Need some new jams from your favorite queer artists to spice up your playlists? We got you covered. Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our collection of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.
From Kehlani's soulful dance anthem to Chappell Roan's ecstatic synth-pop jam, check out some of our favorite releases from this week below:
Kehlani, “After Hours”
R&B superstar Kehlani is ready to take it to the dance floor. “After Hours,” the singer's new single, sees Kehlani embrace an energetic, danceable sound as she lets her lover know she's tired of beating around the bush—it's time to do something. Using an expertly placed sample of Cordel “Scatta” Burrell's “Coolie Dance Rhythm,” Kehlani makes a convincing case for spending a little extra time with her “After Hours.”
Chappell Roan, “Good Luck, Babe!”
Everyone's journey to embracing their sexuality is different – and Chappell Roan would just like to wish everyone the best of luck in discovering it. With “Good Luck, Babe!”, the fast-rising pop star sends a heartfelt message to the “babe” in question – a girl who, despite ogling Roan, still thinks she can be straight. The effervescent pop track benefits massively from Roan's operatic vocals on the song's undeniably catchy chorus, making “Good Luck, Babe!” an instant hymn.
Omar Apollo, “Spite”
On his new song “Spite,” Omar Apollo feels a little pedestrian. With a groovy melody filled to the brim with light guitar licks and strong beats, 'Spite' follows Apollo as he navigates the confusing, often exasperating emotions of a long distance relationship. Oscillating effortlessly between desperately missing his partner and wanting to prove he's fine without them, the singer lands somewhere in a dangerous middle: “Every time I see you on my phone/ I hate that I still need you in my life,” she screams.
Orville Peck feat. Willie Nelson, “Cowboys often secretly love each other”
If you're still looking for a little more to spend a week with Beyoncé's excellent Cowboy Carter, Orville Carter is here to help. Teaming up with country legend Willie Nelson, Peck reimagines Ned Sublette's queer country classic “Cowboys Often Secretly Love Each Other,” in which the pair detail a frontier gay gaucho saga. With a pair of instantly recognizable voices coming together perfectly on this groundbreaking single, Peck and Nelson's rendition of “Cowboys” is sure to make waves with country listeners.
Rainbow Kitten Surprise feat. Kacey Musgraves, “Overtime”
When you're caught in the nebulous space between “on” and “off” in an on-gain, off-again relationship, it can be hard to know how you feel. However, Rainbow Kitten Surprise teamed up with singer-songwriter extraordinaire Kacey Musgraves to put those feelings into words on “Overtime,” the latest track from the band's upcoming new album. Striking a much softer tone than RKS' last song 'Superstar', the track sees lead singer Ela Melo trying to find her place in the new normal, pleading alongside Musgraves for just a hint of clarity amid a confusing bit of emotional drama .
Zolita, “Small Town Scandal”
“Yet looking for more queer country music? Maybe this country-pop jam from Zolita will help. Throughout “Small Town Scandal,”Yet looking for more queer country music? Maybe this country-pop jam from Zolita will help. Throughout “Small Town Scandal,” Zolita entertains with a queer love that makes conservatives shake in their boots while happily riffing on a country-rock tune. With exquisite lyrics like “she's a verse in the saddle” and “save a horse, ride a cowgirl,” the up-and-coming pop singer is just happy to create her own “Small Town Scandal.”
JORDY, “Nice Stuff”
With his latest single, pop singer JORDY would like to make it clear to all the dollar-dropping bros out there – money can't buy class. 'Nice Things', a slick pop track that sees the singer mocking men who 'got a Benz, got a boat' and a 'private jet every other weekend' but don't have his interest. Over a relentless beat with a '90s R&B-style guitar lick, Jordy deftly croons “nepo baby” with a “mouth always bigger than a wallet” in a set of devastating lyrics: “I wouldn't even if you paid me.”
Check out all of our picks on Billboard's Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/culture/pride/queer-jams-of-the-week-kehlani-chappell-roan-1235649303/
