The Rise of the Sapphic Pop Star
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Pop stars only seem to be getting gayer and we aren’t talking about Jojo Siwa’s claim to have invented “gay-pop”. Thanks to our latest hit lesbian singers, Chappell Roan and Renee Rapp, and the girls who have been in the game, like Hayley Kiyoko, we have a new kind of icon to carry the next generation of chick-loving anthems.
The pop genre has become the powerhouse for female artists as they now have attained the highest rate of popular song distribution. The tables are continuing to turn in favor of the girls, the next generation of musicians are hot on the heels of their predecessors and are ready to take the wheel. Pop has always been progressive, a reflection of the constantly evolving world, it’s for the people. With all the changes, lesbian artists are sprouting up everywhere and we’re here to stan them and their gay agenda.
GAY HALL OF FAME: HAYLEY KIYOKO
Chances are that if you were ever a baby-gay, you recognize the name Hayley Kiyoko. The “Girls Like Girls” music video was life changing, okay? And we can’t be blamed for launching this fan-named Lesbian Jesus into stardom. She’s been playing the long game with her career, starting with her queer-coded characters on Disney Channel and graduating to a musician with a finesse for the gay agenda. It doesn’t seem like she has any intention of slowing down.
Kiyoko was recently featured in Cero Magazine where she went into detail about her newest endeavor as an author of her novel, named after her breakthrough single, Girls Like Girls. What makes Kiyoko such an icon of the lesbian community is her unwavering sense of self. It’s her own sense of self that connects her to her fans and we couldn’t be prouder as we anticipate what she will do next.
FALLING FOR MIDWEST POP PRINCESS CHAPPELL ROAN
Chappell Roan is taking the U.S. by storm and leaving a trail of glitter and feathers in her wake. This 26 year old gay gal, hailing from the landlocked state of Missouri, is long overdue for her applause. Her range is unlike anything we’ve seen before as she draws inspiration from drag shows and LGBTQ+ culture. Roan is recognized for her boldness and queer-positive performances, featuring the eccentric drag queens as her openers in light of the drag bans spreading through the states. We hope to see this tradition carry on during the upcoming tour of her debut album.
Currently an opener for Olivia Rodrigo, Roan is preparing for her own tour this spring and there is a ton of new content coming our way. Roan’s debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess is a series of queer girl bops, from slow songs about a life-ruining situationship, like “Casual,” to the campy confessions of “Red Wine Supernova” and “My Kink is Karma.” She’s getting some traction on socials as videos of her performances are spreading like wildfire on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. Check out her Tiny Desk Concert for a taste of her tunes and give her newest single “Good Luck Babe” a listen.
IT’S NOT OUR FAULT WE’RE IN LOVE RENEE RAPP
Renee Rapp, a 24 year old singer from North Carolina, has Hollywood and the music industry wrapped around her little finger. Known for her music career and recent role as HBIC Regina George in Mean Girls and lesbian Leighton Murray on The Sex Lives of College Girls, Renee Rapp should have gone mainstream sooner. With an album, an EP, singles, and a soundtrack under her belt, we’d have to spend a long time summarizing this chick’s discography, but let's focus on the big rainbow flag in the room. While Rapp has always been open about her sexuality and queer identity, it wasn’t until recently that she started claiming the lesbian label in interviews and on her socials.
During her recent appearances, on tour for Mean Girls press and her own album, she’s been captured parading the stage with the lesbian flag and walking the red carpet with her current girlfriend and fellow musician Towa Bird. It’s an important note that having someone so young and new to the industry be so unapologetically gay gives queer fans the courage to also be themselves. Rapp is a role model, period. She’s paving the way for a lot of up and coming artists in the pop industry to reject social norms and embrace their identity in every possible way. It helps that her attitude takes the reins in most of her interviews, too, her personality being just as big and bold as her vocals.
A LOOK AT THE OG GAY GIRLS
Our set of singing sapphics would not be complete without triple threat blues-folk-pop artist Tracy Chapman. Chapman knocked down walls with her music career and, while never making her sexuality the focal point of her work, was a strong advocate for human rights in the ‘80s. With three grammy awards, a platinum record, and the title as the first Black person to ever hit #1 on the country charts, it’s not denying that Chapman is a powerhouse. Now, she performs at events to support charities, including AIDS/Lifecycle, Make Poverty History, and amfAR. Chapman made history in more ways than one and her efforts will propel the future for pop and politics alike.
You can’t talk about lesbian bops without mentioning THE ‘90s queer country-pop cowgirl k.d. lang. While born in Canada, Lang made waves across North America with her tunes. Not only is she a three-time Grammy Award Winner, but her albums and singles consistently made the Billboard Charts. Her impact didn’t stop on the pop frontier, she played her part in political activism too. She participated in fundraising performances to raise awareness for AIDS and the queer community as well as being vocally anti-racist and pro-vegetarianism. Plus, a chunk of her discography was banned from U.S. radio stations, so she’s no doubt a staple to the gay girl rebellion.
COLORING THE FUTURE OF POP
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