Ava Hallam explores the songs that have made herstory as gay anthems today. From Diana Ross to Lil Nas X, the continuation and need for songs that represent the LGBTQ+ community has only grown over the years. Check out this fabulous list of tracks.
1. Born This Way – Lady Gaga, 2011
Ask anyone what they think of when you say the word pride and nine times out of ten the answer you will get is: GAGA. Her 2011 Born This Way album sent what can only be described as shockwaves through the queer community and, as such, she has been cemented a gay icon ever since. The title track is hard to see as anything but a pride anthem, a song about self-liberation no matter your race, gender, or sexuality, internalising acceptance, learning who you are and loving that person is intrinsically what pride is all about. She highlights the persistent prejudices against many different forms of love throughout the song whilst criticising negative stances on religious prejudices throughout the entire album. Gaga’s icon status is firmly rooted in the queer community and is rightfully steadfast. How better to start understanding pride than to listen to a symbol of unequivocal acceptance and her many pride anthems?
2. Follow Your Arrow – Kacey Musgraves, 2013
Kacey Musgraves is advocating a positive shift from the traditionally dated Christian views found in the country scene and is saying that it is okay to be queer. In this end-of-the-party rundown song, she speaks of how it is okay to “kiss lots of boys” and “kiss lots of girls” but fundamentally to have fun while doing so. If you are a country lover or hater and are looking for a pride anthem that can get you through the end of a long day, then look no further. Kacey Musgraves is taking a stand and creating an optimistically chill anthem in the name of acceptance and most importantly, pride.
3. You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) – Sylvester, 1978
This late ‘70s self-proclaimed ‘space-age gospel’ of a disco hit is distinctly Sylvester’s own self-expressionist nature immortalised in music. Celebrating the heyday of the adrenaline-fuelled, sexy world of disco in ‘70s San Francisco is but one way to describe this incredibly entertaining and prideful anthem. Though some may find it cheesy, I believe it only adds to its charm. With Sylvester holding such a prominent place in San Francisco’s queer history for his flamboyant and androgynous disposition, making such an openly self-accepting and celebratory song about the joys of sex, love, and relationships in the LGBTQ+ community he was fundamental in helping the community rally together and spread love, understanding, and pride. A song that celebrates love and identity in all forms is nothing short of a sensational pride anthem.
4. F*ck You – Lily Allen, 2009
Lily Allen getting what truly feels like half the population of the world to say a big FU to the ruling bodies of the western world is exactly what makes this song an amazing anthem for pride. Its initial meaning being rooted in ridiculing George W Bush, the song took new meaning as other issues arose; that of the passing of 2008’s Prop-8, an agenda banning same-sex marriage in California, and the British National Party gaining its first representative seats in 2009. As the LGBTQ+ community faced further oppression in what was portrayed as a progressive society for the time, a roar of angry FU’s aimed at the leaders that perpetuate the same agendas that repress the community was exactly what the doctor ordered. With such overtly queer accepting lyrics as “you say it’s not okay to be gay, well I think you’re just evil”, I see no reason as to why this unashamedly crass, uniquely lullaby-like, song should lose its place as a pride hit anytime soon.
5. True Trans Soul Rebel – Against Me!, 2014
Queer punk can not only be described as anti-authoritarian, political and angry but also as purposefully questioning in nature. The punk scene hasn’t always been as accepting of queer culture as it is now, and Against Me! are just one of the many bands forging a path for queer punk to take over. Lead singer Laura Jane Grace came out as a trans woman in 2012 and has been spreading awareness about the trans community since. The importance of openly queer punk in the music industry is more aptly said in her own words; speaking to Elle, she explained, “To get up on stage and have so many people connect with the song […] regardless of whether or not they themselves are trans or fully understand the trans experience, just seeing that they can connect with that base human need of love that we all have […] is enough”. Using her platform with the 2014 Transgender Dysphoria Blues album, she has helped to further pave the way for punk to become yet another way for LGBTQ+ people to express themselves freely and safely. If True Trans Soul Rebel is not yet universally seen as a pride anthem, it should be. Against Me! has an enormous message to say and we ALL need to listen, thus they hold a place with their melancholy punk pride anthem.
6. Freedom ’90 – George Michael, 1990
This unbelievably catchy ‘90s hit about identity and growth is undeniably some of George Michael’s best artistry. The song describes letting go of the past, challenging yourself to change and embracing what is to come- all universal thoughts for the LGBTQ+ movement in its fight for respect. Freedom ’90 was and will always remain a touchstone within the queer community for identity exploration and self-actualisation, although not originally written to have queer significance. “There’s someone else I’ve got to be” is just one lyric that contributes to the modern understanding of this song in that it hints at an obvious dissatisfaction with one’s identity. This staple track helps shed light on some of the difficult emotions and realisations that many LGBTQ+ people experience in their journey of self-acceptance and has soundtracked so many prominent moments in the queer community throughout the ‘90s and early 2000s. Michael’s later public acceptance of his own queerness aided 90’s LGBTQ+ people in realising that they were not alone in their struggles of self-realisation and advocated that it was okay to unapologetically be who you are, a message that will endlessly fix Freedom ’90 in its standing as an anthem of pride.
7. Boyfriend – Dove Cameron, 2022
TikTok is now infamously re-invigorating careers for artists from all genres and Dove Cameron’s career felt the brunt of its influence in early 2022. Reinventing herself after her cookie-cutter Disney child-stardom was always going to be a hard ride for Cameron, so after coming out as bisexual in 2020, a career reinvention was inevitable. Singing about being a better boyfriend to a rumoured girl was not what many expected from the singer, but it was almost exactly what we wanted and needed to hear. Opening up to her followers about how she had finally found herself and hoping that her fans feel access to themselves when listening to her music is only further confirmation that her anthemic tune about self-acceptance and open expression was undoubtedly going to set a precedent as a modern, gen-z approved, pride anthem.
8. Let’s Have A Kiki – Scissor Sisters, 2013
It is only right that the Scissor Sister’s 2013 hit takes a spot in these ten songs after Glee, the camp musical TV show, utilised it in yet another unhinged thanksgiving party scene mashup of Let’s Have A Kiki and Turkey Lurky Time. With such overt LGBTQ+ slang used throughout, it is difficult to not to enjoy listening to the use of “boots” in an unironic genuinely funny way. It’s call-and-response feel, and musical-like tempo only adds to an entirely entertaining listen where you can’t help but smile and dance the whole way through the song. With openly queer members of the group, it is difficult to disagree that their upbeat music doesn’t represent the LGBTQ+ community’s message of love and joy. Pride is a celebration at heart, and how better to celebrate than with a Scissor Sister’s amazingly queer anthem.
9. Montero (Call Me By Your Name) – Lil Nas X, 2021
As one of only few openly gay mainstream rappers, Lil Nas X is quickly paving his way to becoming a gay icon. A song named after the popular 2017 LGBTQ+ film Call Me By You Name is one that is almost definitely set to be incredibly rooted in queer culture and Lil Nas X did not disappoint with his message behind the song and its music video. Having a gay man give the devil a lap dance after sliding down a pole into hell is clearly nothing other than ridiculing the belief that queer people will go to an unenjoyable afterlife in hell. This queer hit and its music video, peaking at #1 in the charts, act as permanent signs that LGBTQ+ people are okay to openly express themselves no matter what others believe and that the queer community is loud and here to stay. If an impressively free queer song with such a deep-rooted meaning isn’t a pride anthem, I don’t know what is.
10. I’m Coming Out – Diana Ross, 1980
Pride anthems hold so much power over the community that icon status is acclaimed to those that manage to make the final cut. So to round off my top ten songs to introduce pride, Diana Ross is the only point of call acceptable. Her hit I’m Coming Out is as much a masterpiece of upbeat 80’s disco soul as it is camp in nature. After meeting a group of Diana Ross impersonating drag queens in the toilet of a trans-club, Chic founders Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards knew that an anthem from Ross was exactly what the LGBTQ+ community needed and, my goodness, did they deliver. Although only peaking at #5 in the charts, with overt themes of self-discovery and open expression the song was set to be a hit with the 80’s queer community and is rightfully going nowhere in its nostalgic significance today.
Ava Hallam
Edited by Roxann Yus
Cover image courtesy of Lil Nas X via Facebook.
Commenti