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15 LGBTQ+ Musicians To Check Out On Spotify

Looking to freshen up your motivation music? If you’re dreading your daily WFH routine, the unavoidable commute, that first attempt of your couch-to-5K run in March’s unpromising weather or even just getting out of bed (we all have those days), you’re bound to find something from these LGBTQ+ musicians to get you in the spirit. Did you know there’s a French word, “frisson” (pronounced free-sawn) which basically means “aesthetic chills”, describing that feeling you get when a great song gives you chills, or, in other words, a skin orgasm, some researchers say.

Well, we hope some of these give you some of those. You may recognise a few of these LGBTQ musicians, but hopefully there’s a new handful to explore. Consider it a research project – these could be used for conversation starters when you jump back into the post-lockdown dating game (just saying). You like Girl In Red? That’s funny, so do we! Enjoy.


Girl In Red

Probably no newcomer to the readers of Nonchalant. This Scandinavian indie queen will give you those nostalgic angsty teenage feelings that will have you reminiscing on summer romances, back when that was something we could do. Who knows?


Janelle Monae

If you’re going to make a list of LGBTQ+ artists and you don’t include this bisexual powerhouse, then you’re doing it wrong. We don’t make the rules.


King Princess

Naturally, the same goes for this pop-royalty, gender-bending queen, with her feisty New Yorker attitude and sultry and sad serenades for women. What more could you want? Buckle up for some perfect pop bops to dance around your room to with that lockdown frustration (we particularly recommend Hit The Back).


Kim Petras

Keeping on the theme of pop queens, Kim Petras’ insatiable bangers pack a punch. If these don’t make you yearn to wear glitter and want to kiss someone somewhere on a dancefloor or shout-sing with your friends, then we’re not sure what else will.


Christine And The Queens

Not only known for flexing muscles and bare midriffs in her music videos, this queer French pop icon is an essential to your lockdown playlists. On a trip to London in 2010, she was inspired by local drag queen musicians in Madame Jojo’s club. The queens became ‘the Queens’ in her stage name as a tribute.


Arlo Parks

At just twenty years old, Arlo Parks’ beautifully tragic and yearning lyrics will pull you to your knees. Her beautiful spirit radiates through her music that playfully alternates pronouns. She also shares a record label with fellow LGBTQ+ musicians SOPHIE and Marika Hackman.


Pale Waves

This indie rock band from Manchester, England will give you queer teen angst in the best way possible. Good for running in the rain to. What’s more, they consist of not one, but two queer band members. Lead singer Heather came out as gay, having been inspired by drummer Ciára who identifies as non-binary.


Tash Sultana

Sultana is an Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who identifies as non-binary and has been described as a “one-person band”. They are best known for their 2016 single “Jungle”.


The Cliks

The Cliks were the first band with an openly trans man, Lucas Silveira, as a leader signed by a major record label. You may recognise them from The L Word soundtrack.


Pillow Queens

Pillow Queens are an Irish indie rock band from Dublin. We highly recommend adding ‘Gay Girls’ and ‘HowDoILookNow’ to your lockdown playlist!


Honey Dijon

Honey Dijon is a transgender American DJ, producer, and electronic musician from Chicago. She has been a vocal advocate for trans rights and awareness, speaking from her experience as a black trans woman DJ in dance music.


SOPHIE

SOPHIE was a transgender Scottish musician, producer, singer, songwriter and DJ who tragically died from an accidental fall earlier this year in Athens, Greece. She molded electronic music into bracingly original avant-garde pop. Pay your tributes to SOPHIE by listening to her glittering creations.


Emily Burns

If you’re a fan of Tove Lo and Kehlani, you might just be the next victim to Emily Burns’ unbelievably catchy yet heart wrenching songs exploring love, lust and heartbreak. She is set to complete a six-date tour in the UK this October. Listen to her latest single with JP Cooper below with this beautiful, heart wrenching queer music video. If you fancy more crying, we recommend Hate Me Too.


Julien Baker

Baker is an American singer and multi-instrumentalist. She’s also a member of Boygenius alongside Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus. She came out as gay to her parents at age 17, after years of being closeted and watching friends be sent to conversion therapy or kicked out of their homes.


Rina Sawayama

One of our personal new favourite LGBTQ+ musicians is Rina, a Japanese-British bisexual/pansexual singer-songwriter and model based in London. She self-released her debut titled Rina in 2017. She then signed to Dirty Hit in 2020 and released her debut studio album, Sawayama. This sexy bop will make you yearn for the club, we’re sure of it.

We hope you enjoy this list of LGBTQ+ musicians to follow on Spotify, and while you’re here, don’t forget to enjoy our very own Nonchalant Girl On Girl Tunes playlist!

Get your groove on,

Love Nonchalant xx

Lauren Hurrell
Lauren Hurrell

Lauren is a writer and editor based in Peckham, covering all things queer culture, books, travel, arts and lifestyle, fashion and creativity. She was previously a features editor at New Statesman Media Group and now works freelance and part-time hoping she may never work 9-5 ever again.

Find me on: Web | Twitter/X | Instagram

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