August is upon us, so heat up some of your playlists with new tunes 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 Kaytranada’s team-up with Anderson .Paak to Doechii’s long-awaited new EP, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Kaytranada & Anderson .Paak, “Twin Flame”
Still looking to dance after listening to Beyoncé’s Renaissance for the umpteenth time? Producer to the stars Kaytranada has you covered with “Twin Flame,” his latest collaboration with Anderson .Paak (and their first since the producer’s 2016 project 99.9%). This retro dance track implements the kind of disco elements that have been pervading pop music as of late, while the Silk Sonic co-founder narrates a hook-up gone very right, as he croons, “Now that I got a handful/ Never taken the clothes off of anything that fast before.” If you’re looking for a strong vibe headed into the weekend, then congratulations — you’ve found it.
Doechii, She / Her / Black Bitch
If you’re looking for a simple summary of She / Her / Black Bitch, here it is: don’t come for Doechii’s wig. Throughout this fiery new EP, the rising R&B hip-hop superstar establishes herself immediately as an absolutely essential artist of this day and age, who’s willing to put her pen to just about any subject — including, but not limited to, feeling herself (“Persuasive”), being emotionally availabile (“This Bitch Matters”), and stunting on everyone around her (“Swamp Bitches”). It’s a weird, wild and absolutely essential listen.
Omar Apollo, “Highlight”
Omar Apollo simply won’t stop dropping sexy new singles — and we’re here for it. “Highlight,” the latest from Apollo, sees the singer taking listeners on a bilingual journey through utter desire itself. The echoing vocals complement the simple beat and guitar strains, placing the focus on the song’s longing lyrics, wishing for a way into someone else’s head. “My best friend/ You’re still mine,” he sings on the gorgeous refrain. “You see our love don’t end/ It lasted time.”
Panic! At The Disco, “Local God”
Just ahead of the release of Viva Las Vengeance, Panic! At The Disco is giving fans one more taste of what’s to come. “Local God,” the third single off the upcoming album, details an unnamed individual from frontman Brendon Urie’s hometown of Las Vegas — while Urie and his former bandmates “signed a record deal at seventeen” and were “hated by every local band,” he describes one former friend as the titular hometown hero, a rockstar who never quite was. It’s a catchy, fascinating ode to a kind of person that everyone has met at least once in their lifetime.
Pussy Riot, Matriarchy Now
Protest art collective Pussy Riot has been fighting against the machine — namely, the Russian government — for years now. But with Matriarchy Now, the group finally has their first official mixtape to burn it all down to. Featuring a slew of guests, including iLoveMakonnen, Big Freedia, Salem Ilese, Slayyyter and executive produced by pop phenom Tove Lo, Matriarchy Now places Pussy Riot’s righteous fury —now aimed not only at their homeland but at any country that would strip women’s reproductive rights (looking at you, SCOTUS) — into a realm of twisted, distorted pop that will keep you hooked through each of the seven tracks.
