Photo by Kelly McKerr
Editor’s Note: elliotlee.com refers to Elliot Lee with she/her pronouns, but their Instagram account and many interviews refer to them using they/them pronouns. We will be using they/them to refer to Elliot Lee for this article.
Elliot Lee is an unapologetically LGBTQ+, nonbinary, and neurodivergent dark pop artist. In the past month, they released two new singles: “Fun” on May 19 and “Easy to be You” June 9. Both of the songs deal with feeling like an outsider and wanting something you don’t have but ultimately coming to the conclusion that being yourself is the only way to live life.
The melody of “Fun” is boppy and feels like something you would dance to at a club or headbang to at a concert, in line with their electronic rock music style. But under the synth and glitter is Lee’s commentary on being neurodivergent and under the spotlight. According to Lee, the song is about “neurodivergence masquerading as a song about wanting to be famous.” Both neurotypicality and fame are things they say they desire, but know that they would lose an intrinsic part of themself if they achieved. They describe the lives of neurotypical and famous people as “dipped in gold and crystalline” but admit in the bridge that “I know it’s nothing like my dreams.”
Meanwhile, “Easy To Be You” is a slower song that shows off Lee’s vocal range. The heart-wrenching chorus describes Lee envying the way cisgender, heterosexual people get to navigate the world without questioning their gender expression. This song, they say, is specifically for the queer community and the subsequent difficulty that many queer people, especially nonbinary people, experience with self-image. Lee sings that they could “feminize to fit into a standard / But that’s not me, and really I can’t stand her.” In the end, just like “Fun,” the song eventually accepts that queer people — and Lee themself — live outside of the realms of defined gender and sexuality: “I’ve been searching my whole life / For labels that define my mind / But really I live life in multitudes.”
These two singles provide a voice for queer and neurodivergent communities and accomplish what many of Lee’s other songs do: package a meaningful idea into a fun tune. In addition to making songs for the queer and neurodivergent communities individually, Lee’s recognition and expression of these two identities in tandem gives a voice to people who sit at their intersection.
Like Lee themself and other people who share more than one marginalized identity, the queer neurodivergent community faces unique challenges that neurotypical queer or cishet neurodivergent people may not. Lee’s music espouses all of the troubles and joys being neurodivergent and queer, and by recognizing them through music, carves out a space for this community, giving people something to identify with and find comfort in.
Whether they end up on a playlist labeled “Party” or “Coping With My Feelings,” Elliot Lee’s newest singles bring a unique sound and the message that you are never alone. As they sing in their 2019 single, “Dirt,” “I know I’m not alone / ’Cause we all sing along.”
You can find Elliot Lee on Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, Apple Music, and more on their Linktree.
Credits:
Author: Emma Blakely (They/She/He)
Copy Editors: Maya Parra (She/Her), Bella (She/They)