Pride Month may almost be over, but these new songs from your favorite queer artists are still coming in hot. Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ+ artists.
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From Reneé Rapp’s frustrated new single to Kevin Abstract’s long-awaited new album, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below.
Reneé Rapp, “Mad”
Of all the feelings her partner could have, Reneé Rapp just cannot understand why she has to be so “Mad” all the time. Om her latest anthemic single, the singer questions her lover’s dedication to being upset, even when there’s nothing to be upset about. Switching effortlessly between a slinky, R&B-tinged performance on the verses and a bombastic, pop-heavy belt on the chorus, Rapp makes a good point — after all, she right when she says “All of the time, you wasted in your head/ We could’ve been having sex!”
Kevin Abstract, Blush
As the de-facto frontman of former boy band Brockhampton, Kevin Abstract knows what it takes to make collaborative art work. That’s a fact that remains readily apparent on Blush, the singer-rappers new solo LP, where Abstract links up with a murderer’s row of collaborators — from JPEGMAFIA and Love Spells to Dominic Fike and Jim-E Stack — to make his most fascinating project to date. Bringing together the best of his indie-rock stylings off 2023’s Blanket with the fiery hip-hop lyricism of 2019’s Arizona Baby, Blush feels like the culmination of a lifetime’s work on Abstract’s part.
Kim Petras, “Polo”
Everyone please welcome back Experimental Kim Petras! With her latest single “Polo,” the pop singer is taking a step back from the bubblegum-infused Euro-pop stylings she offered up on previous albums Feed the Beast and Problematique, and instead offers something more in the vein of earlier singles like “1, 2, 3 Dayz Up” or “Unlock It” with Charli XCX. Pounding bass and scratchy synths permeate every second of this staccato song, as Petras teases the song’s subject about all the clothes they’d like her to take off.
Dove Cameron, “Romeo”
Glitchy dark-pop? A theatrical vocal? A high-production music video? If the new Dove Cameron song is sounding at all like something Mother Monster Lady Gaga might do, then take that for the compliment that it is. Throughout this chaotic, roiling new track, Cameron sings all about the kind of “love that you’d kill yourself for,” as she turns up the contrast and dims the lights to create a moody new soundscape to perform in.
Frankie Grande, Hotel Rock Bottom
Sometimes the best way to get past the darkest times is by finding the ridiculousness in it all. So, for his debut LP, Frankie Grande took some of his darker thoughts, blended them with a series of bombastic dance-pop beats and created Hotel Rock Bottom, an often earnest, occasionally campy tabelau of personal highs, lows and all the moments that come in between. Add in the singer’s truly wild vocal range, and you’ve got a pretty exciting new LP to blast this weekend.
The Aces, “You Got Me”
With their forthcoming new album Gold Star Baby, The Aces are aiming squarely for “sapphic disco-pop” — and if their latest single is “You Got Me,” then the band is absolutely nailing the assignment. Throughout this shimmering new single, the alt-pop quartet perfectly curate the vibe as they narrate a one-sided love story over smooth set of disco beats, proving yet again just how intoxicating a good disco song can be.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below: