Need something to listen to? Look for a queer-themed video to enjoy? Look no further! Here are some recently released songs and videos from queer singers or involving LGBTQ-themes/factors.
That’s it! That’s all you need to know, so go check them out!
1. Sam Smith feat. Burna Boy – “Oasis”
Sam Smith is back… and with Burna Boy no less! While Smith’s new album has been postponed, the singer has still be releasing music and looks for the past few months. This includes they recent re-release of their “Fix You” cover. But when they aren’t covering Coldplay songs, it appears that Smith is releasing new music from their upcoming album, title and release date to be determined. The song, titled “My Oasis” is all about falling in deep love, and possible obsession, with a lover who keeps you sated in this crazy world.
“This track has been a beautiful release of emotions for me during this time,” the singer said at the new video’s release. “I’ve been a fan of Burna Boy for years now and so happy to have a tune with him, I hope you love it like I do.”
2. Phoebe Bridgers – “I Know The End”
Get ready to feel confused, melancholic, and moved by this next video. Phoebe Bridgers is known for singing interesting lyrics and visual. To go with a song that’s all about dealing with the inevitability of death, Phoebe Bridgers made sure that the recently released music video to “I Know The End” is as wacky, unsettling, and yet somehow peaceful as her singing. This is one solid music video to analyze and dissect, folks.
3. VINCINT – “Hard 2 Forget”
What is it about queer people and disco music that just fits so perfectly? Whatever it is, synth-pop star VINCINT taped into that special sauce and delivered it right to our ears. “Hard 2 Forget” is the perfect song to enjoy during this hot summer season. Once gay bars open up more officially, we’re sure some establishments will be playing this song.
4. Tove Lo – “Mateo”
While Tove Lo could have released any old video with herself pining after an old lover named Mateo, which would mirror the lyrics of the single, she decided to create a much more interesting video during COVID-19 times. Calling it the “Quarantine Karaoke Video,” Tove Lo gathered clips from fans all over the world. This includes videos from Brazilian drag queen and pop star Pabllo Vittar and queer Finnish singer ALMA.
“I always knew I wanted to do a visual for it,” Tove Lo said when the video dropped. “So much of the last few months has been about what can’t happen, doing the quarantine karaoke challenge was a way to still connect with my fans and give everyone something to safely do while locked down.”
5. Alextbh – “The Chase”
Malaysian singer Alextbh is back with a new EP. While the singer dropped his new songs at the end of July, he only released one music video to go with the EP. In it, we are presented with comforting images of beautiful landscapes like rivers surrounded by forests. Meanwhile, we get a few dashes of other comforting images like to men in a sweet imprace. That said, the song itself is about more than comforting images. In fact, it’s very much about the opposite.
“I usually write songs that come from a place of hardship and pain,” shared the singer at the song’s release. “But for ‘The Chase,’ I felt empty. There was this void in me I was trying to understand after spending a good amount of time in casual relationships and finding myself shutting out guys who were well-intentioned though I couldn’t bring myself to explore something deeper with them. Those relationships, in their totality, were ‘the chase’ – it starts and ends there. The music video is meant to portray the moments after a casual hookup – melancholy scenes of the outside world juxtaposed with flashbacks of the experience veiled in feelings of disgust, like ‘why did I do that?’ A lot of queer people go through this persistent detachment in relationships. It could be the result of the lack of emotional affection we’ve received that leads to this mess. I don’t want to think about a 5-year relationship, but deep down that is probably what I want. And if I keep leaving this ugly trail, I don’t think that idea will ever be attainable. Only time will tell.”
