Another week, another set of LGBTQ new music releases to jam out to. Billboard Pride is here to help with First Out, our weekly roundup of some of the best new weekly music releases from LGBTQ artists.
From Kim Petras and Kygo’s stunning new music video to Donna Missal’s long-awaited sophomore album, check out some of our favorite new releases this week.
Kim Petras & Kygo, “Broken Glass” (video)
With their new music video, Kygo and Kim Petras are ready to let their icy music freeze your heart over. In the new visual, Petras is seen amidst a snowy car wreckage, reminiscing on the end of an ill-fated relationship.
Throughout the dark, frozen void, the pop singer’s look continues to evolve, until she is a Mad Max-meets-Elsa from Frozen ice queen, ready to take on everything the storm has to throw at her. “Cheers to us and what we had/ Let’s keep dancing on the broken glass,” she wails on the song’s pre-chorus.
Donna Missal, Lighter
Two years after breaking onto the scene with her debut album This Time, Donna Missal is back with her second studio album Lighter, a dreamier, retro-inspired take on the indie sound that made her a standout back in 2018. The singer oscillates between heartbroken ballads on songs like “Bloom” and “Slow Motion,” and vintage, indie rock anger on tracks like “Best Friend” and “Let Me Let You Down.” From its powerful lyrics to its sonic diversity, Missal’s Lighter stands as a testament to the 29-year-old star’s musical prowess.
Tayla Parx, “Dance Alone”
Singer-songwriter and rising pop star Tayla Parx is ready to take you to the disco, even if you’re stuck in your home. The singer’s new video for “Dance Alone” sees Parx all dressed up in her robe and her sweatpants, ready to boogie-down in a conspicuously nightclub-esque house, ready to throw a party for one.
Her groovy song provides the perfect soundtracks to Parx’s socially-distanced dance moves, as she croons “I don’t wanna dance alone/ I’m not ready to go home.” She may not have a dance partner just yet, but Parx is making sure that the party continues, quarantined or otherwise.
Wafia, “Hurricane”
In these dark times, positivity can be a rare commodity. But with her latest single and video for “Hurricane,” Wafia is going out of her way to spread the love around — the new clip sees the singer showing up at the homes of her friends and family to offer them some joy, all while her instantly catchy pop gem plays in the background.
The song comes with its own special news, as well; Wafia is set to release her brand new EP Good Things on Aug. 21, and “Hurricane” is merely a taste of what’s still to come.
Neon Trees, “Mess Me Up”
There are few things more painful than a breakup that seems to last forever — and Neon Trees are here to try and eliminate that from the world. On their new single “Mess Me Up,” off of their upcoming album I Can Feel You Forgetting Me, the band turns a retro slow jam into a plea for a swift, simple breakup, rather than an emotional, drawn-out examination of the relationship.
“What I love tonally is it sounds like that one last dance on prom night before we end it all,” frontman Tyler Glenn said of the song in a statement. “If you’re gonna mess me up, get me addicted, ruin a few good years of my life — act like you know me and don’t do it slow.”
Kaytranada feat. Lucky Daye, “Look Easy”
It’s only been a few months since dance phenomenon Kaytranada unveiled his sophomore album Bubba to the world, but now the DJ is back with more music ready for his fans. On “Look Easy,” Kaytranada expertly employs the smooth-as-silk vocals from rising R&B phenomenon Lucky Daye for his own pared-down, glossy single.
With his expert production, and Daye’s sultry delivery of lyrics like “I’m hotter than New Orleans/ God damn I feel important,” Kaytranada is proving that he’s still got plenty more to show off in the coming months.
Cidny Bullens, “The Gender Line”
After a decades long career of providing backing vocals for stars like Elton John and Rod Stewart, recording music for the soundtrack of Grease and much more, Cidny Bullens is finally ready to live his full truth as a transgender man. With “The Gender Line,” the first track off of the singer’s upcoming album Walkin’ Through this World, Cidny is taking his space as a transgender artist for the first time, as he sings about the reality of coming to terms with your identity on the insightful song.
“No one who isn’t transgender understands it,” Bullens tells Billboard of his new song. “Some of us figure it out early, some later, some have carried it to their grave. Others have been killed because of it. Sometimes the gender line is hard, for others it is fluid. But it exists. It is very real. ‘Are you a boy or are you a girl?’ It’s an easy answer in a binary world.”
