Sparks flew after Jojo Siwa, 21-year-old pop artist, stated, “I want to start a new genre … called gay pop.” While the proclamation brought new awareness to the genre, many online also pointed out that gay pop scene has already been well-established with an ancestrally rich community, which Siwa’s statement disregards.
This subgenre of music started as early as the Harlem Renaissance, where many queer people gathered together to share cultural discoveries, including music. In the late 1960s to early 1970s, gay people met up at disco clubs. Early gay pop artists include Prince, Freddie Mercury, Elton John and many more who have not been represented as much in the media compared to gay pop artists today.
Gay pop has expanded the scope of traditional pop music.
“The style of pop is the same in a musical sense,” said sophomore Lia Alves. “The content of it’s the same, but it’s really the words and the message behind it that changes. A lot of pop songs talk about love, but gay pop specifically focuses on LGBTQ+ love and relationships, rather than heterosexual relationships.”
“[Gay pop] brings more diversity into pop culture with people feeling more welcomed”
The definition of gay pop varies from person to person. Some students believe it is not limited to LGBTQ+ artists.
“Gay pop is more defined as people who like music about inclusivity and celebration of queer identity,” said senior Pippa Reading. “[It] explores themes of love and relationships and acceptance from the queer perspective.”
With the rising acceptance of the queer community, gay pop has reached greater audiences.
“It’s good that people [explore] their [identities] and what they want to listen to,” said freshman Eshnad Perez. “[Gay pop] brings more diversity into pop culture with people feeling more welcomed.”
Gay pop artists have gained awareness on social media platforms and the web.
“I love Chappell Roan, and a lot of [other] people say that too,” said sophomore Mavis Nguyen. “She talks really candidly about girl experiences and [she makes] really funny, silly [songs].”
Students recognize the visibility gay pop brings to the queer community.
“It’s important for queer representation because a lot of times, queer is not the norm, and now it’s more like ‘it’s okay to be gay’”
“‘Good Luck, Babe!’ [by Chappell Roan] is so popular,” said senior Felix Gee. “It’s a song about comphet [the pressure to live by heterosexual norms], which is a lesbian experience. It’s really great that songs about [this] subject matter are so popular.”
Others believe it has furthered the purpose of music: to connect communities.
“It’s really fun and a great way to express identities and to have content that you identify with,” Alves said. “Music is always really impactful, no matter what it’s about and bringing different identities into it is really powerful.”
With changing attitudes towards the queer community, gay pop is enjoyed by a wide variety of audiences, not just people from the queer community.
“In the future of music, there will be a lot more ‘gay pop’ because it’s a genre everyone enjoys,” Reading said. “It feels good for the queer community to be more accepted. It’s important for queer representation because a lot of times, queer is not the norm, and now it’s more like ‘it’s okay to be gay.’”
This subgenre of music has helped the queer community gain recognition, a step towards more equality and diversity. This evolution in music has expanded the range of traditional pop, celebrating identity and spreading awareness for the queer community.
