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Along with being a hit-making singer, Dua Lipa has made it clear throughout her career that she is an ally to the LGBTQ community. And in a recent interview, she explained why she feels such a strong connection to her queer and trans fans. Speaking to Vogue France, Lipa shared her intersectional view of the […]
While he may be best known as one of the gender-bending faces of the shock rock movement, Alice Cooper revealed that heâs not in favor of real gender-affirming care.
In a new interview with Stereogum, the 75-year-old rock star shared his opinions about best-practice medical care for transgender youth, saying that he was âafraid that itâs also a fad.â Using common anti-trans talking points to elaborate, the star said that he felt children were not mature enough to make major decisions about their gender identity.
âI find it wrong when youâve got a 6-year-old kid who has no idea. He just wants to play, and youâre confusing him telling him, âYeah, youâre a boy, but you could be a girl if you want to be,’â he said. âI mean, if you identify as a tree ⌠Iâm going, âCome on! What are we in, a Kurt Vonnegut novel?â Itâs so absurd, that itâs gone now to the point of absurdity.â
Cooper then took aim at âthe whole woke thingâ at large, claiming that society has taken progressive language too far. âWhoâs making the rules?â he asked. âItâs getting to the point now where itâs laughable. If anybody was trying to make a point on this thing, they turned it into a huge comedy. I donât know one person that agrees with the woke thing.â
The âSchoolâs Outâ singer even shared anti-trans rhetoric about access to public bathrooms, claiming that allowing transgender people to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity would lead to violent crimes.  âA guy can walk into a womanâs bathroom at any time and just say, âI just feel like Iâm a woman todayâ and have the time of his life in there,â Cooper said. âHeâs just taking advantage of that situation ⌠Somebodyâs going to get raped.â
Despite Cooperâs claims, research shows that gender-affirming care significantly reduces rates of depression and suicidality among transgender youth. Meanwhile, medical professionals providing gender-affirming care point out that minors are not able to make these life-altering decisions by themselves, and that the Endocrine Society and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health do not recommend gender-affirming surgery for anyone under the age of 18.
âPrior to any gender-affirming medical or surgical intervention, all minors must have an intake with a knowledgeable mental health provider internal to our system,â Dr. Joshua D. Safer told Billboard last year. âOnce deemed ready for a medical/surgical intervention, the processes we have for adults are then brought into play.â
The âNo More Mr. Nice Guyâ singer is far from the first rocker to share anti-trans sentiments over the last year. In May, Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley called gender-affirming care âa sad and dangerous fad,â making similar claims to Cooper about children âplayingâ with gender rather than understanding their identity. Twisted Sister lead singer Dee Snider backed up Stanleyâs comments, saying âthere was a time where I âfelt prettyâ too. Glad my parents didnât jump to any rash conclusions.â Both rockers have since walked back their comments.
While Donald Trump plans to turn himself over to Georgia authorities on Thursday (Aug. 24) after being indicted for attempting to interfere in the 2020 election, internet star Randy Rainbow is making sure to take another shot at the beleaguered former president. On Tuesday (Aug. 22), Rainbow unveiled his latest parody video, mocking Trump for […]
Music wasnât part of Jaboukie Young-Whiteâs plan. âIt just kind of happened,â he tells Billboard with a laugh.
The 29-year-old performer spent the last few years carefully building his profile as a comedian, writer, actor and professional Twitter (err, X) troll. Between standup, writing for Big Mouth, working as a correspondent on The Daily Show, getting banned from the social media platform for impersonating CNN and starring in Disneyâs Strange World alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Gabrielle Union, Young-White has seen his star rise immensely over the last five years.
As he tells it, music was a hobby that kept him occupied throughout the pandemic. âI had been making instrumental music since college, and it was mostly something that I kept to myself,â he says. âFast forward, pandemic hits, and I was working on some animated stuff during that time. I had a vocal setup in my apartment, so I was like, âYou know what, let me just do this.’â
Three years later, those quarantine sessions have transformed into All Who Canât Hear Must Feel, the starâs debut album out Friday (August 25) via Interscope. On the expansive project, Young-White (performing under his first name, Jaboukie) hops into the nebulous spaces between genres like industrial hip-hop, bedroom rock and hyperpop to deliver immediately catchy insights on his life and his occasionally intrusive thoughts. And yes, the album is also very funny.
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The album also nearly didnât happen. Young-White says that he never had any intention of releasing music until he began working on a script for an upcoming animated film inspired by Juice WRLDâs music. When pitching himself to Interscope Films as a writer-director for the project, he was asked if he had any experience with music that he could share.
âI sent a few little songs along, thinking that they were just gonna be like, âOK, this man is competent. He can write, he has taste,’â Young-White says. âThen [John Janick] offered me a record deal, and there just wasnât a good enough reason to for me not to do it. I knew I would regret not doing thisâ
With a major labelâs resources now at his disposal, Young-White could have worked with high-level producers and songwriters to put his first project together. The album does have plenty of assists â Grammy-winners Alex Tumay, Neal Pogue and Mike Bozzi mixed and mastered All Who Canât Hear, respectively.
But in terms of production and songwriting, Young-White knew that creating an album that felt authentic meant doing it all solo, with the occasional help from his brothers Javaughn and Javeigh. âBecause Iâm so new to releasing music, if I got in the studio with somebody, I would want to be like, âWhatever you want to do is good by me, because youâre so great!â I needed to put my stake in the ground first before I start inviting more people into the process,â he says.
After a beat, he canât help but go for the punchline. âListen, [Jack Antonoff] was so desperate to get in the studio with me,â he says, smirking. âI was like, âHey, Iâm so sorry, but itâs a no, Jack.’â
That urge to go for the joke is still present on Young-Whiteâs album, but not in the same way that fans of his comedy would expect. While bars declaring himself a âmidwest hoe, churning out magnum opesâ on songs like âBBCâ certainly land with laughs, All Who Canât Hear is not a comedy album; it just so happens that hip-hop has always been naturally funny, Young-White says.
âRappers have been some of my favorite comedians,â he says. âYoung Thug is one of the most fâking hilarious surrealist comics alive. Wayne is so funny. Thereâs a Nicki song on the radio right now [âRed Ruby Da Sleazeâ] where she says âI donât fâk with horses since Christopher Reeves,â which is insane ⌠for me, itâs not difficult to hold something as being sincere and funny at the same time.â
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Even the albumâs title is a play on words â All Who Canât Hear Must Feel, taken in its most literal sense, states what listeners can expect from the albumâs sonics. âI was putting so much weight in the low end of these songs. I wanted you to really, truly feel this, and let it be a physical experience,â he says. âI was just alone in my apartment and my neighbors were probably mad as hell, but I was like, âI need to feel something, I gotta dance.â That was the conversation that I was having with myself â I was trying to wake something up.â
But the phrase is also a Jamaican proverb â Young-White was raised by Jamaican parents in Harvey, Ill. â about learning from consequences after not heeding warnings. With his Saturn return in full effect while penning his album (âYou could start and stop with that explanation alone depending on how good your astrological understanding isâ), the comic says he couldnât stop thinking about the oft-cited expression.
âThere are so many lessons where no one can tell you what it means; you really do have to experience it for yourself,â he says. âThatâs what life is like â you can be given so much advice and be told so many things, but thereâs so much that will not be real to you until you feel it.â
One of those lessons Young-White simply had to experience was what it meant to have a career in the music industry. Despite his rapidly-building profile in film and television, he says that trying to figure out how to be a signed recording artist came with a significant learning curve.
Some of the lessons have been more positive than others â Young-White found creative output came much easier to him when writing songs. âI wish I could be as prolific with writing jokes as I was with music â I probably had 40 or 50 songs written for this album,â he says. âYou really gotta go up in front of a bunch of audiences to work out a good joke. With songs, so many of them will suck, but every once in a while you hit on something and just say âOK, letâs run with this.’â
Other lessons have been harder to explain, like showing up on time to meetings when no one was expecting him to. âThere have been people who were like, âWow, you showed up? I didnât think you would!â And Iâm like, âWhat do you mean? We had a meeting, I said I was gonna be here!’â he recalls, laughing. âYou feel like such a goody two shoes in music just for being punctual.â
With his lessons learned, Young-White is now confident that a career in music can officially join his growing list of professions in entertainment; heâs already started planning out where he wants to go next. âI did industrial, I did experimental, now I want to do something thatâs really pop, catchy, clean and glossy â kind of in the Charlie XCX blueprint,â he says. âHonestly, my ideal pop song kind of sounds like Animal Collective. Structurally and lyrically, itâs like, âThis is a pop song,â but then the sounds are absolutely wild, like kitchen appliances fighting each other.â
The rising star is quick to temper his ambitions; he knows that âeverything is so a la carteâ when it comes to music consumption nowadays, which makes marketing an entire album that much harder. âI know damn well you could be listening to any-the-fâk-thing after you listen to this project,â he says.
But that inherent understanding keeps Young-Whiteâs music â and for that matter, his point of view â as fresh as it is. âWhy would I stay in one lane when I can just give you everything right here?â
Another week means another opportunity to listen to some excellent 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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See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
From ReneĂŠ Rappâs long-awaited debut album to Doechiiâs steamy new single, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
ReneĂŠ Rapp, Snow Angel
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Much like the titular winter fixture, ReneĂŠ Rappâs Snow Angel is all about leaving her imprint on pop music. Throughout the rising singer-actorâs debut album, Rapp paints in broad strokes, employing soulful R&B and raucous pop-rock to create an accurate image of her life. The results come in the form of impeccably-written ballads detailing heartbreak and loss (âI Wishâ and âWillowâ immediately stand out), uptempo bops meant to stir your spirit (âTalk Too Much,â âSo What Nowâ), or even an instantly-relatable queer femme anthem with âPretty Girls.â From start to finish, Snow Angel serves as an unflinching self-portrait of Rappâs not-yet-quarter-life crisis â and it leaves even more room for the star to bloom.
Doechii, âBooty Dropâ
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What more do you need to know than whatâs in the title? Doechii makes a promise on her sexy new single, repeating again and again the she âcan make your booty pop.â Turns out, sheâs not kidding â from the killer bassline to Doechiiâs effortless flow, âBooty Dropâ is the exact kind of song designed to get you out on the dance floor shaking your money-maker.
Anitta, Funk Generation: A Favela Story
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Just a year after giving us her killer album Versions of Me, Anitta is ready to give fans just a taste of whatâs to come. With her new 3-track bundle Funk Generation: A Favela Story, Anitta dives head first into funk carioca, letting her buttery smooth voice glide over jumping bass and entrancing rhythms that will pull you in immediately. Itâs a complete journey into Anittaâs Brazilian upbringing â and one you need to hear for yourself ASAP.
Demi Lovato, âConfident (Rock Version)â
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Continuing her high-octane revitalizations of past hits, Demi Lovato is ready to boss herself up. On the new, raw version of âConfident,â Lovato gives their brassy anthem some serious edge by trading in new growling vocals and putting a heavy focus on the songâs slamming drums. Be sure to do some stretches before listening â because you will be banging your head by the time you reach the end.
K.Flay feat. Vic Fuentes, âIrish Goodbyeâ
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Everyoneâs experienced the Irish goodbye at some point or another in their lives â that moment when you look up and realize you havenât seen your friend in the last 30 minutes. Now, K.Flay and Pierce the Veilâs Vic Fuentes are ready to give that practice its very own theme song. With glitching guitars, relentless drums, and some top-tier songwriting to help, K.Flay proves yet again that sheâs a master of bottling angst into a much-needed release of musical dopamine.
Jamila Woods, âBoomerangâ
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While you may know Jamila Woods for some of her softer, slower jams over the years, sheâs here to show you that she can give you plenty of reason to dance on her new single. With âBoomerang,â Woods picks up the tempo, turns up the synths and lets her breezy vocal do the heavy lifting, as she looks a little bit closer at that one relationship that just keeps on coming back.
Slayyyter, âErotic Electronicâ
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Looking for something a little more racy? Of course Slayyyter is here to help. On âErotic Electronic,â the rising pop singer strips herself down â no, literally â as she offers up all of the lengths she will go to in order to get with her lover. Add in some ground-shaking EDM production and a series of peaks-and-valleys synths, and youâve got another club banger on your hands.
Calum Scott, âAt Your Worstâ
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Sometimes, a heartfelt love song is all you need to get that nice warm feeling going â and Calum Scott is certainly capable of giving you that. âAt Your Worst,â the latest from the singer, is a moving slice of pop balladry that sees Scott celebrating his lover even, and especially, in the lowest moments. The soft guitar and bass section certainly helps keep you interested, but the real star, as tends to be the case with Calum Scott songs, is the singerâs gorgeous voice.
Shamir, Homo Anxietatem
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Anxiety seems to be the overarching theme for 2023, and Shamir is well-versed on that subject. Throughout Homo Anxietatem, the singer-songwriter seems to seek out, understand and eventually dispel anxiety, studying as many different sides of it â the pressure of stardom (âObsessionâ), the stress of a relationship (âOur Songâ), and the relief that comes in accepting your life for what it is (âWandering Throughâ). Itâs no surprise that an artist as talented as Shamir could turn anxiety into its very own concept album, but that doesnât make it any less impressive.
Arlissa, âAUDACITY.â
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Knowing your worth is important, and Arlissa wants her ex to know that they cannot afford her. On âAUDACITY.â, the pop-R&B singer grooves her way through a betrayal from her former flame, before coming out the other end stronger. The simplicity of the production mixed with the singerâs inimitable vocal makes lines like âyou had the audacity/ to act like you can handle me,â hit that much harder on this burning new jam.
Check out all of our picks on Billboardâs Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
Sure, Lil Nas X may be known for his love of trolling fans and haters alike. But with his latest announcement, the pop sensation is ready to show everyone a more sincere side of himself. On Friday (Aug. 18), Lil Nas X announced the official world premiere of his new documentary Lil Nas X: Long […]
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Leading up to his decision to come out during Pride Month this year, Josh Kiszka was worried heâd have âa target on my backâ once people knew he was part of the LGBTQ community. Instead, the Greta Van Fleet frontman tells Rolling Stone, fans embraced him even more passionately. âEverything had been met with love […]
Beat the summer heat with these cool new jams from some of your favorite queer artists! Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
From Tove Loâs latest dance anthem to Chappell Roanâs campy new summer single, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Tove Lo, âElevator Eyesâ
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If you give Tove Lo the good âol up-down, rest assured that she will be writing a sultry single all about you. âElevator Eyes,â the latest track to come from the Swedish pop starâs Dirt Femme era, sees Lo embracing a moodier, more pared-down production style to her last few singles. Donât fret, though â the songâs lyrics and the singerâs performance bring plenty of heat all on their own, as the star evaluates an interested party and looks to make her next move.
Chappell Roan, âHOT TO GO!â
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If youâre an adult in need of your own personal cheerleader, Chappell Roan has got you covered. With her new single âHOT TO GO!â the rising star offers up a great impression of a cheer captain as she instructs you on how to dance to the new track while also letting her future lovers know that she is ready and waiting. Itâs fun, itâs camp, and itâs exactly the kind of jam that will have you dancing along in no time.
G Flip, Drummer
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If youâre wondering what to expect from an album titled Drummer, itâs literally right there in the title. Throughout Australian upstart G Flipâs debut album, the singer-songwriter embraces her instrument of choice, leading this pop-rock project with slamming drums leading the way. Ranging from heartbroken pop songs (âThe Worst Person Aliveâ) to uplifting love anthems (âGood Enoughâ), Drummer makes good on the promise of its title, soundtracking the rising starâs love life over a killer beat.
Allison Russell, âSnakelifeâ
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It bears repeating that the world is currently a hard place to be for Black queer and trans folks â but thatâs not the future that Allison Russell sees for her community. On âSnakelife,â the folk singerâs stirring new single, Russell conjures up a vision of transformation and evolution, envisioning and even conceiving a future in which âevery child is safe and loved, and Black is beautiful and good.â With a voice that is simultaneously gorgeous and haunting, Russell makes certain that you feel as strongly as she does that this new world is coming, whether you like it or not.
Mykki Blanco, âHolidays in the Sunâ
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Get ready to rave your way into Mykki Blancoâs self-described âItalian cowboy era.â The star is back with âHolidays in the Sun,â their first single off of the forthcoming EP Postcards from Italia, and they are ready to rave. Over a relentless beat and some delicious bass hooks, Blanco extolls the virtues of simply vibing in the sunshine while you can. Itâs a delectable cut from the often-elusive talent, proving yet again that Mykki knows how to write a banger you can dance to.
HoneyLuv feat. Cakes da Killa, âBring It Backâ
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Speaking of a banger you can dance to, we simply must talk about DJ-producer extraordinaire HoneyLuvâs latest team-up with rapper Cakes da Killa on âBring it Back.â Dripping with Cakesâ laid-back confidence and HoneyLuvâs razor-sharp prodcution, âBring it Backâ is exactly the kind of homerun you think itâs going to be, moving you to get up out of your seat and start grooving to the fiery new song ASAP.
Check out all of our picks on Billboardâs Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
What happens when you mix a country singer, a reality TV star and a whirlwind of dating rumors? Turns out you get a pretty steamy music video. On Thursday (Aug. 10), Morgan Wade shared her new music video for âFall in Love With Me,â starring Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards as her […]