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As we hurdle closer to spring, there’s no better time to start freshening up your playlists with new tracks 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.
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From Halsey’s solo rendition of a popular collab to Adam Lambert’s full cover song fantasy, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below.
Halsey, “Die 4 Me”
It’s been four years since Halsey made a surprise appearance on Post Malone’s “Die For Me,” delivering a scathing verse on a deep-cut off the superstar’s Hollywood Bleeding album. Today, they’re finally ready to share the full, only-Halsey version of that track, much to her fans’ delight. The new “Die 4 Me” sees Halsey still owning the anger that defined their first pass at the track, now unleashing it with expert precision to make a killer pop song. Her biting verses perfectly fit within this new context, re-establishing a 2019 track as 2023’s newest breakup anthem.
Adam Lambert, High Drama
Time and time again, Adam Lambert has proven himself as a master of the cover song. Whether it was on American Idol or the Kennedy Center, the superstar knows how to take a song and make it entirely his own, which he proves yet again on his new LP, High Drama. Covering everyone from Bonnie Tyler to Billie Eilish, Lambert revels in his glam-rock sensibilities to deliver pure entertainment at every given opportunity on this delectable album of tasty updated classics.
Reneé Rapp, “Bruises”
Following her musical breakthrough with her stellar EP Everything to Everyone, Reneé Rapp is ready for a victory lap. With the release of her deluxe version of the project, Rapp is treating fans to “Bruises,” the emotionally-devastating song that didn’t make it to the original project. With a tender guitar line accompanied by her delicately-placed vocals, “Bruises” sees Rapp trying to open up emotionally, but ultimately shutting down out of her fear to get hurt — a feeling that, even if you’ve never felt it, you’ll be able to relate to the second she starts singing.
Channel Tres, Real Cultural Shit
Hope you’re ready to dance this weekend, because Channel Tres’ stunning new EP Real Cultural Shit is here to turn the heat up at every club night. The long-awaited follow-up to the artist/producer’s self-titled 2018 EP, Real Cultural Shit follows through on the promise of it’s title delving straight into Tres’ own modern take on house music, funk, and disco. Whether he’s slowing it down for some real talk on “Sleep When Dead,” or cranking it up to 11 with dance banger “All My Friends,” Tres is here to show you a good time with this new project.
Princess Nokia, “Complicated”
Since the start of her career, Princess Nokia has never fit into one “sound.” So with her latest songs, she decided to throw the idea of labels out the window entirely. “Complicated,” her latest single, dabbles lightly in some of the R&B stylings she’s touched on before, but focuses itself much more on an early-2000s-rave-meets-modern-hyperpop sound, marking brand new territory for this beloved talent.
Yaeji, “Done (Let’s Get It)”
On it’s face “Done (Let’s Get It)” by rising dance superstar Yaeji is a fun, vibe-fueled song that seems intentionally innocuous on its surface. But take a listen to the lyrics — sung in both English and Korean — and you’ll hear an artist intentionally trying to break the continuing cylce of generational trauma and passed-down habits. Balancing tough themes with her lighthearted musical style has always been one of Yaeji’s strengths, and “Done (Let’s Get It)” is no exception to that rule.
Dreamer Isioma feat. Redveil, “Technicolor Love”
Join Dreamer Isioma, one of the most fascinating voices in the indie songwriting scene, as they take you on a fabulous trip with “Technicolor Love.” This trippy, grooving new single sees Dreamer falling head over heels for a woman, even if that love is toxic. The blissed-out production floods your body with endorphins, which are only further heightened by guest star Redveil and his thrilling rap verse.
Ryan Cassata, “If You Ever Leave Long Island”
After a career of self-publishing heartbreaking indie tracks, Ryan Cassata is ready to make a splash with his new song, “If You Ever Leave Long Island.” The singer-songwriter’s debut single on Kill Rock Stars, “If You Ever” sees Cassata taking a sonic left turn into rocked-out heartbreak. Gone are the folksy, gentle love ballads, now replaced with amped-up guitars, pop-punk drums and an excellently angsty performance from Cassata as he ushers in a brand new era.
Allison Ponthier, “Character Development”
Growing and making changes are obviously important — but not more important than the health and well-being of the women around you. That’s the very topic Allison Ponthier expertly skewers in her new song “Character Development,” a supremely catchy and incredibly scathing indictment of misogynistic writing tropes that tend to see female characters suffer so their male counterparts can grow (a.k.a. the “women in refrigerators” phenomenon). Ponthier uses her musical prowess to take on the part of the oft-hurt female character, this time throwing a middle finger in the face of writers, characters and anyone else that would see her suffer so they can learn a valuable lesson. In short; hell yeah, Allison.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
Adam Lambert is certainly not making his highly anticipated new musical era a subtle one, unveiling his aptly titled fifth studio album, High Drama, via BMG on Friday (Feb. 24).
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The album is a impressive journey through Lambert’s skillset as a cover artist, as he delivers his own versions of songs such as Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero,” Sia’s “Chandelier,” Billie Eilish’s “Getting Older” and many more.
“Even when I was doing American Idol, thinking of ways to bring a fresh slant on really well-known songs was always paramount in my mind. So when the idea came up for me to do a covers album, I thought, Well, why not?” he told Dig! of the inspiration behind the project.
He added, “The brief was to take a bunch of really great songs from all genres and completely remold them. For me, it’s been really challenging to twist these songs into completely different arrangements and make them sound brand new. It’s exciting, and if our new takes of these wonderful songs can surprise the artists who recorded the originals, then the record’s definitely succeeded.”
Listen to High Drama in full below.
When it comes to attacks on drag artists around the country, they don’t impress Shania Twain much.
In a new interview with GLAAD’s Anthony Allen Ramos, Twain spoke about her ongoing support for the LGBTQ community, including drag queens who “inspire” her to this day. When asked about the wave of legislation attempting to ban public drag performances around the U.S., Twain was clear with how she felt.
“Oh my god, drag shows are so fun,” she said. “I so admire the talent there, it takes a lot of courage — fashion in itself takes courage … I’m very inspired by it, and I think we need this inspiration; we need drag queens to share their talent with us.”
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Tennessee’s controversial anti-drag bill — which would prevent performances from “male and female impersonators” on public property — passed through the state’s House on Thursday (Feb. 23). It will return to the state Senate for a procedural vote before being signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee.
Elsewhere in the interview, Twain talked about her Republic label-mate Kim Petras, and what it has been like to see her thrive as of late. “Kim reminds me of a living angel,” she said. “This is a person that carries no ego and is very, very elegant in person. I mean, just beauty and kindness and sweetness and always a big hug for me and I admire all the talent.”
The “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” singer also made clear her unwavering support for the LGBTQ community, saying that despite ongoing legislative attacks against queer rights, she had hope for the future.
“When I was younger, I would say I even resented society for just making anyone feel like an outsider. I’m an all inclusive person … and we need more love in the world,” she said. “When I got into the industry, at the time there was no being a member of the LGBTQ community … [now] so many of the creatives in my teams are part of the LGBTQ community, so yeah, I feel great. It’s a sign that our society is just slowly getting there, or at least getting somewhere.”
Check out Shania Twain’s full interview with GLAAD above.
While it’s said that art imitates life, Ben Platt learned all too well recently that life also tends to imitate art.
In an Instagram Reel posted late Tuesday night (Feb. 21), Platt spoke out about a group of neo-Nazi, antisemitic protesters who appeared outside the Jacobs Theater for opening night of previews for Parade on Broadway.
After taking a moment to congratulate the cast and crew on an “amazing” opening night, Platt addressed the protests outside the show. “There were a few neo-Nazi protestors from a really disgusting group outside of the theater … saying antisemitic things about Leo Frank, who the show is about, and spreading the antisemitic rhetoric that led to this whole story in the first place,” he said.
Parade centers around the true story of Frank, a Jewish factory worker who was wrongly convicted of murder in 1913. After his sentence was later commuted, Frank was lynched by an antisemitic mob in 1915. Frank’s trial and eventual murder gave rise to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), now one of the largest Jewish civil rights organizations in America.
Video clips posted to Twitter by The Forward editor Jake Wasserman show protestors from the National Socialist Movement (an antisemitic hate group, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center) standing outside the theater on Tuesday with banners referring to Frank as a “pedophile.” Claims like these are part of a continued effort by antisemitic hate groups to implicate Frank in the murder of Mary Phagan, despite historical consensus that he was innocent.
Platt said that the protests were “definitely very ugly and scary,” but focused instead on the importance of Frank’s story. “It was a wonderful reminder of why we’re telling this particular story, and how special and powerful art and especially theater can be,” he said. “I wanted the button on this evening, at least for me personally, to be to celebrate what a beautiful experience [the show] is and what gorgeous work all of my wonderful colleagues did tonight, not the really ugly actions of a few people who are spreading evil.”
The producers of Parade also chimed in online, saying, “If there is any remaining doubt out there about the urgency of telling this story in this moment in history, the vileness on display last night should put it to rest. We stand by the valiant Broadway cast that brings this vital story to life each night.”
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of ADL, called the protests an example of “vile antisemitism” that highlights “the importance of telling Leo Frank’s story” in a statement to Billboard. “The irony should not be lost on anyone that these antisemitic extremists decided to protest a play that details the true story of the lynching of an innocent Jewish man by an antisemitic mob, and used it as an opportunity to spread conspiracy theories and hate,” he wrote. “ADL locks arms in solidarity with the entire cast and wants to especially thank the producers of the play and Ben Platt for their poignant statements speaking out in the face of hate. Despite the presence of a half-dozen neo-Nazis, New York City will continue to remain no place for hate.”
See Platt’s full video below:
Ten queens stood before RuPaul on the latest episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race, all told that this was their last chance to impress him and save themselves from elimination … again, and again, and again.
On last week’s episode (aired Friday, February 10), the remaining contestants were all put to the ultimate test in the season 15 Lalaparuza; a lip-sync tournament, for the uninitiated. Performing in a sickening series of high-octane lip syncs over the course of the evening, seven queens managed to secure their spots in the competition, while three — Anetra, Jax and Spice — were left with one final Lip Sync For Your Life.
Given the opportunity to save one of the other two queens, Anetra chose to spare Spice (in one of the funniest confessionals of the season), leaving her and Jax to duke it out to CeCe Peniston’s “Finally.” Finding every last drop of energy they had left after a grueling set of performances, both queens put on a show. Ultimately, Anetra earned the judges’ approval, sending Jax packing.
Billboard caught up with Jax following her elimination to talk about her strategy in the Lalaparuza, how she’s evolved since the show, and her reaction to Anetra’s surprising choice at the episode’s end.
How are you feeling after your time on the show, Jax?
Girl, it has been a journey — I’m simply a very different person than I was when we filmed. My Drag Race journey was critiques on how to heighten myself; the judges told me that I was already a superstar performer, and that I just needed a certain polish in certain areas, and to learn more about my proportions. The second I got home from the show, the first thing I did was I went into my closet, and threw everything out. Every single wig, all of my makeup, we just had to start from scratch here. That Jax is dead, this is the new one.
I appreciated at the outset of this episode that you straight up said “I’m pissed that I was in the bottom.” Tea time — do you feel you deserved to be in the bottom both weeks prior to this?
I mean … it maybe shouldn’t have been me. That seems to be the consensus online, so who am I to disagree? We’ve been talking about “drag delusion” a lot on this season, and I like to think that’s not the case here. People are saying I didn’t deserve to be in the bottom based on the challenges — I will say, if I was in the bottom for my runways, I was like, “No, I didn’t like my outfit either.” But also, I made all of my outfits myself for the show. Would I wear them now? Depends.
It’s worth pointing out that this is one of the most competitive seasons of the show I’ve seen in a minute. Like, there aren’t very many “obvious early-outs” this season.
Completely! That’s the thing, going through this, we all kept saying, “There are no flops.” The judges have to nitpick and hone in on things because everyone was really doing well this season.
We should take a second and talk about the “Sweetest Pie” lip sync before getting into this week, because you basically broke Drag Race Twitter with this performance. What has it been like to see that response from fans?
I just had to do what I know how to do, which is turn the party! It’s been great, it really helps solidify things for me. Like, you can not like me for whatever reason, but at the end of the day, you’re not gonna deny that I turned that out. Sorry ’bout it!
Let’s walk through this episode. What was your immediate thought when Ru walked in the work room and said you would be doing the Lalaparuza this week?
I was like, “Yay! Sickening! Finally something I’m good at!” But with Drag Race, there’s always gotta be a twist — it was The Hunger Games, girl. It was Effie picking the names out of a bowl to see who’s gonna fight to the death.
That brings up the tactical aspect of the Lalaparuza here — when Mistress picked you as her opponent, you chose Taylor Dayne’s “Tell It To My Heart” as the song. What was your strategy there?
Based off of what was still available in the list of songs we got to choose from, that was the one that I had performed before. I knew I could turn it out, I always have a good time doing this song, so I said, “Let’s just have some fun.” I knew Mistress and I would perform it very different ways, too, so it seemed like a good opportunity to show off our different styles. Obviously when you’re lip syncing, you can’t really see what’s happening with the other girl, but it was definitely one of those where as we were waiting for the announcement, we were both like, “How is this going to go?”
If you had been the one who got to choose the first queen to lip sync against of this group, who do you think you would have picked?
Ooh … that’s a good one. Strategically, you want to pick the weaker performer, but I would also want to give myself a little bit of a challenge, to be real. If it came down to it — and I’m not calling her a weak performer, I just think we would have a fun time performing together — I think me and Marcia would have given a great lip sync. I know that we both really wanted to do “Boys Don’t Cry” by Anitta; that was the song I know we were both thinking would be the most fun to perform.
We get to the final twist of the episode when it’s down to you, Anetra and Spice, where Anetra decides to spare Spice and lip sync against you. On a scale of one to Alyssa Edwards, how gagged were you when she said Spice’s name?
In the moment, on first reaction, I was fully like, “God damn it, I thought we were friends.” I really thought she was going to save me because we had done all of these challenges together. But then I realized that she just wanted to battle — like, if you’re gonna be doing a lip sync smackdown, you want to prove that you’re good at what you do. I took it as a compliment at the end of the day. We had both done two lip syncs prior to that, so we were tired, we didn’t know how it was going to go.
You did great — and I do hope you’re walking away from this season knowing that, despite the loss here, you’re still maybe one of the fiercest lip sync artists to appear on Drag Race.
Thank you! There’s no secret that the fan base can be a little bit crazy. They love to say lots of things about us girls, but the one thing they can never take away from me is, if you come to see me at my show, you’re going to be entertained. No one ever walks away disappointed from my shows. So yeah, being able to solidify that within the Drag Race realm is such a feat that I am so thankful for.
JoJo Siwa is headed to the big screen. The 19-year-old Dance Moms veteran, singer and YouTube favorite is slated to co-star in the horror movie All My Friends Are Dead opposite Jade Pettyjohn (Little Fires Everywhere) according to Deadline.
Casting for the movie from Saw 3D co-writer Marcus Dunstan is reportedly still going on and filming is slated to begin in Canada in the spring, with Dunstan directing from a script by Josh Sims and Jessica Sarah Flaum. According to a description, the movie follows a group of close college friends who get a great deal on an awesome Airbnb for the biggest music festival of the year.
“A weekend of partying quickly takes a turn for the worst as members of the group are murdered one by one,” it continues. “They soon discover that each one of their deaths directly corresponds to one of the seven deadly sins.”
In a statement, Siwa said she was grateful for the chance to be in the film, adding, “This is a project that is so different from anything I’ve done previously; however, I absolutely love horror movies and I can’t wait to start production! I’m also excited to work with Jade again. We worked together when we were younger and can’t wait to create this movie together.”
Siwa made news in December when she opened up about her break up with Avery Cyrus, posting a lip-sync video in which she speculated on the reasons for the split. “But I love you Why are you breaking up with me??!!!” she wrote before offering up two different options in the clip using viral sound from “My Brother My Brother and Me” on her YouTube channel. “There’s someone else” and, uh, “You told one of my best friends that you were excited to be dating me bc you’re ‘growing your career and wanna get to the top’…”
At the end of the clip she made it clear that there was not a third party involved. “And when I said I just wanted to be friends so I didn’t lead you on after an unplanned hookup you wanted nothing to do with me because there was nothing to gain anymore,” she wrote.
Rebel Wilson is engaged.
The actress and fashion and jewelry designer Ramona Agruma became engaged after a proposal that took place at Disneyland. Wilson posted the news on Instagram on Sunday.
“We said YES! 💗💗 Thank you @tiffanyandco for the stunning ring 💍 and to Bob Iger and the incredible team at Disneyland @disneyweddings for pulling off this magical surprise!” she wrote.
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Wilson shared two photos in her post. The couple are wearing matching pink-and-white striped sweaters with a black heart on the front. One photo shows Agruma’s engagement ring, while the other shows them with Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty castle in the background.
Wilson and Agruma first revealed they were a couple in June 2022. At the time, Wilson posted a photo on Instagram with the caption: “I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince… but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess 💗🌈💗#loveislove”
Wilson welcomed her first child, daughter Royce, via surrogate in November.
The Pitch Perfect actress also recently launched a dating app, Fluid.
“This is the first dating app where you don’t have to actually define yourself or tick a box to say ‘I’m straight, I’m gay, I’m bisexual,’ and you don’t have to describe what you are looking for,” she told People of her new venture. “It’s kind of love with no labels.”
This article originally appeared in THR.com.
The cornerstone upon which RuPaul’s Drag Race is built has always been the Lip Sync For Your Life — fans look forward to seeing the queens duke it out in a high-stakes battle-to-the-end in nearly every single episode.
So, what could be more fun than getting to see eight of those lip syncs in a single episode?
On Friday’s episode of Drag Race (aired Feb. 17), the 10 remaining queens entered the proverbial Thunderdome for the series’ third-ever “Lalaparuza” — for the uninitiated, a tournament-style lip-sync battle royale that forces every queen to show off their performance skills.
While All Stars 4’s Lalaparuza offered eliminated queens a chance to return, and season 14’s gave the girls a chance at redemption for one of the worst Snatch Games in the show’s history, season 15’s challenge merely aimed to see which of the girls could take a song and make it completely their own.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Drag Race if there weren’t a few twists and turns involved. From giving one queen the power to pick their opponent and the other the power to choose their song, to the final two being decided in one of the funniest (and shadiest) confessionals of the season, the Lalaparuza managed to entertain and shock viewers — especially after prove lip sync superstar Jax ended up going home.
But of the eight lip syncs fans were treated to on Friday night, which ones stood out as the best of the best? Below, Billboard takes a critical look at all eight performances from season 15 episode 8 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and ranks them from worst to best.
Need some new tunes to jam out to for your long weekend? Look no further — 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 Janelle Monáe’s return to music to Omar Apollo’s TK new single, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Janelle Monáe feat. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, “Float”
“No I’m not the same/ I think I done changed.” It’s quite the statement coming from Janelle Monáe, a pop cultural chameleon who has spent the last decade of their career effortlessly switching between sounds, professions and styles, but always remaining uniquely herself. “Float,” then, feels like an anthem to Monáe’s status of consistent fluctuation. The beat and melody ease into your eardrums offering near-instant serotonin boosts, as Monáe celebrates herself for a moment.
Omar Apollo, “3 Boys”
Omar Apollo just can’t let go, despite his best efforts. On his latest single “3 Boys,” the rising R&B superstar attempts to move on from a relationship, but realizes that there will always be more than one in the relationship. His silky vocals arc perfectly over an aching melody, arriving at a falsetto zenith with the song’s blissful chorus.
Beabadoobee, “Glue Song”
Being “stuck to someone like glue” may not be groundbreaking territory for song lyrics, but when Beabadoobee sings them on “Glue Song,” they can’t help but feel fresh. This soft, sweet love song sees the indie singer-songwriter falling head over heels, accompanied by an unchallenging, gorgeous melody. If you’re feeling that post-Valentine’s Day dip, don’t hesitate to let Beabadoobee boost you back up.
Cavetown, “Del Mar County Fair 2008” (Underscores cover)
Sometimes, a song is so good that you don’t need to change much for a cover. That’s certainly the case for Cavetown’s rendition of Underscores’ “Del Mar County Fair 2008,” wherein the indie sensation puts their own spin without needlessly altering this tender track. Playing with pitch switches and a sweet guitar melody, Cavetown simply nails his version with all of the emotive expression fans have come to expect.
Deb Never, “Momentary Sweetheart”
“Momentary Sweetheart” is designed to fool you. What starts out as a quiet, simple song about trying to hold yourself together quickly devolves into a Deb Never banger about finding comfort in someone else’s arms. The slow-build of the song perfectly suits Never’s angsty-yet-sincere performance here, as she confidently asks, “Don’t you hate when I go?”
Shea Couleé, “Material”
Ever since her first appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 9, drag superstar Shea Couleé stood out with her musical chops. Now, she’s back and asking you to just look at the “Material.” This pounding club track sees Couleé once again asserting herself as The One™, effortlessly switching between ethereal vocals and rapid-fire raps. Placing it all over an excellently-crafted dance track, “Material” is sure to wind up in a club near you ASAP.
The Aces, “Always Get This Way”
Alt-pop purveyors The Aces are ready to give you the goods this weekend. “Always Get This Way,” the band’s new single off their forthcoming album, is a glittering ode to anxious insomnia, as lead singer Cristal Ramirez recounts the many sleepless nights she’s spent confronting her own insecurities. Don’t worry, though — while the subject matter may be dour, “Always Get This Way” is nothing but alternative bliss, and one of The Aces’ best yet.
Serpentwithfeet, “Gonna Go”
There is a difference between being in a relationship that’s “comfortable” and one that’s actually good. That’s a realization baroque pop singer Serpentwithfeet comes to in the middle of “Gonna Go,” his latest near-perfect queer love song. While the production and musical energy of the track deserve plenty of praise, it’s the star’s songwriting that shines bright here; lines like “all those crumbs don’t make it pie” and “I’ve been crunching numbers and it says you’re not the one” perfectly evoke the matter-of-fact point of this lush new track.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
When it comes to terrifying performances, Dracmorda and Swanthula Boulet know exactly what an audience wants to see — and now, they’re ready to deliver the fright of your life.
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On Friday (Feb. 17), The Boulet Brothers announced the official lineup for their forthcoming tour to celebrate the recent finale of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans. Featuring queens from the long-awaited all-stars season of the show, the new tour is set to headline winner Victoria Elizabeth Black and finalists Koco Caine and HoSo Terra Toma.
Along the way, a smattering of other “drag monsters” from the show are set to appear, including stars like Abhora, Astrud Aurelia, Erika Klash, Evah Destruction, Kendra Onixx & Melissa Befierce.
“We’re so excited to bring the Dragula experience on tour to audiences across the world — it really is a drag show unlike anything audiences have seen before,” Dracmorda said in a statement. Swanthula agreed, adding that, “We cut our teeth producing live events and nightlife spectacles before going into TV and film production, so the live space really is our bailiwick and a place where we (and the stars from Dragula) can really shine.”
The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans officially premiered on AMC’s Shudder network this past October, marking the franchise’s highest viewership since season 4. In promoting their new tour, the brothers explained the live show serves as an “extension of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans show,” and that fans could expect “shocking performance, horror, [and] seeing drag like you’ve never seen it presented before.”
Check out the full list of tour dates and get your tickets here.