Artists whose music celebrate the queer experience


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Fun, expressive and personal — queer music has the ability to celebrate all aspects of queer life, from the happiness of falling in love to the sadness and fear that many queer people experience daily. Artists being open about their sexuality or queer experience has become increasingly more mainstream, their work appearing both in niche Spotify playlists and the Billboard Top 100 charts. Here’s a roundup of queer artists to diversify your taste and expand your musical knowledge.

Omar Apollo

Omar Apollo writes smooth alternative R&B that’s easy on the ears. He is an openly gay, first-generation Mexican American and his music explores his life and sexuality. Relaxed beats and slick production are heard in his track “Tamagotchi” produced by Pharrell Williams. He boasts an impressive set of collaborators, from Kali Uchis to Joji. His 2022 track “Invincible” (feat. Daniel Caesar) showcases his unique lyricism as he dreamily sings “Latin boy, Frida Kahlo brow / Jacquemus jeans, Ferragamo brown / Venetian walls with porcelain tile / 286, Donnie Darko town / If I’m down, would you help me out?” over quick yet clean percussion.

Ice Spice

The Bronx’s own Ice Spice burst onto the scene last year with “Munch (Feelin’ U),” which blew up on TikTok. She’s unafraid to be herself, and that’s part of her charm. Her music is brash, fun and unapologetically sexy. The lyrics from “Bikini Bottom” off her first EP “Like…?” show that she’s unafraid to be bold and a little dirty: “I like n—–, bitches too (Bitches too) / Ayo, baddie, what it do? (What it do?).” Listen to her songs and you’ll soon find that you’re feeling yourself much like she does on her aforementioned hit track: “Bitch, I’m a baddie I get what I please / You know my body, I do it with ease / He want my body, he tellin’ me, ‘Please’ (Grrah).”

Snail Mail

Indie darling Snail Mail, the solo project of Lindsey Jordan, illustrates the fine line between love and heartbreak. Snail Mail’s appeal is partly due to her great sound, but also because of Jordan’s ability to capture specific moments in time. “Pristine,” one of her most popular tracks, feels like an exhale of relief after screaming one’s lungs out. On the other hand, “Mia,” the closing track of Snail Mail’s 2021 sophomore effort, is slower and more romantic, yet filled with melancholy as she sings about a lost love: “Mia, don’t cry, / I love you forever / But I’ve gotta grow up now / No, I can’t keep holding on to you anymore / Mia, I’m still yours.”

Car Seat Headrest

Longtime gay indie mainstay Car Seat Headrest is the project of Will Toledo, who has been releasing music under the moniker since 2010. Toledo’s magnum opus is “Twin Fantasy (Face to Face),” a rerecording of an earlier 2011 album. The 2018 release chronicles the struggles of being a gay teen with writing that is raw and full of symbolism, allusions and emotion. On the 13-minute-long track “Beach Life-in-Death,” he sings “I pretended I was drunk when I came out to my friends / I never came out to my friends / We were all on Skype / And I laughed and I changed the subject.” The album is full of these seemingly small moments, where Toledo hones in on the insecurities and challenges the queer community faces, unafraid to confront his own fears.

Kim Petras

Trans icon Kim Petras makes music so gratifying that listening to it is an instant mood booster. Her track “Coconuts” is silly and shows her creative lyricism as she sings “So juicy and so ripe / You wouldn’t believe / I give ‘em different names / Mary-Kate and Ashley / They ask me what’s my size / Just give ‘em a squeeze.” Many of her songs are extremely explicit, and that’s part of her charm. She’s not insecure and truly loves herself, and her confidence can’t help but rub off on the listener. She even made history as the first out transgender artist to win a GRAMMY. She won the best pop duo/group performance award alongside Sam Smith for the duo’s viral track “Unholy.” In her acceptance speech, Petras said “I just want to thank all the incredible transgender legends before me who kicked these doors open for me so I could be here tonight.”