Soundtrack of Pride: A Fresh Wave of LGBTQ Artists Making an Impact

Queer musicians making their mark on pop culture

Over the past several decades, the music industry has witnessed a new generation of LGBTQ+ artists taking center stage. These musicians follow the footsteps of some of the legendary LGBTQ+ artists of the last fifty or so years - Elton John, Freddie Mercury, Melissa Etheridge, Michael Stipe, and the Indigo Girls, just to name a few. We’ve put together a list of modern groundbreaking pop icons that are using their platforms to challenge the stereotypes, celebrate diversity, and inspire thousands of fans around the globe to do the same.

Halsey

Halsey came onto the music scene in 2015 with her debut album Badlands. She has been open about her sexuality since 2015, and has been involved in several social issues such as suicide prevention awareness, sexual assault victim advocacy, homeless youth services, and racial justice. At the 2018 GLAAD Awards Halsey received the honor of Outstanding Music Artist, which meant a lot because she had really strived to be a better representative for the LGBTQ+ community.

Tegan and Sara

Tegan and Sara is a Canadian pop duo that arrived on the music scene in 1998. Tegan and Sara are identical twin sisters who are both gay, and also both are happily married. They have been advocates for LGBTQ+ equality, as well as music education, literacy, and cancer research. They have released 10 studio albums with the most recent being Crybaby in October 2022. They wrote their memoir titled High School in 2019, and the television rights were quickly picked up and it was released on Amazon Freevee in 2022.

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus was known as the “Teen Queen” of the 2000s when she arrived on the pop scene in the Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana. Since then, she has had a successful solo pop career, as well as an acting career. Even before coming out as pansexual in 2016, Miley has always fearlessly fought for the LGBTQ community. In 2014, she started Happy Hippie, an organization that supports the homeless youth, LGBTQ+ youth, and other vulnerable populations. She teamed up with Instagram in 2015 to start #InstaPride, an initiative that showcased the transgender community while also educating her followers on the struggles they faced. In 2017, her song “Inspired” from the album Younger Now became an unofficial pride anthem. The song challenges the listener to become the change they want to see in the world.

Janelle Monáe

Janelle Monáe is a musician, actor, rapper, and songwriter, who came onto the scene in 2003. Janelle has been a long time supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, but only recently came out as non-binary in 2022, which was a big year for the artist. That same year, at the 40th Annual Outfest Legacy Awards, Janelle was given the “Trailblazer Award” which recognizes her long history of activism. In 2022 Monáe also published The Memory Librarian, an anthology of stories that blends science fiction with issues like racism and homophobia, drawn from the themes put forth in her album, Dirty Computer. Rian Johnson, director of Knives Out, said of Monáe, “She’s a beacon of living free and out loud and what that looks like and she wants that for other people too. She walks the walk.”

Lil Nas X

Lil Nas X hit the charts in 2019 with the summer country-rap hit song “Old Town Road.” While the song sat at number 1 for 19 weeks, he simultaneously came out as gay. He has won several musical accolades, was named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 list in 2020, and was included in Time’s Top 100 most influential people the following year. When he came out at the end of Pride Month 2019, he urged people to listen to his song “C7osure” which is about growing up and embracing oneself.

Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato skyrocketed to fame thanks to Disney Channel’s Camp Rock which is where their debut single “This Is Me” was featured. Since then they have sold over 24 million records during their musical career, and have continued to act as well as be a judge on The X Factor. In 2014, Demi Lovato was named the Grand Marshal of the LA Pride Parade and was one of the lead performers. They went on to film the music video for “Really Don’t Care” during the parade. Lovato was given the “Vanguard Award” from GLAAD in 2016. Besides advocating for the LGBTQ+ community, Lovato has been open about health issues, mental health awareness, anti-bullying, gun violence, and racial injustice.

Sam Smith

Sam Smith is an English singer/songwriter that came onto the US music scene in 2014 with the debut album In the Lonely Hour. Sam ended up winning 4 Grammys with the album including the prestigious award, Best New Artist. In 2021, Sam came out as non-binary, and gives all the credit to Lady Gaga for giving them the permission to be proud of their queerness. At the start of Pride Month 2024, they created The Pink House Foundation which will be a safe creative space for queers. Sam has also started The Pink House Podcast where they have been talking with inspirational leaders and revolutionary voices to help enrich and inform of The Pink House mission, which is “to use knowledge and lived experience to support, and to protect, the lives of our beautiful community of queer/LGBTQIA+ people.”

Hayley Kiyoko

Hayley Kiyoko was a child actress in the Scooby-Doo film series, Jem and the Holograms, TV’s The Fosters, and CSI: Cyber. Her debut solo album came out in 2018, and quickly rose to the top 20. Kiyoko also created a comic book based on her song “Gravel To Tempo,” and wrote a novel in 2023 with the same title as her song “Girls Like Girls.” Kiyoko came out to her parents in the 6th grade, and while she struggled with the fear of rejection and judgment of coming out, she writes her music to give young people the confidence who might be struggling with the same issues that she did. Her goal is to normalize lesbian relationships in the music industry, with her only regret not being vocal about her sexuality sooner because her fans have even dubbed her the “Lesbian Jesus.”

Which LGBTQ+ musicians are on your playlists these days? Share your favorites in the comments, and let’s continue to support and uplift these incredible talents who inspire their fans daily.

Want more? Head over to our Discord where you’ll find tons of other fans there chatting in our forums about the books, TV shows, movies, music, and games we all love! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, tumblr, and Spotify for more fandom content—and hit that subscribe button so you never miss a thing at rmrk*st!