A former member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, Lauren Jauregui really leaned into her queer identity when pursuing her fantastic solo career. With his vibrant costumes and poignant lyrics, John’s music acted as a subtle yet powerful challenge to conventional norms, embedding queer sensibilities into mainstream music long before the term ‘gay pop’ was conceived.
Freddie Mercury: The Voice of Freedom
Freddie Mercury, another monumental figure in the development of gay pop, infused his music with a unique blend of passion and flamboyance.
A GOAT. He explores further the systemic oppressions of homophobia that create the unique challenges for GBMSM in the era of dating apps, hook-ups, and the trauma of HIV/AIDS. (-Carmen Phillips)
For many, Chappell Roan is the most exciting new voice in queer pop and pop in general, dominating the Sapphic Pop Renaissance of 2024 as her star rose ever-higher.
But it was “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” from Martin’s first English album, Ricky Martin (1999) that made him a household name worldwide and catapulted him into superstardom. Meg’s created something of a side quest to her press tours out of making as many other queer rappers and singers blush in her presence as possible.
Even as she’s matured — and dropped the $ from her name — she’s never stopped having fun with her music getting more explicitly queer in songs like “Kinky.” (-DBG)
The frontman of Queen is considered one of the greatest singers of all time, and his death from AIDS shook the gay community to its core.
But still, even by those standards, there was no preparing for the way that Dove Cameron took every ounce of the venom that once upon a time made her kid’s icon in Disney’s Descendents series (where she played the daughter of Maleficent) and flip it into such piercing queer seduction in 2022’s “Boyfriend.”
“I can be a better boyfriend than him,” Dove croons, her voice graveling.
In addition to his solo work, he’s been performing as the lead singer of Queen since 2011.
Since breaking onto the pop scene with her bisexual party girl persona, Kesha has evolved into a powerhouse vocalist and songwriter as likely to deliver an anthemic ballad about surviving abuse as she is a killer dance song.
“Born This Way” doesn’t even matter —it’s “Bad Romance” and “Poker Face” and “Alejandro” and “Bad Romance” and “You and I” and “Paparazzi.” Lady Gaga is a queen of gay pop.
On the cover of Nylon Magazine’s first-ever Pride Issue, Hayley Kiyoko was described as an unprecedented force in the gay pop scene, a lesbian teen heartthrob unafraid to court a passionate, starving queer fan base who crowned her Lesbian Jesus.
What’s the T on PnP. Queering Healthcare Access and Accessibility
At the summit on Queering Healthcare Access and Accessibility, the panel of researchers answers the questions on substance use, consent at Party and Play, and policy implications. She has identified as bisexual and sexually fluid, and she is a politically outspoken artist known for participating in protests and speaking out against genocide, war, and xenophobia.
(-CP)
As already mentioned, Megan thee Stallion shines at her gayest when creating with Cardi B. But she also stands firmly on her own. (-CP)
Known as the first female rapper to debut in Latin America, Puerto Rican singer/songwriter, dancer, producer and DJ Lisa M came out as a lesbian in 2010.
She followed up her first hit “Pink Pony Club” with an album of songs that invite both gay dancing and gay crying, and then gave us country hit “Giver” in 2025. She snagged a Best Rap Album Grammy this year for 2024’sAlligator Bites Never Heal.
All Disney kids grow up to be gay, we don’t make the rules.
An icon. In recent years, she’s published a book, Girls Like Girls,a reference to her supergay track “Girls Like Girls.” Her second book, Where There’s Room For Us, will debut this fall.
Australian actor and noted “twink icon” Troye Sivan came out on YouTube at the age of 18, after which point he, according to a New Yorker profile, “began to shed his plucky YouTube persona and to adopt the ultra-styled glamour of a pop star.” The profile noted that despite the rich legacy of LGBT musicians, Sivan was trying to do something new, becoming “a gay pop idol in the mold of Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber, forged on social media and marketed to a mass audience primed by Lady Gaga’s anthem of acceptance, “Born This Way.”” He makes extremely gay music videos, most recently the delightful “One of Your Girls.”
Obviously, Janelle Monaé is a titan.
His songs, characterized by a bold declaration of his identity, paved the way for future generations to express themselves freely through music.
The New Guardians: Gaga, Sivan, and Kiyoko
In the current era, artists like Lady Gaga, Troye Sivan, and Hayley Kiyoko continue to expand the boundaries of gay pop.
From Ziggy Stardust to “Modern Love,” he changed music forever — and inspired generations of queer people to experiment with their sexuality and gender. He has put out four studio albums and a whopping 11 EPs. (-Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya)
Elton John is a pioneer in the gay pop conversation — a Legend who came out as bisexual in 1976 and then as gay in 1992.
Chemsex may be a coping strategy for some, but it also empowers other GBMSM to enjoy pleasure, intimacy, and gay sex and find access to services that validate their identity and health care needs.