As you gear up for the holidays, take a look at some of our favorite new tunes from queer artists. Billboard Pride is here to help with First Out, our weekly roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.
From Taylor Bennett’s excellent new single to Tayla Parx’s soulful Christmas track, check out some of our favorite new releases from this week:
Taylor Bennett, “Don’t Wait Up (feat. Mr Hudson)”
For his brand-new single, Taylor Bennett is teaming up with his all-time favorite artist. On “Don’t Wait Up,” Bennett teams up with British R&B star Mr Hudson for a slow-groove single about struggling with loneliness in a constantly connected world — a point further driven home by the incredibly inventive music video, starring Bennett on the screen of an iPhone in a cardboard cutout world. “When the sun comes down, don’t wait up,” Bennett sings on the chorus. “Know the stars won’t wait for us.”
Talya Parx, “Ain’t a Lonely Christmas Song”
People around the world are being forced to experience a pretty lonely holiday season this year — but Tayla Parx wants to help change that. With her short-but-sweet track “Ain’t a Lonely Christmas Song,” Parx gives a heartfelt thank you to her significant other, for helping turn an otherwise lonesome year into one filled with love. “Thank you for your presence, it’s truly a present,” she croons on the chorus. “Since you came along, this ain’t a lonely Christmas song.”
Netta, The Best of Netta’s Office, Vol. 1
Israeli Eurovision winner Netta just wants to help you have a good time with some classic songs that you know and love — of course, she wants to add her own special twist. On her new EP The Best of Netta’s Office, Vol. 1 (inspired by her “Netta’s Office” performance series on YouTube) Netta covers just about everything — from a glitched-out version of Mr. President’s “Coco Jamboo” to a twisted R&B rendition of Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” — all while giving fans yet another taste of the otherworldly production and vocals that makes her music so deeply fascinating.
Saucy Santana, It’s a Vibe
With everything going on in the world right now, sometimes you just need to feel some vibes. That’s exactly what Saucy Santana is offering with his brand-new album It’s a Vibe — a fun, carefree set of songs to help you forget the struggles of daily life. Whether it’s a booty-shaking dance track (“Shake What Ya Momma Gave Ya”) or a flex-filled buzz track (“Workin”), Santana is here to give you all of the vibes. “It’s vibe music,” Santana said in a statement of the new album. “With everything in the world right now, I want people to have a good time. You can play the album from start to finish and you’re gonna catch a vibe!”
Lisa Remar, “Fell Into”
On her latest single “Fell Into,” rising soul-pop singer Lisa Remar is fully embracing her bisexuality. The haunting production bleeds its way into the singer’s lush vocals, as she hopes for a lover who will appreciate her for who she is, while simultaneously fearing the rejection and heartache that could come from making herself vulnerable. “I consider myself bi,” Remar said in a statement of the song’s inspiration, citing a date gone wrong with a girl she was nervous to date. “She rejected me because of her ex or something and I felt pretty stupid. She ghosted me, so I wrote about deceptive people who only care about themselves.”
