Songs That Celebrate Queer Joy

Happy Pride Month!

Legislation may be trying to erase the queer community, but people who are part of the LGBTQIA have been around for centuries and will continue to exist, and no law can change that. Pride is about the joy of being who you are. Whether you’re a member or an ally, Pride is an event to celebrate the lives, achievements, and ongoing fight for equality of those who came before, those in the present, and to pave a way for equality for those in the future generations.  

Pride events can vary based on the budget and planners behind them, but many today can include events such as a parade, festivals, concerts, workshops, and drag shows. At the core of everything is a celebration – a moment of joy to celebrate who you are with hundreds or thousands of others. There are tons of amazing songs out there that embrace that joy and wave it proudly that are often played at these events. Looking for some songs to throw on while you get ready for a Pride event? Wanting to create a playlist to celebrate at home? Are you an ally who loves to support queer artists? If any of these apply to you, check out the list below!   

“Born This Way” - Lady Gaga 

It would have been a crime to create a list like this and not include this amazing bisexual icon! It’s not a Pride list without some Gaga! And the obvious choice is “Born This Way” a song all about accepting who you are even if it’s different than what’s “normal” or “expected.” Given the subject matter, it’s become an anthem for the LGBTQ+ community and used as a tool for advocating for tolerance and acceptance. This song is pure joy about loving yourself exactly as you are, “No matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgender life.” As a member of the community herself, she has been a fierce advocate for queer rights. She’s even used her platform to start an anti-bullying nonprofit called the Born This Way Foundation in 2011 which has helped thousands of LGBTQ children and teens.  

“Bloom” - Troye Sivan 

Troye Sivan describes “Bloom” as a “fun pop song, like Katy Perry’s ‘Teenage Dream.’” Using the flower as a metaphor, the song is about, to put it plainly, sex. Sivan compares himself to a flower that is willing to be “deflowered,” and has a lot of other cheeky metaphors in the lyrics. He’s also said that the theme of a flower blooming has multiple meanings for him as he felt this second studio album gave him the chance to grow into himself and write more openly about his experiences. It’s considered the most “subversively queer” song on the album and has been a song played at many Pride events since its release in 2018. Its absolute joy at just being a boy in love (or lust) is a wonderful encapsulation of queer joy. 

“For the Girls” - Hayley Kiyoko 

Hayley Kiyoko’s entire album Panorama could be described as an album of queer joy, but “For the Girls” is the perfect vibe to pluck from that album. It’s an empowerment anthem for the LGBTQ+ community about enjoying the summer, “Summer's for the girls, the girls that like girls.” The lyrics also celebrate being a girl and the joy of having other women around you to support and uplift you. The accompanying music video was reviewed as Kiyoko’s “queerest music video yet.” If you’re looking for a good summer hit to throw onto your Pride playlist, you can’t go wrong with anything by Hayley Kiyoko.  

“Pink Pony Club” - Chappel Roan 

Chappell Roan is another queer icon that this list would feel incomplete without. Even more so, this list of queer joy wouldn’t feel complete without “Pink Pony Club” a song all about feeling liberated in a queer space. The Pink Pony Club isn’t a real, specific place but a metaphor for a safe space to be exactly who you are. That place can vary by person but many who resonate with this song have a place in their heart that’s their Pink Pony Club. Something I love about this song is that members of the community from all generations can relate and find solace in “Pink Pony Club.” Even if being who you are is going to “cause a scene”, it’s a song about defying those expectations and go where you’re “just having fun.” Hearing a group of people belt out the chorus to this song always brings a tear to my eye because of the joy and community felt through the lyrics. 

“I Like Boys” - Todrick Hall 

It can be liberating to come out. And Todrick Hall’s “I Like Boys” celebrates his sexuality in a campy, fun way that’s contagious. You can’t help but dance along with him. Anyone who isn’t familiar with the triple threat that is Todrick Hall, he gained national attention on the ninth season of American Idol. After the show, he amassed a huge following on YouTube. Hall released “I Like Boys” during Pride in 2019 with an accompanying music video set in the desert. Hall is unapologetic about his sexuality, telling listeners about all the types of boys he’s into with cheeky pop culture references like to Beauty and the Beast and Harry Styles. With a catchy chorus that is bound to get stuck in your head and lyrics like, “Cause I've been boy crazy since the Boy Scouts/Fuck the closets, let the boys out” it’s certainly a fun example of queer joy.  

“we fell in love in October” - girl in red 

Another queer artist that this list wouldn’t feel complete without is girl in red. It’s become a coded way for queer women to identify with each other by asking the question, “Do you listen to girl in red?” Many of her songs have blown up on Tik Tok and become symbols of queer representation for WLW (women loving women) couples. “we fell in love in October” is simply about love – the love between two women during a special season in their lives. What could be more joyful than that – the ability to love openly?   

"Boy Bi" by Mad Tsai 

This one’s for the bisexuals who want an anthem. Mad Tsai begins the song with the question, “So, do you like girls or do you like boys? Oh, uhm, I mean, uh, yes?” The song talks about being in between, being into a guy one moment and a girl the next. While the subject matter discusses the struggles of trying to figure out where he falls, it’s in a lighthearted relatable way because he comes to terms with it by the end. Mad Tsai has all kinds of songs that capture queer joy well outside of “Boy Bi” including “Stacy’s Brother” and “One of the Boys.” 

"Immaterial" by Sophie

Sophie is an artist we lost too soon (passed at age 34) but had a major impact on the community. As a trans artist, SOPHIE (who used neither gendered nor non-binary pronouns) put transness at the center of the music being released. The unapologetic anti-establishment nature of the songs inspired many listeners. Sophie’s music uses a lot of synth influences and doesn’t try to imitate instruments because Sophie has said “the tools of electronic music allow for an exploration of everything beyond corporeal experience” (Source). “Immaterial” is a song about the joys of gender fluidity, that release and freedom to not conform to gender roles, and one’s gender identity is something up to the individual.  

In a time when the community is being silenced, the lifting up of works that highlight queer joy is essential. Queer experiences do not need to be tragic to be valid and worth telling. Moments of joy as just as important to highlight and share with the world. What songs are you listening to that celebrates queer joy? Has this blog helped you discover a new artist? Let me know in the comments!  

Written and compiled by Kristen Petronio