To celebrate never ending pride, here are our top four queer musicians, so even your ears can be proud! [PSA: You don’t have to be queer to listen to these musicians].

Julia Nunes

Julia Nunes is awesome. Known for her ukulele covers on YouTube and her impeccable ability to harmonize with herself, Nunes is certainly worth a listen. Her most recent album, Some Feelings,  gave me more than just some feelings. It gave me approximately forty-five million feelings that I did not know I had. This song, “Make Out,” is definitely the most fun of the album, plus it has great music video and gets stuck in my head every other day. And if this is too peppy of a song for you, check out “Fondly Enough” and “That Was Us” and try not to cry, I dare you.

 

Mary Lambert

You’ve probably heard of Mary Lambert. She sang the gorgeous hook on Macklemore’s “Same Love.” You may, however, not have heard her other music, in which case you are so missing out. Lambert’s voice is beautiful and her lyrics will touch your soul. Her cover of “Jessie’s Girl” is so heartbreaking and beautiful in a way I did not know that song could be. I also recommend “Secrets” and “Ribcage,” both on her album, Heart on My Sleeve.

 

Hayley Kiyoko

Hayley Kiyoko is a small time Disney Channel actress (I can’t be the only one who saw Lemonade Mouth, right?) turned singer/songwriter, but Kiyoko put a spin on that age-old tale. Her two biggest singles “Girls Like Girls” and “Cliffs Edge” feature queer women! Also, bi-visibility! Her music is fun and catchy and certainly worth a listen.

 

Tegan and Sara

It wouldn’t be a queer musician list without the end all, be all of lesbian music: Tegan and Sara. In case you live under a rock, Tegan and Sara are a sister duo that’s been singing about gay feels since before it was cool. They’ve had a multitude of successful albums and singles, but my go to, all-time favorite is “Call it Off.” Their voices are mesmerizing together and the song is so precise and perfect that it only needs two minutes and twenty seconds to stay with you forever.

Do you have a favorite queer artist that I missed? Leave a comment and I’ll be sure to check them out!

Image courtesy of Getty Images

By Hannah Rimm on July 8, 2016
Hannah Rimm is a writer, educator, and filmmaker living in New York City. When she isn't writing, she is the marketing coordinator at an Academy Award-nominated arthouse animation company.