Pride
Ask A Gay Icon: Trixie Mattel Gets Career Advice From Michelle Branch
This Pride Month, Billboard connected queer artists with some of their musical heroes and biggest influences How can you help LGBTQ people succeed in the music industry? One easy step: Share your networks and make introductions. So for Pride Month, Billboard is connecting queer artists with some of their musical heroes — who also happen to be major allies to the community — to get career advice. Here, RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Trixie Mattel — whose latest album, Barbara, fuses surf-rock, country and folk — gets real with Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Michelle Branch, who’s working on the follow-up to 2017’s Hopeless Romantic (and whose song “Goodbye to You” is also the first song Mattel learned to play on guitar.) I always run into other gay pe...
First Out: New Music From Victoria Monét, Jozzy, Lauren Ruth Ward & More
As Pride Month continues around the world, LGBTQ people everywhere are looking for uplifting anthems to help them tap into this season’s spirit of activism. Billboard Pride is here to help with First Out, our weekly roundup of some of the best new weekly music releases from LGBTQ artists. From Jozzy’s repeat-worthy new track, to Victoria Monét’s disco-infused Khalid collaboration, here are some of our favorite new releases this week: Victoria Monét ft. Khalid, “Experience” When you hear the names Victoria Monét and Khalid, you’d be forgiven if “disco” isn’t the first genre you thought of. But on their brand new single “Experience,” that is exactly what the pair are serving — with a constantly-grooving bassline, combined...
Jesse & Joy Release Star-Studded ‘Love’ Video in Support of LGBTQ Community
With the help of nearly 200 people from all of over the world, including artists like Thalía, Juanes and more, Jesse & Joy are declaring “love is our language.” Today (June 15), the Mexican-American duo released the “Love” music video to speak out against violence toward the LGBTI+ community and raise awareness about conversion therapies that to this day take place in Mexico and other parts of the world. “Our music will always be there to remind you that you are beautiful just as you are,” the Mexican previously said about the song, included in their recently-released album Aire. “It’s called ‘Love’ and talks about love being the universal language, the language that all of us should speak.” Toward the end of the video, the message is loud and clear: “...
Camila Cabello Celebrates Pride Month, Urges Fans to Fight for Transgender Rights
Camila Cabello is using her platform on social media to show her support for the LGBTQ+ community. On Sunday (June 14), the singer posted a “Happy Pride Month” message on Instagram. “This month is pride month !!!!!!! i have so much admiration and respect for the LGBTQ+ community, this community includes some of the bravest, kindest, strongest people I know- you teach me by example what it means to be true to yourself and your heart, what it means to be brave, what it means to be fierce and kind every step of the way and living YOUR truth no matter how hard and scary that may be, loving whoever you want to love. happy pride month,” Cabello wrote. She then added: “In the middle of one of the worst epidemics of violence against Black transgender people, Trump dec...
Randy Rainbow Talks About Going to Prom – Three Times – With Girls
In the midst of performances from drag superstar Pabllo Vittar and pop queen Tove Lo, Randy Rainbow stopped by Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter’s Pride Prom for a digital appearance on Saturday (June 13). The peerless parodist shared his experience of going to prom not once but thrice with girls when he was still in the closet. Before that, however, he spoke on the national protests over police brutality during Pride Month. “It’s a time for us to reflect on our history, to honor those who came before us, to celebrate ourselves and each other and to celebrate how far we’ve come and also to acknowledge how much work there is left for us to do. Not only for our own community but for all communities fighting for change and equality which is of course so important du...
Tove Lo Is Feeling ‘Sadder, Badder, Cooler’ With Her Billboard Pride Prom Performance
“Why am I cooler than you?” That’s the question that Tove Lo needs answered in her exclusive new live performance. On Saturday (June 13), Tove Lo took to the virtual stage at Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter’s Pride Prom to deliver a stunning performance of her song “Sadder, Badder, Cooler” to get fans up and moving. Dressed in a glittering pink pantsuit, complete with feathers and sequins, the Swedish star shook her hips around her apartment as she crooned out her party anthem. “Come to my pity party/ Done with my pride, I don’t mind,” she sang. “I just wanna be dramatic tonight/ And make a song about me.” You can check out Tove Lo’s full performance here. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Da...
Lauren Jauregui Closes Out Billboard’s Pride Prom With ‘50ft.’ Performance
Every prom has to come to an end, and Lauren Jauregui has just the song to tie things up. On Saturday (June 13), the former Fifth Harmony star closed out Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter’s first-ever Pride Prom with a stunning performance to her R&B slow-jam “50ft.” Performing in her home and dressed in a glittering mesh top, the singer let her voice shine through on the smooth breakup song as she casually flipped back and forth between English and Spanish. “Naturally inclined to love/ But when the love ain’t flowing back/ I pull away and reassess/ Gotta protect me,” she sings. Jauregui released “50ft.” back in April, and explained in a statement that she wanted to capture the actual feeling of distance. ̶...
Here’s What Happened at Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter’s Pride Summit & Prom
Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter‘s Pride Summit and Pride Prom – which you can be part of here — opened on Saturday (June 13) with a strong call for “every single one of us” to stand up against racism and police brutality. Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors reminded participants in the digital summit that Stonewall was started by black queer and trans activists, and the “police played such a terrible role” in that landmark uprising that kickstarted the modern LGBTQ equality movement. After Cullors’ opening statement, singer and activist Shea Diamond used her astonishing voice to convey a related message with her bone-chilling song “Don’t Shoot.” Black Lives Matter was a common thread throughout the panels as well. ...
Shamir Celebrates Solitude With ‘On My Own’ at Billboard Pride Prom
With his guitar and purple hair at the ready, Shamir stopped by Billboard’s Pride Prom to perform his sweet, twangy new song “On My Own.” Okay, he didn’t “stop by” literally, but he did send in a home video to our digital Pride Summit & Pride Prom. “It’s a nice little song about enjoying your own company, which I think a lot of us are starting to do and get used to — or at least I hope so,” Shamir said while introducing the tune. “On My Own” previews Shamir’s new album coming out this fall. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn r...
Watch Every Performance From Billboard & The Hollywood Reporter’s Pride Summit & Pride Prom
With the coronavirus pandemic keeping people everywhere in their homes, queer people have been left wondering: Is Pride canceled in 2020? On Saturday, June 13, Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter answered that question with their second annual Pride Summit and first-ever Pride Prom. Taking place online, the daylong celebration featured panels, conversations, glam tutorials and special appearances from celebrity guests to celebrate Pride Month in these uncertain times. Along with all the other content, the Pride Summit & Prom also featured a number of special performances from some of the top LGBTQ talent in the music industry. Artists like Shea Diamond, Rex Rebel, Madame Gandhi, Trixie Mattel, Tituss Burgess, Pabllo Vittar, Shamir, Noah Cyrus, the House of Lanvin , Tove...
Billboard & The Hollywood Reporter’s Pride Prom: Here’s What Went Down
The pandemic might have put a damper on gleefully crowded Pride celebrations, but stars hailing from the television, film and music industries came together virtually to honor and recognize the LGBTQ community at Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter’s second annual Pride Summit and Prom on Saturday. Following a day full of insightful conversations about LGBTQ representation in the media, social justice and mentorship, YouTube makeup artist Patrick Starrr and Jennifer Lopez’s hairstylist Chris Appleton shared tips on how to achieve Pride Prom-ready looks. The beauty gurus showed off their favorite Pride looks, including Appleton’s wavy half-up half-down hairdo, and Starrr’s glittery rainbow eye makeup. To complete his Pride mug, Starrr used all Black-owned beauty products, ranging fro...
Lena Waithe, Jonica Gibbs on How Lesbian Representation Creates a ‘Space of Understanding’
Lena Waithe, the award-winning Master of None and Queen and Slim scribe, said that while she feels accepted as a Black, gay woman in the entertainment industry, she believes audiences need to see even more Black queer representation. “If you look at how many people that are known and that are Black in the industry, and then if you can count on like maybe one or two hands how many of them are out? The numbers just don’t add up,” Waithe said at Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter’s second annual Pride Summit and Prom. On Saturday, Waithe joined her mentee, Twenties breakout Jonica Gibbs, for a conversation that touched on expanded lesbian representation in television, the recent Black Lives Matter protests across the country and the role of the industry in the movement. Th...
