Queer Jams of the Week: New Music From Remi Wolf, Adrianne Lenker, Fletcher & More
Spring has officially sprung, which means it’s time to freshen up your warm weather playlists with some new tunes from you 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 Remi Wolf’s groovy new single to Adrianne Lenker’s stunning new album, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Remi Wolf, “Cinderella”
Everybody needs a good fairy godmother in their life — so, Remi Wolf decided to be her own. With “Cinderella,” the first single off the star’s upcoming album Big Ideas, Wolf breaks down all of her different moods into colorful subcategories, narrating the rollercoaster of emotion she constantly finds herself on. As you listen, the ’70s-inspired groove will slowly ratchet up, giving you ample room to dance off even your greatest worries. And that’s largely the point, as Wolf sings on this deliriously fun song; “Baby girl, won’t you dry your eyes?/ Don’t stress because you’re doing it right.”
Adrianne Lenker, Bright Future
In a music landscape where overproduction can feel like the new norm, Big Thief star Adrianne Lenker is offering something antithetical. On Bright Future, the singer-songwriter’s latest solo project, Lenker gives fans a direct line to the creative process — every song on the new track was recorded directly to tape, live in studio. Typically armed with her voice (as well as the voices of a few collaborators) and delicate guitars, Lenker proves her less-is-more thesis is well worth listening to, especially when paired with her phenomenal songwriting skills. Bright Future makes a big promise with it’s title; fortunately for us, Lenker delivers in spades.
Fletcher, In Search of the Antidote
Fletcher’s ready to sing about something else. After a career’s worth of songs about love and heartbreak, Fletcher’s latest LP In Search of the Antidote sees the singer-songwriter turning her gaze inward, asking herself questions about identity (“Ego Talking”), self-defeating mentalities (“Attached to You”) and yes, occasionally, romance (“Crush”). With her lyrical skills honed to a new level, Fletcher proves throughout Antidote that she’s ready for the next challenge life throws at her, whatever it may be.
Girl in Red feat. Sabrina Carpenter, “You Need Me Now?”
What happens when you take two headline-making openers from Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and put them together on a song? It sounds like you get a pop banger. Girl in Red teams up with Sabrina Carpenter on the cutting “You Need Me Now?,” a driving pop-rock single that sees the pair of pop singers going for their respective exes’ jugulars. With powerful guitars and frenetic drums, the duo let their former flames know that talk is cheap, and their time is officially up. So, to answer the titles question — yes, we definitely need more Girl in Red and Sabrina Carpenter right now.
Gossip, Real Power
Nearly 12 years after they released their last album, pioneering indie rock group Gossip is back and ready for more. Real Power sees the trio taking on a wide spectrum on sound, be it disco-pop (“Give It Up For Love”), funk (“Don’t Be Afraid”) or sheer rock (“Real Power”). But even with a variety of sonic textures, the group remains committed to what makes them Gossip — high camp aesthetics and powerful lyrics meant to challenge what you accept as the “norm.
King Isis, Shed
After giving fans a panoply of pop songs on their EP Scales, King Isis would like to dive into something a little bit darker. Throughout Shed, that is exactly what the up-and-coming artist does, turning up the grungy punk aesthetics but keeping the artistry that fans have come to love, crafting a breif, affecting tour through the angstier side of their musical output.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
Stephen Daw
Billboard