10 Songs For and About The LGBTQ+ Experience!

The LGBTQ+ community has been crucial to the music industry, and with June being Pride Month, it’s important to honor their voices.

Being LGBTQ+ is a distinctive experience — there are unique joys and pains in each letter of the community, but above all, the LGBTQ+ experience is a human experience. While there is a long history of iconic songs in the queer limelight, like “Vogue” by Madonna, in the interest of broadening the conversation and bringing it to today, we here choose 10 modern (i.e.: post-2010) songs by queer artists about their experiences. To be part of the LGBTQ+ community is to be part of a community that is strong, creative, and loving, so, let’s celebrate that with this round-up!

1. "What I Need" by Hayley Kiyoko (feat. Kehlani)

The lesbian power duo of Hayley Kiyoko and Kehlani in “What I Need” is masterful. Groundbreaking. What we all wanted but never knew we needed. Released in 2018, “What I Need” tells the story of two girls learning to love loudly and proudly. It’s a relatable experience for many queer people who are not out of the closet, but the best part is that the story of “What I Need” has a happy ending — the end of the music video shows Kehlani and Hayley running away together. Goals!

2. "Thinkin Bout You" by Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean broke ground when his 2012 album Channel Orange led to his coming out publicly as bisexual. Fewer men than women are publicly out as bi, and Ocean opened up the conversation to include men more. “Thinkin Bout You” casually addresses a “boy” and goes through the feelings of being in love even after being ripped apart by choice or circumstance. Everyone can relate to heartbreak, but the song is uniquely poetic and dreamy in the way of much of Ocean’s discography. “Thinkin Bout You” is a sad ballad for all time and captures romantic yearning from a queer perspective.

3. "Unholy" by Sam Smith (feat. Kim Petras)

Nonbinary artist Sam Smith and trans artist Kim Petras collaborated on chart-topper “Unholy” in 2022 and made history as the first trans and nonbinary artists to top the Billboard 100 charts. It’s not only an extraordinary LGBTQ+ song for making history, but as a club song, it pays homage to the ongoing legacy of queer nightlife. The taking of terms like “unholy”, often used to desecrate queer relationships, and using it as the basis of a sexy night out song is also worth applauding. We’ll all be getting down to “Unholy” this Summer!

4. "I Got The Juice" by Janelle Monáe (feat. Pharrell Williams)

Whether it’s being a fashion icon, starring in Glass Onion, or releasing banger after banger, we stay loving Janelle Monáe. As a pansexual non-binary artist, Janelle’s experimental career has always pushed boundaries, and it’s no different in her 2018 hit “I Got the Juice”. It’s an empowerment anthem about overcoming hard circumstances to achieve self-love, and the message is uplifting for discriminated-against communities like the queer community she belongs to. It sounds almost like a cheer, motivating us all on towards self-empowerment. This Pride Month, let’s all get our juice and pursue self-love!

5. "Angel Baby" by Troye Sivan

The soft sounds of 2021’s “Angel Baby” by gay artist Troye Sivan are so sweet and romantic. The cherubic dreaminess of his love is gorgeously detailed, and the safe warm feeling of healthy love is present throughout. Love is beautiful, and “Angel Baby” proves just that... no matter who the love is between. Is there such a thing as second-hand love? We all can’t help but feel a little in love ourselves while listening to this song.

6. "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)" by Lil Nas X

We all know “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” at this point, and we hope to keep hearing it in Summer '23. It was the party song of 2021, and the video is equally statement-making -- the vibe is edgy, sexy, and colorful. The religious imagery used by Lil Nas X, who identifies as gay, is deliciously sinful and fun. Pride Month may be a protest for more LGBTQ+ rights and representation, but it’s also a celebration. “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” is that celebration in song form.

7. "Lemon Boy" by Cavetown

Indie artist Cavetown is out as transgender and identifies as part of the asexual and aromantic community. His 2018 song “Lemon Boy”, from the album of the same title, seems to capture both of those experiences. Whether “Lemon Boy” is his story of growing into a man despite attempts to suppress it, it also is more literally about friendship. Given the heavy societal pressures of sex and romance, by focusing his “Lemon Boy” on a platonic relationship, Cavetown sheds light on the joys of life without sex and romance; friendship is just as important as other relationships, which the ace community can attest to. “Lemon Boy” is a perfect song for this Pride Month and from a less-discussed LGBTQ+ lens!

8. "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga

“Born This Way” has been a classic in Pride music since its 2011 release, and Lady Gaga herself identifies as a bisexual artist. She’s always been a supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, and “Born This way” is explicitly about finding beauty in how you’re born, regardless of gender identity, sexuality, or race. It’s triumphant and eternally memorable. “Born This Way” has earned its spot in the Pride Month playlist for all time.

9. "i wanna be your girlfriend" by girl in red

Lesbian artist girl in red has a strong following in TikTok audios, and her acoustic 2018 song “i wanna be your girlfriend” is still going strong. It’s about her love and desire for another girl she’s friends with, and the queer experience of romantic desire for someone who could be a friend or something more is distinct. It’s the question of “are they?” or “aren’t they?” and the resulting yearning is complicated to say the least. “i wanna be your girlfriend” is not quite a party song, but it’s gorgeous and relatable and undeniably queer.

10. "This Hell" by Rina Sawayama

Rina Sawayama’s 2022 album Hold the Girl celebrates queerness, love, and femininity from the perspective of a pansexual woman. Top song “This Hell” is all about the experience of discrimination on a religious basis, but it instead turns that into a journey of living through hell together. It makes the statement that love is worth it, love is strong, and love lets us persevere. It’s also incredible in how it focuses on women-loving-women relationships. Rina Sawayama is up-and-coming in a big way, and we can’t wait to hear her songs blasted throughout Pride Month!

Happy Pride Month, everyone! Let’s spread love of the community and bring more LGBTQ+ artists into the limelight!