Have you heard the good news? The lesbian pop renaissance is upon us. I wrote about it myself last month, calling it the “golden age of sapphic pop horniness,” but as I noted back then, I’ve long been frustrated by the fact that queer artists of color like Janelle Monáe, Syd, and even Whitney Houston are often left out of the conversation despite being ahead of the curve. Look, I’m as Chappell Roan-pilled as everybody else, Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers was one of my top listened albums of 2020, and I’ve absolutely put a Clairo song on a playlist for a lover before. But whenever moments like this “renaissance” happen, I do look around and wonder, “Were we not all listening to this kind of music before popular white artists began making it?”
Amid the current Roan-inomenon, many queer people are rightly pointing out that sapphic artists of color have been incorporating their sexuality into their work for decades, producing incredible, provocative, and culture-changing art that often goes unnoticed by mainstream audiences. From the viral Spotify playlist “the lesbian pop renaissance is NOT white” to, yes, some light Tumblr discourse, it’s important to note that this observation isn’t about tearing down popular musicians as they’re reaching their peak. If anything, the Chappell Roans and Reneé Rapps of the world have used their platform to support and draw attention to their peers. (At our Now Awards ceremony earlier this month, for example, Rapp used her speech to highlight the fact that “queer folks of color, specifically, create culture.”) Nor is it simply about diversifying your listening habits for diversity’s sake. Rather, this is about not missing out on some really fucking good music.
That’s why this month’s Them playlist is dedicated to highlighting sapphic artists — broadly defined — of color, with the full acknowledgment that the umbrella term is an imperfect encapsulation of the many nuances of their identities. Whether the artists featured identify as lesbian, bisexual, queer, or simply as someone who “just likes girls,” as 070 Shake once told Pitchfork, the musical brain trust here at Them has curated this playlist in the hopes that it might expand your idea of what “sapphic music” can be. There’s plenty of R&B on this track list, from the ethereal stylings of playlist opener “Pluto” by Raveena to the sultry bass driven “Special Affair” by The Internet. There’s also plenty of guitar-driven indie rock, like “Soft Stud” by Black Belt Eagle Scout and “Lipstick Stains” by Jay Som. And our playlist comes to a close with two highlights from Black queer folk musicians Joy Oladokun and Allison Russell, who are also featured on our Queer Country playlist, which similarly highlights mostly artists of color.
Ultimately, this collection of songs highlights the fact that queer and sapphic musicians of color have always been present in every genre, from country to rap to synthpop and beyond. Listen to our 41-song playlist below.
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