Well how about that. It’s June already! And you know what this month is all about?
It’s Pride Month, baby!
And what better way to celebrate it as a music fan than to give some support to up-and-coming LGBTQIA+ artists.
Surely, it’s cool to listen to them all year round, but this month, let’s give them the floor, shall we?
Here are 5 new artists from the LGBT community that I’m sure you’ll love.
Table of Contents
#1. RINA SAWAYAMA
First on the list is Japanese-Britishsinger-songwriter and model Rina Sawayama.
She debuted in 2013 with her single Sleeping in Waking. She released her debut studio album Sawayama in 2020.
Sawayama came out to the public in 2018 and identifies herself as both bisexual and pansexual.
Many of her songs adress a variety of LGBTQ+ themes such as finding peace in queer friendships, loving whomever you want to love, and discovering strength in one’s own individuality.
Before she made a breakthrough with the demo, STFU!, she showed Jamie Oborne of Dirty Hit, she had to face a lot of obstacles, including casual racism.
Since signing with Dirty Hit she has gained the attention of music fans and the respect of fellow pop musicians.
This includes Elton John who helped her create the new version of Chosen Family last April 2021.
TRACKS YOU MIGHT LOVE: XS, LUCID, Comme Des Garçons (Like The Boys), and Chosen Family
Visit her profile here.
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#2. ARLO PARKS
Next we have Arlo Parks, born Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho, turning 22 years old this August.
She is based in London and is openly bisexual.
The artist released her debut studio album Collapsed in Sunbeams on January 29 last year which earned a silver certification from BPI.
Following her debut album is the single Softly which she released on February 1, 2022. Though still an adolescent, Parks discography has shown that age really doesn’t matter when it comes to love.
She makes music that both breaks and fills your heart with love, and that’s what her latest single feels like.
TRACKS YOU MIGHT LOVE: Eugene, Cola, Hope, Caroline
Visit her profile here.
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#3. VINCINT
Vincint Cannady, more professionally known as VINCINT, is an openly gay American singer-songwriter from Philadelphia.
He is best known for being a finalist on the first season of “The Four” in 2018, a singing competition series broadcasted by Fox.
He and his soaring vocals have garnered much attention from a lot of people, fellow artists, music fans, and even the media people.
Vincint was acknowledged as “one of the greatest vocalists of our generation” by Paper and was even called “a legend in the making” by Billboard.
Aside from his marvelous falsettos and belts, his music is also known for their radiance, funk, and pop beats which mostly revolves on the theme of self-love.
His Be Me was selected as the anthem for the fifth season of the 2018 television reality series, “Queer Eye”.
TRACKS YOU MIGHT LOVE: Higher, Be Me, Kill My Heart, Someday
Visit his profile here.
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#4. GIRLI
Looking for the next pop punk princess?
Then look no further!
The musician you’re looking for is Amelia “Milly” Toomey, known professionally as GIRLI.
She’s a singer-songwriter and rapper based in London, and she doesn’t give an F about anyone’s opinions.
She identifies herself as a pansexual female and has songs revolving around the themes feminism, sexuality, queer culture, and mental health.
She’s known for her feisty and fresh lyrics that makes them relatable for anyone who’s experienced unjust public judgment.
TRACKS YOU MIGHT LOVE: Hot Mess, Not That Girl, Girl I Met On The Internet
Visit her profile here.
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#5. JAKK FYNN
And now we have Jakk Fynn to wrap up our short list.
He is a Mexican Latinx singer who was brought up in an evangelical Christian household and was courageous enough to be true to himself.
Fynn is a self-described transmasculine and has discussed the discrimination he has undergone being a trans.
His songs have explored the themes of gender construction and has gone as far as challenging ideas of masculinity.
But that’s not all, he also highlights self-love and acceptance in his songs like Fire and Heal from his 2020 EP Canceled.
TRACKS YOU MIGHT LOVE: Heal, Fire, Let it go
Visit his profile here.
Enjoy the upcoming pride month.
Enjoy the music.
Celebrate it with people, may they be part of the community or not. Remember that “Majority does not exist”, only us.
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James Hill is a veteran of the music industry. He first worked at Warner Reprise Records then later joined Interscope/ Geffen Records where he managed producers and songwriters and got his first platinum record for Keyshia Cole’s The Way It Is. He is now helping indie artists with branding and manufacturing through his company Unified Manufacturing, a CD/DVD, custom vinyl records and merch company in LA.
