Playlist: MOVE! I’M GAY

In creating a Pride playlist, my goal was not only to showcase queer artists.

In creating a Pride playlist, my goal was not only to showcase queer artists, but to create a playlist that encapsulates the queer experience. I’ll admit that this goal was too ambitious for a single playlist. I found myself going in two different directions at once: in one direction there was Azealia Banks, Hayley Kiyoko, and Shea Coulée, while in the other there was Bloc Party, Vampire Weekend, and Le Tigre. It was clear this wasn’t going to be a single playlist. Part of the blame is my own eclectic taste in music, the other is that it’s impossible to contain queer art in a single, cohesive group. Queer art is not a niche group. Rather, queer people have been making significant contributions to music and creative expression of all types. In these playlists, you’ll find artists who are not only key figures in the queer art community, but are important cultural icons in general.