As Pride Month reaches a fever pitch, make sure you’re staying up to date on all the latest 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.
From Victoria Monét’s hypnotic new song to Tayla Parx’s brand new era, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Victoria Monét, “Power of Two”
As Darth Vader so eloquently said, the Force is strong with this one. In her new single “Power of Two” for Disney+’s series Star Wars: The Acolyte, R&B superstar Victoria Monét pulls off an entrancing new song that works naturally outside of the show’s context. A moody melody accompanies hypnotic beats as Monét sings to someone she feels cosmically entangled with, for better or worse. “I feel the shame when they call me your name,” she intones. “And you feel the same when they say you’re to blame.”
Tayla Parx feat. Tkay Maidza, “Era”
In a time when pop stars love to constantly reinvent themselves — to varying degrees of success — it’s refreshing to see bonafide hitmaker Tayla Parx firmly enter her “f–k it era.” With her new single “Era” featuring hip-hop star Tkay Maidza, Parx announces that she’s done plenty of growing over the last few years and is ready to reap her rewards. Over a bone-shaking beat, Parx touts her personal achievements and declares that the time for her raucous comeback into the cultural spotlight has arrived — and we couldn’t be happier to see it.
Orion Sun, “Already Gone”
She may have been gone for two years, but Orion Sun has been hard at work honing her craft — a fact that is readily apparent on her phenomenal new song, “Already Gone.” Elevating her esoteric sound, Sun sings about facing a life without her partner by her side. As arpeggiating synths flutter around the edges of the song, Sun’s voice grows slowly more confident as she lets her former lover know what kind of wreckage they left behind: “I feel weak and ugly,” she whispers. “It still feels hard to imagine life without you.”
Remi Wolf, “Motorcycle”
Who says you can’t have it all? Remi Wolf’s latest track “Motorcycle” envisions a world where the singer can embrace all the reckless, fast-paced aspects of life in the spotlight, while still enjoying the quiet comforts of domesticity, all over a smooth, sultry R&B track. Wolf’s voice sounds more controlled and calm than ever, as she gleefully has her cake and eats it, too, on this delectable new entry in her discography.
Pale Waves, “Perfume”
What if ’80s alt-rock had been even queerer? That’s a question Pale Waves handily answers on their new single “Perfume,” a glossy, romantic anthem fueled by the female gaze. Frontwoman Heather Baron-Gracie lends her voice to the sapphic sport of endless yearning, while guitarist Hugo Silvani lays down layered, echoing riffs throughout the airy new song. If you’ve been waiting for another queer-focused jam in the style of MUNA’s “Silk Chiffon,” then allow this “Perfume” to linger just a little bit longer.
Michaela Jaé, “I Am”
Get ready to hear Michaela Jaé’s thrilling new song “I Am” for the rest of Pride Month, because we’ve got an anthem on our hands, folks. Amping up the sound from her 2022 debut single “Something to Say,” the former Pose star dives deep into an instantly catchy house groove, providing everything from a spoken-word, ball-style opening, to a delirious beat breakdown that will have you dancing the moment you hear it. “If you feel like a misfit, this song encourages people to be confident and to live out loud,” Jaé says of the new track in a statement. “It encourages them to always re-create and rebuild themselves when they feel down and to let the world know that it’s not going to stop and that we are going to continue to exist.”
JORDY, Sex With Myself
Some might call it cockiness, but there’s no denying — JORDY is at his most confident with his boisterous new LP, Sex With Myself. Throughout the dance-fueled new project, the rising singer embraces his own self-love with reckless abandon, getting real with his audience about f–kboys (“Nice Things”), hookups (“I Don’t Want a Boyfriend”) and the evolving art of utter self-determination (the album’s excellent titular track). Call it whatever you want, but one thing’s for certain — JORDY’s new album is an instant highlight in his musical career.
Bronze Avery, Heatwave
Ready to dance this summer? Because Bronze Avery is here with an album designed to help you do just that. Heatwave, the pop singer’s sophomore LP, is a scintillating mirage of sweat-soaked ecstacy, as Avery lets his inimitable voice soar over delirious production that melds deep house, hyperpop and a sprinkle of R&B for good measure. If you’re looking to turn up the temperature this Pride Month, then embrace the Heatwave on this stunning new album.
Check out all of our picks in Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
