Openly LGBTQ+ artists are releasing tons of great music, now more than ever. To help you with this extremely good problem to have, them. is selecting the best songs released by queer musicians on every New Music Friday. This week, we’re highlighting tracks by Michaela Jaé (MJ Rodriguez), Clairo, Remi Wolf, Benét, Pom Pom Squad, and Abisha. Scroll down below to see our regularly updated playlists on Spotify and Apple Music, and see earlier music roundups here.
Michaela Jaé (MJ Rodriguez): “Something to Say”
The debut single from Pose star MJ Rodriguez, under the moniker Michaela Jaé, is a jubilant celebration of using your voice and standing in your truth. “We all got something to say,” she sings, atop an ocean tide of warm harmonies and bustling horn section. The song’s joyous, funky groove will certainly put a spring in your step, as Michaela Jaé channels disco divas of yore. As a longtime MJ fan who has watched her meteoric rise in awe, I can’t help but listen to “Something to Say” and give her a standing ovation. — Michael Love Michael
Clairo: “Blouse”
Clairo is back. The singer-songwriter is releasing a new album called Sling, co-produced by her and Jack Antonoff, arriving July 16. To ring in the news, she dropped the project’s lead single “Blouse,” a delicate song that sees Clairo moving into an indie folk sound.
With her 2019 critically acclaimed album, Immunity, the artist proved that one of her greatest strengths is capturing yearning and how it can feel urgent and magnetic. On “Blouse,” she lays out another scene where the central tension arises between the stillness of two people. “Why do I tell you how I feel?/When you’re too busy looking down my blouse,” she sings sullenly in simple melodies akin to that of Elliot Smith, evoking his sense of frankness and disillusionment. The instrumentation is sparse here, with just the pluck of an acoustic guitar, the sporadic flourishes of a string quartet, and Lorde’s backing vocals that give Clairo’s words a touch of ethereality.
This stripped-back version of Clairo is fitting. Of anyone, she knows that silence speaks louder than words. — Michelle Kim
Remi Wolf: “Liz”
Rising star Remi Wolf has made a name for herself crafting songs championing the underdog, with a stylish blend of raw honesty and humor. On “Liz,” a live fan-favorite, the singer flexes an enviable vocal range and gets vulnerable. She sings passionately about a special person in her life — that would be Liz, of course — who never gave up on her, and “taught her how to live.” The song’s bittersweet Motown strut lends a one-two punch to Wolf’s heartfelt performance. — MLM
Benét: “Shoot Your Shot”
This week, Virginia-based artist Benét announced their forthcoming debut EP Game Over. On the project’s lead single, “Shoot Your Shot,” the Virginia-based artist captures the thrilling uncertainty of sizing up a crush. “The way you look at me makes me feel alright/But I can’t help thinking that you’re just trying to be nice,” they sing over climbing, shimmery synths, until they finally make a simple request to their love interest: “Shoot your shot.” In the sun-spotted music video, Benét shoots hoops in a pickup game and wields a water gun, their lightheartedness lowering the stakes of the nerve wracking situation. Benet makes it clear to the object of their affections: The ball’s in their court. — Emma Carey
Pom Pom Squad: “Crying”
Pom Pom Squad is a Brooklyn indie four-piece fronted by lead singer Mia Berrin, whose upcoming debut album, Death of a Cheerleader, is out June 25 via City Slang. Their new ‘60s pop ballad, “Crying,” is an ode to being hard on yourself. The track is drenched in reverb, like a punk version of Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound, with haunting guitar licks and orchestral flourishes adding even more texture to the mix. “I’m crying/Oh god, what is wrong with me/Thinking everyone who loves me fucking hates me,” Berrin sings fiercely like a melodramatic, pop-punk Julee Cruise, her maudlin lyrics sounding as if they were ripped right out of her journal. With its cinematic splendor, “Crying” is the perfect song to sulk, wallow, and pout to. — Juan Velasquez
Abisha: “If You Were Mine”
The latest song from Abisha, a London-based singer-songwriter and model, is a bubblegum house love song. “If You Were Mine” feels airy and sweetly sentimental, as she combines her silky R&B vocals, with snappy garage beats and romantic acoustic guitar pluckings. She sounds selfless and adoring, as she sings of the ways she’d treat her lover: “You don’t need to worry, even if we fight/I’d tell you that I’d love you every night.” Abisha’s catchy melodies — accented by syncopated brass sounds and pitched down vocal effects — shuffle her loving message into your heart and your feet. — JV
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