1. Hayley Kiyoko, “Girls Like Girls”
As one of the most popular openly LGBTQ+ musicians of 2018, Hayley Kiyoko has been making waves even before her debut album, ‘Expectations’ hit the charts. Back in 2015, she released ‘Girls Like Girls,’ an ode to the normality of queer relationships among girls. The video is heartbreaking but a somewhat realistic approach to discovering your sexuality.
2. Troye Sivan, “HEAVEN”
Troye Sivan‘s fans dub him the king of pop but he’s definitely an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. While performing at numerous PRIDE events this month, Troye has also been gearing up for the release of his second album ‘Bloom’ which is set to debut at the end of August. Of course, we couldn’t leave him out of this list especially with his video for ‘HEAVEN.’ It’s a montage full of different LGBTQ+ individuals as well as moments in history for the community.
3. MUNA, “I Know A Place”
Girl group MUNA have had an exciting time last year—from touring with Harry Styles to releasing their debut album—they’re also paving the way for others just like them. Not shy to speak up for minorities and stand up for equality, MUNA showed off their passion for fighting for others in their video for dance-pop goodie ‘I Know A Place.’
4. Tegan and Sara, “Faint of Heart”
Filmed a day after the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016, Tegan and Sara’s video for ‘Faint of Heart’ showcases a group of LGBTQ+ individuals, some of them dress up as gender bending icons—like David Bowie, Prince and Madonna—and lip-sync to the duo’s catchy hit. Tegan and Sara cheer on from the audience and look on as these brave performers put on a show that proves they’re proud of who they are.
5. Hozier, “Take Me To Church”
Hozier released this chart topper in 2013 and quickly became a household name. Not only does the song take on dark meaning, the video depicts a very tragic reality for some of the LGBTQ+ community. Hozier spoke out about the meaning of the video and song stating, “the song was always about humanity at its most natural, and how that is undermined ceaselessly by religious [organizations] and those who would have us believe they act in its interests.”
6. King Princess, “Talia”
Receiving a massive following after Harry Styles tweeted lyrics to her banger ‘1950,’ King Princess is just one of the many musicians referring to a same-sex love interest in her songs. In her new video for her single ‘Talia,’ she gets super close to a female mannequin, embodying her ideal lover.
7. Wrabel, “The Village”
Wrabel tells a heart wrenching story in his video for ‘The Village’ where a transgender teen struggles to find acceptance within themselves and with others. A harsh reality of the abuse and emotional turmoil being dealt with from family members as well as classmates, the main character comes to terms with their inner beauty. It’s a hard pill to swallow at times but Wrabel gets it right—not all coming out stories are pretty, it will be difficult at first but the embrace of accepting yourself is the ultimate goal.
8. Sia, “The Greatest”
Sia created one of the most empowering anthems of 2016 with ‘The Greatest.’ The video is a strong example of the effects of the Pulse nightclub shooting—with Maddie Ziegler dawning rainbow stripes on her face and saving 48 children from captivity to losing them all in an attack at the end. It’s definitely a nod to the 49 individuals who were taken during the violent massacre in June 2016.
9. Shura, “What’s It Gonna Be?”
Shura stepped out onto the scene with her debut album ‘Nothing’s Real’ two years ago and since then she’s served us with 90s synth-pop hits. ‘What’s It Gonna Be?’ is a perfect example of all the pop goodness her album brings. The accompanying video is a cute scenario of an unexpected love story that makes us swoon.
10. morgxn, “home”
morgxn’s release of his debut album ‘vital’ has allowed him to gain traction as a potentially groundbreaking artist—his track ‘home’ is a booming uptempo classic that leaves us wanting more while the video takes us on a journey of accepting your quirks. Explaining the story behind it, morgxn says, “belonging is not something handed to you, it’s something you must claim for yourself. It’s taken me my whole life to decide that the need to belong only matters internally. Trying to fit in is not the same as belonging, sometimes home is found not at home.”
Featured image source: YouTube