We don’t know about you, dear reader, but this weekend could not have come soon enough.
Whether the fact that six planets are currently in retrograde has real world applications or not, life sure is acting like it does. Just this week, Tyra Sanchez announced her return, Lil Nas X became president, and JVN and Antoni did… whatever that was. Chaos.
Thankfully, some of our favorite musicians have come through with tunes to help you hold onto your sanity through it all.
From a native rocker to a famous monster, here’s your weekly bop roundup:
“B*tch Like Me” by Bob the Drag Queen
Bob the Drag Queen is taking her TikTok era to another level with this video, and we’re living for it. She’s got the transitions, she’s got the cameos (Hi, Gravity!), she’s even got a few of her viral “Clapback” bars from 2020. She’s got the boastful lyrics her songs have come to be known for. To top it all off, she has the queer rap game’s secret weapon Ms. Ocean Kelly on production. We do hope her TikTok era eventually returns to interrupting Plastique Tiara, though.
“Talking to Yourself” by Carly Rae Jepsen
We’re about a month out from Carly Rae Jepsen‘s upcoming album, The Loneliest Time, but her constant single drops are keeping us anything but lonely. “Western Wind” was her Solar Power easy-breezy moment, and “Beach House” was her tongue-in-cheek wit pop moment, but “Talking to Yourself” comes back to straight up Dedicated-level dance pop goodness. Also, does anyone else hear just the slightest bit of Divinyls’ “I Touch Myself” in the chorus? A slight allusion to her h*rny pop background, perhaps? We want to believe.
“Uptown” by Quinn Christopherson
Tiny Desk Contest winner Quinn Christopherson has gifted us one of those moving, true trans albums that you really only get when you know where to look. Write Your Name in Pink captures plenty of intimate moments in miniature that are relatable in their specificity. The title also denotes that overarching idea of gendered reclamation, of the masculine now comfortable enough to embrace the feminine. No matter how extensive your music library is, this queer, Native singer-songwriter has a special something you didn’t know you needed.
“Xtasy [Remix]” by Ravyn Lenae & Doechii
As if “Xtasy” wasn’t already enough of an underground hit, Ravyn Lenae decided to call in up-and-coming phenom Doechii to help slay us for good on the remix. The song is also a Kaytranada production, so the Doechii verse is just another lovely layer of queer excellence to the track. Both Lenae and Doechii have put out excellent albums this year — HYPNOS and she / her / black b*tch respectively — so this duet is really as much a victory lap as anything.
“Frankenstein” by Rina Sawayama
As if the story of Frankenstein didn’t have enough ways to read queerness into it, Rina has come to sprinkle a little bi spice over the whole thing. While her entire Hold the Girl album has been highly awaited, the pulse-pounding groove on “Frankenstein” is especially gripping. The pleading lyrics like “Put me together one more time/Love me forever, fix me right” overlaying that driving percussion almost make you feel desperately out of breath. Basically, this track may have people passing out at this year’s gay Halloween parties.
Join us here next week for another weekly bop after bop!
