Modern LGBTQ+ Representation in Music
The 25 Best Pride Songs of 2024 (So Far): Staff Picks by Hannah Dailey,
Stephen Daw, Kyle Denis, Lyndsey Havens, Joe Lynch, Taylor Mims, Andrew Unterberger
This article briefly examines sociological concerns surrounding LGBTQ+ culture, rights, and advocacy in the United States, with a focus on the music industry. It highlights the need for systemic change in representation, especially amid growing political pushback, and spotlights successful LGBTQ+ pop musicians navigating these challenges. Aside from this, this article showcases pop musicians who identify as LGBTQ+ and have achieved chart success this year, despite these challenges. While this piece provides a valuable introduction to these topics, one main drawback is its scope, offering only a brief exploration of each topic. Despite this, this serves as a useful starting point for researchers in understanding the critical issues shaping the LGBTQ+ community and its representation in music in a modern context.
With Historic Wins, LGBTQ Artists Proved That Change Is Happening at the 2024 Grammys by Stephen Daw
This article highlights the monumental achievements made by members of the LGBTQ+ musicians during the 2024 Grammy year. Three queer-identifying women- Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, and Victoria Monét each won major awards (Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist) highlighting the growth in diversity within the music industry. The scope covered within this piece is vast, as it discusses wins in many diverse music categories by other LGBTQ+ artists, like Boygenuius, Allison Russell, Brandy Clark, etc. This article is imperative to consider when researching LGBTQ+ musicians since it highlights that despite a time of upheaval for this community, with hundreds of bills currently targeting people identifying as LGBTQ+, musicians are winning acclaimed awards, challenging the notion of visibility in a turbulent time. This would also prove useful for anyone trying to understand the relationship between representation and LGBTQ+ musicians in today’s context. One drawback though, is that this article focuses on mainstream artists, ignoring underground or alternative modern LGBTQ+ musicians.