When asked about her own queer inspirations within the music industry, Bexx states, “I am heavily inspired by tons of artists in the industry; queer and straight. I specifically love Renee Rapp, Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande, Mirage Amuro, and Chappell Roan. I am so grateful that we have so many artists that are out and proud right now in their music and life. I hope to be as true to myself as them someday.”
Today, the queer community can easily find themselves represented in music with artists such as Renee Rapp, Chappell Roan, Troye Sivan, boygenius and many others. This openness and acceptance in mainstream music provides a sense of relief to those that feel rejected or lonely due to the cisheteronormative society that surrounds them. Queerphobia and cisheteronormativity still dominate the field with big artists queerbaiting or showcasing performative activism for more views, streams, and popularity. Queer music is only growing with more and more queer artists celebrating their work everyday.
A Queer Revolution in Music
Music has been a huge part of nearly every revolution throughout history. From David Bowie to Lady Gaga, the queer community has always had their place in the music industry. Popular music has been a fantastic means of rebellion and oddities. Music-making gives artists an identity and allows artists to rebel against society as well as politics. For example, David Bowie was an inspirational and empowering figure for many young queer people in the late 80s and early 90s. In his songs “Queen Bitch” and “Lady Stardust”, Bowie leaned into gay stereotypes to flaunt his own sexuality. Although Bowie’s songs were not necessarily commenting on the queer liberation movement or giving new perspectives on the topic, his openness regarding his sexuality and gay stereotypes helped queer people find their own home and acceptance in mainstream music. Freddie Mercury is another artist that paved the way for modern queer popular music. Still to this day, Mercury is one of the world’s greatest performers of all time and has devoted fans decades after his death. Mercury’s openness with his sexuality in both interviews and his music provided a safe space for the queer community in the music industry. Bowie and Mercury both had a gay following due to their uncensored identities.
In the 1980s, a sense of optimism rushed through the queer community. Society was becoming more progressive and the LGBTQ+ community was gaining more rights. However, there was an unexpected underlying threat nearing the surface. Initially called GRID (Gay Related Immunodeficiency Disease), AIDS began to spread like wildfire. Originally known as a strictly gay epidemic, this disease led to the spread of misinformation and hate. In these trying times, musicians and artists were able to find a voice to stay hopeful and spread love through community. Several benefit concerts arose such as “Live Aid” and “Red Hot + Blue Project”. These concerts brought together a plethora of musicians from all genres, not only sharing their talents, but also spreading awareness and revolution. “Pop superstars like Elton John, Madonna, George Michael, and the band Queen were among the first to break the silence about AIDS. With their massive global reach, they brought vital awareness to the crisis.”[1] LGBTQ+ musicians found the courage to break their silence to bring forward their experiences, activism, and support.
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Music as a Means of Communication & Community
“No matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgendered life, I’m on the right track, baby”. Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” became a huge hit immediately upon release. The queer community felt acceptance in a way they hadn’t before through music. Lady Gaga was very open about her own bisexuality and expressed that some of her other songs were about her own experience in her sexuality. For example, “Poker Face” is about hiding her own desire for women. Not only did she make unconventional choices regarding her sexuality in her music, but she also made unconventional choices regarding her gender expression through fashion.
Music is a universal means of communication and a way to build community with one another. Queer music existed before the Stonewall Riots in 1969. Although the music or artists weren’t queer themselves, they represented queer liberation and created a sense of community and acceptance. For example, “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor came at a time where millions in the queer community were dying due to the AIDS epidemic, and this song represented hope.
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Queer Music’s Inclusion in All Genres
Disco provided a safe space for queer people in the 1970s. Most disco music is about spreading love and making the world a better place which united many minorities; women, black people, and the queer community. Disco even created a safer dance floor. Dancing became about celebrating one another and unity rather than just straight couples.
There are many well known queer hip hop artists such as Lil Nas X, Tyler the Creator, and Frank Ocean. However, the treatment of queer musicians in the hip hop genre is less than ideal. There is a huge stigma and degradation surrounding queer hip hop artists. “Queer people in hip hop are like backstage wingmen, crucial to the development of the show, but never important enough to make a curtain call.”[2]
With iconic songs like “Jolene”; a woman speaking about another woman’s beauty, country as a genre has always been quite a bit queer. Some queer country artists include Orville Peck, Brandi Carlile, Trixie Mattel, and Allison Russel. As the case for every other genre of music, there is underlying homophobia and transphobia regarding fans and management, amongst others. However, queer artists prevail.
“When Gertrude ‘Ma’ Rainey–known as “The Mother of Blues”–sang, ‘It’s true I wear a collar and a tie, … Talk to the gals just like any old man,’ in 1928’s ‘Prove It On Me’, she was flirting with scandal, challenging the listener to catch her in a lesbian affair.”[3] Due to blues music flying under the radar in a time where homosexuality was illegal, musicians such as Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Gladys Bentley were able to get away with expressing their love for other women. Blues was a safe space for queer musicians due to the underground-ness of the genre (literally as most blues artists performed in hidden speakeasies and clubs).
When asked about the queer music industry’s growth, Vivi Rincon says, “Social media has definitely impacted my own personal growth as a queer musician. When I released samples of “if we lived on the moon” on TikTok, I received so much love and support from other queer people and artists. This tremendously impacted my growth and allowed me to release more music about the queer experience, as well as diving into experimentation in different genres. When looking at the ways social media has helped shape the queer music industry, we can’t forget to be grateful for the artists that paved the way for us. I think of artists such as Elton John, Little Richard, and Pauline Oliveros. If artists and people such as these hadn’t risked their lives and careers to be authentically and truthfully themselves, artists like me wouldn’t have the voices and freedoms that we have today.”
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Social Media & the Rise of Queer Musicians
It is especially interesting that in the age of social media, it has been beneficial to musicians and minorities alike. It is easier to spread awareness for social injustices (in this instance; homophobia or transphobia). It is also easier to share small artists’ work to raise the voices, popularity, and messages of smaller artists. This helps to create a better sense of community and unity within different communities. However, it also creates a safety net for hateful people to spread harmful speech behind the protection of a screen.
When a musician’s song goes viral or becomes a TikTok trend, these artists are able to gain traction overnight. The first artist that comes to mind is Chappell Roan. Following her recent Coachella performance, her song “Good Luck, Babe” went viral in the bisexual community for perfectly encapsulating the fear that many bisexuals face. “When you wake up next to him in the middle of the night with your head in your hands, you’re nothing more than his wife. And when you think about me all those years ago, you’re standing face to face with ‘I told you so’”. These lyrics validate a bisexual woman’s fear of ending up with a man after never having romantically pursued a woman. Another artist who recently went viral for a music video for his song “One of Your Girls” is Troye Sivan. Although he already had an established fan base from his younger musician years, he gained traction with his music video where Sivan dressed in drag and gave Ross Lynch a lap dance. Queer women and straight men alike found themselves attracted to Troye in drag and were confused, but content with their attraction to him. Chappell Roan has gained over six million listeners since her jaw-dropping viral performance at Coachella. Troye Sivan had a 154.9% increase in listeners after the release of his new album.
How Identities Impact Success
Being trans or queer can impact a musician’s success in a variety of ways. Being a part of the LGBTQ+ community makes success in the music industry a bit more difficult to reach. However, with lots of determination and hard work, it is possible to succeed. Touring can be encouraging for queer and trans musicians due to the sense of community one feels when performing for a group of people that shares an identity or experiences with them. However, there are unsafe spaces that queer people may have to perform in that could be physically and emotionally dangerous. Musicians often do not get the opportunity to choose where they tour or perform. Queer artists can find a lot of support in other queer artists and platforms. After conducting research and interviews surrounding the success of queer artists, it is obvious that the most important asset for queer musicians to have is other queer people. Having a community can be liberating.
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The Rise of Queer Music
It is normal for queer artists to gain traction before even signing a record deal due to social media, trends, and algorithms. There is also a rise of anti-queer legislation, threatening drag performers, transgender athletes, and gender-affirming healthcare. Although this legislature is obviously a terrible and hateful thing, it has also led to a surge in queer artists speaking out about queer resistance and rights. Connection can be life-changing for queer people. In a world where entire identities are denied or forgotten, finding a community that respects and embraces all identities can be the difference between life and death. Queer media and artists create the existence of validation and community. Being able to relate to another person’s life experience establishes community and unity.
When asked about her own interpretation of queer success in the music industry, young lead singer and guitarist Stevie Lyles states, “I think my definition of queer success would be releasing music that encapsulates your experience, sharing it with others that share your experience, and receiving love, feedback, and support for your art. Anyone who listens to your music is a fan. If someone has enough time to hate you, that just means they’re a fan too. It’s about connection, communication, and expression. The queer community is growing and evolving, and it’s time that society and the music industry catch up!”.
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Bexx. Personal Interview with the author. 5 June 2024.
Rincon, Vivi. Personal Interview with the author. 6 June 2024.