Queer Jams of the Week: New Music From KAYTRANADA, Dove Cameron, MUNA & More

With the holiday season in full effect, why not give yourself some much needed cheer with new songs from your favorite queer artists? Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.

From Kaytranada’s surprising new singles to Dove Cameron’s long-awaited debut album, check out just a few of our favorite new releases from this week here:

KAYTRANADA feat. Rochelle Jordan & Channel Tres, “Lover/Friend” & “Stuntin”

Leave it to Kaytranada to give us a breath of fresh air right before 2023 comes to a close. On his pair of new singles “Lover/Friend” and “Stuntin,” the taste-making producer/DJ continues his hot streak of creating airy, grooving house jams to keep your party going. Throughout “Lover/Friend,” Kay and Rochelle Jones enrapture their audience with a scintillating melody, while “Stuntin” sees him team up with Channel Tres for a perfectly in-the-pocket jam session.

Dove Cameron, Alchemical: Volume 1

Taking one thing and transmuting it into something brand new is virtually impossible — but as Dove Cameron proves on Alchemical: Volume 1, it’s a worthy endeavor. With her debut album, the fast-rising alt-pop singer adds trauma, heartbreak, pain and self-doubt into a bubbling cauldron of brooding melodies and top-shelf songwriting, mixing them together until they morph into A+ pop songs rife with life lessons and self-actualization. Alchemical isn’t quite magic, but with Cameron at the helm, it sure feels like it.

Holly Humberstone feat. MUNA, “Into Your Room”

Did you really like Holly Humberstone’s “Into Your Room” but just wished it had a touch more flair? Enter MUNA. On the band’s remixed version of Humberstone’s already-excellent single, the sounds slightly shift to an electro-pop groove, as the trio jump into the second verse to add their own interpretation of the track’s hopeless romantic aesthetic. It’s a match made in heaven, and one you ought to hear ASAP.

carpetgarden, “Cheerleader”

Gimme a Y! Gimme an E! Gimme an S! What’s that spell? YES. With their latest release, rising indie rock singer Carpetgarden is ready to take on the role of the titular cheerleader in this fuzzy new jam. Throughout the punk-adjacent, angst-fueled new jam, Carpetgarden takes on a voyeuristic point of view when looking at the “popular girls” of the world, wishing that they could know what it feels like to have that kind of power — and with more music to come, it’s a near-certainty that they’ll get to feel that mass adoration soon enough.

RAEGAN, “Coins”

Looking for a quick confidence boost as you head into the weekend? Rising alt-pop artist Raegan has got you covered. On “Coins,” the singer-songwriter celebrates the pay off to a long-fought journey. Instead of wallowing in the could’ve-been, Raegan instead focuses on the here and now, counting her dollars and reaping the benefits of her hard work. Add in a slick beat and grinding bass line, and you’ll feel that infectious energy start to pay you in dividends.

Check out all of our picks in Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:

Stephen Daw

Billboard