Vogue shined a lot on some of the very best new queer artists setting their solidarity messages to song and included trans artist Jakk Fynn on its list. From the TikTok favorite Kaash Paige to Americana singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun and Love, Simon star Keiynan Lonsdale—these eight global artists are at the forefront of new queer music.
1. Joy Oladokun
Raised in rural Arizona and currently residing in Los Angeles, Oladokun—who describes herself as a “sensitive stoner”—has already been compared to Adele, Tracy Chapman, and Stevie Nicks, thanks to the rawness that runs through her mesmerizing hybrid of Americana, folk, and pop. She describes her haunting track “Bad Blood” as an apology to herself, while the stirring “Breathe Again” paints anxiety as a devil lurking in the basement: “Collecting debts I didn’t owe.” With such striking songwriting, it’s little wonder she’s amassing fans such as Ciara, who announced her second pregnancy to the outstanding “No Turning Back.” Watch out for Oladokun’s forthcoming album, In Defense of My Own Happiness, Volume 1, out July 17.
2. Arlo Parks
Still a teenager, 19-year-old London singer Parks makes music that will both break your heart and fill it with love. The recently released “Black Dog” is a devastating dissection of depression while the confessional “Cola” dismisses a former partner with an “I loved you to death, and now I don’t really care.” “Eugene,” on the other hand, is a song that many queer people can relate to, as Parks contemplates falling in love with a friend. A colossal talent that has a great future ahead of her.
3. Kaash Paige
Currently counting 331,000 followers on Instagram, the Dallas-born teen—whose first name stands for “Kill All Arrogance Stop Hatred”—has a loquacious late-night R&B sound that’s clocked up millions of streams. Last year, she released the eight-track EP Parked Car Convos, which reflected on “Fake Friends,” bad women and bad habits, and featured the super-sultry TikTok favorite “Love Songs,” which captured the attention not only of Kylie Jenner but the charts, spending six weeks at the top of Spotify’s viral countdown. Just this week, Paige dropped the wonderfully woozy “Jaded,” while her debut album, Teenage Fever, is out this summer.
4. Keiynan Lonsdale
He played the love interest in the gay high school rom-com Love, Simon, and it was that film that gave Australian actor and singer Keiynan Lonsdale the impetus to come out. The deceptively charming clapback single “Rainbow Dragon” gave a clue as to what to expect from his debut album Rainbow Boy, a “queer AF and Black AF” album, as he said recently on Instagram. One highlight is “Gay Street Fighter,” in which he declares “everyone” is gay, “even God.” With nearly 1 million followers and two films in the works—the Alicia Keys–produced Work It and Weetzie Bat, alongside Sasha Lane and his Love, Simon costar Nick Robinson—Lonsdale’s future at the forefront of queer culture is assured.
5. Jakk Fynn
Self-described transmasculine Latinx singer Jakk Fynn, who grew up in a Mexican evangelical Christian household, recently discussed some of the devastating implications of being trans while undertaking the most simple of interactions, such as going to the store. The Los Angeles singer’s music explores gender construction, challenging ideas of masculinity as well as championing self-love and acceptance on tracks such as “Fire” and the recent single “Heal,” taken from his wonderful EP Cancelled, released in February 2020.
Check out the full article in Vogue here.