8 new LGBTQ+ musicians you’re going to fall in love with

Though we, of course, celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride every day, we take extra time to shout loud and proud in June. With more and more musicians joining the march for equality, we shine a light on eight of the very best new queer artists setting their solidarity to song.

1. Joy Oladokun

Raised in rural Arizona and currently residing in Los Angeles, Oladokun—who describes herself as a “sensitive stoner”—has already been compared to Adele, Tracy Chapman and Stevie Nicks, thanks to the rawness that runs through her mesmerising hybrid of Americana, folk and pop. She describes her haunting track Bad Blood as an apology to herself, while the stirring Breathe Again paints anxiety as a devil lurking in the basement: “Collecting debts I didn’t owe.” With such striking songwriting, it’s little wonder she’s amassing fans such as Ciara, who announced her second pregnancy to the outstanding No Turning Back. Watch out for Oladokun’s forthcoming album, In Defense of My Own Happiness, Volume 1, out July 17.

2. Arlo Parks

Still a teenager, 19-year-old London singer Parks makes music that will both break your heart and fill it with love. The recently released Black Dog is a devastating dissection of depression while the confessional Cola dismisses a former partner with an “I loved you to death, and now I don’t really care”. Eugene, on the other hand, is a song that many queer people can relate to, as Parks contemplates falling in love with a friend. A colossal talent that has a great future ahead of her.

3. Kaash Paige

Currently counting 331k followers on Instagram, the Dallas-born teen—whose first name stands for ‘Kill All Arrogance Stop Hatred’—has a loquacious late-night R&B sound that’s clocked up millions of streams. Last year, she released the eight-track EP Parked Car Convos, which reflected on Fake Friends, bad women and bad habits, and featured the super sultry TikTok favourite Love Songs, which captured the attention not only of Kylie Jenner but the charts, spending six weeks at the top of Spotify’s viral countdown. Just this week, Paige dropped the wonderfully woozy Jaded, while her debut album Teenage Fever is out this summer.

4. Keiynan Lonsdale

He played the love interest in gay high school romcom Love, Simon, and it was that film that gave Australian actor and singer Keiynan Lonsdale the impetus to come out. The deceptively charming clap-back single Rainbow Dragon gave a clue as to what to expect from his debut album Rainbow Boy, a “queer AF and black AF” album, as he said recently on Instagram. One highlight is Gay Street Fighter, in which he declares “everyone” is gay, “even God”. With nearly 1 million followers and two films in the works—the Alicia Keys-produced Work It and Weetzie Bat, alongside Sasha Lane and his Love, Simon co-star Nick Robinson—Londsale’s future at the forefront of queer culture is assured.

5. Jakk Fynn

Self-described transmasculine Latinx singer Jakk Fynn, who grew up in a Mexican evangelical Christian household, recently discussed some of the devastating implications of being trans while undertaking the most simple of interactions, such as going to the store. The Los Angeles singer’s music explores gender construct, challenging ideas of masculinity as well as championing self-love and acceptance on tracks such as Fire and recent single Heal, taken from his wonderful EP Cancelled, released in February 2020.

6. Wafia

Born in the Netherlands to an Iraqi father and Syrian mother, Wafia Al-Rikabi is a former biomedicine student who was raised in Australia. Her music reflects her intersectionality as a globe-trotting queer Arab Muslim woman, delving into identity, sexuality, politics and, of course, love. Bodies dismantles the monolithic idea of migration while Pick Me, her latest track, written at the close of a bad relationship, is dedicated to self-empowerment. Head to her Instagram to find out what she’s up to, as well as for her mother’s incredible hummus and baklava recipes.

7. Miss Blanks

This Australian-born Samoan-Dutch rapper and activist is a breath of fresh air. With a message of empowerment for trans people threaded throughout her music, Miss Blanks’ fans include Charli XCX, for whom she curated the Boom Clap singer’s Brisbane show while supporting her on tour. Miss Blanks followed debut EP Diary of a Thotaholic with the criminally underrated 2019 single Tommy, an exuberant song about being blinded by love.

8. Shaed

This Washington DC trio, which consists of twins Max and Spencer Ernst, and the latter’s wife Chelsea Lee, have already had millions of streams with their kooky hit Trampoline, which they’ve performed on American TV shows including Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Late Late Show with James Corden. The group’s sole gay member, Max, hopes to make queer conversation much more mainstream, and he’s making it his mission to be vocal about LGBTQ+ rights. Shaed’s debut album is due this year.

Also read:

10 LGBTQ+ shows and movies you need to watch this Pride month

LGBTQ+ lives in lockdown: The issues facing queer youth

LGBTQ+ Indians on navigating self-isolation, love and mental health in the time of the coronavirus