Queer Jams Of The Week: New Music From Kim Petras, 070 Shake, Dove Cameron & More
If you're looking at this year's Grammy nominations, why not listen to some great new music by your favorite queer artists? Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of the best new music by LGBTQ artists.
From Kim Petras' new collaboration with David Guetta to 070's hypnotic new single, check out some of our favorite releases of the week below:
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David Guetta and Kim Petras, "When We Were Young (The Logical Song)"
When you combine a legendary French DJ, a German-born pop princess and a British rock band, you get something magical. With "When We Were Young," Kim Petras teams up with production star David Guetta to put her own spin on the Supertramp monster, creating a chaotic twist on the band's shared Eurodance DNA duo. Interspersed with house pianos and relentless German techno beats, Gotta's electronica flourishes perfectly with Petras' powerful vocals as they look back to the good old days.
070 Shake feat. Ken Carson, "Natural Habitat"
Among his many talents as an artist, 070 Sheikh's ability to create a world of sound in less than four minutes has always been paramount. Still on his latest single "Natural Habitat" featuring Ken Carson, Shay shows just how good he is at world building. Throughout this chaotic and deeply hypnotic new track, the rising star uses instantly disorienting distortion to throw the listener off balance as he tells the story of feeling trapped inside a lover's head. With Carson's fiery verse and transcendent songwriting, Sheik perfectly encapsulates the message of his delirious song in this mysterious new track.
Dove Cameron for "The Sands"
With her latest single, Dove Cameron immediately poses listeners with an almost philosophical question. "Which is worse, to want but not love, or to love but not want?" "Sand" is the pop singer's last song from Alchemy's album . Throughout the first volume, Cameron explores the end of their relationship with omniscient clarity, declaring that their romance is doomed. It only failed because "we did it." I don't love as much as I can. The soaring orchestral accompaniment is shielded only by the singer's recorder from the chorus, making "Sand" sound like a far more fragile sorrow than its namesake.
Slater-Kinney, "Like You Mean It"
There's a quiet anger in Corin Tucker's voice on "Say It Like You Mean It" as she tells her lover, "I gotta hear it before I go." This underlying frustration finds its way onto Sleater-Kinney's new track, as Tucker and Brownstein pay homage to the messy, bittersweet and heartbreaking end of a passionate love story. With a dizzying beat running through the back of the song, the duo went to work, plowing through both vocals and emotion in this haunting and emotive new track.
Aurora, "Your Blood"
Norwegian pop star Aurora is known for her haunting and ethereal voice willing to give that voice something meaningful. On "Your Blood," Aurora pushes aside the nihilism that struggles to find its way into the modern conversation to embrace empathy and compassion, singing about sharing your burdens with a friend. Alongside this heavy purpose is an unmistakable pop sound fueled by bright pop vocals and nimble guitars that highlight Hope's mission in the rocking pop scene.
Dagdz People's Republic of China, "How a Girl Does It"
Australian pop star Peach PRC isn't known for her subtlety, and on "Like a Girl Does" she takes her pithy lyrics to a whole new level. In a surprising new track, the singer hits back at the dumb boys in his music, but this time he highlights the Sapphic themes he's worked on throughout his discography, proudly noting that he's "a guy who tries your mind alter." "Together." "Can only" "Love like a girl." The upbeat and catchy melody immediately grabs your attention, and within minutes you'll find yourself raising your middle finger to the nearest kboy.
Laura Jane Grace, Hole in My Head
After a stressful work week, sometimes you need a little catharsis. Luckily, "Against Me" star Laura Jane Grace is here to deliver the goods. On the short but very sweet "Hole in My Head," the rocker takes on a vaguely punk vibe to celebrate the changing beauty of a good rock song. Of course, Grace says, you could try to reduce the monotony and pain in your daily life, but "that would be too boring." Alternatively, press play this song and leave it for a minute and a half.
Check out all of our picks for Billboard's Queer Jams of the Week below:
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