Pride
Pride Month might still be a few months away, but the city of West Hollywood is ready to kick the celebrations off right with a little help from a pair of pop stars.
On Friday (March 21), Outloud Music Festival announced that Lizzo and Lil Nas X will serve as the weekend’s headliners. Taking place May 31 and June 1 at WeHo Pride, the annual festival will also feature performances from special musical guests Kim Petras, Honey Dijon, Paris Hilton, their return to WeHo Pride in 2025, Shygirl, Pabllo Vittar, Rebecca Black, Empress Of and more.
“At a time when our rights and visibility continue to be challenged, it’s more important than ever for the LGBTQ+ community, allies, organizations, and advocates to come together in solidarity,” Jeff Consoletti, OUTLOUD’s founder and executive producer, said in a statement. “This festival is a place where we celebrate and empower queer artists on a massive scale. As we continue to grow, so does our impact in bringing the LGBTQ+ community to the forefront of entertainment.”
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The news comes amid Lizzo’s big comeback — with the releases of her latest song “Still Bad” and the announcement of her forthcoming album Love in Real Life, Lizzo recently declared that she wants to “make real music with radical joy” in the coming months, while also claiming the allegations of sexual harassment leveled at her in 2023 were “supposed to destroy” her. “It has only set me free,” she wrote on X. “Now I know none of this is real. The only thing that’s real is the love that I share with my family, my friends, nature, my fans, in Real Life.”
Lil Nas X, meanwhile, has been hard at work releasing new music off his forthcoming album Dreamboy. After releasing five new songs in a row in mid-March, the rapper dropped his latest single “Lean On My Body” on Friday. The fan-favorite track was first teased by Lil Nas all the way back in 2022, a fact he reminded his fans of when he reposted the original clip on his X.
Check out the full 2025 Outloud lineup below:
Spring has officially sprung, meaning there’s no better time for you to update your playlists with some new songs 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 Japanese Breakfast’s stunning new album to yet another new Lil Nas X single, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Japanese Breakfast, For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)
If Jubilee was Japanese Breakfast’s exploration on defiant joy, than consider For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) as the inverse — a meditation on the darker sides of the singer-songwriter’s internal life. Throughout her fourth studio album, Michelle Zauner leans into dour narratives about lost love (“Honey Water”), paralyzing anxiety (“Picture Window”) and much more, all while teaming up with co-producer Blake Mills to render those visions through lush, understated melodies that bear even further depth the closer you listen.
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Lil Nas X, “Lean On My Body”
In the world of Lil Nas X, more is more. A week after he dropped five songs in a row, the pop-rap superstar unveiled yet another new single, and it’s one his fans have been waiting on for three years. “Lean on My Body,” the latest track to be released in Lil Nas X’s Dreamboy rollout, sees Lil Nas flexing harder than ever on his detractors, letting them know that they can pray for his downfall all they want — but he’s not going anywhere, “My next move always gon’ be better than your best one,” he spits. “You b–ches couldn’t even see Lil Nas-y in a warmup, a tryout, a test run.”
Ashnikko, “Itty Bitty”
Ashnikko is back baby, and she’s ready to keep your attention with her risqué new single. “Itty Bitty,” much like plenty of Ashnikko singles before it, sees the singer doing on a sexy, self-destructive rampage in the wake of a breakup, as she puts on her most revealing outfit and goes hunting. The gloriously chaotic production and pounding club rhythm gives “Itty Bitty” that little bit of extra oomph, meaning this new track from Ashnikko will be a surefire hit at a gay club near you.
Shamir, “Neverwannago”
Even though Ten, Shamir’s forthcoming new album, is slated to be the pioneering singer-songwriter’s final album, that doesn’t mean we should cry because it’s over; in fact, he’s encouraging you to smile because it happened. “Neverwannago,” the lead single off his last album, sees Shamir employing ’90s alternative pop to convey his deep, unyielding love for his partner, as he begs them not to leave him alone. “I don’t wanna go back to feeling empty,” he sings. “‘Cause I’m not well.”
Big Freedia, “Take My Hand”
In a time where the concept of Christianity is being wielded as a cudgel by a nefarious group of bigots wishing to strip people of their fundamental rights and freedoms, Big Freedia is here to offer a rebellious and joyful alternative. “Take My Hand,” the first track off the Queen of Bounce’s forthcoming gospel album, is still fueled by the same spirit fans of Freedia have come to know over the last few decades. Over a turbo-charged beat, a series of samples and some gorgeous choral vocals, Freedia reminds everyone that the point is to invite each other in — not push each other away.
Jake Wesley Rogers, “Hot Gospel”
If you’re a little too burned out from the religious side of it all for Freedia’s new song, might we recommend Jake Wesley Rogers’ tongue-in-cheek new pop jam, “Hot Gospel.” The song follows the rising singer-songwriter as he narrates a lifetimes’ worth of expectations that have led him to a therapist’s office to unpack his trauma. While he does that, he pulls out pure ’70s pop nostalgia to make an exceedingly catchy, deeply fun song about working through religious emotional damage.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
After publicly hard-launching her romantic relationship, Lucy Dacus is taking a moment to acknowledge her recent friendship with pop star Chappell Roan.
In a new interview with People, Dacus revealed that she and the “Pink Pony Club” singer have become friends over the course of the last year, saying that she is “really cherishing” her “new friendship” with the pop phenom.
Pointing to a recent example of that new rapport, Dacus said that Roan was there to support her when she was having a rough time recently. “I had kind of a bad week a couple of weeks back, where putting out music just feels worse, and it made me wonder if I should just skip to the part of my life where I live off the land and have a job that isn’t my name,” she said. “And [Chappell] was just like, ‘No, what you make is important and makes a lot of people feel less lonely.’”
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That relationship has proven to be a two-way street. When Roan was feeling overwhelmed with her sudden, meteoric rise to international recognition last year, the singer told Rolling Stone that Dacus and her Boygenius bandmates Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker were there to talk her through the experience of sudden fame, and how bad fan interactions can often feel “abusive and violent.”
Dacus recalled that same instance in her new interview, explaining that all three members of her rock supergroup know what it’s like to go from cult following to sudden, headline-making success. “When she was feeling spread really thin, all of us in Boygenius were encouraging her and telling her that it’ll die down,” she said. “It is just a really spinny trip when everybody has something to say about you.”
The news comes during a big week for Dacus. Along with continuing to promote her fourth studio album, Forever Is a Feeling (out March 28), the “Talk” singer also confirmed that she is in a relationship with Boygenius bandmate Baker in an interview with The New Yorker. “I want to protect what is precious in my life, but also to be honest, and make art that’s true,” Dacus said of her decision to open up about her relationship. “I think maybe a part of it is just trusting that [my relationship]’s not at risk.”
Roan, meanwhile, is fresh off the release of her country anthem “The Giver.” In a conversation on Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly, Roan said that her jump to the country genre was simply born out of a funny idea rather than a new direction for her music as a whole. “I’m not trying to convince a country crowd that they should listen to my music by baiting them with a country song,” she said. “I just think a lesbian country song is really funny, so I wrote that.”
JoJo Siwa has had her fair share of viral moments over the past year, but now she’s in on the joke.
The “Karma” superstar walked the red carpet at the iHeartRadio Music Awards on Monday night (March 17), where she spotted Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly, with whom she had a controversial interview where she claimed she founded “gay pop.”
“I’m not talking to you,” she playfully told Kelly, before explaining, “You know what today is? It’s not only the iHeartRadio Music Awards, which is where I said ‘dream guest on my podcast’ but it’s also the one year anniversary of GLAAD Awards, which is where with your a— I said, ‘It’s called gay pop.’
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In her original Billboard News interview with Kelly, Siwa said that when she originally signed to Columbia Records, she told the label, “I want to start a new genre of music … it’s called ‘gay pop,’” before going on to compare the genre to the jazz-funk genre of dance. The online community quickly began criticizing Siwa for saying she wanted to “create” this “new genre,” with queer icons Tegan and Sara literally offering the 20-year-old singer some side eye on their TikTok page.
However, Siwa is moving forward, sharing that she has a “big announcement that involves a lot of people all over the world” coming on March 22. She joked that her next musical era will include “something that nobody has ever done before.”
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Her “unexpected” moves she’s planning include that she’s “going to sing,” and “maybe even write my own song for once,” referencing the backlash surrounding songwriter Brit Smith, who recorded Siwa’s track “Karma” back in 2012.
Wrapping up their interview, Kelly told Siwa that another viral moment is likely on the horizon. “We’ll see y’all on TikTok,” Siwa joked, looking into the camera. Watch the full interview below.
An Evening With Elton John and Brandi Carlile, a one-hour concert special featuring live performances, stories about the pair’s friendship and an intimate look at their new collaborative album, will air on CBS on Sunday, April 6 (8-9 p.m. ET/PT) and stream on Paramount+. Filming on Wednesday, March 26, at London’s iconic Palladium Theatre and […]
After months of speculation and rumors among fans of indie rock supergroup Boygenius, Lucy Dacus at last confirmed that, yes, she is currently in a relationship with bandmate Julien Baker.
In a profile for The New Yorker, Dacus revealed that she and Baker are currently dating and moved to Los Angeles together after Boygenius’ tour wrapped in 2024. But the “Best Guess” singer pointed out that both she and Baker were reticent to share details with the public, considering how parasocial some fan relationships can become.
“It only takes a handful [of intense fans interactions] to make your life feel like a really easily threatened thing,” she said. “I’ve been practicing not reinforcing that narrative to myself.”
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Dacus continued, saying that trying to keep her private life private while also being transparent with her audience through songwriting has been a difficult needle to thread. “It’s been interesting, because I want to protect what is precious in my life, but also to be honest, and make art that’s true. I think maybe a part of it is just trusting that it’s not at risk,” she said. “Maybe a healthier way to think about it is that [my relationship]’s not actually fragile.”
The singer-songwriter added that most of her romantic relationships blossomed from close friendships, and that the concept of a romance that doesn’t come from a friendship or creative partnership boggles her mind.
“How are you doing romance without friendship? I can’t imagine. That feels so hollow. It makes me feel ill! Someone that’s not my friend? Are you serious?” she said. “Almost every relationship I have been in, we’ve had some business or creative dealings. I don’t mean this just sexually, but it turns me on; to have your minds meet on something, and be, like, ‘Oh, my gosh, you said what I couldn’t say. I love your mind.’”
Speculation around Dacus and Baker’s relationship has been going on for years, but the most recent interest in the two artists as a couple was reignited in October 2023, where the two posed as Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande for a Halloween costume.
Dacus is currently promoting her new solo album, Forever Is a Feeling, due out March 28 via Geffen Records. Baker, meanwhile, is rolling out her collaborative country album with fellow indie rock artist TORRES titled Send a Prayer My Way, which is due out April 18 via Matador Records.
Two months after the first-ever winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK The Vivienne died, the drag performer’s cause of death has been confirmed. In a statement shared with Attitude, the star’s manager Simon Jones revealed that James Lee Williams — The Vivienne’s off-stage name — died “from the effects of ketamine use causing a cardiac […]
Azealia Banks took a break from her usual strategy of issuing pop cultural hot takes on Sunday (March 16) when she took aim at Harry Potter author and anti-trans advocate J.K. Rowling. In a post on X, Banks reshared a post from a user commending Rowling’s against-the-odds rise to fame, listing out the author’s various […]
With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, we’re happy to inform you that you are in luck — because some of your favorite queer artists have some new songs for you to blast all weekend long. 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
See latest videos, charts and news
From Chappell Roan’s long-awaited return to Lil Nas X’s latest pop-rap jam, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
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Chappell Roan, “The Giver”
Service tops everywhere, you’re welcome. After debuting the track four months ago via a live performance on Saturday Night Live, the fast-rising pop superstar finally delivered fans a studio version of “The Giver,” her cheeky, excellent new country-inspired song. Swapping out her synths for fiddles and banjos, Roan gives her prospective lovers a guided tour of exactly what she could do for them, all while flaunting some of her career-best vocals over the top of a raucous country track. Roan is right about one thing for sure, especially when it putting together A+ songs: she gets the job done.
Lil Nas X, “HOTBOX”
In a particularly wild move, Lil Nas X decided to release not one, not two, but five singles this week, each dropping on a different day. And while there are plenty in that bunch to talk about, none goes quite as hard at “HOTBOX,” the rapper’s bawdy, rambunctious new offering that sees Lil Nas well and truly entering his new era with a splash. Over glittering R&B guitars and a killer beat, Lil Nas raps his way in and out of a romantic situation, all while asserting that he’s still got plenty more to offer his day one fans.
Lucy Dacus, “Talk”
After spending her last few singles sharing all the love, Lucy Dacus is ready to change gears a little bit. “Guess,” the latest track off Dacus’ forthcoming new album Forever Is a Feeling, takes the lyrical gymnastics of songs like “Ankles” and “Best Guess” and turns them into cutting examinations of a relationship hurtling towards its inevitable end. Droning guitar lines and a relentless drum beat slowly ratchets up the tension as Dacus brings this brutal post-mortem to its climax: “Do I make you nervous or bored?” she sings on the chorus. “Or did I drink you to thе last drop?”
Anitta, “Larissa”
Over the course of her career, Brazilian pop superstar Anitta has made it a habit to sing from a bossed-up point of view. Now, on her latest single “Larissa” (direct from her new Netflix documentary), Anitta is exploring what it means to strip that persona away. Gone are the loud, audacious production swings she normally takes, now replaced by simple melodies and a simple drum beat, as she lets her defenses down and sings a fragile, tender love song that is well worth your time.
Royal & the Serpent, “Death Do Us Part”
On her latest single “Death Do Us Part,” Royal & the Serpent is done toying with her sound — she’s found it, and she’s not letting it go. Throughout this ominous track, Ryan Santiago’s voice shrouds itself in multiple layers od distortion as she sings about the kind of love that you hold as tightly as you can, all while the soundscape behind her gradually grows from a simple, acoustic setup to a delirious gltich-rock anthem. “Wherever you take me, I’ll die in your arms,” she sings. “We’ll turn into daises, yeah, we’ll turn into stars.”
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
Laura Jane Grace set out to make a point with a recent performance of a new song. It turns out, the song went right over the heads of the people she was hoping would hear it most.
On Friday (March 7), Sen. Bernie Sanders hosted a town hall as part of his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour across the country in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and invited Grace to perform on stage. One of the songs she performed — her February released “Your God (God’s D–k)” — caused immediate outrage online over its profane lyrics and religious themes.
In the song, Grace makes a point that while religious conservatives have a problem using the proper pronouns for trans people, they seem to have no problem imposing gender on an omnipresent, non-physical deity. “Does your god have a big fat d–k? ‘Cause it feels like he’s f—ing me,” Grace sings on the track. “Are his b–ls filled with lightning?/ Do they dangle like heaven’s keys?”
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Grace said that the purpose of the song was to open people’s eyes to the double standard of gender constructs today. “I’m not being profane to be profane, I’m not just saying ‘d–k’ to say ‘d–k.’ I’m asking a genuine question,” she said. “If you refer to your God as he and him, but you will not refer to a transgender person with the pronouns that are theirs … that’s just insane.”
Grace continued, adding that the outrage itself was representative of the larger problem around the right’s attack on trans people. “It’s such blatant hypocrisy. You can’t prove God exists with biology or chromosomes,” she said. “So if you’re gonna throw science continually in my face, let’s stick to that: Your god doesn’t exist.”
Sanders’ event was aimed at protesting president Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers’ proposed plans to cut federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid that low-income families rely on. “4,000 people came out to say: NO tax breaks for billionaires,” he wrote on Instagram following his Kenosha event. “NO cuts to Medicaid. NO oligarchy. NO authoritarianism. NO MORE billionaires buying elections.”
The White House has since stated that Trump “will not cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits,” but has alleged that there is “waste and fraud in entitlement spending” without providing concrete evidence of where that waste and fraud exists in programs like Medicare or Medicaid.