As the weather gets cooler, turn up the heat on your playlists with some new tracks from your favorite queer artists. Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ+ artists.
From Demi Lovato’s latest pop banger to Doechii’s team-up with pop-rock singer Alemeda, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Demi Lovato, “Kiss”
“I kiss for fun/ It’s fun to kiss,” a glitchy Demi Lovato chants on the opening of her new track. “I use my tongue/ L-l-l-like this.” If there was any question about what Lovato’s aim was with her upcoming album It’s Not That Deep, “Kiss” dispels any doubt — Demi is here to have a good time, period. This electropop dance track sees Lovato letting loose in a way that recalls the carefree vibes of songs like “Cool for the Summer” or “Really Don’t Care,” but this time with her tongue firmly planted in her cheek and her lips curled into a smirk.
Alemeda & Doechii, “Beat a B!tch Up”
At first glance, it may seem like a team up between pop-rock singer Alemeda and rising rap superstar Doechii isn’t a surefire win. But within a few seconds of “Beat a B!tch Up,” both artists prove exactly why they work so well together. Over a chugging punk-adjacent melody, both Alemeda and Doechii flex their vocal chops as they question why a love interest had them down so bad that they were ready to start throwing elbows.
Khalid, After the Sun Goes Down
Many refer to the process of coming out as a road to self-liberation, and nowhere is that more evident than on Khalid’s stunning new album After the Sun Goes Down. On a project where Khalid is finally free to say everything he wants to, the pop&B star holds nothing back as he digs through the thorny complications of modern love. Whether he’s brushing off a clingy, manipulative ex (“Nah”), struggling with a label for his situationship (“Yes No Maybe”) or settling into a tender sense of love (“Angel Boy”), Khalid lets all the best parts of his artistry shine throughout After the Sun Goes Down.
Brandi Carlile, “A War With Time”
We’ve all had that moment where we realize how quickly time is passing — yet when Brandi Carlile sings about it on “A War With Time,” it feels like a new concept. Over simple acoustic guitars, Carlile narrates a story of finding herself lost in a memory, before trying to snap herself back to the present moment. As her voice soars on the stunning chorus, Carlile demands the old vision of her past life to leave her alone: “Don’t even ask me, just go,” she sings.
Towa Bird, “Your Girl”
Towa Bird doesn’t even have to try that hard to get the girls interested, as she spells out in her new song “Your Girl.” Coming off the season two soundtrack of Netflix’s Nobody Wants This, “Your Girl” sees Bird having a frank conversation with her romatic interest’s current partner, informing them bluntly that they’re “driving her crazy” and that “the harder you push, the more she’s wanting to leave.” Her effortless sense of casual charisma only further lends to the song’s brush-off attitude, making “Your Girl” an absolute must-listen.
Lucy Dacus, “Losing”
Who doesn’t love a victory lap? After wowing audiences earlier this year with her excellent solo album Forever Is a Feeling as well as her headline-making tour, Lucy Dacus is officially back with a deluxe version of the project Forever Is a Feeling: The Archives, including demos, a Jim Croce cover, extended songs, live renditions and even an acoustic “wedding version” of her song “Best Guess.” But amongst all the additional tracks is one gorgeous, brand new song “Losing,” in which Dacus lets her haunting voice narrate a poetic, tragic song about allowing yourself to feel deeply and let go of your inhibitions, for better or worse.
Jay Som feat. Hayley Williams, “Past Lives”
Among the many excellent songs on Jay Som’s phenomenal newly released album Belong, there is one shining track that stands just slightly above the rest. “Past Lives,” the drifting, transient ode to tearing oneself apart, sees Melina Duterte teaming up with Paramore star Hayley Williams in a song that feels like two artists shifting into a shared liminal space to confront their respective demons. Over mid-tempo guitars and drums, and with a pair of vocals that fit perfectly together, Duerte and Williams spin gold out of their new duet.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
