Happy Harry Styles Day! In between streams of the superstar’s new album, check out some of these fabulous new songs from your favorite queer artists. Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of First Out, our weekly roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.
From Rina Sawayama’s middle finger to homophobes, to the long-awaited return of Hayley Kiyoko, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below.
Rina Sawayama, “This Hell”
Welcome to Rina Sawayama’s giddy-up era. On “This Hell,” the star’s new country-pop single, Sawayama aims her proficient lyrics at queerphobic and transphobic demagogues around the world, letting them know that if they want to claim that we’re going to hell, then she’s going to lead the parade there. Mixing rowdy guitar riffs and a queer dance club aesthetic, Sawayama laughs in the face of bigotry on this immediate banger. “This hell is better with you,” she wails on the chorus. “We’re burning up together/ Baby, that makes two.”
Hayley Kiyoko, “For the Girls”
Be not afraid, for the second coming of the Queer Messiah, Lesbian Jesus herself, is upon us. “For the Girls,” the new single in Hayley Kiyoko’s repertoire, provides a perfect summer anthem for ladies everywhere — or as Hayley puts it, “girls who like girls,” “girls who like boys,” and everyone in between. Pair that with the song’s instantly-iconic Bachelorette-themed music video, and you’ve got yourself a contender for the song of the summer.
Mxmtoon, Rising
Growing up is a never-ending process, and Mxmtoon wants to make sure you remember that it’s okay to not have it all figured out for a while. Rising, the new album from the bedroom-pop star, is an ode to embracing the journey rather than the destination. Throughout the album’s 12 singles, Mxmtoon works through toxic positivity (“Frown”), the rapid passage of time (“Dizzy”), and ultimately accepting your adulthood (“Coming of Age”), all while employing the catchy pop sensibilities that made her an underground star.
070 Shake, “Body”
As 070 Shake gets closer and closer to her official album release, the R&B star is employing the help of Christine and the Queens. “Body,” the moody, ethereal new single off of the singer’s upcoming album You Can’t Kill Me, sees Shake and Christine fawning over their partners’ physiques, and wondering to themselves whether that’s the only thing they like about them. The echoing production only further adds to the sense of longing she so deeply connects you to on this seductive single.
Moore Kismet, “Wasteland”
Rising dance star Moore Kismet is ready for their breakthrough moment — with “Wasteland,” their latest single featuring queer pop singer Carlie Hanson, the 17-year-old producer makes sure the vibes are absolutely correct. Of course, once the drop kicks in, “Wasteland” turns into the party you’re looking for — chittering beats, chopped-up synths, and distorted vocals make for a dance tour de force that you’re not going to want to miss.
Alex Chapman feat. Kim Petras, “Horsey”
Ready for chaotic slutty energy? Alex Chapman and Kim Petras certainly are on their new single “Horsey,” a sexed-up club track that commands you to do one thing and one thing only: “Ride it like a horsey.” Employing feel-good ’90s house production, paired impeccably with hyperpop production elements reminiscent of songs like “Ponyboy” by the late icon Sophie, Chapman has crafted the perfect club single for you to dance the weekend away to.
