Calvin Seabrooks dishes on friends with benefits, new music, and why Scorpios make great lovers
Grey’s Anatomy and Queer As Folk, as well as his hilarious viral videos (his Billy Porter impression—a fan favorite—is truly unmatched), Seabrooks’ first love is music.Though he’s dabbled in the past, “Friends With Benny” represents Seabrooks’ debut single as a solo artist, and it’s one he describes as an anthem for all “the boys who like to kiss their oomfs.” Who among us!?But don’t get it twisted: This isn’t a comedian’s novelty song—it’s an honest-to-god bop, one that combines beach-y guitar riffs, a propulsive beat, and Seabrooks’ sly sense of humor to tell an all-too-familiar story of self-sabotage.With the hot new track on constant repeat, we hit up Seabrooks and asked him to be the latest guest in our rapid-fire Q&A series, Dishin’ It.
In our conversation, the performer touches on his musical influences, the film that taught him “queerness can be punk,” and the lessons he’s learned from having so many “friends with benny.” (Spoiler: He hasn’t.)Is there a piece of media—whether a movie, TV series, book, album, video game, etc…—that you consider a big part of your own coming-out journey, or that has played an important role in your understanding of queerness?
Why does it stand out to you?Oh god. So many. I never stood a chance. I’ve always had a sweet tooth for bubblegum pop, I had like every S Club 7 CD, but my older siblings always had better taste than me so, pretty young, my brother (who is straight) also introduced me to Gregg Araki movies, especially Nowhere—those movies taught me that queerness can be punk.
