#the lyrics we know so far are beautiful & poignant

[grunge-mermaid]

ok I need C'est La Vie released as a single asap

or better yet, the full album please and thank you

[cricketnationrise]

Hiiii! for the ficlet fest c: 5:21am. Kensington Palace. Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor. Song Lyric: "Even though this white wall is unchanging. The morning sun shines on it, and the clock moves forward. I keep moving further away. From the seasons we spent together"

OH HELLO FRIEND. sorry in advance, this one is a bunch of arthur feels. you have been warned.

read the rest of the ficlets here

❤️🤍💙❤️🤍💙

5:21am, kensington

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

In the hours of false dawn, the only sound in Henry’s room is the ticking of the ornate, heirloom, and completely gaudy grandfather clock. Every swing of the pendulum marks another moment that Henry should still be asleep—another moment closer to his next event. 

Another moment that his dad has been gone.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Henry’s insomnia didn’t appear until after the cancer had ravaged his father’s body, had hollowed out his mother, had transformed Philip into someone he didn’t recognize, and had sent Bea careening down a path Henry could not follow. Even now, months after he and Bea clawed their way back to each other and settled as much as possible into the new normal, it seems the broken sleep is here to stay. 

He’s doing better, on the whole. Regular therapy appointments—despite the Queen’s disdain for the whole endeavor—and medication have gotten Henry to the point where he can get through most days. He can put on a media face (bland, inoffensive, stoic, proper) and get through whatever nonsense The Crown has sent him to attend without visibly crumbling to pieces. It’s at night, with no distractions or witnesses, that Henry can let the mask fade away—can feel.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

It's still strange to think that his dad is gone. Every day is another one that Arthur won’t be there for. He won’t get to do another puzzle with Bea. He won’t see Henry graduate from uni. He won’t be there to see the next season at the Globe. He won’t be there when the Queen starts insisting Henry join the military. He just won’t be there, his absence a dark cloud over every triumph and fall, every mundane moment and milestone from here on out. 

But Henry will be here, stuck in this gilded cage of tradition and expectations—staring at the white walls of his bedroom, unable to fall asleep. 

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The sun is actually coming up now—a wearily familiar sight. As much as Henry wishes he could sleep like he used to, the golden glow on his bedroom walls is beautiful. The sunlight is dappled today, peeking through the leaves of the tall trees on the grounds of Kensington, creating an intricate, ever-shifting pattern of shadows as the sun rises. 

Henry thinks could write an entire anthology of poems about sunrises, actually. There’s something poignant about the juxtaposition of a new day while he’s still looking out of the chasm his dad’s death left inside him. He can see clear sky at the rim, but the light feels so far away.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

He knows Dad wouldn’t have wanted Henry to be so despondent, would have wanted Henry to be living his life as much as possible. Would have wanted Henry to find a way to move forward into his future. He knows that Arthur would have been the most excited to meet Henry’s therapy dog later today.

The idea was brought up by his therapist a month ago, and today it is finally happening. Henry was going to meet the dog that had been picked out for him. Hopefully he and the dog will be a good match or the whole process will start all over again. Henry would be stressing about it, but—

With bright sunlight climbing up the walls, the gentle ticking of the clock, and the memory of his father’s smile at the forefront of his mind, Henry has a good feeling about the day ahead.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

[thatgirl4815]

I really hope that the lyrics of the song Ray was singing in the record store is not foreshadowing for the finale. I'm a bit scared though because the song lyrics they picked in this series seems to be pretty literal as far. I read somewhere on twitter that the director said no one dies, but there is still the possibility of a metaphorical death if Ray decides to give up on a healthy mental state and just stop caring about being alive in case his relationship with Sand doesn't work. If the creators decide to put in this dramatic turn I would accept if it's executed well and the scenes are coherent and logical, but I would still be sad. Don't have big hopes right now though.

I know that scene with Ray singing at the record store is played for laughs, but I agree that the specific lyrics he sings are actually quite reflective of SandRay's situation...

"If today I have your love to refuel me

I might have enough energy to move forward

If only my heart had been filled with love

I wouldn't have died"

It's also sad because I imagine Ray listening to this song by himself and really relating to those lyrics, especially in the wake of the therapy scene in Ep10.

I'm feeling fairly certain that things will work out alright between Sand and Ray because of the emotional investment that the series has very intentionally built up. Again, if BOEING of all people is the one who breaks them apart and leads to Ray being alone, that would feel like an incredibly cheap ending. Not to mention, I think it would also lessen the impact of that beautiful scene to end Ep10. That's yet another reason why I wish we would've had Boeing enter the conflict earlier--Ep10 feels like peak conflict for Sand and Ray given the weight of Ray's addiction and his acknowledgment of his feelings for Sand. This conflict feels lesser by comparison, which doesn't mean it isn't a valid conflict per se, but in my mind it does not compare to the sheer impact of the apartment fight, the imaginary Sand scene, and the apology scene to follow at the beginning of Ep11.

Also, for me personally, if Top and Mew end up together but Sand and Ray don't make it, I think that would be the biggest punch to the face. Sand and Ray's storyline is, in my opinion, so much more poignant; for it to end on a hopeless note would almost feel like a betrayal atp.

[withoutyouimsaskia]

The Placebo Effect

When it comes to music, for me, there is no other band that compares to Placebo.

Placebo came into my life when I was around 9 or 10 and they changed my life. I didn't understand the gravity of the lyrics in many of the songs but I loved the sound of them. It was unlike anything I had ever heard before (or since for that matter).

Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal inspire me every day. They are two of my favourite people on the planet. The influence they have on me is profound. I find solace and joy in their art and their aesthetic informs a lot of the choices I make with clothing and makeup.

Their music is a safe space.

They are the reason I created a Tumblr profile; I wanted photos and GIFs of them on tap. My username and bio description are Placebo related and my profile picture was taken with a special filter they released when the Surrounded by Spies single was released in 2021.

I was fortunate enough to see them live for the first time last night (13/06/23) in my favourite venue. Second row. Right in front of Brian. So close that I could see the blue-green of their eyes.

Right from the opening chords of Forever Chemicals, I went to another plane and still haven't come back.

This was the one. The perfect concert.

They are masters of their craft. The mix of older and newer songs. The relevance of the lyrics. Every note was poignant and visceral. The power in Brian's voice was stunning.

Seeing the enjoyment on Brian and Stefan's faces as they smiled and gave knowing looks to each other, it warmed my heart. I made eye contact with both of them several times and being able to connect with them like that was unbelievably special.

I sang to every song, and danced and jumped. I threw my hands up and shook my hair around. I cried when they played Song to Say Goodbye and Happy Birthday in the Sky. I kept putting my hand on my chest, right over my heart, so I could feel the vibrations of the music. I let go of my inhibitions. I love that they encouraged a no phone/camera policy; it was a room full of people living in a unique moment. For 23 songs, they had us in the palm of their hands.

It was a gift to share that time with them. To watch them do what they love and to hear songs that I connect to on such a deep emotional level.

When they left, the cheers and clapping went on for ages and I started to process what had just happened.

Outside, I reunited with the friends I had made while queuing and inside the venue, and we had a very excitable de-brief together, took group photos and exchanged contact details.

It was a perfect evening. I was euphoric. Floating far above the metaphoric clouds.

And then I met Stefan. Actual Stefan Olsdal. One of my absolute favourite people. I had written a letter to him and Brian and decided to ask the security people outside the tour bus if they could get it to them. I got an even better and totally unexpected offer: "would you like to meet Stefan?"

The next thing I know, he's coming out the bus to specifically speak to me.

It was so easy to talk to him. He's very softly spoken and sweet. He asked me how long I had been following them and was surprised at how young I had been. He also seemed excited that it was my first time seeing them.

I did gush a bit incoherently but he was lovely and and comforting. His replies to my praise were humble and precious. I loved seeing his smile up close. He also gives very satisfying and long hugs. I adore the photo we took together and I will treasure it forever.

I mean, look at Stefan's beautiful face.

Thank you Placebo for your art, and for last night. It was like being in a dream. I will never be the same again ❤️

[luc3]

(ce serait trop long à expliquer.)

Je n'arrive plus à écrire. Il faut que j'écrive.(Encore l'injonction. Tout n'est qu'injonction.) Je n'ai plus que les envolées lyriques de l'insomniaque, quand l'inspiration te saisit, comme un envol puis te laisse exsangue, tu n'as rien pu noter, c'était vraiment beau. Tu n'as rien pu noter.

C'était le jour où elle avait assigné sa pseudo autorité devant le petit Ruisseau, une plume comme messagère, un petit brin d'oseille et de roseau. Le serpent regimba, piaffa, mais ne rua pas. Mais Il ne fut pas content non plus. Les chants d'oiseaux s'en donnaient à cœur joie, comme pour la moquer. Comme pour la désigner. Elle convint alors d'une Promesse, et on sait qu'il ne faut jamais faire de promesse en l'air avec les serpents-les typhons, les êtres de l'autre côté du voile et leurs alliés. Ce texte est sûrement pour ne pas oublier.

Oui. Je voudrais tant arriver à consigner. Tellement de noms, de gens, de choses, de lieux, de sourires, de peurs. À noter.

One for beginning.Two means exchanges.. Three shows things growing...Four does not change. Le changement s'étire à perte de vue comme un champ vide, un champ fauché, un champ même pas une chanson, une vitre même pas en verre, quelque chose de stérile et triste.

J'ai besoin d'écrire. J'étouffe. Écrire. J'étouffe. Il y a un œil et ses milles manières. Il y a tout à l'heure cette minuscule fleur. Il y a le Père qui n'a dit qu'une seule parole : son Fils. Et le Silence éternel en est l'écho. Il y a l'amour qui me broie, qui me ploie. L'amour qui ronge tout et ne résout rien.

L'impuissance de celle qui veut agripper. L'impuissance des tout petits.

Mais Il est allé nu-pieds et nu-tête, seul et en haillons, flanqué de son armée de pauvres, il a dansé sous le soleil qui nait de la ténèbre et se donne à tous, sans distinction. Il a crié au Désert, il a communié en Nature. Il a consolé et il a puni.

Comme Vous.

Et tout à l'heure cette araignée minuscule et noire dans l'oratoire si blanc. D'un blanc de coton, un blanc de nuages, d'un silence comme les vagues. Si poignant, si tendu, qu'il en vibre.

Et puis, les gens moi, ne sont bons qu'à être soignés ! La maladie seule est capable de te rendre la dignité que tu t'es aliéné, oh monstre capitaliste.

-

(English below)

I can no longer write. I have to write. (Again the injunction. Everything is only injunction.) I only have the lyrical flights of the insomniac, when inspiration seizes you, like a flight then leaves you bloodless , you couldn't notice anything, it was really beautiful. You couldn't write anything down.

It was the day when she had assigned her pseudo authority before the little Stream, a feather as a messenger, a little sprig of sorrel and reed. The snake kicked, pawed, but did not really kick. But He wasn't happy either. The songs of birds gave themselves up to their heart's content, as if to make fun of her, as if to name her. She then agreed to a Promise, and we know never to make empty promises with serpents-typhoons, beings on the other side of the veil and their allies. This text is surely not to forgot.

Yes. I would so much like to be able to consign. So many names, people, things, places, smiles, fears.

One for beginning. Two means exchanges.. Three shows things growing…Four does not change. Change stretches as far as the eye can see like an empty field, a mown field, a field not even a song, a window not even made of glass, something sterile and sad.

I need to write. I choke. To write. I choke. There is an eye and its thousand ways. There is this tiny flower just now. There is the Father who spoke only one word : his Son. And the eternal Silence is its echo. There is love that crushes me, that bends me. The love that eats away at everything and solves nothing.

The helplessness of the one who wants to cling. The helplessness of the little ones.

But, He went barefoot and bareheaded, alone and in rags, flanked by his army of the poor, he danced under the sun which is born from darkness and gives itself to all, without distinction. He cried out in the Desert, He communed in Nature. He consoled and he punished.

Like you.

And just now that tiny, black spider in the so white oratory. White cotton, white clouds, a silence like the waves. So poignant, so tense, it vibrates.

Besides, people myself, are only good for being cared for! Illness alone is capable of restoring to you the dignity that you have alienated from yourself, oh capitalist monster.

[shadowetienne]

One of the things that I wanted to do before diving further into my breakdown of the individual songs on the album and their themes was to look through what they actually wrote as the description of the MV for "dOpamine" and the album as a whole on YouTube.

Overall, it's interesting, if not incredibly well proofread, and helps me tie together some of my thoughts on what the album was going for in conjunction with what it achieved.

[Under the cut for length, contains the full text of the description along with my notes.]

OnlyOneOf is returning in January 2024 with their new album [Things I Can’t Say Love]. This upcoming long-titled album will mark the peak of the musical direction OnlyOneOf has built up so far.

It's interesting to think about this as being described as the "peak" of their musical direction. If I think of it in terms of the climax of story telling, that means we are now moving towards a resolution, and there's still quite a bit of important story telling left in the arc of this story. It's interesting to me that this goes with a performance based MV, but also tells me that if we want to pay attention to how it connects with the story, that paying attention to the lyrics and how it ties into the idea of "things I can't say [about] love" is important!

Lovers who feel their love isn’t blessed, feelings that had to be hidden and concealed. What is often called the minor path of love is brought to light and expressed through songs.

I love how they keep coming back to this oblique and yet so obvious phrasing about lovers who have not been blessed. It's a tie that travels through a lot of their descriptions and calls back the undergrOund idOl series. It's a poignant and beautiful bit of phrasing, and I find that using it here ties in well with the idea of what cannot be said. Yeah, we as people who engage in their work, as queer readers/viewers/listeners of their story, know exactly what they mean, but it's definitely the sort of phrasing that is born of the closet, though perhaps the glass closet. I think that the phrasing of "expressed through songs" is important here because I think that a lot of the important stories and messages of the album are in the lyrics, not the MV. (Hopefully we will get a second MV with story, or a follow up set of promotions of some sort that will be more story based, but I'm not holding my breath.) I'm also going to note that it's interesting that the only song without words in the album is "things I can't say, lOve" and hold onto the thought that it's maybe important that they didn't put words to that or make it a full track.

The well-made dance tracks of OnlyOneOf delicately add up another layer. The title song “dOpamine” refers to the term of the excitement and pleasure of being in love. It is a song about the love that one unknowingly falls into. As a UK drum and bass genre, the song captivates listeners with its addictive melodies that continue in repetition.

I'll have more to say about this later, but it's interesting to think about this in the context of "the love that one unknowingly falls into" from the queer lens. This isn't necessarily a song about a healthy sort of love, but it's definitely an interesting set of connections to the realization of queer love, especially first queer love.

Another track “O” [**in the Korean, this discusses "give me the lOve, bitch"**] highlights the boyish charm of OnlyOneOf with its refreshing sounds just like the music in a Pocari Sweat commercial.

OK, so there's some editing/typo issues in this paragraph. I think that this is talking about "give me the lOve, bitxx" based on the Korean, which is I'm guessing better proofread. It's interesting to see this given the highlight of "boyish charm." It's definitely a song that seems like it comes from a place of immaturity.

Also, “circle” [**I am assuming that "circle" is "O"] is a track with dope sounds, further solidifying the unique style of OnlyOneOf under the leadership of Haeil, who has been directing OnlyOneOf music so far.

Second half of the typo paragraph. "O" has so many callbacks to previous songs, both lyrically and sound wise. While the "dOpamine" MV calls back visually to "time leap," "O" calls back sound wise to both debut tracks of "time leap" and "savanna" which makes it interesting to me that they've highlighted the involvement of Haeil who's worked with them throughout here. Also good for them to shoutout their team!

Created by Nine, a member of OnlyOneOf, the track “gravity” showcases Nine’s prowess as a producer, expressing the shifts in emotions that are pulled in like gravity through a flowing melody.

It's so important that "gravity" is the resolution of the album, and I love that it's Nine's song that has that spot. I feel like there's definitely a lot of finishing in the place of starting to actually figure things out that is very right. Moving from a track where one of the producers they've worked with for a long time is the highlight to the one where Nine as a member who is doing a lot of their writing and producing is a highlight is also an interesting mirror of their career.

After the web drama “Bump Up Business,” where every member broadened their acting spectrum and expanded their worldview beyond music, OnlyOneOf is returning to their main job in a long time with the release of [Things I Can’t Say Love]. The comeback once again proves why OnlyOneOf has steadily built its dedicated fan base overseas.

I feel so touched that they call out their overseas fans as a big part of their fanbase that they've built up. I feel like it says something about how the tour was for them, and hopefully their excitement for the upcoming tour. I wish for them the same amount of love and acceptance at home someday as well. I also hope that this tour is even better for them than the first one was. I'm also glad that they are calling out BUB as an important part of their body of work.

Overall, I think that this description reinforces that this album is a queer narrative that they are telling, and I love that that queer narrative really ties back to some of their work before their work became undeniably queer. I'm definitely going to be exploring those connections more within the connections to their body of work as I move on to talking about the different tracks.

[hobbitsetal]

Thoughts on “Songs Along The Journey”

@ellakas mentioned her album on Spotify when she shared her Spotify wrapped. Since she’s posted videos before of her singing, naturally I checked it out--she has a very lovely voice, and I was curious about her original songs. I had not yet finished the album before I shared it with friends. Having listened to it twice now, I shall be sharing it here also:

https://open.spotify.com/album/0sJKpVIYAw5mf7roo46TfA?si=NAsyXNBQSy26ruMPfMbvXA

And along with that, because what creative artist doesn’t love feedback, here are my thoughts on the tracks.

1) “Introduction” While I knew most of your story from your blog posts, I quite like how you laid it out for the album. You included a few details I didn’t know, which made the album more poignant.

2) “Morse Code” This is so dang cute. It’s just a happy little love song, one I sang along with on the second listen.

3) “Please Slow Down” cannot hear this without crying. Made my husband cry. 12/10, will induce hugging babies while sobbing quietly. My goal is to memorize it and to be able to sing it without choking up. TBD on how attainable that goal is.

4) “I’ll Keep Missing You” lol first listen I thought this was still “Please Slow Down” and was like “huh, this sounds like a completely different song.” Newsflash: it is. And it’s very sweet, full of yearning.

5) “Emmanuel Lullaby” “This was lovely” is basically a good way to summarize my thoughts on this entire album. The line “I have called you by your name” reminds me of the first episode of “The Chosen,” which is a fantastic association.

6) “Before Goodnight” This one’s charming, a little bittersweet, like the opening of “Up.”

7) “Down The Road” This is another one I sang along with on the second listen--I even played it a third time just to sing it. It’s a beautiful old-school ballad, as well as deeply personal given the backstory you’ve shared.

8) “I, the Sea” This one, I confess, I have a harder time making out all the lyrics (partly due to my speakers), but your voice is incredible and the line “self-inflicted castaway” is just...*chef’s kiss*. It sticks with me. I’m also in love with the gentle swoop of the melody, like waves.

9) “I’ll Uphold You” You know how some Christian songs feel performative? This one feels deeply personal. This is another I’d like to memorize; it’s the kind of song I’ll turn to when I go through emotional turmoil, like “Thy Will Be Done” by Amy Grant.

10) “I Didn’t Come This Far to Only Come This Far” This one is so bleakly poignant. That it’s a capella really drives home the emotions and the “dark of the soul” that you went through. It’s painful and incredibly lovely, the sort of song one listens to in absolute silence. You also absolutely have a gorgeous voice that does not require instruments.

11) “You Will Give Me Rest” I thoroughly enjoy your light sampling of classic hymns to underscore and bring out your own points. Also a huge fan of the deep human personalness of saying “I don’t feel at peace, this stuff hurts.” Yet another “I should memorize this.”

12) “The Bread” idk why this one gives me DND vibes, but it does and I love it. I also love the Old Testament connections and the beautiful importance of the material.

13) “Hearts Will Mend” A song of hope and healing, a poignant and brief summary of your past, another one for the memory banks. And the ending leads beautifully into the next song,

14) “You Are My Home (Wedding Song)” This one would be lovely in any circumstances, but with the added knowledge of your backstory, this feels like the culmination of a movie. The switch to piano from guitar was unexpected; those are my two favorite instruments, and I quite enjoy the instrumental part. If I’d heard this song four years ago, we would’ve included it in our wedding.

15) “Bonus Track (Light Has Come)” This is gorgeous and feels like the perfect close to the album! This is something I’d sing while contemplating the vastness of the ocean, or really any particularly lovely and wild bit of nature. It feels exceptionally fitting to go from the gratitude and beauty of your wedding song to this paean of praise. For all the dark and trouble that we encounter in life, Christ is still Lord, we look to a bright and glorious future-- This is a Narnia/LOTR-esque hymn. The harmonies are especially lovely.

In conclusion: new favorite album, thank you for sharing!!

[bgallen]

Jack's Lament, Ricky Skaggs, and SOS Antony Blinken

Here we are at the second Friday in October, can you believe it?! I saw on a sign today that we have 74 days until Christmas, which seems equally far away and not far away at all. I have combined a list of mostly music and some other bits. Not too terribly much, but hopefully you are able to find at least one thing to enjoy.

 I would be more than remiss to not mention what transpired last weekend in Israel. And I will share some of the words that Secretary of State Blinken, himself a Jew – his grandfather fled pogroms in Russia and his stepfather survived Auschwitz, Dachau, and Majdanek – shared October 12th in Tel Aviv.

“And yet, at the same time – at the same time that we’ve been shocked by the depravity of Hamas, we’ve also been inspired by the bravery of Israel’s citizens: the grandfather, who drove over an hour to a kibbutz under siege, armed only with a pistol, and rescued his kids and grandkids; the mother who died shielding her teenage son with her body, giving her life to save his, giving him life for a second time; the volunteer security teams on the kibbutzes, who swiftly rallied to defend their friends and neighbors, despite being heavily outnumbered. And we are lifted by the remarkable solidarity of the Israeli people, demonstrated in the long lines of people giving blood, in the hundreds of thousands of reservists who’ve mobilized, some rushing home from abroad, people around the country opening their homes to fellow citizens displaced from the south…..Anyone who wants peace and justice must condemn Hamas’s reign of terror. We know Hamas doesn’t represent the Palestinian people or their legitimate aspirations to live with equal measures of security, freedom, justice, opportunity, and dignity. We know Hamas – instead of promoting the well-being of its citizens – rules repressively and dedicates the resources it has to terror tunnels and rockets. We know Hamas didn’t commit its heinous acts with the interests of the Palestinian people in mind. We know Hamas does not stand for the future that Palestinians want for themselves and for their children. Hamas has only one agenda: to destroy Israel and to murder Jews.”

  Now for the list,  

·       JACK'S LAMENT | Low Bass Singer Cover | The Nightmare Before Christmas | Geoff Castellucci - YouTube, I have yet to tire of this soundtrack. Geoff has a beautiful voice and his ability to maneuver his voice is incredible.

·       Toby Keith - Don't Let the Old Man In (Official Lyric Video) - YouTube, beautiful, beautiful  song…feels more poignant with the cancer  that he’s been facing.

·       The first ever film of Appalachian music (1928) | "Doggett Gap" - Bascom Lamar Lunsford [RESTORED] - YouTube, I do love some mountain music and it’s so incredible to see the first of people playing the music.

·       Ricky Skaggs Will The Circle Be Unbroken - YouTube, this hauntingly, beautiful song is one of my absolute favorites. And Ricky Skaggs on the mandolin is icing on the cake.

·       Relaxing Halloween Music - Pumpkin Jack O' Lanterns 🎃 Dark, Spooky Sounds, Halloween Ambience - YouTube, I do enjoy a good, themed playlist for working. This one is great for background music and not as high on “spooky” as the title implies.

·       How an advanced civilisation vanished 2,500 years ago – BBC News - YouTube, ancient civilizations is a phrase that is music to my ears. The Tartessos, around for 500 years and an advanced society yet, vanished under interesting circumstances. Fascinating short video on current excavations related to why they disappeared.  

·       All the Light We Cannot See | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube, I have not read this book but the film itself looks beautifully done – sure to be thought-provoking and heart wrenching.

·       How to Keep a Commonplace Book (And Why You Should) - YouTube, here’s a short video on keeping a commonplace book. A fascinating concept that I am sure some people may already do without having a specific name for it.  

I hope that you have an enjoyable weekend, full of lovely Autumnal festivities. I am headed off on a family vacation this coming Monday and I am very excited!

[thefloofabounds]

Runaway with me... CW: LONG post

I believe there are perfect moments. Moments that are so sweet and poignant that even recalling them lifts your mood, if only for a while. For me, one of those moments was the first time I heard Runaway by Aurora. I'm a big lover of music already, but the first time I heard this song everything in me just lifted. It was like the blooming of a flower inside myself that I didn't know was growing.

I experience what I recently learned is called frisson when I listen to certain songs. I don't know before hand what song will cause this, and they don't do it every time. I tend to refer to this as a song hitting just right. For me frisson looks like tingles that start on my scalp, work their way down from there. If the reaction is particularly strong I get full body tingles, chills, and goosebumps all at once.

That was what happened with Runaway but on a massive scale. The only way i can describe it was as a moment of pure mental and emotional bliss.

It's become my favorite song, and I've devoured everything I can find from Aurora since.

Music over all is just magical to me. It makes my brain quiet enough that I can just feel. Not an easy ask when my brain is constantly running. I spend more time analyzing my emotions than feeling them, and music lets me stop and process. That's why I listen to music whenever I read or write. It helps me run away from the overthinking, constantly examining nature of my brain and lets me just be whatever it is that I am in the moment.

It also allows me to provide soundtracks to my brain movies, which is not to be understated.

I love my music but I'm always so afraid to share my playlist with others. I'll take song recs all day long, but rarely offer them, because so often I find someone that doesn't really connect to the song I adore in the way I did. It kinda feels like sharing a piece of your soul with someone and having it fall flat when you wanted it to inspire wonder. Like, this song says something about me and who I am, and all that I want to be, and for you it's just meh. That shit stings.

My biggest fear is being rejected for who I am, and I connect so strongly to the music I love that it feels like a part of myself. Music is how I commemorate the phases of my life. I can go through my playlist and tell you what I was reading, watching, or feeling with every single song.

I've spent a really long time building the soundtrack to my life. And now I'm trying to imagine a musical about my life using my playlist. Fair warning, you WILL get Rick Rolled... I fucking love that song. Rick's voice is a thing of beauty. I will however apologize in advance for songs like Fish Heads and The Ding Dong Song, even though I find them highly amusing and they tickle me to my core.

As for my taste in music? I'd say that while my overall taste is pretty varied I do tend towards an electric/dancey/hip hop/pop combination with a slew of what I call trailer music thrown in. Like really epic songs that give you big feels. I like fast tempos, complicated lyrics, intricate musical combinations and I love a really good bass.

This is probably the most vulnerable thing I've ever posted to date but here are some of my big hitters:

Eleanor Rigby - Cody Fry version, specifically the score video if on youtube

Jaymes Young - Moondust

Amber Run - Heaven Is A Place I Know & Amen

HAEVN -We Are (Symphonic Tales)

Manchester Orchestra - The Silence

Let me know if you'd like some more recs from my playlist and don't be afraid to share your own.

If you've read this far, you're awesome, I love you, good night and sweet dreams!

[stopeatingwhales]

particles x damon albarn

the lyrics to this song are genuinely so beautiful, like i honestly cannot describe enough how much i adore this song my goodness

Pairing: present day damon x reader

Warnings: none :D

Word count: 1.881

Requested by anon <3

༉‧₊˚✧

It had been two months since I had last seen him. Two whole months since he had set foot in our home; two whole months since he said goodbye to leave for tour. The home that we shared had began to inhabit a sense of eeriness, some nights the walls began to feel as if they were closing in on me, trapping me from any interaction with the outside world, as if to hold me hostage by my own insanity, although other nights the space felt extremely large, almost too big for one person to be able to waste their nights alone in, encapsulating my mind in a constant conflict of obstructive thoughts, forcing me to overthink every tiny detail that was conveyed on the pale stained walls, the wooden floorboards, the arrangement of the furniture, resulting in many a time of me moving around heavy tables and chairs until the image of the room settled my mind’s anxiety. Allowing distance to get in the lines of mine and Damon’s relationship, it was simply uncanny that I was going to miss him; he was the carcass that kept me sane, the being that granted me peace in myself, ease on my mind to prevent such mania from enrapturing my brain, the person that engulfed me into a stupor of adoration and affection that one could never understand the authentic strength until felt - what some perceive as paramour, true love, something so overstimulating that once separated such thing desperation beguiles you to surround yourself with, only a mere sensation of emptiness is all that is felt inside, as if your limbs are damaged, your insides constantly in a state of sickness that you are convinced you’re in need of some form of professional assistance, but it is simply the alchemy, the poison of the apprehension that captivates you from the estrangement from your significant other. Though that wasn’t to say that wasn’t proud of Damon; I embraced fondness and admiration for everything that he did and was so dedicated in doing, his talent and immense knowledge for the art form that speaks to you demonstrated his ability to move millions of people, uniting as one in concerts, all touched from the same, simple string of melodies, proving his true gift and genius that is inside his brain.

I tried to pry my thoughts away from the excitement that had been seeping into my veins from the fact that he was returning home today, in an attempt to focus my mind on whatever had been showing on the television, but there was no use. To be cradled in his arms was all that I had longed, the thought clouding my brain almost every single night that I had thrown my body onto the linen sheets, trying to wrap my body around the duvet to replicate the specific warmth that had enveloped my body when in his arms, his body completely dominating mine, his hands running through my hair gently, apologising with a kiss on the top of my head when he accidentally pulled too roughly, my face buried in his chest as a blush would suddenly creep onto my cheeks, our embrace fulfilling me with a nest of blooming butterflies in my body, a poignant sensation of nervousness and reverence for the man that had me cooped up in his arms, the same feelings that would embody you whilst walking past your first crush during primary school, accidentally brushing your hands against one another’s, sending your mind into overdrive as if to think that the person was the love of your life. Such emotions never left, and I doubted that they ever would; supposing that is true love, he could make me feel like a little girl squealing over her teenage idol because of how perfect he was, just from being himself.

“I’m home, love,” I heard a voice call out in the hallway, accompanied by the soft slam of the front door, the tone of voice lacing a certain amount of raspiness, perhaps from a cigarette that had just been inhaled. My head instantly turned to the door of the living room, eyes settling upon the sight of Damon, who had a small grin curved on his lips, his gaze captured with joy and desire, perhaps from gratification towards the understanding that the tour had finally ended, as well as the fact that he was able to finally see me once again - my expression equally reciprocating his happiness. Instantly jumping from my seat on the couch, I rushed over to him as I threw my arms around him, resting my ear against his chest, listening to the soft pattern of his heartbeat. As usual, his arms wrapped around my figure, tightly embracing my body, the swarm of butterflies breaking out of their cocoons, my limbs growing weak from the recognisable thrill of affection that I had desired for far too long, and had sadly not received. Feeling his lips grazing against the top of my head made my mind go fuzzy, my cheeks flushing a heat that made me feel as if I was under the beating warmth of the sun during the summer months. This is what he does to me. “How’ve you been darling? I see you’ve rearranged the place, again.” he mumbled into my head of hair, my mind still relishing in the pleasure of being in his arms again.

“I’ve missed you,” I replied, reluctantly pulling my arms away from the embrace, in order to gawk at him. A gentle chuckle rumbled from his throat, though his features accentuated pity, understanding how I must’ve felt being away from him for so long. Lightly taking hold of one of his hands, I dragged his arm, guiding him to the sofa, where both of us sat next to each other. “You were gone for so long!”

“I know love, I’ve missed you so much,” he replied, squeezing my hand in reassurance. “At least I’m not gone for any longer though.” he added, his lips curving slightly as I nodded, a similar grin planted on my lips.

“How was the tour then?” I asked, pulling his arm to wrap it around my shoulders, my body already aching for more attachment to him. “The videos I’ve seen online made it look very good.”

“It was great, honestly. Loved every bit of it.” he replied, the grip on my shoulder tightening as he attempted to haul me closer to him. Humming in agreement, I placed my head on his shoulder, cradling the moment we shared together, the moment that I had imagined and adorned each and every night he was absent, cherishing every single time that he was able to be in my presence. I depended on him greatly, as did he, and though that may be a toxic strand which can only result in turmoil; our appreciation for one another held such poise that it would draw us closer together each and every time we had conjoined together after months of being separated. “I’ve actually got something to show you.” he added, shifting from our hug and slowly stepping to his feet, taking his hand in mine, his soft but coarse palms gripping onto mine ever so slightly, urging me to stand up too. “Come with me.”

Following him closely, we headed towards his studio. I had forgotten the last time that I had set foot in it; usually I would leave Damon to work on his craft alone, since having me prance around messing with all sorts of instruments and controls wasn’t going to provide much assistance. As well as that, sitting in the room, knowing that he was away and would be for many days on, would only make me yearn for his presence more, which is the last of what I would need when not being able to fall asleep. Though whenever he would call me into the room, he would always show me the most beautifully crafted symphony, in which he would perform it so effortlessly, as if it was simply created from the top of his head at that moment. Talent like his was so scarce; it would only prove to me that it’s something you are gifted with at birth, like an extremely high intelligence quotient - he always had ideas running through his mind, melodies that would be formed from a simple tap of the table in front of him. It was a wonder in the fact that he seemingly never got burned out with creating music, it was evidently his passion, and it touched me that he would constantly ask me for my opinion on his music, as it always resonated with him, always held such importance.

When we walked inside the studio, I followed him to the grand piano that was standing by the corner of the room. I kept my body upright, behind him, as he pulled out the black stool underneath, moving it back slightly in order for him to sit on it. “Over the tour, I had some free time, so I wrote this song, it’s called Particles,” he began, his voice quiet, as if it were intertwined with a certain anxiousness about what he was about to perform. “It’s still a work in progress, but I wanted to know what you thought of it.”

As I admired his fingers softly grazing the elegant, pale keys of the piano, the melody that in which played forth me instantaneously sufficed me in a trance, bewilderment encompassing my my mind as I listened to the sounds of the alluring chords echo throughout the room, bounce off the walls, the waves of noise crafting mountainous regions of goosebumps to prickle on the bare skin exposed from my forearms. Sculpted with such elegance and formality, my mouth fell agape as he played with such ease - in that significant moment, I was subdued to his music, hypnotised into his magnificence; I could do nothing, absolutely nothing, except admire the grace that fell from his lips once he started singing. As I allowed my gaze to drift onto his face, I gawked at his demeanour, his eyes almost screwed shut, his face almost frozen in place as his body rocked back and forth to the melody that was omitted from the piano. Every word, every string of lines carried a lugubrious essence to it, a tone laced with such beautification; obvious that there were deeper implications behind said lyrics. Each line that escaped his throat exemplified the nature of what earnest fervour, authentic devotion and expertise can embody. Such melody, paired with his voice embodied with pure ethereality, as if I was being greeted by a herd of the most quaint angels, welcoming my soul into the seven heavens. A beam crawled onto my lips, my heart thumping at a million miles per hour from the amount of love I carried in my body for the man in front of me.

Once the song ended, a moment was held in the atmosphere of mere silence, as if to take in all that was felt, all that had vibrated through the sound waves and blessed my ears. Shifting his body so he could connect eyes with me, a gentle, welcoming smile tugged on his lips. “That’s for you.”

[fallinfl0wers]

You are a melody: lyric-based prompts (Event) (CLOSED)

"If you were to look back Would you remember it too? The hit song which was always playing In those days." -Kimi wa Melody, AKB48

Hello! I'm Mel, or Melody, and I'm a new writing blog! I put my playlists on shuffle and took some lyrics from the songs I got to make this prompt list event!

How will this event work?

Simple! Send in an ask with the prompt number + a character of any of the fandoms I write for (+ any small extra details if you want)! (for example: number 4 + xiao + gn reader + romantic + fluff)

Fandoms I write for: Genshin Impact, Ensemble Stars, Idolish7, Diabolik Lovers.

A single character per ask! You can request multiple times, but please do it in different asks!

I'll write small scenarios based on the prompts!

This event will probably be open until july 9! Might extend it for a bit or finish it a bit before, it all depends on how many requests for it I get!

**Please read the rules for requesting on my pinned post!!!

Here are the prompts!!

"Long for love even if it hurts every time." Lovesick Girls - BLACKPINK

"You pity me, but I pity you more for pitying me." Lovesick Girls - BLACKPINK

"Who will listen to the sound from the bottom of my heart after the end of the world?" 那幕 (Falling Down) - THE8

"The lonely moments just get lonelier the longer you're in love." House of Memories - Panic! at the disco

"Look, the crescent moon is beautiful." Unbalance Shadow - ZOOL

"In this fleeting moment, even if it goes against my fate, today again I pray for you." Unbalance Shadow - ZOOL

"Even if we're far apart, I'll keep singing for you with all my love." Unbalance Shadow - ZOOL

"I wish you happiness." Unbalance Shadow - ZOOL

"Just be yourself, what are you so worried about?" HOME;RUN - SEVENTEEN

"There may be no end to our journey of dreams, so let's take a break for today." HOME;RUN - SEVENTEEN

"Happiness has a tiny sorrow to it, wherein we always realize for the first time that it was happiness once we part with it." Happily Ever After - Shoko Nakagawa

"You're like a continuous, honey-like damage to me." Good to Me - SEVENTEEN

"If a second life that's different from now came to me, would I be by your side? Would you be by my side?" Second Life - SEVENTEEN

"I hope we remember each other even in our next life." Second Life - SEVENTEEN

"Being forgotten is a common thing. Why are those common occurrences rather difficult for me?" Second Life - SEVENTEEN

"It feels like time stopped. Oh, that would be my first death I've been always afraid of." Black Swan - BTS

"Every little moment becomes an eternity." Black Swan - BTS

"I still can't believe I took it all for granted." Crossroads - GFRIEND

"No matter what road I take, they will always lead back to you." Crossroads - GFRIEND

"You've always stayed by my side, didn't you?" Hitorijanai - SEVENTEEN

"There's no need for tears, because you're not alone." Hitorijanai - SEVENTEEN

"What does it mean to be 'yourself'?" Kado wo magaru - Hirate Yurina

"Open up the time where only the two of us can exist." Lilili Yabbay - SEVENTEEN

"If we could see each other with sincerity instead of with eyes, then us meeting on the 13th month will come true." Lilili Yabbay - SEVENTEEN

"Don't apologize, don't worry, don't be afraid, now, stop crying." Hug - SEVENTEEN

"To you, who had a hard day today, I'll tell you: I'm here. You've done well. I love you. Let me hug you." Hug - SEVENTEEN

"Every reason and path is beautiful because of you." Us, again - SEVENTEEN

"If we pass the turning point at the end of the road, I will protect you so you won't be worn out anymore." Us, again - SEVENTEEN

"Whatever happens to us, let's meet again." Us, again - SEVENTEEN

"A shiny light will come in to light up the darkness." Us, again - SEVENTEEN

"By sharing the warmth, we can find the way again. No need to be afraid." Us, again - SEVENTEEN

"The warmth and warm smiles at the end of the road will protect us from the time quickly passing by us." Us, again - SEVENTEEN

"I despise being ashamed of feeling inferior." 乌鸦 (Crow) - JUN

"The most sorrowful things is that encounters are regarded as a waste." 乌鸦 (Crow) - JUN

"All the crows in the world are black, but they are not heartless." 乌鸦 (Crow) - JUN

"Love is neither inferior or superior, crows can fly bravely for love too." 乌鸦 (Crow) - JUN

"The happiest thing is no more than a word of comfort." 乌鸦 (Crow) - JUN

"Giving up, but I'm still willing to keep company." 乌鸦 (Crow) - JUN

"Fate becomes a burden, sacrificng myself for your safety." 乌鸦 (Crow) - JUN

"Love is poignant, once destroyed, it will hurt." 乌鸦 (Crow) - JUN

"Sprinting towards the fire for you, absolutely in love, yet really exhausting." 乌鸦 (Crow) - JUN

"Give yourself a chance, to prove that you're actually really beautiful as well." 乌鸦 (Crow) - JUN

"You should have some good news to share, but you haven’t said very much. It makes me feel like I’m to blame for not stopping you back then." 11gatsu no anklet - AKB48

"Someday I planned to sweep my memories under the rug. But now I’m seeing you off to your boyfriend’s house." 11gatsu no anklet - AKB48

"As long as the new guy you found is someone kinder than me, there’s nothing I can do. I guess I’ll have to give up." 11gatsu no anklet - AKB48

"Times with you, Just going down the drain. Now I know, they're never coming back." Koigokoro (English Version) - Da-ICE

"I never said I love you, keeping that pain in my heart." Kimi wa melody - AKB48

"I wonder if you’re humming it, that melody from days long past." Kimi wa melody - AKB48

"I've never been in love before, so you gotta go easy on me." Count on You - Big Time Rush

"I'm glad I've met you. I love you." When the first love ends - Ryo (supercell) ft. Hatsune Miku

[bubmyg]

there was no particular reason i wrote all this down other than reading the translations to my universe made me cry last week because i’m just Like this. this is a mini compilation of yoongi lyrics that i hold gently in my palm and close to my heart in a he’s my artist for life kind of way. these aren’t all my favorite yoongi lyrics, i certainly have more but not ones that fit this general vibe. 

this is like extremely disorganized, i kind of just wrote it like a journal (and i’ll probably copy it to my bullet journal at some point actually). interpretations are my own, music is cool in that we can all read and hear the same thing and get different things out of it (which is why yoongi has often said he doesn’t attach specific meaning to things, giving it up to the listener instead)

so yeah. here’s me being fond of yoongi in 4k for no reason other than. idk. i wanted to. all translations are from doyoubangtan and doolsetbangtan. 

song request - lee sora ft suga

“I’ll be with you, for your birth and your end; That you’d remember that I’m with you, wherever you are; I’ll be a comfort for your life at any time, and so; please, that you’d lean on me and take a rest, every once in awhile.”

to me, this perfectly encapsulates what creating music is for yoongi in a two-fold kind of way. not only does he want his music to be a source of comfort for those who listen to it (just as the art of music is for himself), he’s also consistent in his assurance that taking a rest is okay. not being okay is okay. simply existing for the time being is okay. it’s a gentle empathy that comes from the experienced heart of someone who’s not going to tell you that it is okay, but will tell you that it won’t always be like this. friendly little moon trying to get you to smile with him on sleepless nights.

so far away - agust d ft suran

dream, will eventually be in full bloom at the end of hardships

this was on my undergrad graduation cap. it’s one of my favorite lyrics of all time. if so far away is my heart song, this is my heart lyric. this is a common motif in yoongi’s lyrics; dormancy is only temporary, you will bloom at the end of the cold winter.

dream, hope it to be there with you at your creation and at the end of your life

creation to end is another common motif n his lyrics. in this specific context, i imagine it to most closely be analogous to holding dreams close to you your entire life. dreams are dreams no matter how they manifest, even if they’re simply something you long for until your “end”.

Hope it to be there with you at your creation and at the end of your life; It will be generous to you wherever you stand; It will eventually be in full bloom at the end of hardships; The beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will the future be

the entirety of this song reads like a story and this last refrain reads like the conclusion (kind of). the slight wording change from the previous choruses means a lot in that regard, more definite and firm. you will be okay. maybe not now, maybe not next week. but you will be.

suga’s interlude - halsey ft suga

Though the dawn before sunrise is darkest; don’t forget the stars you longed for only rise in the darkness

just a really pretty but heart wrenching lyric in the context of the entire song. he’s also used this metaphor several times. i love me a good string of consistency with minor adaptations to fit the vibe. this song also made me cry the first time i read the translations lmao.

my universe - coldplay ft bts

Because the trial we face now is just for a moment anyway; All you have to do is to just keep shining bright like now; And we will follow you, embroidering this long night

this could mean so many things depending on how you wanted to contextualize it. of course the song is about love, so you could view it in that way. we’re in the midst of a global pandemic where we can’t see each other. or maybe it’s simply existence. continue to exist and one day your bright light will be followed even in the darkest of nights.

also the og title of telepathy being 잠시 (for a moment) is so...min yoongi you are so cool

people - agust d

Did someone say humans are the animals of wisdom?; The way I see it, humans are the animals of regret

Your ordinaries are my extraordinaries; Your extraordinaries are my ordinaries; Your ordinaries are my extraordinaries; Your extraordinaries are my ordinaries

super simple to understand which i think makes it more poignant. especially if you contextualize it with everything he’s said or written regarding the plight of fame and how he himself grapples with it as min yoongi.

28 - agust d ft niihwa

just this whole song. if song request encapsulates yoongi’s musical ethos, this captures a lot of his general musings.

paradise - bts

Just living like this, surviving like this, that’s my small dream; Dreaming dreams, grasping dreams, breathing breaths, it’s often too much

a more blunt take on the simply existing is a good enough dream. yoongi’s 2018 new years message was one of the things that made me go “yes. Him™” so paradise is very <3 for me

interlude: shadow - bts

Flying high scares me; I mean, nobody had told me; how lonely it is here –;how my leap could be my fall

another thing he uses frequently, even as recently as an interview regarding permission to dance. the contemplation of how a fall is far scarier than landing because getting back up is uncertain.

Yeah, I’m you and you’re me, do you finally get that now?; Yeah, you’re me and I’m you, do you finally get that now?

the entirety of this song is haunting particularly paired with the sampling and the music video as a visual but this part is just...the whole idea of competing internal voices throughout the narrative of the song or if you’d rather truly treat the lyrics like a piece of literature, you have quite the unreliable narrator, one that’s trying to grapple with his own sense of self.

140503 at dawn - agust d

Pretending that I’m not lonely, pretending that I’m not suffering; needlessly pretending that I’m okay, and pretending hard that I’m strong; I built a wall in front of me, “Don’t come inside”; I’m an island in this wide ocean, “Don’t abandon me”

the entirety of agust d just makes me ache but i mainly pulled this part because he uses the island metaphor consistently. here, it’s used like i said before; achingly.

this song also gets overlooked a lot in the larger context of agust d but anyway

eight - IU ft suga

Island, yeah this is an island; a small island that we made for each other; Yeah, mm, forever young, the word ‘forever’ is a sandcastle; A farewell is just like an emergency text warning of a disaster; A morning met together with yearning; As each of us pass this eternity, we’re sure to meet again on this island

can i be honest and say i forgot this song came out at the beginning of the pandemic. anyway, if you haven’t heard the various times that jieun has spoke about this song and it’s conveyance, i encourage you to. the music video also gives a beautiful visual.

i wrote a small analysis of this when it came out so i’ll just put it here 

burn it - agust d ft max

I hope you don’t forget that giving up decisively also counts as courage

of course this can absolutely be taken at a literal meaning especially considering he said a similar iteration of this to someone on kkul fm BUT i also like looking at it in context of the entire song because maybe this is him trying to convince himself too, especially considering the wording of the last chorus doesn’t change it so it implies in order to get past the fire u need to let it burn first? burn it = giving up on some aspect of pain?

i see why max didn’t shut up for eight months about making this song i wouldn’t either hello

outro: tear - bts

im including this one firstly because i love the song but secondly to say i knew the second u all were surprised by yoongi saying he wrote this as essentially a break up song for bts and they all cried while listening to it that y’all don’t actually read or interact w their lyrics fjdklafjsd

just bc it’s a rap song doesn’t mean it’s a diss or a flex. weirdos.

intro: never mind - bts

I hope you forget about all your mistakes and such; Never mind; It’s not easy, but engrave this in your heart; If you think you’re going to crash, accelerate more, you idiot; Never mind, never mind; Whatever thorny path it may be, go run; Never mind, never mind; There are a lot of things that you can’t control

the entire composition of nevermind is similar to first love and shadow to me where you can just hear the emotion in his voice while performing it

this is also another general idea that he mentions a few different times through different songs which as we’ve seen i am <3 for

intro: the most beautiful moment in life - bts

once again i don’t have a specific lyric to pull i just love this song so much and i feel like it isn’t talked about enough because first of all the use of the basketball throughout the instrumental, the incorporation of the origin of his stage name into an entire song regarding his general existence as a performer and coming into the beginnings of sizeable fame, and just his general way of essentially writing one giant ode to something he loves and analogizing it to something else he loves to talk through internal struggles.

aka im once again saying min yoongi you’re so cool

first love - bts

same line of awe from above this whole song is just a story, a poem, a journal entry, a beautiful confession, i don’t know. this is yoongi’s best bts solo u can argue with a wall about it also if you were able to see this live i hope u have a terrible week (im joking)

every fancam i’ve ever seen of this makes me cry. so. do with that what you will in regards to how i feel about this song.

[shewhospeakswiththunder]

Perhaps you’re feeling bored at home or, if considered an “essential” worker like me, you need a little fun and stress relief. Here is my masterpost of fic recs from my two years of reading so far. Maybe you’ll find something new, or reconnect with an old favorite. Either way--

Enjoy! 😷💕

Reylo Fics that Deserve All the Love

Near Kinsman by englishable

Englishable is just one of the best writers I’ve encountered in fandom. This historical western mail order bride AU is top notch quality.

The Masochism of Self-Defence by greyorchids

The Reylo dynamic in this Boston PD AU is steamy, but also heartfelt. 

So Much Thin Glass by walkingsaladshooter

Never knew I loved modern day Gothic AUs until I ran across this one.

Heaven Forbid by DarkKnightDarkSide

I was stunned by the author’s creativity in this Priestlo fic. So smutty. So... inventive 😉🔥

Sonder by deathbyhumidity

Two strangers passing each other by on the train. Soft, dreamlike, somber, poignant. Modern AU.

And Still I Would Remember by Inmyownidiom

A Victorian era AU of two souls that parted and come crashing back together.

So, You've Decided to Glamour a Human Girl. by selunchen

Faeries AU! Ben, a fae, and Rey, a human. Shenanigans ensue.

Live Long, and Prosper by SaintHeretical

For the Reylo Trekkies. Hell, even if you don't do Star Trek, read this. PHENOMENAL.

Mr. Solo & Miss Wellfound by LinearA

“Regency/Victorian AU, Ben sees Rey's stockinged ankle by accident.”

Diyari by Nervoustouch

Modern archeologists AU. Snarky banter with dashes of Indiana Jones, The Mummy, and Sahara vibes.

Drawn to the light of your burning sorrows by Kyriadamorte

The Mothlo AU you didn’t know you needed. Both gritty and soft.

Crown Glass by RebelRebel

Fantasy AU, with lots of beautiful imagery and engaging character dynamics.

Kohelet 3:16 (Call Me A Cab) by LinearA

NYC Jewish Leia and Ben. Skillfully layered plot, nuanced characterization. Smut is HOT.

By the Shores of Varykino Lake by hipgrab (merrymegtargaryen)

Unhealthy dynamics, definitely read the tags. “There’s a lot of fucked-up-ness”, in the author’s own words. But it’s good writing. Fair warning.

Let Me Put My Darkness In You by ArdeaJestin

Canonverse. Hux is an insufferable, pompous ass and Kylo Ren writes terrible, melodramatic poetry.

Wintertide by Zabeta

Whimsical and primitive in turn, this lives up to the style of a true fairytale AU.

The Forty Thieves by PoetHrotsvitha

Peaky Blinders/Gangsters AU. Rey starts as Ben’s bartender and ends up as so much more.

I Said to My Soul, Be Still by LinearA

Dark!Rey takes her man. 🥵🔥💕

Hux's Rousing Pep Talks by Riels_shorts

This fic is hysterical. It’s not Reylo, and I don’t care. My list, my rules.

It's All I Can Do To Leave You Alone by TazWren

Office AU. Silly, spunky, with a bashful Ben. 

Sip the Honey Sweet by dietplainlite

Anne of Green Gables-esque/Edwardian era AU, the title really says it all.

The Pull to the Light by HarpiaHarpyja

Entrancingly macabre. This modern/fantasy/monsters AU catches your attention from the get-go, and never lets you off the hook.

lay then the axe to the root by sciosophia

All the Bronte goodness, plus smut.

The Golden Age by TourmalineGreen

Golden Age of Hollywood AU in which Ben is a jaded actor in serious need of an image fix, in the form of fresh-faced actress Rey.

Never Be Your Curse by Kate_Reid 

Kylo Ren is a go-go dancer in this AU. That was enough to get my attention 😘

Gallows God by Killtheselights

Bursting with deliciously grim imagery, an intelligent take on Norse mythology.

Thunderstorms, Clouds, Snow, and a Slight Drizzle by aNerdObsessed

Who doesn’t love an ugly sweater Christmas party? Ben Solo, that’s who. All the nostalgic wintertime feels in this modern AU.

Though My Soul Has Set in Darkness by englishable

It’s not long, but it’s good. A lyrical dive into the mindspace of child Ben Solo. A true gem. Also not technically Reylo. Still don’t care.

I Dare You by tinylittlebrain

Daredevil Kylo has pissed off ER doc Rey Kenobi for the last time. Spicy!

stuck in colder weather by redbelles

Professor Ren stops grad student Rey from biking home in a snow storm. And takes her to his home. You can guess where this goes 😉

Between Sky and Sea by nessalk

Serious Indiana Jones vibes with a Caribbean flair. Painstakingly researched, and moments of true beauty and joy.

But Before Tomorrow by Kate_Reid

Such good writing. Canonverse.

The Sword of Prince Hector by englishable

Exploration of what redemption might feel like for Ben, canonverse. 

if compassion be the breath of life, breathe on me by Victoryindeath2

All the angst and unknowns that we were left with in the wake of TLJ are soothed in this canonverse piece.

build a ladder to the stars by redbelles

An exploration of events post-Crait. Fantastic, beautifully written.

nor are we forgiven (which brings us back) by TolkienGirl

Both Kylo and Rey get to see what life would have been like if they both got exactly what they thought they wanted after TLJ. Fascinating read. 

Forsworn by Erulisse17

This Mando/ST crossover has everything you could want--action, witty banter, space romance! So much fun!

Reylo Favorites & Classics

One Shots

59 Minutes by delia-pavorum (literaryminded)

For Science by KyloTrashForever, ohwise1ne

He Made It Through the Wilderness (somehow he made it through) by LovesBitca8

light carries on endlessly by lachesisgrimm (olga_theodora)

Grey by ocjones

The Idiot's Guide to Flirting by Violetwilson

High School/College AU

I Caught Fire by KyloTrashForever

Mountain Springs High School by animal

Epithumia by pontmercy44

Soul Searching by OptimisticBeth

Office/Workplace AU

Sensual Storytime by andabatae

The Food of Love by LovesBitca8

Historical/Dystopia AU

Hiraeth by Ferasha

a manner of virtue by neonheartbeat

The lamb's thirst by animal

Wanted by Inmyownidiom

She Who Would be Queen by sasstasticmad

go i know not whither and fetch i know not what by voicedimplosives

ABO

Knot My First Time by KyloTrashForever

Canonverse/Canon-divergent

variations on a theme of you by diasterisms (Reydar)

i will be the wolf by diasterisms

Sky Marked Souls by AnonymousMink

The Death of Kylo Ren by nymja

World In My Eyes by sasstasticmad

i'm always in this twilight (in the shadow of your heart) by diasterisms

Catch Me I’m Falling by violethoure666

Sword of the Jedi by diasterisms

You'll Be the One to Turn by postedbygaslight

Dark Crown by Violetwilson

Harry Potter AU

Nocturnal Studies And Other Peculiar Magic by WaterlilyRose

Otherwise Modern AU

Pretense by Celia_and

Insta-heart by slipgoingunder

Serotonin and Dopamine by pontmercy44

The Elusive Mating Dance of the Porgus Adorabilis by andabatae

Hanging by a Moment by crossingwinter

WAR DOGS by fulcrumstardust

miles from where you are by Mooncactus

Charcoal by luvkurai

Stay by jeeno2

coarse and rough and irritating by frak-all (or_ryn)

Blades Crossed by the-reylo-void (Anysia)

Embers by sciosophia

Mitan, Midi by animal

Janus by englishable

Say My Name by Graendoll

Thank You for The Music by hipgrab (merrymegtargaryen)

darling, so it goes by akosmia

This is the Sign You've Been Looking For by RebelRebel

Broken Things by midnightbluefox

One-Night Stand by delia-pavorum (literaryminded)

The Rebel Side of Heaven by jeeno2

On The Bumpy Road (To Love) by violethoure666

we could plant a house, we could build a tree by Like_A_Dove

I’d Like My Obituary to Hint at a Sequel by Violetwilson

Only If You Want To by Violetwilson

Not Reylo, Still Awesome

Gingerflower/Gingerrose, Armitage Hux/Rose Tico 

Between Sand and Sea by Brit Hux-Tico (birchwoods01)

If Ever I Would Leave You by Weddersins

Her Yellow Rainboots by Weddersins

Merrical, Cal Kestis/Merrin (Jedi: Fallen Order)

The Stars Alight by FlyingMachine

Heavy Ice by FlyingMachine

Caltrilla, Cal Kestis/Trilla Suduri (Jedi: Fallen Order)

No One Else by xanderwilde

call it what you want by xanderwilde

tear you to pieces by xanderwilde

Dramione, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy (Harry Potter Universe)

Now Is A Gift by SenLinYu

Sex and Occlumency by Graendoll

Zutara, Katara/Zuko (Avatar: the Last Airbender)

oracle bones by an orphaned account

Fics by Me

Virtue Ethics

Reylo College AU (completed)

Dr. Ben Solo, adjunct philosophy professor and part-time martial arts instructor, discovers a young woman in his Intro to Philosophy course whom he thinks may not actually be enrolled at the University.

Chiasmus

Reylo Role-reversal canonverse AU (WIP)

Scourge of the galaxy, Kira Ren, is tasked by the First Order to eliminate the last of the Jedi. When she captures hotshot podracer Ben Solo to extract Luke Skywalker’s location from him, things do not go according to plan. 

This Dance of Light, This Sacred Blessing

Snapshots of a modern Reylo AU. Smutty, prosey one-shot.

Listen Up, Kid

Canonverse Reylo Post TLJ one-shot

The ghosts of Supreme Leader Kylo Ren's past are back to haunt him with a vengeance. A well-meaning, familial kind of vengeance. Or, A Star Wars Carol.

Ben’s Body

Reylo Modern AU (completed)

Rey is an up and coming sculptor specialising in human shape and form. Her new next door neighbour has a body to die for and she's determined to preserve it in marble forever. Now she just has to convince dashing and reclusive Ben to model for her. Preferably naked.

Growin’ Up

Reylo High School AU (completed)

Ben Solo was supposed to only be ruining his own life with his bad decisions. Rey Niima was just trying to pay attention in class. Both get stuck in detention.

Seven Texts, 2 AM

Reylo Modern AU, smutty one-shot

Ben has good reasons not to have sex with his neighbor, Rey. She has other ideas.

Song of the Forest

Reylo Fantasy/BatB/Fairytale AU (completed)

Once upon a time, a girl with an unknown past appeared on the doorsteps of a lord’s manor, and now the forest at the edge of the lord’s property is calling to her.

A Season of Frost & Warmth

Modern Reylo P&P AU (completed)

When Ben shows up to a Halloween party with no costume, it only confirms Rey’s certainty that he is the world’s biggest jerk. Until it comes to light that maybe... he isn’t. 

Follow Me Home

Modern Werewolf Reylo AU (completed)

Rey gets stone drunk and brings home a big cute husky she found in an alley. The next morning, she finds a naked man built like a fridge sleeping on her living room floor, and no dog in sight.

The Gentleness That Comes

Reylo Modern AU one-shot

Underground boxer!Ben is resigned to his life of violence, until he meets a pretty new bartender one night.

Unlikely, Unbidden, Unbound

Gingerflower canonverse AU (WIP)

General Hux is imprisoned by the Resistance when the First Order falls. He had known his death was coming, it was simply a matter of course. He’s disappointed to learn the Resistance has other plans, and an unwavering policy of giving people second chances.

@thereylowritingden @reylofic @nancylovesreylo @grlie-girl @lilia-ula @greyforceuser @tazwren @mhcalamas

[queenofwordsandnerds]

Quackity Analysis: “Hello My Old Heart”

Hello, my old heart How have you been? Are you still there inside my chest? I've been so worried, you've been so still Barely beating at all

Oh, don't leave me here alone Don't tell me that we've grown For having loved a little while Oh, I don't wanna be alone I wanna find a home And I wanna share it with you

Hello, my old heart It's been so long Since I've given you away And every day, I add another stone To the walls I built around you To keep you safe

Oh, don't leave me here alone Don't tell me that we've grown For having loved a little while Oh, I don't wanna be alone I wanna find a home And I wanna share it with you

Hello, my old heart How have you been? How is it being locked away? Don't you worry, in there you're safe And it's true, you'll never beat But you'll never break

Nothing lasts forever Some things aren't meant to be But you'll never find the answers Until you set your old heart free Until you set your old heart free

Hello, my old heart Hello, my old heart Hello, my old heart Hello, my old heart

-”Hello My Old Heart,” The Oh Hellos

When I listen to this song, one of my favorites (although all TOH music is SUPERB and y’all should go listen to their songs), c!Quackity immediately comes to mind. His character has a lot of heart associations, the most obvious one being that he ate Schlatt’s heart (and the theory that he is being possessed by Schlatt as a result). But c!Quackity has also been shown to keep his emotions at a safe distance, to value head over heart because the heart makes you weak. However, deep down I think that Quackity does value his emotions (Karl and Sapnap after all), he just doesn’t know how to acknowledge and/or honor them too much without getting hurt, a result of the trauma he retains from Schlatt.

“Are you still there inside my chest?”

Running off the theory that Schlatt is possessing Quackity through his heart, this line is very poignant. I imagine the real c!Quackity, uncorrupted by Schlatt, terrified, deep down, that he is losing himself and his humanity. His “old heart” may not even exist anymore. Or maybe it does. Who knows?

“Oh, don't leave me here alone Don't tell me that we've grown For having loved a little while”

c!Quackity is very much alone. He has his allies and enemies, of course, but in terms of intimate, emotional relationships he is both scarred and reluctant to keep those he loves closer than a safe distance. He is emotionally alone. Quackity distances himself from those he loves to keep them safe, but also (I think) because he’s scared of opening himself up and uncovering old wounds. Yet I believe that, deep down, he cries out to not be alone, to connect with others and heal from all the pain he has both suffered and inflicted on others. Quackity is also a realist, he doesn’t want platitudes or cliches. He doesn’t take others’ bullshit, he will do anything to achieve his own goals.

“Oh, I don't wanna be alone I wanna find a home And I wanna share it with you”

The search to find a home is one of the most key features of Quackity’s character. All his life in the SMP lore, he has searched for a home, for a place to belong and make his own. First it was (L’)Manberg, then Pogtopia, then New L’Manberg, then Mexican L’Manberg/El Rapids, Las Nevadas...you get the point. Looking for a home/building a home is one of c!Quackity’s core characteristics. And he wants to share his home with people. He dreams of Las Nevadas as a place to show Karl and Sapnap, he felt like he didn’t belong in Manberg for (among many other reasons) lack of any personal connection or sense of worth.

“And every day, I add another stone To the walls I built around you To keep you safe”

 c!Quackity is paradoxically alone. Aloneness is part of his cunning plan to achieve his goals, and the ends justify the means for him no matter what. Yet he doesn’t want to be alone. He wants a place and people to belong. But he’s afraid of getting hurt again like he was with Schlatt. So he builds walls around his heart just as he builds his countries and his plans. Self-preservation is very high on his priority list. Yet these walls may cost him - in fact, they may have cost him already.

“And it's true, you'll never beat But you'll never break”

This line just breaks my own heart. It’s so poignant and sad yet reflects a deep human truth. We dehumanize ourselves, numb ourselves to emotional sensitivity believing that we will be safe this way, that we won’t suffer. This may be true, but we won’t be truly living. We will just be a shell of ourselves. This reminds me again of the Schlatt possession theory. Quackity may not even be his real self anymore, he could be driven by Schlatt’s spirit and not truly live as himself. This line could practically describe c!Quackity’s character to a T. I’ve already explained most of my reasons for why it reflects Quackity so well, but this line just sums it up in a beautiful, poetic way.

Some people think that Quackity’s heart is dead, physically (consumed by Schlatt) and emotionally (he seems to lack empathy and emotion as time passes). But I don’t think this is true. He is most definitely a morally grey character and/or an antihero. He keeps his softer side locked away out of necessity, but it is not dead. He still cares, he still has desires and I hope that (although Big Q may turn out to be the next big SMP “villain”) he learns to be soft again and gets his own redemption(?) arc, setting his own heart free.

I hope you liked this Quackity analysis! Thank you so much for reading if you made it this far, and please go check out The Oh Hellos, they are one of the best folk bands I’ve ever heard with genius lyrics that could fill a whole poetry book. I will definitely be using their songs in more DSMP analyses. I’m also super sorry if this sucked, Quackity is both my favorite DSMP character and my favorite streamer so I LOVE to analyze his character because he’s so beautifully complex but I’m so terrified of messing it up and not doing him justice lol

-Hamster <3

[errata98]

Fanfiction I Read in 2020 

I didn’t realize how long this post was going to be until I was about halfway through. And it still is not even close to exhaustive. 

Soo, while 2020 has been such a tumultuous year one great thing about this time in my life is that I’ve had more time than ever to read. I am always so blown away by how much talent there is in fanfiction, so big, big thank you to all the writers that share their work and for whisking me away from real life into something far more pleasurable. It definitely makes my whole day when a fic I love has been updated, and I enjoy catching glimpses of rough drafts and the writing process via tumblr (I’m still trying to understand how their galaxy brains even work lolol). 

It’s long, but I am not putting it under a cut! They’re too good!

Long Fics (>= 50k words)

Roses From Where Thorns Grow by @bdafic​ [incomplete]- I started this a while ago, must have lost track of it, and then found it again this summer. Feels weird to type because this is not really me irl lol but accidental pregnancy fics are one of my favorites kinds of fics. Papa Solas is amazing. Somewhere, I once tagged something with ‘solas dad best dad’ and I think that probably sums up my feelings on the matter. The last chapter I read has left me anxious for more, so I’m eagerly awaiting what will likely be the first chapter posted in 2021. 

Ruins by @luzial [incomplete] - A real story of a couple who broke up, fought each other for twenty years, got sent back in time, and are now trying to make things work again ;) Lavellan here is older and wiser in all the ways that matter, and Solas is... well Solas in many ways is everything we wish he would (and could) be now. Had the most wonderful realization that I somehow missed the last chapter that apparently came out on my birthday, so I know what I’ll be doing later.

Fen’Harel’s Teeth by @5lazarus​  [incomplete] - the conversations in this fic are one of my favorite parts. They’re in character, but they’re also just interesting to read. The words just fly across the page -- it’s smooth, seamless, pithy. I love politics and I love a main character who has her wits about her -- both are in this fic. Also features fatherly!Solas, which I just adore.

By the Still Waters by [orphan account]. This is older, but I knew it was popular so I gave it a shot and... yes, I understand now. I loved reading something from Fenris’ perspective. I loved how he’s a foil for Solas. I love seeing Lavellan as this near mythical person because we see everything through Fenris’ eyes. I love Hawke and Fenris together. Merrill also featured more heavily than I anticipated and she had some of the best lines I’ve ever read.

Pressure Point by 17734 [incomplete] - this fic leaves me constantly unsettled (in the best, most addictive, under-your-skin kind of way). I’ve read the first 18 or so chapters twice, and it’s one of those stories that’s slightly different the second time you read it. I really like the author’s take on immortal beings, some of it is very reminiscent of some of the Greek mythology I read in school - characters are at turns both magnificent and terrifying. The language is also very beautiful, and I’m a sucker for anything close to prosaic. 

Out of Time by destinies - so, I don’t know how I found this beyond just “Twitter.” This isn’t Dragon Age related -- it’s from The Greisha Trilogy, which I had never heard of before -- something just told me I would really like this story. Forced/political marriages’, memory loss, enemies to lovers, the dichotomy between light and dark embodied by a single couple... yes, thank you. I had to kind of piece the world together as I read, which was admittedly a lot of fun, and um... wow, I really loved this! Another one of my ‘binged in a single night’ fics.  

Message Sent by @aicosu [incomplete]- this is coincidentally how I got my former partner into Dragon Age lol. I had originally read it the first time as it was coming out. The second time I read it aloud to them over the course of a few days, feeling very much like Cassandra trying to do certain character’s voices. It reminded me of how much I loved it, and so I feel like it deserves a mention here. Definitely an unorthodox but memorable way of cursing someone with being emotionally invested in the Solavellan romance 

Short Fics (< 50k words)

nothing on my tongue by @ellstersmash - the chapters here are short, and I loved seeing the fic updated put of order. This was my first time experiencing that, and I loved guessing where we were in the in-game timeline, and also, as more chapters were posted, which chapter numbers were still missing and therefore what the missing chapters might be about. I associate this fic with feeling kind of melancholy a lot. I think the word constraints really lent itself well to the Solavallen romance -- beautiful and poignant, but always leaving me wanting more.

In and Out of Time Again by @luzial - hoo boy did I have a fun time reading this one. I actually rarely go for AU’s this “AU”, but I trusted this author, and it paid off. In fact, I think I subconsciously had more doubts than I thought because what started a curious perusal ended in one of those “up until 3 am reading” kind of nights. It was such a fast-paced, interesting read, I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. Ink is one of my favorite Lavellans; she’s just too cool.

The Fourth Day by sass_bot (@knightava) [incomplete] - this was just such a perfect example of how to build tension and dread for the reader, that I still think about it frequently. Also, who wouldn’t love a Skyhold murder mystery?

Beyond the Veil by Pyreite [incomplete] - A 200 years post-Veil fic. Abelas is in it, which is how I knew it was gonna be good hehe. I really like the world-building, and I like explorations of the romance with a more hardened Lavellan. 

I Come to You With Nothing by CommonEvilMasterMind. I’ll preface this by writing that this made me cry with a mixture of sorrow and happiness. The premise is an undercover mission in an alienage which involves Solas and Ellana masquerading as a married couple. It’s beautifully written, and just honestly kind of bittersweet. The writing is itself very touching but I also think it’s almost difficult to read because the Solavellan romance has an arc that looks like it’s just exponentially deviating from anything remotely happy lolol 

That Girl Is Like A Sunburn by @yourstrulycommandershepard - I just discovered this person’s writing this year and I’m kind of obsessed? I went on a whole binge this past summer and *fans self*. I picked this one for my list because I haven’t read that many Solas/Trevelyan fics, and hers are by far some of my favorites. I also love that the titles of some of her fics are Taylor Swift lyrics. I get Solavellan vibes from so many of Taylor’s songs - glad it’s not just me!

Aravel by @playwithdinos - More Papa Solas. I can’t say anything more than it hit me right in the vhenan. 

Wake Up by queenofkadara (@pikapeppa) - One of those fics I thought about for days afterward. The characterization was incredible, and it hurt me to read about Varric brining up Lavellan and seeing Solas’ reaction, and it hurt even more to be left wanting for more, just like Solas. 

[nerdygaymormon]

My Queer Playlist - Part 2

These are songs from 1994 to 2011

1994 - A Deeper Love : Aretha Franklin - No longer will I do all the things that I used to do. That’s right, I’ve been working on my self-esteem, self-respect and becoming proud of who I am. Pride is developing a deeper love for ourselves. 

1994 - Streets of Philadelphia : Bruce Springsteen - Bruce wrote this haunting song for the film Philadelphia, which was about a lawyer who was fired for being gay & having HIV. Oh brother, are you gonna leave me wastin’ away on the streets of Philadelphia? These lyrics ask how society could turn its back on those who need help the most. He can hear the blood pulsing in his veins, and he describes the blood as black because HIV/AIDS is figuratively black and deadly instead of red & life giving.

1994 - Don’t Go Breaking My Heart : RuPaul & Elton John - This is a remake of Elton’s hit from 1976, but he’s replaced singer Kiki Dee with drag superstar RuPaul. Two legendary queer icons singing a duet, of course it belongs on this list.

1994 - Girls & Boys : Blur - Blur wouldn’t have success in the USA until 1997 with the release of Song 2. However in the UK, this song of gender & sexual freedom was a hit. Girls who are boys, who likes boys to be girls, who do boys like they’re girls, who do girls like they’re boys.

1994 - Always : Erasure - Erasure frontman was the openly gay Andy Bell, and this song has him singing for a lover to accept him and be with him forever. 

1994 - 100% Pure Love : Crystal Waters - Huge dance hit about being in love. There's no gender identified, and I like these lyrics near the end: You'll never have to run away, you'll always have a friend to play. You'll never go out on your own, in me you will find a home.

1994 - Basket Case : Green Day - Anxiety attacks and a feeling that you are going crazy aren’t usually topics of hit songs. He goes to a psychologist and she says it’s lack of sex that’s bringing me down. I went to a whore, he said my life’s a bore. Billy Joe Armstrong, the lead singer, came out as bi in 1995, so this lyric may have been hinting at that.

1994 - Connection : Elastica -  I don’t understand how a heart is a spade, but somehow the vital connection is made. A song that references a spade while singing about intimacy, that counted as peak ace culture in the 1990′s. Asexual folks often use the ace of spades to represent their orientation.

1995 - Everlasting Love : Gloria Estefan - Because she was pregnant, Estefan didn't appear in the video and instead had 5 drag queens impersonate her. The LGBT community had embraced her and this is seen as her embracing them back.

1995 - I Kissed a Girl : Jill Sobule - A song of yearning, confusion, & freedom.

1995 - Waterfalls : TLC - Hugely successful song that addressed hard topics, including HIV/AIDS. His health is fading and he doesn't know why, three letters took him to his final resting place. In the video, a woman decides against using a condom with her boyfriend. A small twin photo frame shows her picture in one frame and a montage of all her previous lovers flashes in the other. The boyfriend with whom she didn’t use the condom notices his face getting the symptoms of AIDS and the two of them sit quietly on the edge of her bed as both the man & his picture fade away.

1995 - Queer : Garbage - The term “queer” in these lyrics meant odd or different, but Garbage welcomes how the queer community uses that word when we sing along to the song.

1995 - Il Adore : Boy George - A poignant song about those who died from AIDS. How far must it go, how near must it be before it touches you, before it touches me. Here in this cold white room tied up to these machines, it's hard to imagine life as it used to be.

1995 - I Am the Body Beautiful : Salt-n-Pepa - This song plays in the opening scenes of To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! as jaws are dropping at seeing Wesley Snipes dressed as drag queen Noxeema Jackson. At a time when most of Hip Hop was antagonistic towards the queer community, Salt-n-Pepa were not afraid to be seen as allies.

1995 - Sexuality : k.d. lang - The lyrics sound like she’s convincing a shy lover that it’s okay to be in a lesbian romance. Now how bad could it be if you should fall in love with me? 

1996 – Jesus to a Child : George Michael - This heartbreaking and devastatingly beautiful song is a tribute to George’s Brazilian love, Anselmo Feleppa, who died from AIDS. This song is a glimpse of the tenderness and love they shared together. The song’s rhythm and harmony is influenced by the Brazilian bossa nova sound. 

1996 - Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit : Gina G - This song was Australian singer Gina G’s debut single and it reached No. 1 in the UK and Israel, and in the US, the song peaked at #12. Not sure why this became such a gay anthem in the UK other than it’s a cute danceable song she performed at Eurovision

1996 - I Will Survive : Diana Ross - Diana Ross is beloved by the gay community, and in the 1990′s she recorded this song which had been a gay favorite from the 1970′s. As if that’s not enough, this video is full of drag queens, including RuPaul. This was a gift to her gay fans.

1996 - Fastlove : George Michael - This guy was in a committed relationship that didn’t work out and now he just wants to not worry about romance. Had some bad love, so fast love is all that’s on my mind. But even as he’s saying he’s seeking casual hookups, he keeps saying he misses his baby, that being with someone he loves would be his preference. The video is about the chaos of modern sexuality with people choosing virtual sex partners, with many male and female options appearing. 

1996 - I Want You : Savage Garden - This was Savage Garden's breakout hit. After singer Darren Hayes came out as gay in 2001, he was asked if there were songs in Savage Garden's catalog that contained any coded gay messages. He replied, "'I Want You' is a song about a dream about being in love with a male energy, and waking up and feeling sad that I knew there was a part of me that was missing." He was in the closet, married to a wife, but dreaming about men. No wonder the song has this curious vibe of wanting to be close to a person I’m attracted to but not sure I should. 

1996 - Wannabe : Spice Girls - The Spice Girls’ core message is that female relationships are strong and rewarding, something the lesbian community will attest to. 

1996 - It’s All Coming Back to Me Now : Celine Dion - I think Celine is popular with gays because she's a diva singer with a kitschy side. This song in particular is popular because it’s pretty dramatic for a love song, a chance to display a range of emotions at the karaoke. 

1996 – Seasons of Love : Cast from the musical Rent - What is the proper way is to measure the value of a year in a human life? The most meaningful way is to measure in love. Since four of the lead characters in the show have HIV or AIDS, the song is often associated with World AIDS Day and AIDS awareness month.

1996 - Say You’ll Be There : Spice Girls - The Spice Girls' message of girl power and their iconic outfits in this video made them favorites to impersonate among the drag community

1996 - 2 Become 1 : Spice Girls - Realizing that the group had become queer icons with a large gay fanbase, the Spice Girls changed the lyrics of one line to be more inclusive when they released this single. The original lyrics were Any deal that we endeavour, boys and girls feel good together. This was changed to Once again if we endeavour, Love will bring us back together.

1997 - The Real Thing : Lisa Stansfield - In the video, Stansfield has magical abilities and she interacts with 3 people. In the final scene of the video, a gay man is by himself looking at another man who is busy talking with his friends. Stansfield walks over, sings to him and magic dust sprinkles on him. The man walks over to the other man, who leaves his friends and they walk off together.

1997 - Free : Ultra Naté - 'Cause you're free to do what you want to do. You've got to live your life, do what you want to do. You come out, grow up, and get to make your own choices and be free to become the person you want and to live your life. 

1997 - Go the Distance : Michael Bolton - This song from the Disney movie Hercules is about not fitting in and declaring that no matter what struggles lie ahead, I’m going to find a place that accepts me. I have often dreamed of a far off place where a hero's welcome would be waiting for me. Where the crowds would cheer, when they see my face and a voice keeps saying this is where I'm meant to be. I'll be there someday, I can go the distance. I will find my way if I can be strong. I know every mile would be worth my while. When I go the distance, I'll be right where I belong.

1997 - Pink Triangle : Weezer - The singer sees a woman he imagines he’ll marry until he sees she is wearing a pink triangle (at the time a symbol of the gay community). He’s disappointed she’s a lesbian and sings Everyone's a little queer. Can't she be a little straight? Turns out this actually happened to lead singer Rivers Cuomo while a student at Harvard, he saw a woman and fantasized about her until he saw the pink triangle on her backpack. Later he learned she’s not a lesbian but was showing support to the gay community.

1997 - Somewhere : Pet Shop Boys - The Pet Shop Boys put their spin on this song from the musical West Side Story about forbidden love and dreaming of a place where such love is accepted.

1997 - You Have Been Loved : George Michael - George Michael wrote this song about Anselmo Feleppa, who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1993. The beginning of the song describes Anselmo’s mother, who visits his grave and says goodbye, telling him You have been loved. The ending chorus has Anselmo telling George, You have been loved. The line, If I was weak, forgive me; but I was terrified, refers to the trauma George felt during Anselmo’s decline in health. While an intense song about grief and death, it also involves a spiritual struggle. What’s the use in pressing palms, if you [God] won’t keep such love from harm? It’s a cruel world. You’ve so much to prove.

1997 - Come On, Eileen : Save Ferris - This is a remake of the 1982 hit by  Dexys Midnight Runners which was about getting a school girl to overcome her Catholic repression in order to be in a relationship. Only now a woman is singing about Eileen.

1997 - Free Xone : Janet Jackson - Even though the song wasn’t released as a single, it was important to the LGBT community to have one of the biggest artists of the time have a positive song on her album about gay relationships. Boy meets boy, Boy loses boy, Boy gets cute boy back. Girl meets girl, Girl loses girl, Girl gets cute girl back.

1997 - Tonight’s the Night : Janet Jackson - Janet gave Rod Stewart’s song “Tonight’s the Night” a lesbian reinterpretation.

1997 - Spice Up Your Life : Spice Girls - This is an anthem for fun where everyone, no matter their background and identity, is welcome. Every boy and every girl.

1997 - Together Again : Janet Jackson - The album notes include “I dedicate the song ‘Together Again’ to the friends I’ve lost to AIDS.” It’s a sweet song with hopeful words of one day being reunited with those we love who have died. Everywhere I go, every smile I see, I know you are there smilin’ back at me

1998 - Diva : Dana International - Dana is a trans woman who won the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest, which was the first major celebration of a trans artist on an international stage. She became a beacon of hope for many queer people in Israel.

1998 - You’re a Superstar : Love Inc. - The most poignant lyrics to me are when it says Everything you are today is what you want to be, so don't be someone else when you be the best so easily. When you can be who you are, and stop pretending to be someone you’re not, that’s when you can reach your true potential and be a superstar. Reach for the stars and hold your head up high, for tonight and every night you're a superstar.

1998 - Reflection : Christina Aguilera - This song from the Disney movie Mulan is about how others don’t know the real you, which means the lyrics can fit the experience of being in the closet. Look at me. You may think you see who I really am, but you’ll never know me. Every day it’s as if I play a part. The song is loved by a lot of trans people because how they feel on the inside doesn’t match how they look on the outside. Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me? Why is my reflection someone I don’t know?

1998 - Jumper : Third Eye Blind - This is an anti-bullying anthem. The song is about a guy who is about to jump off a bridge because he is gay, or rather, because he is bullied for being gay. We need to be accepting and understanding of each other.

1998 - Will & Grace Theme Song - This is the theme song from the groundbreaking TV show that brought fun gay characters into America’s living rooms, helping the American people become comfortable with gay people and caused many women to want a gay best friend

1998 - Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here [Hex Hector Club Mix] : Deborah Cox - The song is about a woman who’s been burned by love too many times, and she suddenly finds herself in the fairytale ending she didn’t think would happen. This was a huge hit, spending 14 weeks at the top of the R&B/Hip-Hop chart. Simultaneously, the dance remix was beloved in the LGBTQ community and catapulted Deborah Cox to gay-icon status. 

1998 - Outside : George Michael - George Michael was entrapped by police into committing a lewd act in a public restroom in Los Angeles. The news of his arrest outed him to the world. He turns that experience into a song. The video mocks the way queer people are held to different standards--many couples in the video were caught getting frisky, but the gay couples are the ones arrested. 

1998 - Believe : Cher - This song is about strength, power, hope, and the fact that it’s not always easy to be who you are. Whatever happens, you’ve gotta believe there’s something better coming. Keep going and loving because things will be better.

1999 - Everlasting Night : Dannii Minogue - This official theme of the 1999 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras made Dannii a gay icon of the Australian queer community. 

1999 - Strong Enough : Cher - This is sung from the perspective of Cher to a cheating lover, but one could easily interpret the lyrics to be about a repressive society that she is no longer willing to accept. It's a song about finding one's strength and moving on.

1999 - Man! I Feel Like a Woman : Shania Twain - This song delivers self-empowerment as the video challenges societal gender norms by reversing the power dynamics of Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” video. I wanna be free yeah, to feel the way I feel. Man, I feel like a woman. My queer friends who identify as women love feeling like a woman.

1999 - There She Goes : Sixpence None the Richer - It’s surprising that a Christian band with a female singer does a song about being attracted to a woman who you just can’t get out of your head. There she goes. There she goes again. Racing through my brain. And I just can’t contain this feeling that remains.

1999 - G.A.Y. ★Good As You★ : Geri Halliwell - The former Spice Girl says to those who wanna dismiss her that she’s good as you (g.a.y.) and in the chorus she invites Everybody c'mon, let's get G-A-why, G-A-why

1999 - New York City Boy : Pet Shop Boys - You’re a gay young man living at home and feeling like you gotta escape? Go to New York City where you can be who you want to be. 

1999 - Deceptacon : Le Tigre - Le Tigre is a female punk band that sung about feminism and the LGBT community. This song is the first track on their debut album and denounces the decline in meaningful lyrics in rock music. Before it faded away, the riot grrrl movement had addressed issues such as rape, domestic abuse, sexuality, racism, patriarchy, classism, anarchism and female empowerment. (warning, f-word in the song, which is very punk but may not be acceptable in certain settings)

1999 - Waiting for Tonight! : Jennifer Lopez - The lyrics are about waiting for tonight when the love she's dreamed of will finally come to be. Queer people often wait a for the love they dream of. 

1999 - That’s the Way It Is : Celine Dion -To find true love, stay positive, keep going and love will find you if you don't give up on it. This song became beloved in the gay community for the positive message that love can be had even if it doesn’t seem likely. 

1999 - Absolutely Everybody : Vanessa Amorosi - This was a hit in Australia & New Zealand and has been used as the anthem for the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney, Australia. The lyrics are inclusive, pointing out that absolutely everybody needs friends, needs to be respected, needs to love and be loved, and needs human touch. Everybody needs a human touch. Everybody, everybody needs love. I'm no different, I am just the same, a player in the game. Absolutely everybody, everybody, everybody, absolutely everybody.

2000 - Affirmation : Savage Garden - An affirmation is a statement of your beliefs. The lyrics to this song are a series of affirmations of what Savage Garden stands for: Karma, goodness, family, and inner beauty. Singer Darren Hayes had already come out privately by the time he started writing "Affirmation,” and includes the lyric I believe you can't control or choose your sexuality, and when he performed on The Jay Leno Show, he winked at the camera on that line. Darren Hayes publicly came out in 2001.

2000 - Oops... I Did it Again : Britney Spears - In the course of a year, Britney had gone from first release to the biggest pop princess in music. Her music videos were must see. She was glitz and glam and the gay community adored her. The song is how, oops, I keep making people think I’ve fallen in love with them, but really I’m toying with them. 

2000 - It’s Not Right But It’s Okay : Whitney Houston - I’m gonna be okay, I’m gonna be alright shows a certain defiance & determination to continue on and not be defeated

2000 - Proud : Heather Small - What have you done today to make you feel proud? The lyrics encourage people to find the freedom to do something extraordinary. In 2012, this song was the theme for Pride in London

2000 - Let’s Get Loud : Jennifer Lopez - Let the music make you free, be what you wanna be. Great message

2000 - Music : Madonna - The song is about partying and having fun, but it also talks about the power that music has to unite people. Music makes the people come together. Music makes the bourgeoisie and the rebel. Music can overcome differences of race, class, gender and sexuality to unite us.

2000 - Stronger : Britney Spears - This empowering song is a declaration of independence and self-empowerment. You might think that I won't make it on my own, but now I'm stronger than yesterday. 

2001 - Your Disco Needs You : Kylie Minogue - There is a fun campiness to the song. This homage about going to the disco club makes it sound like we have a gay duty to go dancing.

2001 - Survivor : Destiny’s Child - I’m stronger and more resistant than you think. I'm a survivor, I'm not gon' give up. I'm not gon' stop, I'm gon' work harder. I'm a survivor, I'm gonna make it. I will survive, keep on survivin' 

2001 - Lady Marmalade : Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya, P!nk - This fabulous foursome remade Patti LaBelle’s 1974 hit song for the movie Moulin Rouge. In the video, the singers dressed glamorously in lingerie, and the sparkles & feathers along with kicking vocals ensured this song was once again embraced by the gay community

2001 - I Wanna Be Bad : Willa Ford - The lyrics contain messages of rebellion and being oneself against the influences of other people, an inspiring message that will be relevant to the queer community whether it’s 2001 or 3001.

2001 - It’s Raining Men : Geri Halliwell - In a nod to her large gay fandom, Geri recorded this 1983 gay favorite originally sung by The Weather Girls

2001 - Absolutely Not (Channel Club Extended Mix)  : Deborah Cox - Always waitin' for someone to make me happy, pick me up. I realize that someone is me. It’s a song about gaining self acceptance and self confidence. Do I measure me by what you think? Absolutely not, absolutely not. I don’t need permission from others to be fabulous. Plus this dance remix is hot and was included in the show Queer as Folk. 

2001 - Can’t Get You Out of My Head : Kylie Minogue - One thing about this song is how we don’t know who she’s singing about. Is it a long-time partner, a one-night stand or someone who doesn't even know she exists? It’s obsession, not love, and that’s okay because we can’t get this song out of our head. Kylie has openly embraced her gay fans and they’ve loved her in return, and it helps that she puts out one danceable pop song after another.

2001 - I’m a Slave 4 U : Britney Spears - Britney was ready to be rid of her bubblegum princess image with her iconic performance at the 2001 VMA’s when she carried an albino Burmese python on her shoulders, solidifying her status as a fierce diva.

2001 - Androgyny : Garbage - I think this song has two messages. First, don’t dismiss people who don’t fit traditional gender roles. The other message is to individuals who can’t see the point in going on, they’re reminded that nothing in life is set in stone, there’s nothing that can’t be turned around.

2001 - I Want Love : Elton John - This song is about a man who’s gone through some hard times, lost love, and as a result has some scars around his heart, and yet he still wants love. 

2001 - The Middle : Jimmy Eat World - This is a song about being a teen and not fitting in. You’re in the middle of the ride and everything will be just fine, just give it some time. My favorite lyrics are Yeah, just be yourself. It doesn't matter if it's good enough for someone else.

2001 - Keep On Livin’ : Le Tigre - This song is for LGBT individuals and also for abuse survivors. You have to deal with a lot of hard stuff but keep on, keep on livin’. Le Tigre has a dedicated page on their website called "Keep On Livin'" which contains advice from JD Samson for coming out, as well as help from Kathleen Hanna for sexual abuse survivors (Samson & Hanna co-wrote the song “Keep On Livin’”).

2001 - Overprotected : Britney Spears - Britney sings about yearning to control her destiny. There are many lyrics in this song that resonate with queer people, especially if they’re still in the closet or if they live in a home with parents who don’t accept their child is queer. I'll tell 'em what I like, what I want, and what I don't, but every time I do, I stand corrected. If you’ve ever been told to deny who you are, these lyrics slap hard: I'm so fed up with people telling me to be someone else but me

2002 - Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go) : Garbage - Cherry Lips is inspired by a fictional trans woman who is a delicate boy who is a girl with cherry lips who makes the whole world want to dance.

2002 - Anything is Possible : Will Young - Will Young became the first winner of the British show that inspired Idol franchises around the world. The song “Anything is Possible” is such a great song for someone who wins a singing competition, truly anything does seem possible in that moment. After winning Pop Idol, in order to pre-empt a tabloid newspaper that was about to out him, Young publicly announced he is gay. 

2002 - Song for the Lonely : Cher - Cher is praying for you to find love and companionship. 

2002 - All the Things She Said : t.a.T.u. - This music video is about two women developing feelings for each other. It was controversial for its portrayal of underage lesbians kissing and many stations, including the BBC, would only air the video after cutting the kissing scenes, which exemplifies how queer people are held to a different standard as a straight teenage couple kissing wouldn’t have caused any concern. Given Russia’s homophobic laws, it is ironic that this song is it’s biggest musical export.

2002 - Beautiful : Christina Aguilera - This song affirms those who feel they don’t fit in. It’s a message of self-empowerment and individuality. The video includes young people with body issues, a goth punk, a person assigned male at birth putting on women’s clothes, and two guys kissing. Positive images of gay and transgender people? Yes please! I am beautiful no matter what they say. Words can’t bring me down, but songs can lift you up, and this one does.  

2003 - Try It on My Own : Whitney Houston - And I am not afraid to try it on my own. I don’t care If I’m right or wrong. I’ll live my life the way I feel. No matter what I’ll keep it real, you know. Time for me to do it on my own. Love that idea, I’m the one who’ll have to live with the consequences, so I’m gonna choose how I live my life

2003 - Fighter : Christina Aguilera - This empowerment anthem is using the pain caused to you by others to fuel your drive to succeed.

2003 – Defying Gravity : Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth – In this song from the musical Wicked, the character Elphaba sings of how she wants to live without limits, going against the rules that others have set for her. 

2003 - Gay Bar : Electric Six - The lyrics are straight forward, I wanna take you to a gay bar. The music video is fabulously crazy, singer Dick Valentine portrays Abraham Lincoln in the White House getting ready to go to a gay bar--he loses the pants, exercises, takes a bath, and dons leather gear.

2003 - All Thing (Just Keep Getting Better) : Widelife with Simone Denny - This is the theme song for the show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy which worked to build acceptance for gay people as it presented gay men as people who can help straight men up their game. This show brought gay people into America’s living rooms in a way that felt safe.

2003 - If You Were Gay : Cast from the musical Avenue Q - An irreverent musical uses puppets resembling Sesame Street’s Bert & Ernie to sing this song. It’s about how a closeted person may have trouble accepting themselves, even if their friend is affirming. 

2003 - Trouble : P!nk - The video is set in the Old West. P!nk comes into town, sees the horses aren’t being well cared for and fights the men neglecting them. She goes into the saloon and is refused a drink because the sheriff thinks she might be trouble, and she affirms I’m trouble and starts a brawl. Singing along to this song is fun as I feel like I’m tough and not gonna take it anymore. You gonna disrespect me or those I care for, then I’m trouble. Fun fact, the group Pussycat Dolls weren’t recording artists at that time but known for their burlesque shows and they are in this video dancing on the bar. 

2003 - I U She : Peaches - Set to a fast electronic beat, this song has a simple message: I don’t have to make the choice, I like girls and I like boys. Oh, and let's add some whips, crops, canes, whatever.

2003 - Mr. Brightside : The Killers - This song is about knowing the person you’re crushing on is with someone else and it breaks your heart. The way the song is written, it's unclear if it's the woman or the man that the singer is heartbroken about.

2003 – Me Against the Music : Britney Spears, Madonna - The music video shows Britney and Madonna in a cat-and-mouse chase. Britney finds Madonna in the end, only for the latter to disappear just before they kiss.

2004 - Toxic : Britney Spears - This song is basically a girl addicted to a guy and she’ll do anything to keep him because the taste of his lips is intoxicating. Idk why this became such an anthem in the gay community other than in the early 2000′s Britney’s presence in pop culture was dominant, and she was a supporter of the queer community, and each song she put out was empowering, sexually playful and had a sense of vulnerability.

2004 - Amazing : George Michael - George started a new relationship with Kenny, and during that time George’s mom was fighting cancer and Kenny was there for him. To be able to comfort a person in their time of grief and come out of it closer together, that’s amazing.

2004 - Somebody Told Me : The Killers - The singer says that you’re dating a boy who looks like his former girlfriend, that’s pretty queer. 

2004 - Take Your Mama : Scissor Sisters - The Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears is very close to his mother and this song is about him coming out to her as gay. The song suggests taking your mama out to a gay bar to show her that we are all doing the best we can. In other words, let your mother see your friends, community, and the real you.

2004 - Proud of Your Boy : Clay Aiken - This song was written for Disney’s Aladdin and while it didn’t make the film, it was included on the CD, and later in the 2011 Broadway musical. The lyrics make me think of coming out and worrying if their parents will still be proud of [their] boy? Clay came out as gay a few years later in 2008.

2004 - Flawless (Go to the City) : George Michael - Seizing the day and enjoying life by moving to the big city where you can be out and flawless is a storyline that resonates with many queer people. You're wasted here, you're a star in this small town of hand-me-downs who don't even know it.

2004 - Michael : Franz Ferdinand - At a dance party, two friends seem to become more than friends. Michael, you're the boy with all the leather hips, sticky hair, sticky hips, stubble on my sticky lips

2004 - Walking with a Ghost : Tegan and Sara - Thanks to a popular cover by the White Stripes, this is the song that brought twin sisters Tegan and Sara to people’s attention. This song is about being haunted by memories of her former romantic partner. No matter which way you go, no matter which way you stay, you're out of my mind, out of my mind.

2004 - Viz : Le Tigre - "Viz" is short for visibility, and this song is about butch-lesbian visibility

2004 - I Believe in You : Kylie Minogue - This song was written by Kylie together with the Scissor Sisters (a band where four of its five members are openly gay men who sing songs addressing queer topics), it’s no wonder this swirling disco-esque hit was embraced by the gay community

2005 - Hung Up : Madonna - This song is about living your best life and not wasting any more time on men who won’t call, and it includes that synthesizer riff from ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)”

2006 - Standing in the Way of Control : Gossip - The song was written by lead singer Beth Ditto as a response to the Federal Marriage Amendment which would have constitutionally outlawed same-sex marriage in the United States. Beth said: "Nobody in the States was that surprised or shocked by what Bush did, but it made everyone I know feel helpless and cheated. I wrote the chorus to try and encourage people not to give up. It's a scary time for civil rights, but I really believe the only way to survive is to stick together and keep fighting."

2006 - Sorry : Madonna - I don't wanna hear. I don't wanna know. Please don't say 'forgive me.' I've seen it all before and I can't take it anymore. You've gone too far and a simple apology won't fix this, time to stand up for myself and leave you.

2006 - Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other : Willie Nelson - Willie Nelson’s long-time friend and tour manager came out of the closet which prompted Willie to release this song which queerifies the stereotypes associated with cowboys (and in truth, gay cowboys were common back in the day, but most people today are not aware of this). Cowboys are frequently secretly fond of each other. Say, what do you think all them saddles and boots was about? 

2006 - Fashionista : Jimmy James - This fiercely campy song is an homage to high fashion and goes out to all the queens who know how to serve. Fashion is the art, designers are the gods. Models play the part of angels in the dark. The song pokes fun at the self-seriousness of the fashion set and uses the artificiality of fashion as a metaphor for life

2006 - One : U2, Mary J. Blige - A remake of the 1992 hit about the difficulty of a son coming out to his religious father.

2006 - Take Me or Leave Me : Idina Menzel, Tracie Thoms - This song from Rent has become one of the great breakup songs, and is sung between two polar opposite women: flirty Maureen and controlling Joanne

2006 - The Wings : Gustavo Santaolalla - This is the theme song from the movie Brokeback Mountain which was about the complex emotional and sexual relationship between two men in the 1960′s. The song itself is an instrumental. It begins as a guitar solo, then another instrument is added, and this is followed by a large instrumentation. I think it’s a way of showing the more we share our life with others the richer the music is we produce.

2006 - Valerie : Mark Ronson feat. Amy Winehouse - Amy sings about yearning for her old lover Valerie. In this accoustic version the passion and desperation in her voice is so convincing. Well my body's been a mess and I've missed your ginger hair and the way you like to dress. Won't you come on over? Stop making a fool out of me. Why don't you come on over Valerie?

2006 - An Easier Affair : George Michael - I told myself I was straight but I shouldn't have worried ‘cause my maker had a better plan for me. I love that lyric! George tells us life is a much easier affair without hiding in the closet and not worrying about the haters.

2006 - I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ : Scissor Sisters - This song is a response to the Bee Gees disco hit "You Should Be Dancing." Jake Shears called this "The happiest-sounding song ever written about staying in and feeling miserable."

2006 - Boys Wanna Be Her : Peaches - The singer has a magnetic presence & control over people. You've got them all by the balls, causing waterfalls. Stonewalls, bar brawls, climbing stalls at concert halls. The chorus recognizes her universal appeal as the boys wanna be her, the girls wanna be her, they desire her qualities and confidence. The second verse is about her musical prowess, talent, and individuality. The way you rock non-stop, girl, you got the chops. Flip-flop, she bop, self-taught, your licks are hot. Her power comes from being unapologetically herself, finding her voice, and defying gender conventions.  

2006 - I’m Gay : Bowling for Soup - The song uses the word ‘gay’ in the old-fashioned sense to mean ‘happy,’ but they do so tongue-in-cheek. In the chorus they encourage everyone to say "I’m gay!” I want to hear you say, "I'm gay!" (I'm gay!) Say, "I'm gay!" (I'm gay!). 

2006 - And I am Telling You I’m Not Going : Jennifer Hudson - This song is about an underdog,. And I am telling you that I’m not going. I’m going to be here and I’m going to thrive, I’m going to be me and you’re going to see me and you’re gonna love me.

2007 - Grace Kelly : MIKA - Mika felt frustrated with record label executives who wanted him to change his sound to be more like another singer. Mika wrote “Grace Kelly” to reject the idea of pretending to be someone else to win approval. We love Mika because he’s authentically queer and has no interest in conforming.

2007 - Billy Brown : MIKA - It was all going according to plan for Billy Brown--he had a wife, two kids and a dog. Then he fell in love with another man. A tale of bisexual awakening.

2007 - My Interpretation : MIKA - This is a gay breakup song. He doesn’t want to talk with his ex about why their relationship ended, because I have my interpretation and don’t need to hear your version. This is not about emotion. I don't need a reason not to care what you say, or what happened in the end. And it don't have to make no sense to you at all 'cause this is my interpretation

2007 - Verbatim : Mother Mother - Sexuality isn’t determined by our behavior but by who we’re attracted to. I wear women's underwear and then I go to strike a pose in my full length mirror. I cross my legs just like a queer, but my libido is strong when a lady is near, ya. What defines a straight man's straight?

2007 - Touch Up : Mother Mother - All my makeup, it has washed off. I need a touch up. He uses makeup and skincare as a way of renovating or updating his image, not something a male singer would typically sing about. 

2007 - Dear Mr. President (feat. Indigo Girls) : P!nk - This song criticizes George W. Bush’s presidency, including the Iraq War, No Child Left Behind Act, opposition to gay marriage and the gay rights movement, and a lack of empathy for poor and middle-class citizens. This lyric, though: And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay. The song features vocals from the Indigo Girls, both of whom are lesbians.

2007 - Love Today : MIKA - The song tells stories about people who want to find love in many different ways. Everybody is looking for someone to love and to be loved back, or maybe they’re looking to get laid, it all depends on how you want to interpret the lyrics, but however you interpret it, we want love today.

2007 - That’s Not My Name : The Ting Tings - This is a song for anyone who’s been disrespected by being deadnamed. The Ting Tings are a duo made of Katie White and Jules De Martino, who aren’t just musical partners but also romantic partners.

2007 - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) : MIKA - Mika covers this 1983 Eurythmics’ anthem of resilience. This song acknowledges that sometimes life is hard, some people want to use or abuse you, but hold your head up, and keep moving on and you’re sure to have sweet dreams.

2007 - I Don’t Dance : Corbin Bleu & Lucas Grabeel - This song from High School Musical 2 is where Chad, co-president of the drama club, is trying to get Ryan, co-president of the basketball team, to “swing” to the other side, if you know what I mean. The scene in the movie is about playing baseball, and at the end of it, the two of them are sitting together wearing the other’s clothes. Guess Chad got Ryan to swing.  

2007 - Gimme More : Britney Spears - After months of having her personal life made very public, Britney used this song to make a comeback. Her performance at the MTV Video Music Awards was criticized as lackluster and lots of people commented on whether she’d ever recover. Gay YouTuber Chris Crocker became an overnight sensation, pleading for people to “Leave Britney alone!” Britney survived, bounced back, and 9 of her 13 top 10 hits came after this. 

2007 - Happy Ending : MIKA - Not every saga or relationship lasts joyously forever, some will not have a happy ending. Find hope from the despair and that is how to start on an even more beautiful story that leads to a happy ending. 

2007 - Untouched : The Veronicas - There's nothing explicitly queer in the lyrics of this song, but it rocks and is sung by a queer singer & an ally. The Veronicas is a band of 2 twin sisters from Australia, Lisa and Jessica Origliasso. Jessica identifies as queer and sexually fluid, she has had high-profile relationships with women and men. Lisa marched in support of gay marriage in California, and both sisters joined the "Wear it with Pride" campaign to overturn discrimination against same-sex couples in Australia. 

2007 - Lollipop : MIKA - “Lollipop” is a song in which Mika is warning against falling in love too fast. You should live your life to the fullest, and not let loneliness get in the way of happiness, do not live your life waiting for love.  

2008 - Back in Your Head : Tegan and Sara - I think this song is about a relationship that has gotten so comfortable that it’s become a friendship and not a romance. This lyric is brilliant: Build a wall of books between us in our bed, going to bed has turned into reading book after book until the lights go out, no longer any hint there might be a sexual spark. While the lyrics don’t indicate the gender of their partner, given it’s a song by twin sisters who are both lesbian, we can assume it’s about a girlfriend.

2008 - Just Dance : Lady Gaga feat. Colby O’Donis - This is Gaga’s first hit and she tells herself to just dance and everything will be okay. Whatever hard things are going on in our life, sometimes we have to take a break and dance. Lady Gaga performed this at the inaugural NewNowNext Awards, which were broadcast on the Logo network which is a channel aimed at the queer community

2008 - I Kissed a Girl : Katy Perry - Katy has a boyfriend, but she kissed a girl and liked it. Don’t pretend you don’t want to run to the nearest drugstore for some cherry chapstick after listening to this song. 

2008 - This is Me : Demi Lovato - This song from Camp Rock wasn't purposefully queer but has become a coming-out song

2008 - Hayloft : Mother Mother : In 2020, asking someone, “Hey, do you listen to Mother Mother?” is essentially asking if someone is nonbinary. This is because on TikTok people frequently used the lead-in instrumentals of the song “Hayloft” on videos when someone talks about discoveries regarding their identity that distinguishes them from their cisgender peers. 

2008 - Burning Pile : Mother Mother : In this song, a man gathers up all his problems and burns them. Life can be complicated and how nice it would be to gather up all the complications of our life and be rid of them.

2008 - Body : Mother Mother - The song “Body” details a process of casting off limbs and organs by the singer because they’ve grown tired of this body, a cumbersome and heavy body, which works as a gender dysphoria anthem.

2008 - Arms Tonite : Mother Mother - While it may be a fluke that their music became associated with being nonbinary, many Mother Mother songs challenge conformity and participation in cis-normative societal roles.

2008 - Poker Face : Lady Gaga - “Poker Face” is all about masking your thoughts. During a performance in 2009, Gaga explained that the song is about her personal experience with bisexuality. When she’s with a man but fantasizing about a woman, she’s got a “Poker Face” so he won’t know what is going through her mind.

2008 - Womanizer : Britney Spears - There’s a stereotype that gay people walk quickly and the joke is it’s because we have “Womanizer” by Britney Spears (140 bpm) playing in our heads. 

2008 - Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) : Beyoncé - What is it about songs of strong women that gay men love, especially if they’re danceable? Beyoncé is a diva loved by gay men and she reciprocates the love. In 2013, Beyoncé said she supported marriage equality. “If you like it you should be able to put a ring on it.” There have been countless videos uploaded of gay men performing to this song.

2009 - Cover Girl : RuPaul - The theme song to RuPaul’s Drag Race, the TV show which brought Drag performance and culture to the masses.  

2009 - Diva : Beyoncé - Beyoncé’s is loved by gay men, trans women, and drag queens love to perform her songs. And this song feels like she acknowledges this as she repeatedly states “I’m a diva.” 

2009 - The Climb : Miley Cyrus - Miley sings of perseverance and overcoming self-doubt. The song inspires everyone to keep going. Whether you’re in search of a dream or going through a difficult time, learn to appreciate the long journey to a better place.

2009 - If U Seek Amy : Britney Spears - “If U Seek Amy” is a song that lets you see either a dirty pun, or her sexual interest in a woman, or both. Love me, hate me. Say what you want about me, but all of the boys and all of the girls are begging to if you seek Amy (F.U.C.K me).

2009 - Love Who You Love : Rascal Flatts - This song was written as a reminder to show affection to the people closest to you, as you never know when it will be too late. Singer Gary LeVox said this track also can be interpreted as a message of support towards the gay community.

2009 - When Love Takes Over : David Guetta feat. Kelly Rowland - When you grow up ashamed of who you are, that’s complicated and it takes time to be ready to love someone. But when we fall in love it feels so good and wonderful, that’s when love takes over from shame. Letting ourselves live & love is a way to show pride in ourselves.

2009 - Love Story : The Scene Aesthetics - This acoustic/indie pop band did a cover of Taylor Swift’s song “Love Story.” Having two males sing the love lyrics to each other gives the song a new feel.

2009 - Heavy Cross : Gossip - This song was the first international hit for Gossip, reaching the top ten across Europe, yet lesbian lead singer Beth Ditto, who is outspoken in support of LGBT and feminist causes, isn’t well known in her home country of the USA. Beth exclaims that life is very hard alone. It's a cruel cruel world, to face on your own, a heavy cross, to carry alone. 

2009 - Bulletproof : La Roux - The song is about a girl who has been through a lot of bad relationships and hopes that next time maybe I'll be bulletproof, meaning she hopes she doesn't get hurt when things go wrong. Singer Elly Jackson was vague in answering questions about her sexuality. She had a girlfriend at the time but worried what coming out would mean for her career. She feels androgynous but more feminine than masculine, and she doesn’t call herself “gay”, “straight” or “bisexual,” she doesn’t like labels.

2009 - F*ck You : Lily Allen - The song was written as a protest against George W. Bush and his homophobia, but the song took on a bigger meaning after Prop 8, an anti-gay marriage state constitutional amendment, was passed in California. This song is now used against all kind of homophobia.

2009 - Butch : Saint Motel - While her dad is gone, she sneaks into his room and puts on his clothes. A guy shows up at the house and sees her, is she a butch lesbian or possibly trans? I’m into you, but what am I into? A girl or are you a guy? Being into someone even if you aren’t sure of their gender is so queer.

2009 - We Are Golden : MIKA - This song is a celebration of youth. The video has Mika dancing around his teenage bedroom in his underpants. Mika has said the song's theme is about a person’s burgeoning sexuality. With that in mind, these lyrics hint that teenager Mika would eventually come out as gay: We are not what you think we are, and I was running from the things that you’d say. 

2009 - Toy Boy : MIKA -This is a song done in 3 scenes. Scene 1 is about a boy who was dating another boy. His boyfriend’s mama says it is wrong to sleep with a boy and she says homosexuality is a serious thing in a grown-up world and for her son he would be better with a Barbie girl. Consequently he dumps the man who loves him. In scene 2, the man who was dumped is now in an unhappy marriage with a woman. His wife treats him like a toy whom she dresses like the man of her dreams, then puts him away when she's done with him. He's not himself in this marriage. In the final scene, he reminisces of how he once had a boy who loved him but now (thanks to the mom) is afraid of being with him. He hopes that in the future when his ex-boyfriend looks back, he’ll remember their time fondly, and he’ll use the tragic story of his former love to teach his son to seek happiness and love.

2009 - I See You : MIKA - The song is about being in a room with someone and having romantic thoughts & feelings about them, but not having the courage to say anything. You don’t know how they’d react so you resign yourself to simply getting to see them.

2009 - Bad Romance : Lady Gaga - First, it’s gender neutral so any of us can sing without translating pronouns. Second, it’s about loving someone completely, including their “bad” parts. I want your ugly, I want your disease. Third, Lady Gaga showed up to the 2010 MTV Music Awards with four members of the U.S. military who had been discharged or resigned because of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. When she went on stage to receive the Video of the Year award for “Bad Romance,” Gaga wore the now-famous meat dress as a way to show her anger about the military’s anti-LGBTQ policy. “If we don’t stand up for what we believe in and if we don’t fight for our rights, pretty soon we’re going to have as much rights as the meat on our bones.”

2009 - For Your Entertainment : Adam Lambert - After a successful run on Season 8 of American Idol, Adam debuted his first single at the 2009 American Music Awards. The performance featured various dancers in bondage gear, included 2 guys Lambert led around by a leather rope, and Adam kissed the man playing keyboards. It was a bit much for many watching.

2009 - Whataya Want From Me : Adam Lambert - I wonder if this song is referencing when he was figuring out his sexuality with words like Yeah, it’s plain to see, baby you’re beautiful and there’s nothing wrong with you. It’s me, I’m a freak.

2009 - Rain : MIKA - Mika wrote a break-up letter to say it didn’t seem like his ex did anything special for him, didn’t do anything to show he loved Mika. He was left feeling ordinary, he wanted more than that. Mika decided turning that letter into a song would feel empowering. 

2009 - Someday : Rob Thomas - This song hopes that someday the problems of today will be worked out. At the time, same-sex marriage was still illegal in most of the US and this song was embraced as hope that Someday we will have this fixed.

2010 - Diplomat’s Son : Vampire Weekend - This song is about 2 boys who are best friends. One of them has had a crush on his friend for a long time but never thought there was a chance anything could happen. Then one night he tells his friend that he likes him as more than just a friend, and they wind up sleeping together. In the morning, he wakes up to find his best friend is gone. Maybe this indicates it wasn’t love, just his friend experimenting, so the young man decides to end his life by jumping into a river by his home in the middle of the winter. 

2010 - Telephone : Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce - A song with both Gaga and Bey is just as fabulous as it gets. Original Queer Eye culture expert Jai Rodriguez has a cameo appearance as a reporter, sealing the deal: a new queer classic song is born.

2010 - Fearless Love : Melissa Etheridge - The song’s first line is I was 17, you kissed my lips. Etheridge explained “It was the first time I kissed a girl…It was intense going through that experience and having the fireworks go off: ‘Oh my God, this is greatest thing ever! This is what all my girlfriends have been talking about when they kiss boys’ and stuff." Regarding the lyric, You are what you are afraid of, Melissa said "If you say, 'Oh I’m afraid of this’ and it stops you from doing, then you become what you are afraid of.”

2010 - Cold War : Janelle Monáe - The song starts off saying being alone’s the only way to be. When you step outside, you spend life fighting for your sanity. The song says this is a cold war but if the weak unite and have faith in love, the mighty will crumble. So powerful. Alone we feel weak and need to hide, but united we are strong. This is followed by I was made to believe there was something wrong with me. Janelle has said this and additional songs about being “other” are related to her being a queer Black woman and people in all those identities can identify with the message.

2010 - Blame it on the Girls : MIKA - This song is about how people don’t appreciate what they have and try to find others to blame for their problems. In the song, a handsome, rich man seems to have it all, yet is still unhappy. Instead of taking responsibility for his choices of how he spends his time and money, he blames others. The chorus has very bi vibes. Blame it on the girls who know what to do. Blame it on the boys who keep hitting on you...Blame it on the girls. Blame it on the boys. Blame it on the girls. Blame it on the boys. 

2010 - Not Myself Tonight : Christina Aguilera - Donned in leather, ball gags, whips, the lyrics say ‘I’m kissing all the boys and the girls’ 

2010 - Dancing on my Own : Robyn - It’s a post-break up song. Somebody said you got a new friend. Does she love you better than I can? But with a great dance beat like this, it’s a sure bet Robyn won’t be dancing on her own for long.

2010 - Alejandro : Lady Gaga - In the video, Gaga dresses in a red latex nun outfit, eats a rosary, and intermingled with the Catholic imagery are clear references to gay love.

2010 - Ain’t No Son : Court Yard Hounds - Court Yard Hounds is a side project of the two sisters from Dixie Chicks. The song was written after watching a documentary of families who throw their young sons out of the house when they find out their child is gay. 

2010 - If I Had You : Adam Lambert - I love how the beginning sounds like Adam is going out to a gay club. So I got my boots on, got the right amount of leather, and I’m doing me up with a black color liner, and I’m working my strut. Not the way we usually hear about a guy getting ready for a night out.

2010 - Feel It in My Bones : Tiësto feat. Tegan and Sara - Tiësto teamed up with our favorite lesbian twin sisters Tegan and Sara for this song where one person in a relationship has been betrayed or hurt. They feel the hurt in their bones. They were knocked down and manage to pick themselves back up and let go of the person who caused the hurt and reclaim their strength. But love, even when it’s lost, continues to have a hold on us and it’s difficult to move on. 

2010 - Football Song : Matt Fishel - The lyrics are sung from the perspective of a young gay schoolboy with a crush on the straight captain of the school’s football (soccer) team. It is ambiguous whether or not the relationship between the two is real or in the narrator’s mind. 

2010 - Te Amo : Rihanna - A woman says to Rihanna te amo, which means “I love you.” Rihanna’s response is I feel the love, but I don’t feel that way. The lyrics may find Rihanna hesitant to love this other woman, but the video tells another story as Rihanna initially resists the seduction, but eventually gives in to the woman’s charm.

2010 - All the Lovers : Kylie Minogue - A feel-good track about love and dancing your fears away. The video has people strip down to their underwear, form a pyramid, and begin kissing. Definite pansexual vibes.   

2010 - Mine : Taylor Swift - This is a song about a careless man’s careful daughter going off to college and falling in love with a small-town waitress. That’s it, that’s the song.

2010 - Ice Cream Truck : Cazwell - It’s a cute, simple and upbeat 1980’s-style summer anthem that conveys happiness about being gay. The video is delightfully raunchy, a bunch of shirtless male dancers licking popsicles.

2010 - Whip My Hair : Willow Smith - The song is a message of self-love, to be yourself and don’t let anyone tell you that's wrong. To whip your hair with such abandon takes a certain self-confidence and willingness to have fun no matter what others think. Willow would later come out as bisexual, stating "I love men and women equally". She also supports polyamorous relationships.

2010 - Best Thing About Me is You : Ricky Martin - Earlier in the year, Ricky Martin officially came out as gay. The video features couples, mostly interracial queer couples. Life is short so make it what you wanna. Make it good, don’t wait until mañana

2010 - Raise Your Glass : P!nk - Lyrics like these are relatable: So raise your glass if you are wrong in all the right ways, all my underdogs. Ignore convention and just let loose. Plus, the video has her singing at a gay wedding.

2010 - Far Away : Marsha Ambrosius - Marsha wrote this song after a gay friend attempted suicide because of the abuse he experienced. The video has scenes of gay bashing and homophobia. She sings of her sadness at missing her friend.

2010 - Pretty Girl Rock : Keri Hilson - Keri is an LGBTQ ally. When asked about this song, she answered, "there’s so many 'rules’ to society’s view of beauty. I wanted to dispel that and get rid of that. We’re all beautiful in our own unique ways, you just have to find that happy place within yourself.” The video has Keri dressed as a star from 9 different decades, from the 1920’s all the way to herself in 2010 and is her “way of paying homage to groundbreaking women, strong women who were fearless and so bold and so confident that they made women feel that way. And I hope to do the same.” 

2010 - We R Who We R : Ke$ha - After a news story that bullying leads to suicides of gay youth, she was upset people have to hide themselves and pretend to be someone other than who they are in order to be safe. Ke$ha wrote this song in hopes it would become a Pride anthem and it is intended to inspire people to be themselves, celebrate who you are, and to celebrate anyone deemed quirky or eccentric. 

2010 - Firework : Katy Perry - Everyone is a firework, they have an ordinary or insignificant wrapping, but in the right situation they ignite and show how amazing, extraordinary, and beautiful each of us is. The video features a scene in which two boys passionately kiss. Katy Perry dedicated this song to the It Gets Better video campaign aimed at queer youth who may feel alone or suicidal.

2010 - Teenage Dream : Glee Cast - Having this song being sung by one boy for another was a big moment on a popular TV show.

2010 - Back to December : Taylor Swift - She spends all summer with someone and then autumn rolls around and she realizes she love them. The bonus is already knowing their family from when you were best friends before the relationship changed. Then ending everything with them because you’re scared. Could this get any gayer? Plus there’s no gendered pronouns in this song, a common way to slip a gay love song past the straights.

2010 - Do It Like a Dude : Jessie J - Bisexual Jessie J’s debut single is a joyfully angry comment on sex and gender. The operative word of the song is “can.” This woman *can* be as masculine, feminine, butch, femme, as she wants to be, and that’s awesome. She can grab her crotch, wear her hat down low, be lewd, and fight, and still be a woman. It’s stupid that these are considered “masculine” because women can and do take part in them. There are no men in the video, but plenty of butch women. I can do it like a brother, do it like a dude. Grab my crotch, wear my hat low like you. We can do it like the mandem, mandem. 

2010 - F**kin’ Perfect : P!nk - With all the negative messages we grow up hearing and believing about our gender identity or sexual orientation, these lyrics are so powerful: You’re so mean when you talk about yourself. You were wrong. Change the voices in your head, make them like you instead.

2011 - Born This Way : Lady Gaga - Many songs hint at queer identities and acceptance by using metaphors, but not this one, it is direct. No matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgender life, I’m on the right track, baby, I was born to survive. The hype song is a battle cry for equality.

2011 - We All Try : Frank Ocean - Frank Ocean sings of losing faith in mankind as the LGBTQIA+ community struggles to find acceptance. I believe that marriage isn’t between a man and woman, but between love and love, and I believe you when you say you’ve lost all faith, but you must believe in something. He reassures the queer community that I just don’t believe we’re wicked, I know that we sin but I do believe we try.

2011 - Call Your Girlfriend : Robyn - Robyn is telling her two-timing partner (is it a man or a woman, who knows?) to end things with their girlfriend, and advises them on how to do it gently. Call your girlfriend. It’s time you had the talk. Give your reasons. Say it’s not her fault but you just met somebody new.

2011 - Run the World (Girls) : Beyoncé - If girls did run the world maybe we’d be better off!

2011 - Turn it Off : Cast of The Book of Mormon musical - A funny song that talks about turning off sad or uncomfortable feelings, this includes a gay Mormon missionary turning off his gay feelings.

2011 - Americano : Lady Gaga - The scenario is she has fallen in love with a girl from East L.A. (which has a mostly Hispanic population) but they can’t marry due to the laws prohibiting gay marriage. As to the I don’t speak your Americano, I don’t speak your language oh no, I don’t speak your Jesus Cristo, I think it’s rejecting the religious rhetoric used to justify the laws.

2011 - Make it Stop (September’s Children) : Rise Against - The song & video are about the bullying and harassment of LGBTQ youth, driving them to the point of suicide. The lead singer says the song’s message is “it can get better, it does get better, give it a chance to get better, don’t end your life prematurely.” The video was a collaboration with the It Gets Better Project, a nonprofit organization that aims to prevent suicide within the LGBTQ community

2011 - I Wanna Go : Britney Spears - Britney sings a song poking fun at her past. Lately people got me all tied up. There’s a countdown waiting for me to erupt. Time to blow out. 

2011 Love On Top : Beyonce - This is a jam by Queen B and she sings of her partner treating her like a Queen, putting her above everything. That’s the kind of love we all want.

2011 – Call Me Maybe : Carly Rae Jepsen - The video begins with Carly Rae spying on her attractive neighbor as he is working on his lawn. She tries to get his attention with various provocative poses only for her neighbor to give his phone number to Carly Rae’s male band mate

2011 - We Found Love : Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris - Finding love in a hopeless place, for many queer people this can be what it’s like in a heteronormative society, especially for someone in the closet…which can feel hopeless, and then love is found

2011 - The First Time : Matt Fishel - Fishel said of the song: “The first time I kissed another boy was an amazing, life-changing moment for me. I can remember the day it happened really vividly and I [wanted] to write a song about all those feelings of warmth and nostalgia that come from that first special moment.”

2011 - Who You Are : Jessie J - The song acknowledges it’s okay to be sad sometimes as you figure out who you are, but be true to who you are and don’t become somebody else. 

2011 - Everybody Talks : Neon Trees - TikTok has made this the pansexual anthem and it has joined a list of music that is code for sexual orientation & gender identity. “Do you listen to Girl in Red?” “No, I listen to Everybody Talks.” In other words, “Are you a lesbian?” “No, I’m pansexual.” The song itself is about gossip. Tyler Glenn, the lead singer, says this is about a girl who spread rumors that he was gay, so yeah, It started with a whisper, and that was when I kissed her, and then she made my lips hurt.

2011 - Take a Bow : Matt Alber - A beautiful, heartfelt cover of the 1994 Madonna song with just a guitar for accompaniment. An openly gay man singing the words to his male lover. 

2011 – Titanium : David Guetta feat. Sia – The openly queer singer Sia wrote this song about enduring everything the world throws at you and coming out stronger.

Link to My Queer Playlist - Part 1 songs from 1939 to 1993

Link to My Queer Playlist - Part 3 songs from 2012 to 2017

Link to My Queer Playlist - Part 4 songs from 2018 to present

Link to my Queer Disney Songs Playlist

Link to my K-Pop Queer Playlist

Link to my Queer Religious Playlist