Ones2Watch Home

PRIDE is all about self-empowerment and self-determination. It's about celebrating who you are and showing the world that there is pride to be found in being unapologetically you. And that's why, this PRIDE and every PRIDE, we want to take a moment to shine a light on a small handful of our favorite LGBTQIA+ artists. These are 24 artists you should be listening to this PRIDE and every month.  

Tofusmell 

Tofusmell is a self-made artist in every way—from writing to production—who narrates interpersonal and autobiographical tales through a lens of ambient indie-folk rawness. “Shower Song” depicts a thoughtful moment of gender exploration for the queer, trans artist, wherein the music laments alongside his aching lyricism. “I’m obsessed on every detail… my body, wanting more than just a frame,” he sings. Tofusmell’s songwriting voice is scrutinizing yet gentle, conversational yet kaleidoscopically poetic, allowing listeners to self-reflect alongside the cerebral artist. 

Ray Laurél 

Producer, artist, and songwriting powerhouse Ray Laurél weaves queerness into lush pop tracks laced with R&B melodies and alternative production. As a person of Indian descent raised in the UK, they also draw necessary visibility toward queerness in non-white communities that too often get left out of the conversation of LGBTQIA+ arts. 

flowerkid 

flowerkid explores identity through achingly raw lyricism across hooky pop landscapes. His 2021 debut EP, everyone has a breaking point, welcomed listeners with a vulnerable glimpse into his journey as a trans man. Through songs like “vodka orange juice,” flowerkid made a space for inclusion within the indie music world, with poignant lyricism like, “Still I look in the mirror / and another looks back / she says, ‘the girls want a real boy.’” 

Zeph 

Zeph’s demo from 2021 “what does he have that i don’t?” croons from the hearts of every queer girl that’s in love with her best friend. Now, hot off the release of her debut album character development, Zeph’s recent tracks color queer in the angst of pop punk and electronic-alternative hooks. 

Ethel Cain

Ethel Cain is the self-declared Mother of indie kids across the world, cultivating a community within her expansive artistry. Her early song, “Womb,” directly addresses her trans identity, tumbling through a period of mourning she endured when realizing she wouldn’t be able to have children the same way as a cis woman. The embodiment of Cain, though, is the ethos of female rage. Her album, Preacher’s Daughter, gives a voice to the complex relationship between womanhood, religion, and queer identity, told through a narrative lens only Ethel Cain could create. 

Chappell Roan 

Chappell Roan is pushing the bill for normalizing queer culture in the music industry, from gay mermaids starring in her music videos to local drag queens opening the show on her headline tour. Her latest single, “Red Wine Supernova,” is a candid queer anthem dripping in sequins and tipsy flirtation, providing a soundtrack for the first kisses and unadulterated fun of #wlw dating. With this tune, Roan also proves that music written from a queer perspective can exist without being heavy—although songs about the confusions of identity are important—there is space for us to relish in being decked out in vampire fangs and Playboy bunny costumes. 

Left at London

Left at London is a Seattle-based, multi-hyphenate artist. Their creativities range from production and songwriting to poetry and comedy. Through all of her mediums, Left at London is committed to exploring mental health, queer identity and relationships through her universal pop music. Her iconic single, “I DONT TRUST U ANYMORE,” twirls cheekily through the challenges of being queer in our current political landscape. 

Meet Me @ The Altar 

Meet Me @ The Altar is a genre-bending pop-rock group that pushes boundaries across the board, bringing feminine energy to a male dominated space in music, as well as providing representation for queer, non-man, non-white communities. Their song “Say It (To My Face)” calls out any and all haters of the strides of their pop-punk revolution. “Really wish I could stay, gotta fly to LA / Play a show at The Wiltern… hope you’re having fun still stuck in your mother’s basement,” they bellow out to the world at large.

yeule 

Singaporean songwriter, producer, and artist, yeule, has built their own unique world of ambient dark-glitch-pop. They explore a post-gender life through post-genre music, invoking a spectrum of electronic influences on songs off of their album, Glitch Princess. The opening track, “My Name is Nat Ćmiel,” lays the groundwork for the album’s boundary-pushing genius: “I like music… and genderless people / I like being a boy, I like being a girl…”

Ryan Beatty 

Ryan Beatty, self made singer-songwriter, vocalist, producer, and era-defining lyricist makes his return with his third album installment, Ribbons. The album showcases once again his incredible ability to merge his use of deeply impactful lyricism and his production abilities to make songs that put us right back into the the era of heart break from his sophomore album, Dreaming of David.

Liniker

Brazilian vocalist Liniker lives at the intersection of soul, samba, alternative, and R&B styles, crafting a sound that is uniquely her own. As an openly trans Black woman, her music provides a space for Brazilians coming into their own identities, as well as young queer people aching for community across the globe. 

TAAHLIAH

Making her name in the underground queer club scenes of Berlin and Glasgow, DJ and producer TAAHLIAH is an electric force in the queer community. She infuses coming-of-age stories and decorations of bravery and euphoria in her expansive discography. TAAHLIAH is the only Black trans artist to ever win two awards in the same year at the 2020 Scottish Alternative Music Awards and stands as an inspiration for a wide range of communities. 

Leith Ross

Indie-folk songwriter, Leith Ross, has captivated the queer community with lyrics that twirl through picturesque vignettes and a sonic palette that achingly embodies the shifting of emotional tides. Their viral sensation, “We’ll Never Have Sex,” explores the intimacy of a sexless love, making room for all types of connection in the spectrum of love songs. 

Arlo Parks 

London-born indie-pop singer-songwriter, lyricist and poet, Arlo Parks is more than just an artist. Her vividly descriptive poetic lyricism about about young queer adult emotional experiences and mental health awareness provides her listeners a subtle cathartic emotional experience. Wether its her singing about falling in love with your straight best friend or picking up the pieces of being an adult, Parks has music that we can all relate to within the LGBTQ community.  

KAYTRAMINÉ

KAYTRAMINÉ, the newest musical collaboration between breakout house icon Kaytranada, who came out in 2016, and beloved pop-artist Aminé bring us a duo we never thought we needed. Through the fusion of mellow house beats and pop rap, we are gifted their debut album, KAYTRAMINÉ which hold songs perfect for any occasion this upcoming summer. 

Towa Bird 

Guitarist, songwriter, and artist, Towa Bird, writes in a landscape of Britpop-punk-alternative fusion, laying bittersweet lyrics over punchy arrangements. Her latest single, “Boomerang,” is a shimmering indie rock depiction of the growing pains that come with a long distance relationship – an experience that is not exclusive to the lesbian community, but one that is undeniably significant to the culture. 

Frost Children

Hyperpop sibling duo, Frost Children, has created a tight-knit community of indie kids, music nerds, and the coolest of the chronically-online. They touch on everything from societal structures to gender dysphoria through their electro-punk album, SPEED RUN. The standout single, “SICK TRIP,” captures it perfectly with the lyrics, “Nobody knows I’m a lesbian…only at the party if I’m spinning… I just wanna turn this club to a sci-fi…”

The Aces

The Aces scream sapphic love from the rooftops on their recent album, I’ve Loved You For So Long. Hailing from Provo, UT, The indie-pop band has truly made a normalized, refreshing space for queerness in their genre. Songs like “Girls Make Me Wanna Die” playfully touch on WLW inside jokes about sapphic dating, while the album’s title track simply tells a light, sunny love story—a simplicity not often granted to the narratives of queer communities. 

THE BLSSM

THE BLSSM is the musical project of Sydney-born, non-binary artist Lily Lizotte. Their music navigates the growing pains and euphorias of gender identity, embracing a lush pop sound that’s tinged with an edge of bitterness. Their 2021 song, “SHAPESHIFTER,” exemplifies this perspective: “I can be anything, no matter who’s around / The fire burning at my feet ain’t burning me out / I can be they, I can be so gay…”

mazie 

The ever-eccentric icon of indie pop, mazie, wears queerness with pride alongside coming-of-age stories and adventurous production esteem. mazie’s “girls just wanna have sex,” off of her kaleidoscopic debut album blotter baby, is a maniacal make-out anthem, squashing any semblance of shame or taboo as she whirls through a story of sapphic self-indulgence. 

Dorian Electra

Dorian Electra has become an icon for their non-conforming aesthetics and expansive pop sound. They bring a lightness to the weighty realities of gender fluidity, penciling on a cartoonish mustache in music videos like “Career Boy,” exploring this essential part of their identity with grace, creativity, and admirable vulnerability. 

Shygirl 

Shygirl, a talented lyricist and DJ deeply influenced by club culture, presents an exceptional album, Nymph_o, which embodies the essence of the clubbing scene. With noteworthy collaborations featuring artists like Tinashe and Arca, she delivers a captivating musical experience. Shygirl's distinctive aesthetic and artistic expression truly epitomize the pinnacle of hot girl queer club culture.

Destin Conrad 

Destin Conrad, once known for his social media presence has shifted the spotlight and expanded his range to showcase his talent as a rising queer R&B artist. From the release of his first album Colorway back in 2021 to the release of his most recent single, "Switch," Conrad consistently reminds us of his lyrical ability and use of personal stories to provide us smooth and rhythmic pieces. 

Lava La Rue

Lava La Rue’s “Vests & Boxers” is an alternative-indie anthem of queer sexuality. The music video depicts an all-too-familiar cycle in dating where Lava La Rue hops from first date to first date, tailoring themselves to be the ideal for each potential partner. Their playful tone pairs cheekily with exciting, left-of-center pop production for a unique sound.