Giggles out of the UK this week: the South Wales Gay Men’s Chorus–a local gay vocalist group in the British province of Wales–has released an original tune devoted to the woes of gay dating apps.
Titled “Grinding,” the accompanying video for the song mixes choir members with actual pictures of men on apps. Members filmed from home due to COVID-19 restrictions, which makes the harmonies all the more impressive.
Though the video deals with some all-too-familiar issues that will get a few laughs, ultimately the song tackles darker issues associated with dating apps, namely Grindr: body shaming, HIV stigma, married, closeted men, ageism, fetishism and of course, the dreaded pictureless profiles.
Related: Norway has a bone to pick with Grindr
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For members of the choir, the song and video offered a chance to do something creative during COVID-19 lockdown, and a way to vent frustrations with dating apps.
“For me personally I had a job with quite a lot of responsibility and on a Thursday evening I would kind of sing away my stresses of the week and get ready for the weekend,” choir chair Craig Stephens told Wales Online. “It was really therapeutic. We have open evenings normally twice a year. Some people like it and stay and some people don’t. I think a lot of people would recognize it as being some kind of therapy.”
Have a look. Laughing or sighing in frustration are both acceptable reactions.
Mike Hunt
The guy at the beginning of the video babbles on for days before the actual music begins.
jlicks
My thoughts exactly. Dude, you can only say “this piece” so much!
Anthony31gQ
Depraved boy, will fulfill all your desires, show on the webcam, just for you;-) follow the link and add me as a friend gmax69.com
JB
Oy. That was awful. The L.A. Gay Men’s Chorus they most definitely are not.
Georgeiv2
A province of Britain I think not ! It ceased being even a Principality in the 16th century (I realise there is a Price of Wales but there is also have an Earl of Essex .) Wales is a country and has been for many centuries. They have our own unique language and cultures and now a primary law-making legislature. I know American are generally uneducated when it come to the rest of the world but this is unacceptable ! As to the actual choir although the presenter is dishy I gave up waiting for it to start !
whateverokok
A gay man’s chorus? No thank you. I’ll take Lou Reed any day. The only gay men that I want to hear are Rufus Wainwright and Michael Stipe. You know, actual talent.
Squeak
What a lot of pseudo-serious rubbish (“ultimately the song tackles darker issues. . .”) written in the article about an exceptionally trivial & boring song (actually it’s talking with some bits of music – hardly a song per se) Yawn !