How the LGBTQ+ community has impacted and transformed music

BY DANIELA MIRELES

Music has the ability to connect people from all over the world through its powerful lyrics and sounds, it is a bridge that allows people to resonate with each other. Within the LGBTQ+ community, it has played an important and essential role, from cultural moments to political issues, music is a transformative mark. From artists who paved the way for the current artists we have, to advocating for issues, music has a profound impact in the community.

In the most recent years, the LGBTQ+ community has found an important role in the music industry, from the creation of new music genres to enriching artistry with their constant fearless innovation. These artists have been pushing the narrative of exploring new musical territories from the electronic soundscapes of SOPHIE to the ground breaking vocals of David Bowie, these artists enrich the industry with their creative vision and unique perspectives of the world.  

The community has left a big mark on music culture with its inclusive communities that have a vibrant and joyous vibe. The LGBTQ+ nightlife has been evolutioning over the years, as queer clubs serve as an incubator for alternative and new sounds. The underground ballroom scene has been popularised by artists with a big LGBTQ+ following like Madonna and artists from the community themselves, such as Rupaul, they have provided platforms for smaller LGBTQ+ artists to showcase their talents and be able to express themselves in a fearless way. From the jazz clubs of the 20s decade to the clubs of today, there is great representation of queer artists of the industry.

Through songs created by artists who are part of the community, they make audiences feel free in their own skin and love themselves for who they are. Anthems such as Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” or Troye Sivan’s “Youth” serve as songs that encourage LGBTQ+ pride and foster a sense of belonging. Through music videos, performances or social media presence,  artists use their platform to raise awareness and speak up about issues going on in the world regarding the community,

Artists such as Sylvester, known as the queer disco icon, and Donna Summer became icons for their anthems of liberation and fearlessness. The 1980s provided the community with a lot of songs that they could feel represented in, in the rock industry, artists such as The Smiths explored queerness in their lyrics that resonated with fans who felt misunderstood and underrepresented, in this genre, the artists represented a sense of rebellion and constantly challenged society’s norms through their music and constant activism.

There are artists who have left a pop culture mark in the world, artists such as Freddie Mercury and Grace Jones have become remarkable icons with unremarkable visions that changed the music sound. With their electrifying stage presence and unforgettable fashion sense, they embodied a new era of sexual and gender fluidity in the pop culture world. Freddie Mercury forever changed the rock sound with his ability to blend opera and rock, which resulted in a unique out of this world sound that was never done before at the time.

From defying and iconic artists like Frank Ocean to Björk, queer artists have a tendency of making significant contributions to this industry by developing and creating new and unique blends of sounds that help change and transform the music that we listen to everyday. They expand the possibilities of what music can be and what it can transform into and who it can reach. These artists provide mainstream visibility of the community by being worldwide icons.

Renee Rapp’s Tony award win for her role in the Broadway adaptation of “Mean Girls'' opened roles for queer performers and beyond. Renee is known for her incredible vocals, astonishing stage presence and for embracing her sexuality with pride. Boygenius, a band formed of musical queer geniuses Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers recently won 3 Grammy awards for their album, and Bridgers became the most awarded person of the music industry’s most important night, as she also won an award for her collab with SZA. This success brings inspiration to other queer people, they help pursue people with their passion, these successes also help contribute acceptance and inclusion, the music industry sends a message that diversity is accepted and that LGBTQ+ artists deserve the recognition for their contributions to this industry.

From jazz, to pop, to rock and many other genres. There is a big range of artists who identify as queer that are important to the industry, in the most recent years, there has been a created recognition of a greater inclusion within the industry. Events such as Pride festivals and LGBTQ+ music festivals have provided stages for upcoming rising artists and help provide meaningful connections with audiences.  Most of these events are often organised by the purpose of fundraising to help causes and organisations that help provide help for struggles within the community. Through music, these concerts and events provide spaces where people can embrace their identity and celebrate love, and expand the possibilities of what it actually means to be an artist.

By sharing their stories, they have made a profound contribution for queer audiences who needed songs that felt relatable for their own experiences. They also have humanised the everyday difficulties that the LGBTQ+ community has gone through for years and the struggle for equality that it faces, but through this, they inspire generations to keep pushing for change and strive for equality. It is said that the relationship between the queer community and music is very deeply intertwined and that statement couldn't be more correct.