October 8th 2024, marked this year’s International Lesbian Day, dedicated to celebrating the history and culture of lesbians. Whilst influential lesbian figures and their pop culture moments have an extensive history, this year saw a huge rise in representation in mainstream media. Many people now refer to this phenomenon as the “Lesbian Renaissance”. This is most prevalent in media, from films like Bottoms and Love Lies Bleeding, TV shows including Heartstopper and I Kissed A Girl, and literature such as Chloe Michelle Howarth’s Sunburn. However, the music industry, in particular, has been dominated by lesbians this year – let’s take a look at three of my favourite rising lesbian artists.
Chappell Roan
First up is the Midwest Princess herself, Chappell Roan. After a decade of making her mark in the music industry, 2024 finally cemented Roan’s place in the spotlight. Recognised for her campy songs, extravagant looks, theatrical performances and irrefutable commitment to expressing her queerness, Roan has rightfully earned praise and admiration within the LGBTQ+ community.
Her release of “Good Luck, Babe!” propelled Roan into the mainstream pop scene. This song explores compulsory heterosexuality, portraying a closeted woman who denies her sexuality whilst in a secret sapphic relationship. It has resonated deeply with the lesbian community, many of whom express their desire to scream the lyrics at their younger selves or to past lovers who struggled to accept their sexuality. With lyrics about experiences of kissing hundreds of boys in bars or even marrying a man, Roan captured the emotions of a lesbian confronting compulsory heterosexuality in an infectious 80s-inspired synth-pop anthem that you can’t help singing (or screaming) along to.
Many LGBTQ+ individuals deeply connect with Roan’s songs, which express a longing for queer belonging and pride. She captures this feeling in “Pink Pony Club” where she sings about dreaming of leaving her hometown to find an outlet in gay clubs filled with dancing, drag queens and queer joy. This motif of growing up in a religious community that did not accept queerness is echoed throughout her story. She even gave a shoutout to all the queer kids in the Midwest at the VMAs, saying “I see you, I understand you, because I’m one of you”. This sentiment, along with her unapologetic queerness, highlights Chappell’s impact within the queer community.
Reneé Rapp
Another lesbian powerhouse that shot up to fame recently was actor, singer and theatre star Reneé Rapp. Rapp was quickly recognised for her performance as the plastic queen Regina George in the 2019 Broadway show of “Mean Girls”. She later captured the hearts (and FYPs) of younger demographics through her reprisal of the role in Tina Fey’s 2024 adaptation of the beloved chick-flick.
However, Rapp became a lesbian icon in 2021 when she was cast as Leighton Murray on Mindy Kaling’s HBO series “The Secret Lives of College Girls”. Here, Rapp delivered an emotional performance as her character struggled with coming out as a lesbian. This scene resonated with many queer viewers, and Rapp herself has shared how the plot was reflective of her own journey in accepting her sexuality.
Once Rapp decided to focus on music, her debut album “Snow Angel” was born. “Pretty Girls” quickly became a fan-favourite and a “gay-girl anthem”. The song reflects the experience of hooking up with girls who are using you as an experiment but enjoying the attention regardless.
During her Snow Angel tour, Rapp came out as a lesbian through a humorous SNL skit and interview with Hollywood Reporter. This prompted her to change the lyrics that the audience ordinarily sings in “Pretty Girls” (which was quickly spread due to the influence of ReneéTok). From the cast of The L Word introducing Rapp at Coachella, to the scissor stage décor, and her on-stage performances with Towa Bird, it’s clear that “little lesbian intern” Reneé Rapp solidified her place in lesbian pop music. Can a gay girl get an amen?
towa bird
But who exactly is Towa Bird? The British-Filipino artist started her musical journey in Hong Kong after watching a Jimi Hendrix documentary and consequently forming a band whilst playing guitar. She slowly gained popularity by posting guitar covers with a 70s rockstar look on TikTok. Bird also started writing and producing for other artists, and die-hard pop fans will spot her playing the guitar in Olivia Rodrigo’s 2022 documentary “driving home 2 u”.
In 2023, Bird released her debut single “Wild Heart” and opened for Reneé Rapp’s tour. Many fans speculated that Rapp and Bird were dating, but they weren’t exclusive until the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty. This relationship only increased the hype around the release of Bird’s debut album “American Hero”.
American Hero explores Bird being unapologetically lesbian, with a range of pop-rock hits to reflect the queer love and angst in her life. “Drain Me!” quickly became a fan favourite for its lustful, catchy depiction of lesbian sex. Bird speaks passionately about how she loves performing live to ensure people connect with her and her music. Lucky for North Americans, Bird is opening for Billie Eilish (who also came out as queer this year) on her tour. Bird also joined other LGBTQ+ artists such as Ethel Cain, Arlo Parks and Beabadoobee at the infamous “sapphic festival of dreams” (All Points East Day Festival). Safe to say, she’s had a significant impact in the musical lesbian renaissance.
conclusion
Lesbian representation is paramount in creating an outlet and building a community for lesbians. While some other amazing lesbian artists, such as Kehlani and Hayley Kiyoko, have heavily contributed to the music industry, a new era of lesbian artists is evidently rising to mainstream pop music, and I can’t wait to see who joins them next year.