The year is coming to a close, and what better way to celebrate than to reminisce on the queer music that came out in 2021? Xtra staff and music contributors rounded up our favourite queer anthems for our end-of-year playlist. Whether you’re an avid music listener or you just need something to play in the background while you prepare for holiday festivities, we’ve got you covered. Happy holidays and New Year from Xtra!
“Gay Dreams Do Come True”–Planningtorock, Gay Dreams Do Come True
The title track from Planningtorock’s Gay Dreams Do Come True EP is one of the most relentlessly catchy songs I’ve heard this year, inspired by the queer synth-pop anthems of their youth such as Bronski Beat’s “Small Town Boy.” Celebrating wedded bliss in the face of bigotry from the conservative government in their home of Estonia, the song provides a necessary corrective to the tragic queer narratives that often dominate mainstream media. Like a friend dragging you onto the dance floor, this ode to joy and resilience will turn your mood around if you let it.
—Jesse Locke, contributing writer
“Montero (Call Me By Your Name)”–Lil Nas X, MONTERO
The rightfully Grammy-nominated Song of The Year and lead single from Lil Nas X’s debut album MONTERO, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” set the foundation for one of the best records of 2021. The infectious anthem and accompanying music video were one of the most significant cultural moments of the year, sparking controversy as they questioned the hypocrisy of Christianity that, on the whole, treats homosexuality as a sin. But the song’s ultimate message is about the love we have to teach ourselves as we learn to live each day unapologetically.
—Daric L. Cottingham, contributing writer
“Throw That Back”–DijahSB, Head Above the Waters
Toronto rapper DijahSB has been very productive in the last two years, with two full-length albums under their belt. I constantly revisit the Polaris Music Prize-shortlisted Head Above the Waters, which reminds me to keep pushing forward despite obstacles—whether pandemic-related or otherwise. “Throw That Back” is one of the lighter tracks on the album, easing along with the relaxed swagger of ’90s-influenced hip-hop. The lyrics touch on feeling confident in your identity, and knowing when to silence haters—lessons that I’ll undoubtedly bring into the new year.
—Michelle da Silva, audience engagement editor
“Higher”–VINCINT ft. Alex Newell with Princess Precious, There Will Be Tears
When I think about the songs that got me through 2021, VINCINT’s “Higher” immediately comes to mind. Released just as Pride month was on the horizon, it’s the perfect soundtrack to accompany a splendid night out with your gurls, or a solo ride around town when you just want to decompress and vibe out. Alex Newell’s buttery vocals and Princess Precious’ infectious chanting perfectly accompany VINCINT’s smooth, sultry crooning. The track is an awakening.
—Tre’vell Anderson, editor-at-large
“Morbid Obsessions”–We Are The Union, Ordinary Life
Trans ska! Say it with me, louder now: TRANS SKA! Veteran pop-punk ska band We Are The Union’s Ordinary Life is no ordinary album—it’s a coming out for lead vocalist Reade Wolcott. The album is packed with anthemic bops on everything from hormone replacement therapy to mental illness, and none more so than “Morbid Obsessions,” a banger of a song about doing what you want (including transitioning) with the one life that you’ve got. Wolcott and We Are The Union’s collaborators (including other trans and non-binary artists) are redefining trans peoples’ place in pop-punk and ushering in the trans ska rennaissance. Let’s go!
—Mel Woods, news writer
“Beacons”–Foxing, Draw Down The Moon
The incredibly catchy “Beacons’” was a fan favourite long before its official release in 2021, floating around YouTube in its original live incarnation for years. By the time the studio version was released on Foxing’s fourth album, Draw Down The Moon, the lyrics had been rewritten, turning the song into a celebration of lead singer Conor Murphy’s coming out as bisexual. “Beacons of that shame left behind / For the first time I felt alive / I thought I couldn’t move my feet / But I’m running with you now, we’re a stampede, baby,” sings Murphy in the chorus, channelling the joy that comes from casting off shame and finally finding your community. Foxing came to prominence in the emo scene, but have evolved their sound with each subsequent album. Draw Down The Moon is their most eclectic record yet, and “Beacons” adds a danceable anthem to their repertoire—one that is sure to become a staple of the band’s legendary live shows thanks to its special place in the hearts of their LGBTQ2S+ fans.
—Chelle Turingan, managing producer
“I LIE HERE BURIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES”–Backxwash ft. Ada Rook, I LIE HERE BURIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES
Following a Polaris Prize-winning album can be a daunting task, but Montreal-based rapper and producer Backxwash took on the task and tore it to pieces. After taking home the award in 2020 for the album God Has Nothing to Do with This Leave Him Out of It, Backxwash returned in 2021 with I LIE HERE BURIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES, a tour de force about the fucked up moment we’re living in and the failures of politicians and religious leaders to make it better. The album’s titular song is sludgy, cathartic and perfect to thrash along to and just let it all out. Turn it up as loud as you can, put your face in a pillow and SCREAM.
—Mel Woods, news writer
“Time To Move Close”–Eris Drew, Quivering in Time
With constant reminders to “physically distance” from anyone not part of your household, I can’t really imagine going to a rave or the feeling of sweaty bodies bumping against each other on a darkened dance floor. Sure, virtual queer clubs have been a very welcome substitue during the pandemic, but I’m longing for the day when it feels safe to enjoy nightlife in person sans mask. The opening track to Eris Drew’s debut album transports listeners to an energetic club—perhaps Chicago’s Smart Bar where the DJ once threw parties. Full of Drew’s signature swirl of breaks, ’90s vocal samples and four-on-the-floor bass, “Time To Move Closer” is the gentle nudge we all need to keep on dancing.
—Michelle da Silva, audience engagement editor
“Hurt” and “Hope”–Arlo Parks, Collapsed in Sunbeams
The titles of these two tracks by Mercury Prize-winning U.K. singer-songwriter Arlo Parks perfectly captured the mood of 2021, ever ping-ponging between despair, loneliness and glimmers of joy. Created during the traumatic first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and released this past February, the soulful and melodic album sung in Parks’ airy, London lilt pulls from her many influences, including the poetry of Audre Lorde and 1990s trip-hop. The lyrics tackle depression and homophobia, but also empathy and love. Despite its title, “Hurt” is really about the possibility of healing: “I know you can’t let go of anything at the moment / Just know that it won’t hurt so much forever,” while “Hope” is a reminder that even in your worst moments “You’re not alone / Like you think you are.” This is bittersweet music, but Parks keeps the emphasis on the sweet rather than the bitter.
—Rachel Giese, editorial director
“Fellowship”–serpentwithfeet, DEACON
This year, me and my friend Jacob revived an old high school tradition of sending each other mixtapes on our birthday (“birthday” being singular as we were both born on the same day of the same year). Of course, this time was very different: beyond it being year two of the pandemic, this was the first birthday where I’d come out to this very straight, very cis friend of mine as trans. I don’t know if either of those things were factors in him choosing to end his mixtape with serpentwithfeet’s “Fellowship,” but I can tell you that no musical moment from this year moved me or reassured me more than this song’s chorus of “I’m thankful for the love I share with my friends”—especially knowing it had been dedicated to me by a friend of my own.
—vivi hansen, contributing writer
“Free Ride”–Mykki Blanco, Broken Hearts and Beauty Sleep
Good things take time. Blanco recorded their vocals for this ebullient track in the wake of a break up back in 2018, but the song wasn’t finished until this year. “Free Ride,” Blanco says, was inspired by long drives with their mother during their childhood and the way those journeys gave them time to reflect on the life they wanted to build in the future. After nearly two years of stasis, can’t we all relate to the feeling that life is only just beginning? What will see us through? Blanco seems to have some ideas, as melancholy mixes with joy as the gospel chorus insistently reflects: “What I wouldn’t give for love. What I wouldn’t do for love.”
—Ziya Jones, senior editor
“Valentine”–Snail Mail, Valentine
If straight people claimed Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour as their 2021 breakup album, Snail Mail’s Valentine was certainly the anthemic heartbreak album for the gays. On its title track, Lindsey Jordan croons about a lover who erased her from their life. The verses’ dreamy disco synths rapidly morph into angry rock guitar riffs, balancing the intense love Jordan still has for this ex-partner with the pure rage that stems from betrayal and yearning. I felt Jordan’s heartache palpably through my speakers the first time I heard the song, and a lover not being ready to be with you publicly is a wound many queer people have undoubtedly experienced. I kept “Valentine” playing for a week straight when it was first released, so I knew it had to make the list—plus, the music video is full of gory, cake-smeared fun.
—Jordan Currie, community coordinator
“Keep Moving”–Charlotte Day Wilson, Alpha
When I think about the summer of 2021, I instantly think of this song and Day Wilson’s debut album Alpha playing on repeat in my household since its release in July. “Keep Moving” begins slowly, almost somberly, but progresses into a driving, moving beat that’s accentuated by Day Wilson’s catchy-as-hell falsetto during the chorus. The song is about overcoming hardship and pressing on, and it is a bop that will have you dancing and attempting to hit those high notes. Day Wilson also co-directed and co-edited the song’s music video, which is stunning and features folks like Tynomi Banks, Bambii and Dykes on Bikes.
—Lito Howse, video producer
“The Only Heartbreaker”–Mitski, from the upcoming Laurel Hell
No one encapsulates the feeling of self-doubt and longing in their music better than Mitski. The enigmatic singer-songwriter’s new single “The Only Heartbreaker” uses one of my favourite musical templates: setting woeful lyrics to upbeat orchestrations. Atop ’80s new-wave synths (a sound that automatically scratches that itch inside the brains of many queer people), Mitski grapples with the turmoil of feeling like she is failing a romantic partner, and that her actions are causing her to be the only heartbreaker in their relationship. The track is completely irresistible and impossible to sit still to. If you’ve ever felt like the only person on the planet who is inadequate or alone, trust that Mitski has, too—and has already written several songs about it. Now you can sob and dance around your house at the same time.
—Jordan Currie, community coordinator
“Silk Chiffon”–MUNA ft. Phoebe Bridgers, Silk Chiffon
Lesbians didn’t know they needed a queer answer to Sixpence None the Richer’s ’90s rom-com jam “Kiss Me” until MUNA busted through the door this year with “Silk Chiffon.” The hit, featuring queer royalty Phoebe Bridgers, has everything lesbians deserve in an anthem: lyrical references to rollerblades and miniskirts, a chorus you can scream along to in your bedroom and a But I’m a Cheerleader-inspired music video. (And no, I can’t count the number of times I’ve shouted “SILK” across the house, only for my fiancée to respond: “CHIFFON!”) After a year of pandemic fatigue, MUNA has officially marked the end of sad lesbian jams; it’s only upbeat bangers from here. Life’s so fun, indeed.
—Erica Lenti, senior editor
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