Michael Bailey Gates
Another week means another chance to find new tunes from your favorite queer artists. Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest installment of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of the best new music releases from LGBT artists.
From Charli XCX and Sam Smith’s new team-up to Kali Uchis’ hypnotic new single, check out some of our favorite releases this week below:
Charlie XCX and Sam Smith, “On the Town”
As you prepare to party on the town this weekend, let Charli XCX and Sam Smith offer you a guide to your celebration. In the couple’s new duet, “In the City,” Charlie and Smith celebrate the infectious, collaborative energy of an evening spent on the dance floor. With a shimmering synth-pop beat and euphoric house piano melodies, the duo encourages you to find what you’re looking for with “In the City.”
Kali Uchis, Te Mata
Sure, Kali Uchis may be the devil in her ex’s story, but she doesn’t really have a problem with it. “Te Mata,” the latest single from the rising Latin superstar, sees Uchis taking the narrative out of a toxic situation while reveling in the lush cha-cha melody. In her velvety voice, Uchis tells her ex in perfect Spanish that her “days are no longer gray” and that “I finally realized that I deserve so much more / And it’s killing you.”
Dove Cameron, “Lethal Woman”
While Uchis is ready to move on from his toxic ex, Dove Cameron hopes he’ll be hurt just a little bit. “Lethal Woman”, the lead single from the singer’s upcoming debut album. Alchemical Volume 1, is Cameron’s ode to the lover who makes her feel everything from pain to euphoria. Over a stuttering industrial beat, Dove details her ideal partner, declaring that she’s “not a masochist” but just wants someone “as sharp as the knife under the table.”
Slayyyter, “Monster” (Lady Gaga cover)
When it came time for Slayyyter to choose a pop diva to emulate on her new Spotify single, she made the right choice 100%. Performing a classic cover of Lady Gaga’s “Monster,” Slayyyter perfectly captured all the elements of Gaga’s theatrical performance that made the original so good while infusing the song with her own streamlined dark pop sensibility. It helps that her voice has perhaps never sounded as powerful as it does on this ridiculously good cover.
Kevin Abstract, “What Should I Do?”
Leave it to hip-hop virtuoso Kevin Abstract to write the all-time great indie song. While “What should I do?” While it may not be exactly what his fans expect to hear, the track is bursting with feelings of longing and complex emotions that Abstract has proven to be a master at portraying. As the strains of an acoustic guitar accompany his deliberately altered vocals, Abstraction desperately tries to rid himself of obsessive thoughts about the ex he’s still obsessed with, constantly pleading with him, “Don’t touch me, it turns me on.” ” trying to find something that could take his thoughts elsewhere.
Maddie Zahm Now that I’ve been honest
After making a name for herself by writing gorgeous diary songs and sharing them with her massive TikTok audience, singer-songwriter Maddie Zahm is ready to show you everything she can do. Throughout his debut album Now that I’ve been honestZahm flirts with every pop genre she can get her hands on, including angsty pop-punk (on the goddamn anthem “Bedroom”), frantic funk-pop (on Sapphic Anthem’s “Lady Killer”) and downright stadium-level pop ( on the euphoric “Eightball Girl”). But fear not—her confessional songs are still the star of her debut. Honest a cathartic experience that is a must listen.
MICHELLE, “The Shining”/”Agnostic”
Supergroup MICHELLE are back and they’re better than ever. Having released a new double single, the New York band is trying their hand at a new sound and achieving stunning success. On “Glow,” the sextet dive headfirst into a blissful bedroom, letting potential lovers know that “we will never be.” Meanwhile, on “Agnostic,” the band enjoys the relaxing sounds of indie rock while taking stock of the love they left behind. If this pair of tracks indicates the direction MICHELLE is heading, then we highly recommend that you join them on the trip.
King Mala, “Beetle”
Misogynists beware: King Mala is on an extermination mission and you’re on her radar. “Bug,” the latest release from the pop singer-songwriter’s upcoming EP. Split milk, follows Mala as she becomes a toxic and self-righteous man to please, for the love of God, stop talking. Delightfully energetic bass lines underscore her poignant lyrics as she declares that these “unbearable” and “unbearable” men are nothing more than insects to her – and she’s more than happy to start squashing them.
Check out all of our selections in Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below: