LISTEN: Queerty editors share their favorite summer bops of 2023

Summer is in full swing and we’ve got our radios on. Or rather, our Spotify accounts synced to our bluetooth speakers with the volume cranked up.

While pretty much everyone’s heart has been “padam padaming” for Kylie (we can all agree on that, right?), there’s been a ton of other ncredible music released (and re-released) this summer. Seriously, the bops are out of control. Not to mention, queerer than ever.

Scroll down to see what we’ve got on our summer playlists, and don’t forget to follow Queerty on Spotify…

“Minute” by Kim Petras (Alex Reimer, Associate Editor at Queerty)

Kim Petras is always a bop, but especially this summer. The out trans pop star released a new album Feed the Beast at the tail end of Pride Month, and the gays are still eating. While the whole album is filled with summer anthems, “Minute” is at the top of our list. About romance and heartbreak, the song has a delightfully melancholy, yet dancey vibe. It’s perfect for any beach trip or kiki.

“Floor” by Janice Dickinson (Ian Helms, Contributor at Queerty)

Janice Dickinson came back into my sights when I discovered her music career and her other single, “Get Into It,” during her Queerty interview about her fallout with Tyra. Although “Get Into It” is a bop, I consider her latest single, “Floor,” even more so. Right off the bat, the song hits you with a disco beat, claiming its winner status from the get. Then, a cheeky creaking bed sound saunters in, adding an audible wink to the song’s already suggestive lyrics. But what I most adore about “Floor” is how it adapts to any situation. Whether you need to inject some life into a party playlist or spice up a routine grocery shopping trip, this track fits the bill. In my book, it’s a summer hit that just doesn’t quit!

“Pearls (Pabllo Vittar & Brabo Remix)” by Jessie Ware (Johnny Lopez, Senior Editor at Queerty)

If you’ve been sleeping on Jessie Ware’s new album That! Feels Good! it’s time to press pause on “Padam” (just for a second) and join the British queen’s fabulous disco revival extravaganza. While the entire record slaps, “Pearls” will have you living your wildest Studio 54 dreams as even Ware said it was “inspired by divas like Donna Summer, Evelyn Champagne King, Teena Marie and Chaka Khan.” And to really amp up the house party vibes, Ware enlisted Brazilian drag superstar Pabllo Vittar–who is the most streamed drag queen in the world–for a bangin’ remix that is the perfect anthem whether you’re getting dolled up to hit the clerb, throwing back Claws with the girlies at the pool, or just sipping on a libation while channeling your inner supermodel runway walk in the confines of your own home. Because it is summer and everyone needs to shake it ‘til the pearls fall off!

“Speed Drive” by Charli XCX (Drew Filipski, Contributor at Queerty)

This summer has been ruled by the Barbie movie promotions, and I can’t be the only one who has been anticipating each drop from the album’s coinciding soundtrack. My favorite of the bunch has got to be Charli XCX’s “Speed Drive”, and it’s also been subsequently ruling my summer, so much so that I’m honestly kind-of nervous for my Spotify wrapped at the end of the year. I mean, Charli is known to deliver killer pop hooks, but this quick headrush of glittery pop perfection is on another level. She also somehow flawlessly name drops Vincent Van Gogh and Voltaire on a bubble-gum hyper-pop song… like, hello? A serve.

“Paradise is Here (Sunrise Mix)” by Cher (Graham Gremore, Editor-in-Chief at Queerty)

Huge Cher fan here. I’ve always loved her 1995 album It’s A Man’s World, even though she apparently doesn’t feel the same way. (In a 2017 interview with Billboard she called the album “crap,” and said, “I don’t remember what’s on it. I didn’t like any of it.”) The often overlooked album is a weird mix of country, pop, rock, and R&B and was unlike anything she’d done before (or since), which could be why it bombed so hard when it was first released in the US. I was super excited when Cher announced she was re-releasing a deluxe edition, fully remastered, along with 11 rare remixes, including “Paradise is Here (Sunrise Mix)” this summer. The remix is the perfect example of ’90s house music–smooth, sleek, and sexy–and Cher’s remastered vocals sound incredible. In hindsight, the remix also offers a sneak peek at what she would release just a few years later with her comeback album Believe.

“King of Hearts” by Kim Petras (Josh Galassi, Contributor at Queerty)

The LGBTQ+ community has waited with bated breath for Kim Petras’ debut studio album–and on June 23, girlfriend delivered with Feed the Beast… and I can’t get enough! The 15-track album is chock full of bop (“Alone”) after bop (“Coconuts”), including some nice “sex bops” (“Sex Talk”, “Hit it From the Back”)–which are admittedly a bit more tame than the kind of tunes we saw on her 2022 EP Slut Pop. Anyone who’s anyone will know “Minute” is the true hero of the album (as others at Queerty will tell you, tehe!), but another standout track for me is the song, “King of Hearts,” which finds Petras calling out a manipulative lover who has wronged her. The dance track, which feels like it was written by a true Scorpio (hey, we can be vengeful bitches), is irresistibly catchy and the perfect kiss-off bop for when you need to kick someone to the curb.

“Red Wine Supernova” by Chappell Roan (Cameron Scheetz, Entertainment Editor at Queerty)

Singer-songwriter Chappell Roan has a way with words, creating effortless anthems the crackle with a distinctive queer magic. The 25-year old broke through a few years back with “Pink Pony Club”—and ode to West Hollywood’s iconic gay bar The Abbey—and captures a similar sense of reckless abandon with her latest, “Red Wine Supernova.” The addictive track (produced by frequent Olivia Rodrigo collaborator Dan Nigro) combines the woozy head rush of a nostalgic crush with a more grown-up, carnal confidence that feels sticky-sweet, like the drip of an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. A little bit country, a little bit campy, “Red Wine Supernova” is just begging for a sing-along—in the car, in the shower, at the beach, on a rooftop at sunset—wherever, whenever the feeling hits you.