Pride
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With the massive success of the Netflix series Wednesday, the latest episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race decided to offer its own take on the gothic teenager’s iconic look with another design challenge.
On Friday’s episode (aired March 1), the remaining queens were provided with black fabric and little else, as they attempted to try their hands — or more accurately, their sewing machines — at making neo-goth couture garments.
Proving herself yet again to be this season’s queen of fashion, Q managed to make a massive coat-dress that immediately impressed the judges, earning the star her second win of the season. Meanwhile, the judges told Plasma that her fashion needed a transfusion, whule Mhi’ya Iman LePaige couldn’t flip her way out of a third bottom placement.
Lip synching to a sped-up, TikTok-inspired version of Lady Gaga’s “Bloody Mary,” the bottom two gave their best renditions of Wednesday Addams’ disaffected dancing. But in the end, the Queen of Flips managed to pull out another transformative performance, sending Plasma packing.
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Below, Billboard chats with Plasma about the difficulties of a design challenge, why she doesn’t think fellow contestant Dawn “sabotaged” her, and how Drag Race is changing Broadway for the better.
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What, to you, has been the most surprising thing about the last couple months of fans getting to see you on the show?
Oh, that people don’t think I’m an absolute flop! I’m serious! The way in which I have been received as the most irritating queen — someone posted a TikTok that said, “Plasma is like if Miss Cracker snorted Jan.” First, I was like, “Ouch.” And then second, it was like, “Wow, what an amazing compliment.” I feel like I’ve been embraced in this warm, self-referential hug from the fandom, and I do really feel fabulous.
I have to say, my personal favorite of those kinds of funny reads was when Megami posted what she would’ve said in the reading challenge, and she said, “Plasma is known for her BFA — Being F–king Annoying.”
Girl! [Laughs.] I mean, “Being F–king Annoying” was brilliant and we were denied an opportunity to see her read me for filth on television. But it’s all good, Xunami really took the cake with that Jan. 6th read. Now, just to clear the air, since that challenge I’ve had a couple of people genuinely ask me where I was on Jan. 6th — I was at home in Texas, watching in shock and despair like we all were. It was definitely red territory, but not as red as a damn insurrection. Anyways, Xunami really ate me up with that one.
There’s been some comparison between you and Abbott Elementary star Chris Perfetti, who has since commented on the comparisons and said how complimented he feels by association. What was that like, seeing him respond that way?
I believe in the power of manifestation, and with those memes, I had been manifesting an opportunity to get in touch with Chris Perfetti and with the Abbott Elementary team. Like, for months, I have been manifesting this idea that I look so much like the gay teacher on Abbott, and I would love any opportunity to perform or to act with these people I respect in pop culture! I had this wild idea of me getting on the show for an episode and playing his brother, and maybe it’s a Drag Queen Story Hour storyline with the school, or some kind of narrative that isn’t so like, “Look at me, I’m a Drag Race girl doing a cameo on a show!” No, I want to be able to go on as a character under Quinta [Brunson]’s vision, that’s the dream.
So, when he actually spoke about it and said he loved me and gave this very humbling compliment, I fell out. Like, that is the impact of Drag Race! It meant literally the entire world to me, and I would be so thrilled to work with him someday. He seems like an absolute gem.
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The Drag Race impact is certainly having a much bigger effect lately — I mean this year alone, we have two former girls from the show, Jinkx Monsoon and Marcia Marcia Marcia, set to perform in blockbuster shows on Broadway. What does that tell you about how Drag Race, or maybe even the theater industry itself, is changing culture?
It’s terribly exciting, we love to see all of this happening. But I’m actually really glad you brought up both Jinkx and Marcia. Because Jinkx of course is a superstar, a legend. But Marcia is also making her debut in a queer-focused role, not a drag-focused role — and that’s important, because it tells me that the show is now reaching a mainstream capacity for understanding a queer experience that doesn’t necessarily hinge on drag. That’s incredible, because there’s so much more to the drag experience than putting on your wig and costume and going out and doing your three-and-a-half-minute Barbra Streisand ballad, in my case. It’s cool to see Broadway also starting to reflect a more human experience in queerness.
So yeah, I’m very excited about that direction, especially for Broadway today, because it feels like for every Cabaret and Chicago we get, we’re also getting stuff like A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical. Or, as I joked as Patti LuPone on my Reels, “What the hell do we need a Jimmy Buffet musical for?” And all love and respect to the performers in the companies of those shows, a gig is a gig and I respect the hustle! Patti also said “Broadway is an amusement park right now,” and when I see people like Marcia getting Cabaret, or I see Jinkx starting in Chicago, and the going to Little Shop of Horrors, and playing Carnegie Hall, or even Peppermint starring in Head Over Heels on Broadway [in 2018] … it just feels like we’re heading the right way, thanks to all of these girls using the platform to change the narrative on Broadway and in entertainment.
Well, we should at least talk a little bit about the show. I was a little gagged when they announced a third design challenge at the top of this episode. I appreciated in Untucked when you said that sewing is a fundamental part of drag that you also just don’t like. What is it about designing garments that doesn’t speak to you?
What is it that Violet Chachki quote? “If you call yourself a designer but you can’t sew, you are a fashion secretary.” And girl, I am the proudest fashion secretary out there! I have what I think is really great taste, and a good eye for design — I just do not necessarily have the technique or the background in sewing and creation to make it happen for myself. That said, I have an immense appreciation for everyone who sews.
Now I’m going to get on my soapbox — because on the show, people say, “She’s not a seamstress, so she doesn’t have the talent.” But my perspective is, I actually can sew, and if I had time, I would love to be a seamstress. However, the Drag Race industry waits for no one, so if you’re not coming in with an expert capability to sew and an expert knowledge of the sewing machine, how the hell are you going to make an impressive garment in 16 hours, like we’re being asked to on Drag Race? Like, I’m good at crafting, but crafting and sewing are two households, both alike in dignity, you know? I am proud and thrilled to get to stand alongside fashion girls like Q and Nymphia and Dawn, who killed this challenge.
Speaking of Dawn, there were some insinuations from the judges about Dawn “sabotaging” you by saying that you should try a different silhouette in this challenge, and you were quick to say that you did not feel that way in Untucked. Where are you at with that today?
Look, for the people who are going to try and claim that she “sabotaged” me, I still do not feel that happened. She just gave me an idea that I ran with. I am not a seamstress, I chose to do something that was different from what I’d done. If I wanted to wear a floor-length trumpet gown, I f–king would have, because I won a challenge in one of those two weeks ago.
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Before we run out of time, I wanted to know, what music have you been listening to lately?
I’m still blasting Jessie Ware’s “Free Yourself” album [That! Feels Good!], I just cannot get enough. My dream collaboration would be recording a jazz cover with Jessie Ware.
Puerto Rican hitmaker Young Miko is set to be honored with the Impact award at the 2024 Billboard Women in Music event on Wednesday, March 6. Just ahead of the ceremony, Billboard takes a deep dive into Young Miko’s chart success, which includes two entries on the Billboard Hot 100. The 25-year-old artist born María Victoria […]
With a title like All Born Screaming, you’d be forgiven for assuming St. Vincent’s upcoming new album might be a dark affair. But according to the artist, one song in particular pays loving tribute to a late icon. Speaking to The Guardian in an interview published on Saturday (March 2), the singer — otherwise known […]
Sam Smith got to show off a different side of their performing skills on Saturday (March 2), when they stomped down the runway for Paris Fashion Week. Serving as one of the models for the Vivienne Westwood Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025, Smith modeled two distinct, punk-inspired looks in the iconic fashion brand’s latest collection. In one […]
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.
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See latest videos, charts and news
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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”
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“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.
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Fletcher, “Doing Better”
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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”
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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
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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”
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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”
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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)
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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:
Over the last year, Reneé Rapp quickly became one of the internet’s favorite celebrities thanks to her phenomenal singing voice and her trenchant humor. Now, the Mean Girls star would like to get real for a second.
In an interview for the cover of The Hollywood Reporter, Rapp spoke candidly about her song “Snow Angel,” the lead single off her 2023 album of the same name, and how it was inspired by an “incredibly traumatic” event involving sexual assault. “I still feel like I’m sorting through those feelings … and it feels weird to talk about because I don’t remember it,” she said. “I recently was like, ‘I actually don’t want to follow this person on Instagram anymore because they left me at a club to get drugged’ … I woke up on a bathroom stall, face up in The Beverly Hilton with blood on my pants. And had been left alone at that point for, like, seven hours.”
That specific scenario not only inspired the lyrics of the song, but also Rapp’s viral performance of the track on Saturday Night Live. “I was like, ‘OK, well, when we do SNL, if I’m doing this [song], I am doing this,’” she said. “I will be on a red floor and I need to start laying down because that’s how I woke up. And there should be red underneath me and I should be in all white.”
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Since releasing the song, fans have praised Rapp’s candor and celebrated the track for its depiction of trauma, which is a discussion the singer says she had hoped to spark. “Ultimately, I’m not making music to just make music. I’m making music to start conversations. My idols make culture, my idols start conversation,” she said, adding that plenty of fans have brought their own perceptions of the song to the table. “I wanted to have ‘Snow Angel’ come out and it be confusing and left up to interpretation. And I still see so many funny takes now that are like, ‘Well, this song is clearly about when she was doing heroin.’ And I’m like, ‘You’re amazing, and I love your creativity.’”
Elsewhere in her wide-ranging interview, Rapp spoke about pitching herself to her label as “the bisexual Justin Bieber.” (Rapp now identifies as a lesbian.) “That boy is still cute to me, sorry. And he also, I think, has a similar [love] of R&B,” she explained. “He reminds me of a really sexy lesbian. Just the way he walks around and moves onstage and always has this demeanor that’s chill, sings his a– off, dresses really cool.”
The singer added that her role as Leighton on the hit Max series The Sex Lives of College Girls profoundly impacted the way she came out publicly. “Being celebrated for being out because of a TV show or celebrity or success or something was really interesting because I think it forced a lot of people in my life and my family to have to accept me in a weird way,” she explained. “That [show] was the most parallel experience in my life, and I remember doing that specific coming-out scene and not acting at all. At all. I was just sobbing.”
Rapp is currently closing out the final dates of her Snow Hard Feelings world tour in the U.K. During a recent show in Paris, Rapp performed a cover of Beyoncé’s 2016 country track “Daddy Lessons” in celebration of the superstar’s return to the genre — which prompted Queen Bey to send the “Poison Poison” singer a bouquet of flowers as a thank you gift.
If you or anyone you know needs support, you can reach out to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). The organization provides free, confidential support to sexual assault victims. Call RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) or visit the anti-sexual violence organization’s website for more information.
With the ball challenge, a design challenge, an acting challenge and the Rusical under its belt, RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 still had a major staple to give fans — the Snatch Game.
On Friday’s episode (aired Feb. 23), the nine remaining queens were put through the classic Drag Race gauntlet, as Ru charged them with crafting their best celebrity impressions in a Match Game-inspried show with one very simple rule at its center: “Make me laugh.”
Taking to the Snatch Game stage, Sapphira Cristál impressed Ru with their gut-busting take on the Godfather of Soul James Brown, while Plane Jane took off with her second challenge win for an uproarious impersonation of Serbian pop phenomenon Jelena Karleuša. Meanwhile, Morphine Love Dion couldn’t steal a laugh as fraudster Anna Delvey, while Xunami Muse’s original character the Gold Tooth Fairy found nothing but crickets under Ru’s pillow.
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Lip synching to Whitney Houston’s perennial classic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” Morphine and Xunami worked together to make a memorable moment of reality television. Dancing with (rather than against) one another, the pair made good on the promise of Houston’s hit song. But when the song was over, only one could remain — Ru relieved Morphine’s pain by keeping her for one more week, while Xunami’s wave crashed into the shore for the final time.
Below, Billboard chats with Xunami about her Snatch Game performance, her collaborative lip sync, and why she refused to be bothered about constant “safe” placements.
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What has your experience been watching yourself on television for the last few weeks?
It’s kind of like an out of body experience, to be honest — I’ve only watched each episode once because I cannot deal, otherwise. It’s interesting to see myself in that world, and living here now with all of the opportunities and all the things I have to do now, and getting to see the fans in all of their different states. It’s really cool!
Throughout this season, you have become the unofficial hostess of Untucked, now and forever known to all of us as Xunami’s Afters.
[Laughs.] Girl, that was my favorite thing on the show, no lie. It felt iconic.
I love that you took your safe placements in stride and let yourself have fun when it came time for Untucked — why do you think you reacted that way, where others got very stressed about it?
It’s definitely a combination of things. Even though it didn’t show, deep down, I was giving the Arthur fist meme, you know what I mean? You always want to excel, and if it was up to any of the girls, they would win every episode, obviously. But, I couldn’t be upset about being safe every time for a few reasons; it didn’t mean I did bad, and it meant that I lived another week to show another look. No matter the situation, I will always focus on the positive side of it. It came from that, and just being genuinely happy to be there.
Was there any challenge in particular where you felt you should have placed higher?
Oh, girl. I felt like I could have been high for the ball, and maybe for the SNL challenge. But really, it was the girl group challenge. I had a genuinely great week that week, and had it been critiqued individually instead of by groups, I feel like I could have been high. So that’s part of it — going through this experience, being safe didn’t mean you did bad. It’s a big cast, and a lot of these girls are crazy talented. As long as I felt like I was showcasing my drag to the best of my abilities and it was being enjoyed, then it was a success. Getting to watch it now, I’m happy with what I gave, completely.
Fans know that you are the adopted drag daughter of season 13 and All Stars 8 contestant Kandy Muse. Did Kandy offer you any advice before you left for filming?
The main thing she told me was to have fun and to make it my own. Obviously, in your mind, you’re going to win that crown and $200,000. But she really said, “Remember to have fun and leave your stamp.” And you know what, I had so much fun on this show. There was a lot that wasn’t shown, but watching what they did show, you can tell I was having a ball the whole time. Every moment, you could not tell me I wasn’t it on Drag Race.
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In this episode, we arrive and the long-awaited — and for some queens, dreaded — Snatch Game. You chose to perform an original character, the Gold Tooth Fairy. What made you decide to go for something original rather than a classic impression?
Let’s get into it. Snatch Game is my least favorite challenge on the show because it is so hard. I cannot stress enough how hard doing Snatch Game is — being quick and in the moment as a completely different character is a tough skill, and that’s why the ones who do well in the game go on to be so successful. But, I wanted to approach it the best way I could. For years, I auditioned for this show and would show Naomi Campbell and Cardi B and people like that, and it never felt like it was giving!
So when I was cast, I was like, “What if I do an original character? That way I’ll stand out.” I was thinking about how Trinity [the Tuck] and Yvie [Oddly] did their versions of fictional characters like the Boogeyman or the Devil [on All Stars 7] and made them completely their own. But it turns out I bit off way more than I could chew, girl!
Did you have any backup characters ready to go in case the Gold Tooth Fairy wasn’t working?
I would have done Celia Cruz — and you know what, I should have done Celia Cruz. For me it would’ve been all about the “azúcar,” girl! Screaming “azúcar” alone would have kept me safe this week!
You and Morphine winding up in the bottom resulted in one of the season’s best lip syncs. When I was done being shocked that Drag Race has never had “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” as a lip sync song, I couldn’t stop watching the two of you turning the performance into a collaborative dance. What was going through your mind when you decided to dance with Morphine instead of against her?
I think it was the familiarity, being in that moment with someone who is actually my friend. Like, we’d done shows together, we were friends, and there’s just something about performing with your girl where you just want to bounce off of each other. There was this really natural thing between us, and it felt right in the moment. Like, I didn’t want to lip sync against my girl — I didn’t want to lip sync period! But, once I was in the bottom with her, it became, “Oh, okay. We’re going to make this a moment.”
Last thing before you go — what music have you been listening to lately?
To be honest, the song I’ve had on repeat is my new track with Kandy Muse, which I will be premiering live at the Love Ball with Shea Couleé, Luxx Noir London, Tayce, Monét X Change and LaLa Ri, hello! It’s called “It’s Giving C–t,” and I believe it should be up for streaming by March 1, and we’re gonna perform it live first. I’m really excited for it, I’ve just really been bumping along to it all day.
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.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
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”
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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.
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Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Past Is Still Alive
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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.”
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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”
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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
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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:
Musical theater and the art of drag go hand in hand — both involve costumes, wigs, makeup and occasionally over-the-top performances. So it’s no wonder that RuPaul’s Drag Race struck gold when it learned to mash the two together. For nearly a decade, the Rusical challenge ascended beyond its humble origins, becoming a mainstay of […]
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.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
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
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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.
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Serpentwithfeet, GRIP
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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”
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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”
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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
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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: