10s List: 10 Tracks from Queer Artists for Your Party Playlists
- Nicole Basham
- Oct 1
- 7 min read
Another Pride month has come and gone, but supporting queer artists year-round, especially local and independent artists, is vital to our community. Corporate pride sponsorships drastically reduced this year, so it's a great time to find ways to directly support LGBTQIA+ musicians and producers in your community. Get tickets to a show, buy some merch, and make sure you are showing up (as you feel comfortable to). Below is a list of ten up-tempo tracks from amazing queer artists of varying club-adjacent genres to give some inspiration for your next party playlist . . . or 3 AM solo-listening session.
SOPHIE - "Live in My Truth" (feat. BC Kingdom and LIZ)
This, in my opinion, is the ultimate pride track from a pioneering trans artist and producer who changed music forever. It is impossible to understand modern electronica without discussing SOPHIE. SOPHIE made great strides in the art pop (AKA avant pop/hyperpop) world and the music industry by creating digital tracks formulated entirely from unique synthesizer sounds she developed. Initially anonymous, SOPHIE seemed to confirm her identity as a trans woman with the release of the music video for "It's Okay to Cry" in 2018. Recently, fans were excited by a re-release of her 2015 debut EP Product, featuring two new tracks, "OOH" and "GET HIGHER."
"When the last time you let it all out? (Huh?) / When the last time you screamed and shout? (Rush) / When the last time you had a night out? (What?) / Partying with your friends on the cloud (Ah) / When the last time you shook it all out? (Oh)"
Suggestions for further listening:
"HARD"; "Immaterial"; "Reason Why" (feat. Kim Petras and BC Kingdom); "GET HIGHER"; "Whole New World" (Sophie and Doss Remix)
Rebecca Black - "Sugar Water Cyanide"
Do you like to get down on Friday? Whether you love or hate her childhood hit, Rebecca Black's recent album Salvation cements her status as a serious player in the world of queer pop. The title can be interpreted as her pursuit of 'salvation,' in escaping her viral fame, as well as her embracing her queer identity and selfhood. "Sugar Water Cyanide" is a new twist on a classic club track, with aggressive beats and heavily manipulated vocals in the chorus creating a catchy, shimmery confection perfect for a late-night party anthem.
Suggestions for further listening:
"Salvation"; "Twist the Knife"; "heart2" by umru; Petal Supply, Rebecca Black; and (of course) "Friday (Remix)" feat. 3OH!3, Big Freedia, and Dorian Electra
Tyler, the Creator: "DEATHCAMP" (feat. Cole Alexander)
Tyler, the Creator appeared to confirm his LGBTQIA+ identity with the release of his 2017 album Flower Boy, but lyrics on earlier tracks, such as "DEATHCAMP," demonstrate that his queerness has always been embedded in his work.
"La-di-da-di, I'm going harder/Than coming out the closet to conservative Christian fathers"
On his track, "Domo23," Tyler directly confronts the tense relationship he had with certain members of the gay community who believed Tyler to be mocking them in his lyrics rather than possibly speaking from a place of genuine queer experience. This, at least in part, could be due to the lack of visibility of black queer or bisexual men within LGBTQIA+ spaces.
"And said I was a racist homophobic / So I grabbed Lucas and filmed us kissing / Feelings getting caught, it's off, I'm pissing / You think I give a fuck? I ain't even stick my dick in yet (No homo, too soon)"
On Flower Boy, a more moody and subdued album for Tyler, his lyrics take on a confessional, rather than confrontational, tone:
"I've been kissing white boys since 2004"
I have personally greatly enjoyed seeing Tyler's evolution as an artist, and his ninth studio album DON'T TAP THE GLASS dropped this past July.
Suggestions for further listening:
"I Ain't Got Time!"; "RUN" (feat. Chaz Bundick and ScHoolboy Q); "CHERRY BOMB"; "Thought I was Dead" (feat. ScHoolboy Q & Santigold)
Alice Longyu Gao - "Kanpai"
A few months ago, I had the pleasure of seeing Alice Longyu Gao in concert, and they absolutely killed it. For a relatively small crowd in San Francisco, they managed to keep the crowd hyped, jumping, and singing along with their hyper-catchy choruses throughout the show. They played the harp beautifully, mixed beats in real time, and were clearly singing live the entire show. Anytime I can get $20 concert tickets, I'm happy regardless, but Gao truly made this a special experience with their witty remarks between songs, high-energy performances, and a willingness to connect with fans on a personal level, even staying after the show to greet them and sign autographs. Small and medium-sized venues, like the Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco, where I attended, are crucial community gathering places that allow independent artists to thrive and share their work, so I would definitely recommend thinking outside-the-stadium next time you want to see a live show.
Suggestions for further listening:
"Lesbians <3"; "Come 2 Brazil"; "(Intro) Let's Hope Heteros Fail, Learn, and Retire"; "Bleeding in the Studio"
Dua Saleh - "fitt" (with Amaarae)
Dua Saleh is a Sudanese-American artist who first began to generate critical attention with their five-track EP Nūr. Their style fuses hypnotic raps with expansive R&B melodies and electronic-pop beats. In 2020, I became fascinated with their songs "cat scratch," and "angel rock." The song "fitt" begins with pounding drum beats and the repeated lines:
"Physically, physically fit / Catcher in the rye, want a taste of it / Boom Mumbai wanna feel my grit / People in the Bronx wanna take a trip"
The song then abruptly shifts to a soft layer of harp glissandos. It unfolds through flowing, harmonious verses and sharp returns to the chorus, ending with the sound of lapping waves. This fusion of disparate sounds and tempos emphasizes the heady, cosmic layering Dua enjoys harshly interrupting to create their unique style. They are also a prominent actor and activist, focusing on bringing awareness to the school-to-prison pipeline and advocating for their home country of Sudan.
Suggestions for further listening:
"mOth"; "macrodosing - Spotify Singles"; "umbrellar"; "chosen"
Studio Killers - "Jenny (I Wanna Ruin Our Friendship)"
Although the official identities of members of the digital band Studio Killers have not been confirmed, their queer anthem "Jenny" went viral on websites like TikTok almost a decade after its initial release. The wistful depiction of WLW relationships resonated with the online masses, even spawning a new remix featuring Kim Petras. Their unique musical and visual animation style keeps the band's fans hungry for new releases after their eponymous 2013 debut album; their latest 2024 single "Valentine" helps to continue their dance-pop legacy with soaring vocals from frontwoman "Cherry" and her explosive EDM bandmates.
Suggestions for further listening:
"Ode to the Bouncer"; "Eros and Apollo"; "All Men are Pigs"; "Dirty Car"; "Valentine"
Shygirl - "Heaven"
Shygirl rose to prominence by refining her dreamy, deconstructed club and hip hop sounds with experimental producers such as Sega Bodega and SOPHIE. Her 2022 album Nymph garnered critical praise, and she recently served as the opener for the SWEAT tour with Charli XCX and Troye Sivan. I became obsessed with her 2022 single "Cleo" and her feature on FKA Twigs' 2022 album Caprisongs. Shygirl brings the sultry vibes of an old-fashioned nightclub singer to the digital age. Her songs hinge on notions regarding the seductive powers of fantasy and explore how the internet can create these otherworldly forms. While there is a great version with Tinashe, linked in the music video below, I actually prefer the original solo version, which is included in the playlist at the end of this article.
Suggestions for further listening:
"Cleo"; "4eva" (feat. Empress of, Kingdom); "Wifey Riddim" - George Daniel Remix (feat. Jorja Smith and SadBoi); "encore" - Shygirl, Danny Harle, Club Shy; "Papi Bones" FKA Twigs feat. Shygirl
yeule - "Evangelical Girl is a Gun"
I have been a big fan of yeule since hearing their 2019 debut album Serotonin II. Tracks like "Pixel Affection" first captured my attention, while their 2022 Glitch Princess made me a serious fan of the indie-electronic-outsider icon. I highly recommend giving both a start-to-finish listen. Their 2025 album Evangelic Girl is a Gun certainly didn't disappoint, bringing a sense of danceability and club sensibilities that cut through their insightful songwriting and synth-pop explorations of emotional and physical pain. Despite the listenability of the new album, yeule certainly has not lost their edge or the sense of darkness that initially endeared them to masses of online listeners.
Suggestions for further listening:
"Electric"; "Tequila Coma"; "Bites on My Neck"; "Pixel Affection"; "We Are Making Out" - Mura Masa, Yeule
Dizzy Fae - "Body Move"
Dizzy Fae's 2018 Free Form Mixtape mixes R&B stylings with synth and hip-hop influences, creating a sound that is often described as genreless. On her song "Baby Pillz," Dizzy Fae's soft vocals pair beautifully with her lyrical compositions over electronic beats:
"What do you see / Yea your exotic stare can keep me / What will we be / When time isn't agreeing / And my habits pick back up from / Me just loving me"
Her alternative, hazy sounds coalesced again into 2019's NO GMO Mixtape. While these mixtapes maintain a slowed-down, crooning vibe for most of the tracks, later releases such as 2021's "Body Move" embrace club beats with nostalgic rap aesthetics and references.
"I just might do it again / Imma speak it to you quiet like the Ying Yang Twins"
The above line even inspired the Ying Yang Twins to hop on board for a remix and collaborative music video.
The original video (linked below) is also certainly worth watching, as it utilizes green screens aggressively to create alternate realities and vibrant digital worlds, matching the multi-dimensional, kinetic energy of the track. This song is definitely the perfect dance track, fulfilling the promise of the first line: "It'd be so cruel if I didn't let my body move/(I just might do it some more)."
Suggestions for further listening:
"Baby Pillz"; "Altar"; "Inner Witches"; "Lifestyle"
Frank Ocean - "Chanel"
This track is a great transition from the party to the after-party. The tone of the song is chill, but Ocean's lyrics hint at a deeper exploration of himself as a musical artist and notions of gender or sexual fluidity. Frank Ocean is notoriously silent about his private life, but his lyrics reveal expansive identities, perhaps best captured by the pun of being able to "see on both sides like Chanel."
"My guy pretty like a girl / And he got fight stories to tell / I see both sides like Chanel / See on both sides like Chanel"
The song progresses to include meta-references to Ocean's reluctance to speak publicly about himself and his identities. In the asides of the following secondary refrain, he interjects on more commonplace lyrics and themes of modern rap.
"I rubber band a bunch of thousand dollar Delta gift cards / (I mean, my baby bi) / Amazin' the cash online unknown / (I mean, my baby bi) / Blazin' the dash, countin' money at home"
Suggestions for further listening:
"Ivy"; "Moon River"; "Super Rich Kids"; "White Ferrari"
Check out the full Spotify playlist for this article below. What do you want to read about next on Enharmonic Magazine? Let us know in the comments!