With Leap Day officially behind us, let's take advantage of the extra time we've been given to hear some new songs from our favorite queer artists. 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 the furious new rock song of St. Vincent to Fletcher's latest pop confession, check out some of our favorite releases from this week below:
Saint Vincent, “Broken Man”
“What are you looking at; Who the hell do you think I am?' When you listen to St. Vincent growling those lines on the chorus of her new single “Broken Man,” you get the sense there's no “character” here — it's Annie Clark, in all her glory. But the star's disdainful lyrics are only one piece of the puzzle that is 'Broken Man', as the self-produced track ramps up its industrial fury with each passing moment. The guitar chords become sirens, the drums invade like an approaching phalanx of soldiers (thanks to all-star assists from Mark Guiliana and Dave Grohl), and Clark's voice growls with intensity as she asks again. What are you looking at? The answer, it turns out, is an artist at the top of her craft.
Fletcher, “Doing Better”
What happens in the wake of a blockbuster release? Fletcher would like you to know exactly what's going on in “Doing Better,” her latest pop banger dedicated to the fallout from her last pop banger, “Becky's So Hot.” Written in the form of a letter to her ex, Fletcher immediately reveals the myriad ways in which Fletcher is doing better since she “made [your girlfriend] go viral” — new cars, “bougie IVs,” playing with Miley Cyrus — before declaring that, at the end of the day, he hasn't changed as much as he'd like. “My stomach still hurts,” she says. “Why do you feel better worse?”
Olly Alexander, “Dizzy”
Eurovision is about to be turned upside down thanks to Olly Alexander's new single. Ditching the Years & Years label and moving on as a solo artist, Alexander's new single 'Dizzy' — which will be the UK's entry for the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest — takes his established electropop sound to new heights. The It is a sin The star's remarkable voice remains as clear as ever, while production by Danny L Harle lifts the song into a dizzy reverie, mimicking the giddy passion of the lyrics in flowing scales that keep the song in a state of perpetual, blissful motion.
Kiss Mannequin, I got Heaven
Where desire and defiance meet, you'll find Mannequin Pussy's ridiculously good new album I got Heaven. Equal parts protest and suggestion, I got Heaven sees the Philadelphia punk rockers host a carnival of raw emotion, between telling bigots to sit up and spin on the album's insane title track and asking for nothing but pleasure on the raging 'Aching'. It's that rare punk record that keeps on kidding when you think a left turn is coming, perhaps best encapsulated by Marisa Dabice's insistent affirmation on “Loud Bark.” “I want to be a danger,” he shouts. “I want to be adored.”
Cat Burns, “Alone”
Stuck on a date? Cat Burns feels your pain on “Alone,” the British singer's stunning new song that details her struggle with loneliness. The chart-topping lyrics describe Burns' lack of dating experience and her frustration trying to catch up with her peers while still looking for love for the right reasons. With each passing verse, her voice grows more emotional as she declares that she “don't want to be pessimistic, but I'm kind of angry about it” — a sentiment anyone in the dating scene can relate to.
Isaac Dunbar, Backseat Girl
While he has become known for his theatrical output, Isaac Dunbar is a performer of many different personas. On “Backseat Girl,” the singer takes on the persona of the titular background character, permanently pushed to the sidelines of the story, longing for his moment in the spotlight. For Dunbar fans, though, there's still plenty of his signature on “Backseat Girl”—between an instantly catchy '70s rock melody and his vocal choices, the singer delivers plenty of drama through this tenderly written ballad.
Jade LeMac, Confessions (Deluxe Edition)
Jade LeMac would like to take a well-deserved victory lap. Following the release of her acclaimed EP confessions, The new deluxe edition of the singer's work offers fans enough new content to properly refresh the music they already love. Whether she's literally critiquing her lover's technique (“Bad Kisser”) or responding in kind to unsolicited rejection (“Pick a Fight”), LeMac leaves it all on the page as she proves once again why she's the name must watch in the pop space.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard's Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
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