The Era Of Queer Joy In Music

BY DANIELA  MIRELES

In 2024, there has been a remarkable and astonishing renaissance in pop queer music, where artists can embrace their identities and create fun danceable anthems that celebrate acceptance. The transition from popular depressing ballads to uplifting queer focused songs have made a cultural change in the industry and in the world, promoting inclusion and empowerment while also creating songs that make people feel confident and their freest version of themselves. Some artists that have been making a big contribution to this transition are Renee Rapp, Chappell Roan, Towa Bird, MUNA, Troye Sivan and many more pop icons that have been making it to the mainstream music world.

Not long ago and especially due to the pandemic, queer musicians frequently focused on depressing ballads where they were able to pour their souls out in the music and audiences would relate to heartbreaking lyrics. In this changing atmosphere, a singer who has become a powerful voice for the queer community most recently and is getting more popular each day is Chappell Roan, who brings honesty and emotion to her music. Songs like “Pink Pony Club” and “Hot To Go” radiate a fun energetic energy that is able to resonate with fans from all over the world and at the same time, is able to capture all aspects of LGBTQ joy. The way she combines confidence and power is what makes her so loved by not only the queer community but by the general public.

Likewise, artists like Reneé Rapp have been taking the music industry by storm, Reneé has been using her identity as an empowerment, she constantly encourages her fans to be who they are through her music and her shows, as her concerts have become safe spaces to people. With her unapologetic and bold charisma, the singer uses her platform to create anthems of liberation and authenticity. Songs like “Not My Fault” and “Colorado” have become gay anthems that people can dance to and vibe around with.

From his early beginnings on Youtube, Troye Sivan has captured the heart of the mainstream industry with his infectious pop melodies and resonating lyrics, with hit songs such as “My My My” that talk about liberation and joy celebrating queer love, Sivan fearlessly captured his journey for millions of people to see, and has become a Grammy nominated artist.

Pop music has been going up again, the emergence of new queer musicians has also continued to flourish over the past few years. Upcoming artist, Towa Bird has captured everyone’s attention with her sound and vocals. Through her genre bending tracks, Towa Bird gives listeners a chance to encapsulate themselves into acceptance and immerse themselves into a world where the acceptance of LGBTQ+ identity is unapologetic, giving a sense of comfort to those who feel alone.

MUNA, an indie pop band who has been rising to fame for over the last few years with hit songs such as “Silk Chiffon” and “What I Want”, to opening up for Taylor Swift’s highest grossing tour, the band have become beloved icons within the community and are a strong voice in the music industry for social change, constantly promoting inclusiveness within the community. They have devoted fans who view their music as a ray of sun in times where everything is dark for them, because of their capacity to perfectly encapsulate queer emotions.

This enlightenment of new waves of queer artists and pop music that celebrates love, has begun to spark conversations of equality in society. By amplifying these queer talents, they are fighting back against discrimination. Their music offers a sense of belonging and inclusion to those who identify, and also helps people who struggle with their identity see that queer people can make it to the mainstream world no matter what they identify as. This visibility has fostered empathy and social change, helping society become more diverse while listening to confident pop anthems , paving a way to a future where discrimination is nonexistent. Queer representation in music helps people find themselves, giving them a purpose and showing them that they aren’t alone, making feelings of confusion become a feeling of acceptance.

There are people on social media that have been expressing their emotions about these artists rising, mentioning that the rise of openly queer artists makes their hearts full , how it provides a feeling of being seen, and also about the importance of young queer people to having artists to look up to and how happy it makes them to see times changing. Many users have also been mentioning how beautiful it is to see queer artists become mainstream, and the comfort it gives them to have accurate representation in mainstream media. The music of these artists provide an outlet for connecting with experiences while at the same time it creates a safe space for people to feel included and in a safe space.

From being on the sidelines, LGBTQ+ artists are claiming their place as music icons with their confident presence and self expression, making queer pop music be seen as a triumph, and celebration of love.  These artists remind us how powerful music is, the power it has to unite people and create a change in the world. In the words of MUNA’ s song “I Know A Place” , if you want to go out dancing, pop queer music gives us a place where everyone can lay down their weapons and become the truest version of themselves.