If you’re feeling the hype for the upcoming Pride Months, let us help you celebrate them the right way. Not much else matters when you’re listening to good music. That’s why we have a list of quality queer artists that will make any party a success.
EDM and the LGBTQ community
If you’ve ever been to any party that’s LGBTQ+ friendly or organized by the community, you probably noticed that a lot of electronic dance music is present. That’s not only because the gays love to dance — we all do. In fact, the gay community and EDM have quite a history.
First of all, it’s safe to say that this genre of music is one of the most versatile. We mean that the EDM scene accepts all people, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender, etc. Back in the ‘70s, the queer youth didn’t have it easy. People weren’t so understanding or accepting as they are now. So, they found themselves and their freedom in this music genre.
Not only will you hear electronic dance music at LGBTQ+ parties, but you will also always find the gays at the EDM parties.
Sophie
Sophie is a trans EDM producer from Scotland who has a lot to teach us. She’s very open about her sexuality and gender, and she incorporates a lot of androgynous vibes in her complete aesthetics.
People know her thanks to her hits “It’s Okay To Cry” and “Faceshopping,” but she also worked alongside celebrities such as Charli XCX, Vince Staples, and even Madonna. In 2019, Sophie made sure we’d never forget her by being the first trans woman to receive a nomination for the Best Dance/Electronic Album for her piece called “Oil of Every Pearl’s Uninsides.”
Pabllo Vittar
We’re moving on from Scotland to Brazil, the birthplace of Pabllo Vittar. This drag queen is both bold and talented, and there’s no way you haven’t heard of her. Why are we saying that? In the video for “Então Vai,” she not only works with Diplo but gets to kiss him as well! That still isn’t why we should be listening to this incredible artist.
She has worked with the likes of Charli XCX, Major Lazer, and Sofi Tukker. Vittar’s song “Sua Cara” was recognized as incredible enough to receive a Grammy nomination, making this Brazilian artist the first drag queen with a nomination of this kind.
GRiZ
Now we’re moving on from fantastic queer women to a just as incredible male artist — GRiZ. GRiZ is actually a producer from Denver known for much more than just his art. Since he is openly gay, you can often find pride-related themes in his works of art. Still, that’s not all.
GRiZ is a known philanthropist. What does this mean? Coming to one of his shows means you’re directly helping and contributing to various homeless and dog shelters, as well as educational programs.
Kittens
Behind this cutesy name hides a very powerful female DJ who strives to empower other women as well. She is very open about her sexual orientation, meaning that women are in luck because Kittens is a lesbian.
Other than being very vocal about things she believes in, she’s a huge feminist and uses her platform to fight global injustice. More specifically, she’s loudly against sexism, as well as rape culture, and we salute her for it.
Midland
Here’s another member of the community who knows how to use his platform correctly. He’s constantly bringing awareness to ongoing LGBTQ+ issues. Midland has a 15-year long career, during which he has received many awards.
This producer paved his own lane in dubstep and house in the UK EDM scene. One of his awarded songs is “Final Credits,” which he got to perform at many famous venues.
UNIIQU3
If your next pride party needs more bops that will make all of the participants want to twerk their booties off, this is just the artist for you. Something that all of these artists seem to have in common is using their platforms to encourage people to be better. In UNIIQU3’s case, that means she’s always telling her fans to never let anybody stray them from their path, and that’s something we all need to hear at times.
This Jersey Club Queen has many good songs up her sleeve, and we find that people enjoy “Breakin Necks” the most. At least according to YouTube.
Kaytranada
We’ll close our list off with this incredible DJ from Haiti who has worked with plenty of people we know and love. Some of them include Ty Dolla $ign, Little Dragon, and AlunaGeorge. The reason why not a lot of people know about Kaytranada is that he is a shy queer artist who doesn’t like to live his life in the direct spotlight.
Still, this doesn’t stop him from receiving awards. Proof of that is him getting a Juno award for his album “99.9%” which was dubbed the Electronic Album of The Year in 2016.
Conclusion
Pride months are different for every country, which is a great excuse to listen to these artists year-round. In doing so, not only are you enriching your library, but you’re also supporting some incredible people. If anything, their music will make you dance, feel good, and might even motivate you. We all know the EDM’s charm.