for a headbanging re-imagining of her pop hits, Revamped is led by Lovato’s own technical wizardry, as their vocal power is refracted through a different prism but sounds no less potent in the process. Songs like “Heart Attack,” “Cool for the Summer” and “Neon Lights” sound revitalized behind stinging guitar solos, while Lovato, whose underrated 2022 album Holy Fvck hinted at a rock makeover, giddily completes the transformation here.
Rod Wave, Nostalgia
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Nostalgia is Rod Wave’s fifth album in five years, and could potentially become his third straight Billboard 200 chart-topper — the Florida native has impressively expanded his fan base (an arena headlining tour kicks off next month) while remaining prolific with his heartfelt, ultra-melodic hip-hop. The follow-up to last year’s Beautiful Mind looks back on his journey (naturally, considering the album title) while also folding some unexpected voices into his emotive aesthetic, including indie-pop collective Wet and rising singer-songwriter Sadie Jean.
Diddy, The Love Album: Off the Grid
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Although the track list to Diddy’s long-awaited new project The Love Album: Off the Grid posits the hip-hop dynamo as something of a master of ceremonies — guests include Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, Summer Walker, 21 Savage, Herb Alpert, The-Dream and Swat Lee, and that’s just on the first half of the full-length — the man himself is far more than just a curator, as present within the futuristic R&B ideas of the album as he was on Diddy-Dirty Money’s landmark LP Last Train To Paris. In fact, the back half of the project, featuring stars ranging from Teyana Taylor to Coco Jones to Jeremih, illustrates just how adept Diddy remains at bridging gaps between a new generation of stars and his own.
Thirty Seconds To Mars, It’s The End of the World but It’s A Beautiful Day
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“Stuck” and “Seasons,” the two hits that preceded Thirty Seconds to Mars’ sixth studio album It’s The End of the World but It’s A Beautiful Day, suggested a tightening of the veteran rockers’ long-running aesthetic, which has sprawled out in the past but was sanded down to compact hooks and concise sentiments on those singles. Indeed, Jared and Shannon Leto’s latest effectively simplifies the band’s appeal for its strongest work in years: songs like “World on Fire” and “Midnight Prayer” boast intricate electro-rock foundations without ever getting lost in the details, and over 33 minutes, the band explores themes of heartbreak, isolation and personal evolution with brisk confidence.
Editor’s Pick: Mitski, The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We
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Whether or not you’re invested in the context of Mitski’s latest release — following last year’s widescreen triumph (yet critically polarizing) Laurel Hell, as well as a greater profile, label contract negotiations and retirement thoughts — The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We is all-out gorgeous, a studio masterclass that’s grounded in some of the most arresting arrangements of the singer-songwriter’s career. Mitski’s incisive lyricism will always be a calling card, but these 11 lush, organic songs are worth getting lost in before her words help guide the listener back home.
