new music

In between streams of the newest Ariana Grande album, why not listen to some new tunes from your favorite LGBTQ 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 new pop-rock jam to Maggie Lindemann’s latest EP, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:

Girl in Red, “DOING IT AGAIN BABY”

Get ready to rock out with Girl in Red’s latest feel-good anthem. “DOING IT AGAIN BABY,” the titular song off the singer-songwriter’s forthcoming album, is a picture-perfect slice of pop-rock drama, as Girl in Red basks in her own self image. Celebrating her fashion, her sound and even her taste in vintage wines, this instantly irresistable jam is sure to help you party your way through the weekend.

Maggie Lindemann, HEADSPLIT

For all the folks who get caught in their own head, Maggie Lindemann’s new EP HEADSPLIT is for you. On this eight-track collection of absolute bangers, the rising star takes her classic pop-punk sound and elevates it with ease, blending in some goth-rock, hyperpop and industrial for good measure. Singing about everything from red flags (“Deprecating”) to crippling anxiety (“Taking Over Me”), Lindemann makes sure that HEADSPLIT lives up to its title, in both ear-splitting sound and mind-bending lyrics.

Rainbow Kitten Surprise, “Superstar”

Following the departure of their bassist Charlie Holt earlier this week, indie rock group Rainbow Kitten Surprise is ready to move forward into their fantasy with their latest single. “Superstar” sees the group taking a more pop-focused approach to their well-established sound — tightening the production and layering in some delicate guitars that build to a pounding chorus, where lead singer Ela Melo finds reassurance from her partner. From start to finish, there’s simply no denying that “Superstar” delivers on its promise.

Allison Ponthier, “Skin”

Leave it to singer-songwriter Allison Russell to deliver a series of heartbreaking confessions with a soft smile. Throughout “Skin,” the singer drops lines that will make your heart drop (“She’s the people’s princess, pitchfork songstress, and I’m a gross fly on the wall” lands like a gut punch), all while delivering her dreamiest, most blissed-out sound to date. It’s a strange dichotomy that works in perfect synchronicity, as Ponthier yearns for the idealized version of herself over her most ideal song to date.

Jon Foreman feat. Joy Oladokun, “In Bloom”

You might not immediately think that the lead singer of Switchfoot and a fast-rising folk singer would make a good pairing on a song — yet with “In Bloom,” Jon Foreman and Joy Oladokun prove that they most certainly do. The soft strums and gentle drum beats underscore the duo’s introspective lyrics throughout the gorgeous new song, as they look for hope in a world where it often feels in short supply, beautifully playing off one another’s voices with each passing verse. Spring may not quite be here yet, but with “In Bloom,” it might as well be.

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

With Leap Day officially behind us, let’s use the extra time we’ve been given to jam out to some new songs from our 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 St. Vincent’s furious new rock song to Fletcher’s latest pop confessional, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:

St. Vincent, “Broken Man”

“What’re you looking at? Who the hell do you think I am?” When you hear St. Vincent snarl those lyrics on the chorus of her bombastic new single “Broken Man,” you understand that there’s no “character” here — it’s Annie Clark, in all her glory. But the star’s scornful lyrics are just one piece of the puzzle that is “Broken Man,” as the self-produced track gradually ramps up its industrial furor with each passing moment. Guitar chords become blown out sirens, drums invade like an approaching phalanx of soldiers (thanks to all-star assists from Mark Guiliana and Dave Grohl) and Clark’s voice growls with intensity as she asks again; what are you looking at? The answer, it turns out, is an artist at the pinnacle of her craft.

Fletcher, “Doing Better”

What happens in the aftermath of releasing a much-discussed breakthrough hit? Fletcher would like you to know exactly what goes down on “Doing Better,” her latest pop banger dedicated to the fallout from her last pop banger, “Becky’s So Hot.” Written in the form of a letter to her ex, Fletcher immediately establishes the myriad ways Fletcher’s been doing better since “making [your girlfriend] go viral” — new cars, “bougie IVs,” performing with Miley Cyrus — before declaring that, at the end of the day, it didn’t change as much as she’d have liked. “My tummy still hurts,” she opines. “Why does better feel worse?”

Olly Alexander, “Dizzy”

Eurovision is about to get flipped on its head thanks to Olly Alexander’s new single. Shedding the Years & Years label and moving forward as a solo artist, Alexander’s new single “Dizzy” — which will serve as the United Kingdom’s entry in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest — spins his established electropop sound up to new heights. The It’s a Sin star’s remarkable voice remains as clear as ever, while the production from Danny L Harle elevates the song into vertiginous reverie, mimicking the lyrics’ giddy passion in flowing scales that keep the song in a state of perpetual, blissful motion.

Mannequin Pussy, I Got Heaven

Where desire and defiance meet, you’ll find Mannequin Pussy’s ridiculously good new album I Got Heaven. Equal parts protest and proposition, I Got Heaven sees the Philadelphia punk rockers hosting a carnival of raw emotion, between telling bigots to sit and spin on the album’s raucous title track and demanding nothing short of pleasure on the raging “Aching.” It’s that rare punk record that keeps juking right when you think there’s a left turn coming, perhaps best encapsulated by Marisa Dabice’s insistent affirmation on “Loud Bark”; “I want to be a danger,” she croons. “I want to be adored.”

Cat Burns, “Alone”

Stuck in a dating rut? Cat Burns feels your pain on “Alone,” the UK singer-songwriter’s stunning new song detailing her struggle with loneliness. Diaristic lyrics detail Burns’ lack of dating experience, and her frustration with trying to catch up to her peers while still looking for love for the right reasons. With each passing lyric, her voice grows more emotive as she declares that “I don’t wanna be a pessimist, but I’m getting kind of pissed at this” — a feeling anyone in the dating scene can understand to their core.

Isaac Dunbar, “Backseat Girl”

While he’s made a name for himself for his theatrical output, Isaac Dunbar is a performer of many different faces. On “Backseat Girl,” the singer takes on the persona of the titular background character, perennially pushed to the margins of the story, yearning for their moment in the spotlight. For fans of Dunbar, though, there’s still plenty of his signature flair in “Backseat Girl” — between an instantly-catchy ’70s rock melody and his campy vocal choices, the singer delivers plenty of drama through this tenderly written ballad.

Jade LeMac, Confessions (Deluxe Version)

Jade LeMac would like to take a well-deserved victory lap. Following the release of her applauded EP Confessions, the singer’s new deluxe version of the project gives fans just enough new content to properly recontextualize the music they already love. Whether she’s literally critiquing her lover’s technique (“Bad Kisser”) or responding in kind to unwanted negging (“Pick a Fight”), LeMac leaves it all on the page as she proves yet again why she’s the name to watch in the pop space.

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

As spring draws near, there’s no better time to freshen up your season playlists with 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 Charlotte Day Wilson’s gorgeous new single to Hurray for the Riff Raff’s K, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:

Charlotte Day Wilson, “I Don’t Love You”

Throughout Charlotte Day Wilson’s new single “I Don’t Love You” — the first offering off her upcoming album Cyan Blue — the singer-songwriter presents a sobering meditation on the healing power of heartbreak. Suffused with deconstructed production elements, slow-grooving bass lines and distorted background vocals filling the backend like a chorus of ghostly past lovers, Wilson commands your attention with a wistful vocal, resonating with soul-shaking emotion on every single note. Don’t let the song’s title fool you; you’re going to “Love” Wilson’s moving new single.

Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Past Is Still Alive

Leave it to folk purveyor Alynda Segarra — better known as Hurray for the Riff Raff — to release their best album more than 15 years into their career. The Past Is Still Alive, the star’s ninth studio album, stands alone as a triumph in its production, performance and songwriting and practically every other metric. This thoughtful, 11-song opus sees Segarra incorporating folk, rock, Americana and jazz into an elegy of what could have been, a sobering look at the way things are now, and a prayer for that which has yet to come.

Towa Bird, “B.I.L.L.S.”

The end of the month is coming up fast, which means you’ve likely got some payments to make. If you’re dreading the mere thought of your banks statement, then Towa Bird’s “B.I.L.L.S.” is the song for you. The rollicking new anthem flips a massive middle finger in the face of late capitalism, bemoaning our money-fueled reality. With fiery guitars and a chant-along chorus, Bird will have you declaring that you’re just as “tired of life’s expense” as she is.

King Isis, “MONKI”

If you’re still in need of an outlet for your inner angst, allow King Isis to help. “MONKI,” the singer’s latest single, is an impactful melodic track that firmly takes up its own space, regardless of whether or not it’s “supposed” to. Defiant, but without overt aggression, King Isis lets her impressive voice do the heavy lifting, as she chants a tongue-in-cheek incantation to her would-be oppressor: “Spare me from those awful sounds/ Oh baby, can he save you now?”

Cavetown, Little Vice

When figuring out where to go next with his music, Robin Skinner — known to his fans as indie star Cavetown — decided to mix the old and the new. The product of that experiment is Little Vice, a 5-track new EP from the singer-songwriter that sees Cavetown tackling the emotionally resonant topics his fans have come to expect with intriguing sonic twists. While each new track delivers the soft-spoken, carefully-written verses fans have come to expect, they also each come with unique left turns, from distorted guitars (“Alone”) to glitching vocals (“The Back of the Moon”). For 15 minutes, Little Vice asks you to embrace capriciousness — and after listening, you’ll agree that it’s 15 minutes well spent.

Monét X Change, “Body”

With her new single “Body,” Drag Race star Monét X Change is ready to show you the love you’ve been waiting for with a down-tempo R&B jam. Bursting with lush instrumentation (drums, bass and guitars are joined by an entire string section throughout the track), “Body” sees Monét leaning all the way into romance as her sonorous voice declares that she’s done chasing one-night-stands. Based on this fabulous new song, we won’t be looking for a one-night-stand with X Change’s music, either — there’s never been a better time to commit to this drag superstar as a recording artist on the verge of a breakthrough.

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