As we head into the Halloweekend, amp up your spooky playlists with these tracks from your favorite queer artists. Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.
From Lady Gaga’s sickening return to Halsey’s persona-shifting album, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Lady Gaga, “Disease”
For anyone who’s been hoping for Gaga to return to her Fame Monster era sound, let “Disease” serve as a reward. The pounding new dark-pop single sees Gaga reaching back into her early career to recapture the glory of her twisted pop origins. With some chopped-and-screwed pop production courtesy of Andrew Watt and Cirkut, as well as some top-tier vocals from Gaga herself, “Disease” is the exact kind of brooding pop creation that will fuel your Halloween celebrations for the next week.
Halsey, The Great Impersonator
There’s no doubt that Halsey has been through quite a lot over the course of the last few years. On The Great Impersonator, she tries to put all of that into an emotional context for her listeners, all while paying tribute to the icons that helped make her the artist that she is today. Whether she’s singing about helping her lover deal with their own pain (“Panic Attack”) or struggling through a diagnosis that nearly killed her (“Life of a Spider”), the singer pours every ounce of emotionally resonant songwriting that she can fit into this constantly-shifting LP.
Gigi Perez, “Fable”
Following up on the success of her queer love anthem “Sailor Song,” Gigi Perez is taking her moment in the spotlight to honor her late sister. On “Fable,” the singer-songwriter examines her own grief and its impact on her spirituality, as her plaintive voice pierces through the gentle strums of her acoustic guitar. “So share me your plan/ If I implore you, could I be your lamb?” she asks near the song’s end. “I look for the truth in the back of your hand/ And I look into the open sky.”
Soccer Mommy, Evergreen
Even when you’re going through a hard time, Soccer Mommy’s Sophie Allison wants to make sure you know that finding peace is Evergreen. Throughout her stunning new album, the singer-songwriter shares some of her most raw, honest lyrics to date, all over a bed of lush, gorgeous indie rock melodies. Even when the subject matter gets dark, Allison makes sure to provide plenty of light at the end of the tunnel, making Evergreen a must-listen this fall.
Katie Gavin, What a Relief
On What a Relief, MUNA lead singer Katie Gavin flexes her own particular brand of singer-songwriter mastery. The perfectly-curated album sees the artist leaning into specificity, singing about emotional unavailability (“Inconsolable”), feeling like you’re not fulfilling your partner (“As Good As It Gets” featuring Mitski), and even the cycles of motherhood (“The Baton”). She does it all with a razor-sharp ear for sound and lyricism, putting What a Relief above even some of its loftier expectations.
Corook, “Crumbs”
For all of their charming-and-quirky tracks about fearing snakes and life as a fish, singer-songwriter Corook has scores of songs underlining their own insecurities. “Crumbs,” the latest off the singer’s forthcoming album, very much falls into the latter camp as Corook unpacks a lifetime of self-criticism, and returns to its source. With crystal-clear vocals and emotionally engaged lyrics, “Crumbs” will have you reaching for the tissues within moments.
Sade, “Young Lion”
What makes Sade’s first song in six years so remarkable is more than the singer’s inimitable voice — it’s her emotionally raw songwriting. Sung directly to her trans son Izaak, Sade’s “Young Lion” serves primarily as an apology from a mother who wishes she had seen the struggle her child was going through sooner, as she sings over a stunning chorus that her baby will “shine like a sun,” regardless how the world perceives him.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
