SHILPA (she/her) is an independent musician from Los Angeles, California. She writes funk, neo-soul, and indie tunes, often touching on complex emotions and themes of growth and solitude. She recently released her debut single, a touching homage to her grandmother — this song features poetic, lyrical writing, and is the first project of many more to come.
Queer Next Up: VATTICA
VATTICA (they/them) is an artist and self-described soapbox snark for social change who writes alt-rock anthems for our dystopia.
Queer Next Up: Annelle Staal
Annelle Staal (they/them) is a compellingly honest songwriter and storyteller. A pioneer in the world of virtual performance and a visionary in their artistry, Annelle’s sound varies from blue-eyed soul to organic acoustic pop and nostalgic 80s inspired sounds.
Love Songs of a Different Tune: A Valentine’s Day Revisit with Rio Romeo
Last year, we interviewed butch lesbian singer-songwriter Rio Romeo about their Valentine’s Day release, “Bet.” They’ve released a full EP since then, “Good God!” — a project full of what they called “love songs” in our last conversation (they certainly delivered). Just a couple days ago, they released a new single, “Danke Schoen.” Now, a year later, we all meet again, under some of the same conditions as last time. It feels almost like meeting an old friend, and we all catch up for a couple minutes before diving in.
Queer Next Up: Michael Medrano
Michael Medrano (he/him) LA’s sleazy disco cowboy that lives & breathes pop music. My only goal is to make everyone loosen the fuck up and have a great time.
Red Cloaks and Breaking Records: How Queer Music Fared at the 2023 Grammys
Music’s biggest night is back! Sunday evening marked the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, hosted by Trevor Noah in downtown Los Angeles. Nearly all of the industry’s biggest stars filled Crypto.com Arena, hoping to be honored by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for their songs and albums released between Oct. 1, 2021 and Sept. 30, 2022. But how did LGBTQ+ music fare at the show overall?
Mad Tsai Presents “Stacy’s Brother”: An Interview With The Artist
Jonathan Tsai, a.k.a. Mad Tsai, never really expected fame. Tsai started his career as a bedroom pop artist posting music online, locked in his home during a worldwide pandemic with his ukulele and overwhelming emotions to work through. While he had a significant fanbase before the pandemic, Tsai’s audience dramatically increased during lockdown when TikTok surged in popularity.
Anonymity, Art, and Stevie Wonder: A Conversation with Upcoming Artist Sophia Eiss
Why would one demonize love? It’s a question all queer people have asked ourselves and the people around us at some point in our lives. In the face of every discriminatory law, every crime committed against us, every right that is so quickly stripped away, it is safe to say that no one in the queer community has truly found the answer, — but that hasn’t stopped us from trying. Queer artist Sophia Eiss explores this question and the emotions tied to our inability to answer it in her latest single, “INNOCENT LOVE.”
Best of 2022: Staff Picks for Queer Music
Enjoy our staff’s recommendations for queer music released in 2022 (in no particular order) and save the playlist!
Queer Next Up: Thomas Chinarro
Thomas Chinarro (he/him) is a 19-year-old British & French singer-songwriter. Previously featured on emerging artist Opaline’s track “To Be Yours,” his new single “violets,” written and performed with mac gray…
