Tag: music

After the successes of  Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, it’s no surprise Hollywood is all about the musical biopics. MGM announced just last week that it was developing a Boy George biopic. This is in addition to the biopic the studio is already developing about Aretha Franklin, with Jennifer Hudson rumored to star. Other musical biopics coming down the Hollywood pipeline include one about Judy Garland starring Renee Zellweger, another about David Bowie, and possibly one about Madonna, though that may only...

“Sisters are doing it for themselves,” Annie Lennox and Aretha Franklin sang on their 1985 top-twenty single, in support and recognition of liberated women everywhere. In 2019, the LGBTQ community could use a similar DIY hit anthem of its own. But even if Janelle Monáe and Sam Smith were to serve it up next week, this much still would be abundantly true: We can’t do it all for ourselves. Collaboration is essential to the sweet smell of success. That doesn’t...

Madonna released her latest music video to her song God Control yesterday and, as usual, it has everyone talking. The eight minute video was directed by frequent Madonna collaborator Jonas Åkerlund and includes a cameo by Monét X Change. It makes strong statement about gun violence in America by depicting a horrific massacre inside a nightclub, where a white male gunman enters and slaughters everyone in sight. The reference, of course, is the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting. Later, the video incorporates real-life footage of protesters...

“It’s gotten better but I can’t make a blanket statement that doesn’t happen anymore. There are always going to be shades of homophobia–sometimes internalized homophobia that I’ve encountered from other gay people in the industry. They might feel that ‘too gay.’ When I first came on the scene almost everybody that I encountered in the music business was very supportive of me personally, but they were all a bit nervous about how it could work publicly. Now it’s...

“I was the starting-out artist begging for help and I would go to people who ran labels or influential DJs saying: ‘Can you help me out? Can you listen to this song? Can you hook me up?’ Can you sign me to your record label?’ and a lot of people said: ‘Yeah, if you’ll do this,’ and usually it was a sexual favor. I couldn’t bring myself to do it because I knew I couldn’t look myself in the mirror...

Madonna released her fourteenth studio album Madame X today and it’s being praised by critics and fans alike as a bold, albeit bizarre, return to form by the Queen of Pop. The album immediately shot to #1 on iTunes upon its release. Slant calls it “eccentric” and “exhilaratingly batsh*t” and says it “sounds like the work of an artist reawakened.” The Guardian labels it Madonna’s “most bizarre album ever” and says its “most memorable songs are definitely its strangest.” And NME describes it as “bold,...

Panic! At The Disco’s Brendon Urie, Jason Mraz and Tove LoIt’s common knowledge that stars like Troye Sivan, Hayley Kiyoko and Janelle Monáe are out and proud. Not only has their sexuality been dissected by the media, but they haven’t shied away from singing about same-sex romances throughout their catalog. But everyone’s relationship with their sexual orientation and gender identity is different. Here are eight modern music stars who have opened up about their sexuality. Originally signed to Columbia Records as a...

From left: Saro, Glass Battles, Lizette LizetteAs Halsey, Janelle Monáe, Tyler the Creator and Troye Sivan dominate pop culture, it’s safe to say that LGBTQ musicians are seeing overdue recognition. Even more exciting: there is endless red-hot talent ready to follow their lead. From an artist whose earned accolades from Madonna to trailblazers shaking up homophobic genres like Latin, hip-hop and EDM, here are twelve new artists to familiarize yourself with immediately. Don’t miss the accompanying Spotify playlist at the end...

When we chatted with Ariel Versace at the Drag Race season 11 finale, she was a pink poofy princess: But that’s not all she is, clearly. Ariel is staking her claim, and his name is Max Emerson. In her new music video for “Venomous,” the Drag Race season 11 star puts Emerson in his place. He does not appear to have any complaints. Nor do we. “I wanna you tie you down and make you my slave,” she sings. Well OK, mama. “I’ll rock your world,...

New Jersey & Philadelphia have known what the world is about to find out; the already much buzzed about social media maven Ariel Versace is much more than a pretty face. While she had some time to prove that on Season 11 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, she is now ready to take on the dance floor with her new single “Venomous”.   Set alternately between an industrial style warehouse, and her what looks...

Question: Is Manila Luzon a gay man? According to Luzon’s new music video, the answer is a resounding “Yas.” The song, called “Gay Man,” tells a tale as old as time — straight bro gets dragged to gay event, where his fragile masculinity is challenged. But this story is one of redemption, growth and evolution. The guy comes around. “You’re pretty cool,” he tells Luzon. And on that, we’d have to agree. Watch: Dan Tracer is a queer writer, noisemaker, and amateur astral projector. Find him...

When it comes to music biopics, director Dexter Fletcher already has a few successful ones under his belt. In addition to Rocketman, which chronicles the life of gay pop-rock legend Elton John, he also took over directing responsibilities after Bryan Singer was fired from last year’s Bohemian Rhapsody, which told the story of Freddie Mercury of Queen. When asked by Gay Star News recently if he would consider directing a third music biopic, possibly about a female rocker like, say, Cher or, better yet, Madonna, Fletcher was totally on...

Madonna called into Boston’s Mix 104.1 this week for an interview with DJs Karson & Kennedy to promote her forthcoming album Madame X, which is scheduled for release on June 14. During the interview, Madge talked about her new album, reflected on her career beginnings, and answered questions about her upcoming tour, which kicks off in September. Toward the end of the call, Kennedy asked Madonna a question submitted by none other than Lizzo, the queer artist whose most recent album debuted at #6...

After seeing the crazy success of Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, MGM has announced it’s jumping on the musical biopic bandwagon. Deadline reports that the studio is developing a movie about Culture Club frontman Boy George. Since bursting onto the music scene in the 1980s, Boy George has sold over 100 million singles and 50 million albums. He has also written two bestselling autobiographies. Sacha Gervasi, who directed the 2012 Alfred Hitchcock biopic Hitchcock, is slotted to write and direct the film, with George serving...