Even though we’re already in the last few weeks of LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, it’s always time to celebrate and give space to queer artists. Scroll down to meet – or learn more about – seven lesbian artists you should listen and pay attention to.
Chappel Roan
This 26-year-old singer has been taking over the world since her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, came out in 2023. Her latest single, Good Luck, Babe!, from this year, already has more than 200 million streams. More than a persona, Chappel Roan is a mix of full drag makeup, big and colorful wigs and campy outfits inspired by pop and queer culture. She’s not only a powerful singer but also a great performer.
She’s also not afraid to talk about sapphic love in her songs, like in “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl”, in which she declares she needs a girl like her, instead of “super mega bummer boys”. Roan’s becoming a big powerhouse for queer voices: during her set for Governor’s Ball early this month, Chappel said that she turned down an invitation from the White House to perform for Pride. Roan then claimed: “We want liberty, justice, and freedom for all. When you do that, that’s when I’ll come”.
Reneé Rapp
In addition to playing Regina George, both on Broadway and the musical film Mean Girls (2024), Reneé Rapp is also a fantastic singer and lyricist. She came out as a lesbian in January of 2024, after her Saturday Night Live performance. Her latest album, Snow Angel, also talks about her queer journey, especially on the track “Pretty Girls”, in which Reneé talks about the feeling of having relationships or hooking up with women who pretend not to be sapphic, keeping it a secret afterward. The music video for that song was directed by another sapphic icon, Cara Delevingne.
Trained in musical theater, Rapp brings a different kind of vocal power and control to her songs, alongside vulnerable, beautiful – and sometimes even petty – lyrics.
Hayley Kiyoko
Referred to as “Lesbian Jesus”, Hayley Kiyoko was one of the pioneering sapphic singers in the industry by writing and displaying her love for women openly. After releasing her iconic music video for the self-explanatory track “Girls Like Girls in 2015”, Kiyoko was discovered by several queer girls who identified with her story and were inspired to be who they were, making it a memorable part of their discovery journey.
In 2023, moved by her fans’ love for her music and this video clip in particular, the artist released a book she wrote inspired by the clips story, giving names and contexts to the characters and making it much deeper. Nowadays, eight years later, the music video has over 155 million views.
Kehlani
Having already collaborated with Hayley Kiyoko on the track “What I Need”, from 2018, Kehlani is another powerful lesbian voice in the music industry. The 29 years old singer-songwriter is sonically close to the R&B and hip-hop category, writing often about queer and sapphic relationships. On one of their most streamed songs, “Honey”, Kelahni sings about liking girls like liking their honey: sweet.
The artist’s most recent album, Crash, has just been released.
King Princess
The stage name King Princess refers to Mikaela Mullaney Straus, a singer-songwriter and producer who gained popularity by releasing their track 1950, in 2018. As implied by her name, King Princess mixes gender concepts in their performances, also identifying as genderqueer and lesbian. Their lyrics are pretty much lesbian-yearning and she’s not holding back about showing it – with some great melodies and production also.
Julien Baker
The powerful Julien Baker is a master in producing, writing and singing beautiful, vulnerable and raw songs about her life. Alongside her guitar, the lesbian singer often sings about her experiences with mental health, like in her most streamed song, “Appointments”.
She became more known after releasing music with her three-piece band, Boygenius, with bandmates Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, two very important queer names in the music scene, also.
Nicknamed “The Little One” by the band’s fans, Baker, along with Bridgers and Dacus, won three 2024 Grammy categories with the band’s last album, The Record.
Zolita
German-American singer Zolita is openly lesbian, not only in her catchy pop songs but also in her social media and – especially – in her music videos. With major productions that focus on sapphic love – or break-up – stories, the singer is dedicated to creating representation in the music scene, and does a great job at it.
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The article above was edited by Anna Maria Prado .
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