Singer Mothé is from Houston. (Courtesy picture)
A look at what’s happening in the music of LGBTQ artists and the artists we love.
Non-binary artist Mothé shares his “photo booth”
Mothé (she/they) recently shared the video for their new single, “photobooth”. Shot on location in Los Angeles, the music video was directed by Derek Rathbun. The singer is originally from Houston but has now been based in Los Angeles since 2019. Mothé’s first release, the six-track EP Cindiarrived on Slowlab Records in 2020.
From Mothé’s ad:
Here, the multi-instrumentalist drew inspiration from rich and varied personal experiences, such as cutting his teeth playing guitar in punk bands at parties in Texas and fully immersing himself in the magical and ritualistic world of passage of The Rocky Horror Picture Show during an impressionable age. A series of brilliant and heart-pounding synth-rock singles like “Debt Collector” and “Dancing On An Empty Floor” followed, culminating in I don’t want you to worry anymoreMothé’s first album in 2022, and their first tour, opening for The Wrecks.
“I think one of my goals in life is to draw conclusions,” they point out, regarding their penchant for frequently coming up with material with introspective lyrics. “I just feel like I’m always trying to answer the question ‘Why?’ really desperately.
Mothé will embark on the Big Night Out tour headlining the West Coast with Chloe Lilac.
Watch “photo booth” below:
Alt-pop artist Corook shares new single and video with his real-life girlfriend
cork [pronounced ‘co-rook’] shared his new single, “your mom”, available on Wednesday on all streaming services. The video features the artist alongside his girlfriend in real life.
“I wrote this song when I was dating a girl in the closet,” Corook shared. “I was really lucky to have already come out, so I wanted to give her support if she wanted to, and the time and space to make her own decisions about it. I think that the line “You don’t have to tell your mother about me” can be about so many couples in this dizzying start, living in their little love bubble not wanting to burst it too soon. I hope this song will give people the patience, love and compassion they truly deserve during the coming out process.
Recently named one of The Advocate’s “7 Queer Artists for Your Fall Playlist,” the Nashville-based musician got her start with ahoo! PE. She is currently on tour with Jukebox the Ghost which stops in Dallas on Friday at the Trees. She also makes videos. Her latest video for “it’s okay” was released on September 15.
Watch “your mother” below:
ICYMI: Sony has released George Michael’s limited edition deluxe box set Older
Released in mid-September, the new box set for George Michael’s third album Older, is newly mastered from master tapes and pressed onto 180gsm vinyl on two LPs for superior audio quality with extensive artwork. The set also includes Upper for the very first time on vinyl, as well as Older and Upper on CD.
Presented in a double hard case, this set contains five CDs and three LPs. A 48-page 12″ x 12″ book is also included, The story of Older, featuring an all-new essay by Dan Davies telling the stories behind the album with contributions from key people who helped make the record, plus rare and never-before-seen photos. The set also includes 3 12″ x 12″ fine art prints of George.
The album produced six singles, two of which – “Fastlove” and the haunting “Jesus To A Child” – reached No. 1, with the other four peaking in the top three. The album was a massive worldwide commercial success, achieving 6 times platinum in the UK, as well as verified platinum in 22 other countries – an unprecedented achievement to date.
The older ones would see Michael experimenting with new musical styles and expanding his artistic horizons. The album was perhaps his most revealing and told “the story of an extraordinary period in the life of the man who wrote, recorded and produced it, as he passed through one of the most events in his professional and personal life. George channeled all of his painful life experiences into one of the most personal and heartfelt albums he has ever written.
Queer R&B singer-songwriter Ja
I got a little behind on this one, but Jada Michael released this new video in September for her latest single. The Miami-based singer creates music rooted in “a body-positive, sex-positive, self-positive presence underscored by an inimitable alternative R&B beer.”
From his ad:
The healing trail marks a massive spiritual “maturity” for Jada, highlighting her growth in self-love and knowing her worth. Without filter or fear, Jada Michael unabashedly projects a confident spirit within her music. Empowering audiences by showing herself wholeheartedly and with courage, Jada strives to represent plus size women, LGBTQ women and black women. She is proud of her body type, sexuality and skin tone and wants her listeners to feel confident through her music. To celebrate 30 years of OUT Magazine, Jada has been selected to recreate the iconic Out But I’m a cheerleader Clea DuVall and Natasha Lyonne’s cover alongside Bay Davis and Jada and Bay was dubbed “The New Girls of Summer”.
Non-Binary Butch Artist Rio Romeo Releases New EP
Rio Romeo
Rio Romeo (they/them) released their latest EP Good God!, out now! The entirely gender-neutral EP features five tracks and is Rio Romeo’s response to “too many straight love songs in the world”.
“Good God! is a queer story of love and loss. The EP is completely gender neutral. I found that all the songs I’ve loved throughout my life very accurately depict the patriarchal dynamic right, which made me want to know more. There are too many straight love songs in the world; I write so that at least a few don’t fit that mold. Although they don’t explicitly visit queer topics, damn it keep it open to interpreting your own unique personal life,” Romeo said in a press release.
Good God! presents Rio Romeo’s latest single “Inarticulation”. Other songs address their bipolar diagnosis, relationship issues and more.
Listen to “Inarticulation” here.
– Compiled by Rich Lopez