As some folks head back to school while others enjoy what little summer they have left, it’s still a good time to bring out some certified bangers from your favorite queer artists. Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of First Out, our weekly roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.
From Demi Lovato’s rock-focused new album to Panic! At the Disco’s return to their roots, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
Demi Lovato, Holy Fvck
If rock truly is “dead” (spoiler: it’s not), then consider Demi Lovato its pallbearer. With their eighth studio album Holy Fvck, Lovato uses punk, metal, industrial and various other permutations of the genre to excise their own personal demons, to much greater affect than any of the other albums on which she’s aimed to do so before. At times erotic (like on mid-album banger “City of Angels”), furious (cuts like “Eat Me” and “Help Me” seethe from stop to finish), and even mournful (highlight “Happy Ending” is almost guaranteed to choke you up), Holy Fvck offers a map through Lovato’s re-birth as a bonafide rock star, ready to rage it out with this killer new LP.
Panic! At the Disco, Viva Las Vengeance!
Brendon Urie has long been lauded for his excellent cover of the Queen classic “Bohemian Rhapsody” — so why wouldn’t he make an entire album expressing the kind of showmanship that made the British icons overnight superstars? Enter Viva Las Vengeance, a shiny, glam-rock concept album in which Panic! At the Disco takes the genre to it’s very limits. Some songs work better than others (“God Killed Rock and Roll” and “Sad Clown” stand out as winners), but one thing is guaranteed — Urie is here to give you a show that you’re not likely to forget.
Daya, “Her”
Daya just can’t get “Her” out of her head. On this delightful synth-pop jam, the singer-songwriter narrates a simple story — in the midst of some romantic entanglement with a male suitor, Daya’s mind simply refuses to think about anyone other than her ex. She might be decrying the moment (singing “can I have fun for one godd–n minute?” on the song’s euphoric chorus), but we’re absolutely loving it.
Chloe Moriondo, “Fruity”
While she may not be known for their bubblegum pop offerings, Chloe Moriondo is down to try something new. “Fruity,” the latest single off her forthcoming album, gives listeners a glitchy, almost-8-bit version of the singer’s voice, as they offer up a lovestruck ode to being called “sweet” by their partner. Fitting just about every fruit-related aphorism she can into the song’s catchy verses and chorus, Moriondo’s ready for you to get a sugar rush off this delectable pop track.
Serpentwithfeet, “I’m Pressed”
Leave it to Serpentwithfeet to hit you with a genre-switch up that’ll both shock you and also make perfect sense. It’s not that “I’m Pressed” breaks new ground for the singer — he continues giving his moody, slickly-sung R&B style throughout the song’s first verse. It’s just that when the chorus brings in a bass-and-drum section that demands you to dance along, it feels out of left field for an artist so associated with smooth, chilled-out jams. But we’re certainly not complaining — the new vibe only further compounds on Serpent’s incredible talent, making for an instant standout amongst their already-excellent discography.
Riotron & Big Freedia, “Drop a Bomb”
Oh, y’all wanted camp? Canadian pop-rock project Riotron has you covered with “Drop a Bomb,” a slick, dance-twinged new single featuring the much soguht-after Queen of Bounce, Big Freedia. Throughout the fun new song, Jeff Fettes (the artist behind the project) layers in infectious dance beats with a relatively simple set of “dance all night” lyrics. But the titular bomb arrives, as always, when Freedia’s verse hits, as she commands the dancefloor to get up and shake it to this delightful single.
