Queer musicians today are explicitly queer in their music, and we love them for it. Here are the queer and lesbian artists that EveryQueer can’t stop listening to.
Hayley Kiyoko
You may have first seen Hayley Kiyoko in the Disney Channel movie, Lemonade Mouth as she stood up to injustice and fought for what she thought was right. Her loud and proud voice didn’t stop there. Now known as Lesbian Jesus, Hayley Kiyoko rose to fame with her acclaimed song and music video, “Girls Like Girls.”
Her music is unapologetically lesbian, and we love her for it. Her pop sound mixed with mesmerizing lyrics like, “tell the neighbors I’m not sorry if/I’m breaking walls down/Building your girl’s second story/Ripping all your floors out,” has made us life-long fans.
Fletcher
Fletcher’s music, stage presence, and killer style has us head over heels. This performance of “Cherry,” where she invited a young fan on stage is adorable. It’s clear to see her impact on different generations and the confidence she gives people by being herself. Her popular queer and lesbian songs “Undrunk” and “girls girls girls” have us belting our big gay hearts out.
Muna
Muna is iconic, not only in their music but in their performances. Their stage moves leave us in awe as they know exactly what their audience wants. Their sound ranges from dancing your heart out in a gay bar to lyrics that expose some of our deepest fears, but in a way that’s a bop.
Ethel Cain
Ethel Cain is a singer songwriter that explores themes of trauma, nostalgia, death, and more. Cain’s music has resonated with the LGBTQ+ community and continues to build beautiful storylines and music.
Julien Baker
Julien Baker has solo music and is a part of the trio, Boygenius. Her music has a lot of heart-wrenching themes and depicts experiences with mental illness, heartbreak, and more. She performs with Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus when a part of Boygenius.
Phoebe Bridgers
Phoebe Birdgers’ music also involves themes of mental illness and heartbreak, writing stories about family, friends, relationships, and more.
Tegan and Sara
Tegan and Sara continue to be iconic lesbian artists, still giving us the queer music we’ve loved since the late 90’s! They’ve also now come out with a novel and graphic novel diving into their high school years.
Kehlani
Kehlani’s amazing music and dancing sweeps us off our feet every time. We especially love “everything”.
k.d. lang
k.d. lang is a pop and country singer-songwriter who puts out lyrically poetic music. We love “Constant Craving” and “Lock, Stock, and Teardrops.”
Brandi Carlile
Brandi Carlile is a queer artist diving into many different genres, including country and folk rock. She has opened up about her queer journey and need to live her authentic self in identity and in her music.
Ani DiFranco
Ani DiFranco’s music is usually said to be in the folk and alternative rock genres. We especially love watching her NPR tiny desk concert.
Girl in Red
Girl in Red’s “girls” is a lovely, soft song about loving girls and how pretty they are (I mean, relatable). She continues to put out amazing love and heartbreak songs, like “October Passed Me By” and “two queens in a king sized bed.” If you’re looking for cozy songs about queer love, this is the artist for you.
Janelle Monae
Janelle Monae puts out music within various genres, including R&B, pop, and rap. Her music is beautiful, and she is also an excellent actor.
Vanessa Carlton
Vanessa Carlton is a pop musician known for “A Thousand Miles,” which is iconic to this day.
Chapell Roan
Chapell Roan’s visuals and lyrics have rightfully gained a lot of attention from the LGBTQ+ community. Bangers like “Casual,” “Pink Pony Club,” and “Red Wine Supernova” are showing us what a powerhouse Roan is.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, especially as new queer musicians are popping up every day. We love to see the expression, community, and connection that music creates.
