When you’re finished listening to Taylor Swift’s Tortured Poets Department, why not dive into 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.
From Joy Oladokun’s reflective new song to Lava La Rue’s rallying cry against oppression, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Joy Oladokun, “Questions, Chaos & Faith”
For anyone dealing with the problem of existentialism, Joy Oladokun doesn’t have any answers for you — but she does hope you’re not alone in feeling lost. On her stunning new single “Questions, Chaos & Faith,” the singer-songwriter wrestles with the big questions of life, death, God, endings and all of the intermediate things between. With a set of stacked vocals and an acoustic guitar strumming behind her, Oladokun aims away from certainty, knowing that she can’t provide it over some chords and a pleasing melody. Yet when she delivers the chorus’ opening line, “Nothing is certain, everything changes,” there is no sadness in her voice; just a soft, beautiful acceptance of all those things she cannot change.
Lava La Rue, “Humanity”
In the opening moments of her new music video, Lava La Rue delivers a message directly to her audience: “Be very skeptical of anyone who promotes the narrative that in order to care about the humanitarian right of one group of people, that means you don’t care about another group.” It’s a simple, and extremely effective thesis for the song that follows. “Humanity” tracks La Rue’s own difficult relationship with the concept of collective conscientiousness, wondering why, exactly, we seem to have lost the plot on caring about the people around us. Mixed with her signature groove and pared down for an intimate listening experience, the song poses a question that will ring in your ears: “So many humans, and where’s the humanity?”
Debby Friday, “To the Dancefloor”
If you’re ready to unplug and just feel yourself for a minute, electronic star Debby Friday’s got you covered. “To the Dancefloor” brings a superbly-produced dance track designed to get you out of your feelings and into your body. The scintillating beat and echoing vocal production brings about a thrilling vibe, while Friday’s commanding-but-casual voice draws you even further into her sonic world. You heard what she said — get to the dancefloor, already!
Wafia, “Background”
Indie pop darling Wafia is back, and she’s ready to stand firmly at center stage. With her latest single “Background,” the singer-songwriter sings to a lover who wants to share the limelight with her whenever she can. Through softy-strummed guitars and some delicate synths, Wafia communicates that she’s more than happy to share, and even take a backseat in order to help them feel the warmth of the sun. “if you need me now,” she sings, “I’ll be in the background.”
Pillow Queens, Name Your Sorrow
Packing as much thematic content as they could into their latest album, Pillow Queens are ready to have a frank conversation about the emotinal ebbs and flows of living today. Name Your Sorrow follows through on the promise of its title, with the group diving headfirst into complicated, aching songs about heartbreak, grief, loss, and ulitmately elation, all encompased in cozy, occasionally haunting indie-rock stylings. But don’t let the title fool you, either — Name Your Sorrow may deal in hardship, but it’s a joy to listen to.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
