Gay Girl Tunes For Every Occasion

By Madeline Ward

Growing up as a Moody Teen on Tumblr, I collected playlists for almost every occasion. Sex, parties, heartbreak: you name it, someone with the url art_h0e had probably created it. These soundtracked my later teenage years and, if I’m honest, continue to be my go-tos for my early twenties. The issue is that most of these playlists were made between the years of 2010 and 2013, when Macklemore’s Same Love was still considered a Queer Anthem and songs about women loving other women weren’t exactly getting (mainstream) airplay. Below, I’ve curated the gay tumblr playlist of my own late 2013 dreams.

girl in red, i wanna be your girlfriend

I don't wanna be your friend I wanna kiss your lips I wanna kiss you until I lose my breath

girl in red is the stage name for Norwegian 20 year old Marie Ulven, who makes queer indie pop rock from the comforts of her bedroom. i wanna be your girlfriend, like much of Ulven’s music, is a dreamy ode to unrequited loving and longing that is as heartbreaking as it is catchy.

Sleater-Kinney, One More Hour

Don't say another word About the other girl

Sleater-Kinney’s One More Hour is the ultimate punk rock break up song. Written by Corin Tucker in the aftermath of a short relationship with Sleater-Kinney guitarist Carrie Brownstein, the songs tortured call and response vocals between Tucker and Brownstein really make you feel something.

Gossip, Yr Mangled Heart

If everything I do has got a hole in it Then everything you do has got a hold on me I've been here before I should be used to it

Gossip’s Beth Ditto is an indie gay icon if ever there was one. Ditto’s howling vocals over the instantly recognisable bass line and drum beats of Gossip makes for a funky, danceable breakup anthem.

Tegan and Sara, Closer

All you think of lately is getting underneath me All I dream of lately is how to get you underneath me

This wouldn’t be a queer girl playlist without Tegan and Sara, who provided the soundtrack for the coming of age of most angsty gay youths in the early 2010’s. Though Closer is a pretty major departure from the sound of their earlier albums, this electro-pop banger about young love is as good and gay as anything from The Con.

Asiahn, Like You

You know I got a girl And I can't get with you Maybe another lifetime This just ain't the right time

This slow burner from Asiahn’s 2019 release Love Train 2 is about finding validation from a hot stranger when you’re moving toward the end of an unfulfilling relationship. When she’s not writing love songs or club bangers for the likes of J-Lo and Miley Cyrus, Asiahn is also an advocate for racial and gender equality, frequently speaking out on issues of colorism and misogyny in the music industry.

King Princess, Pussy is God

Your pussy is God and I love it Gonna kiss me real hard, make me wanna it I think star signs mean nothing But I know you feel right so I'm coming

This song was the best thing to come out of 2018 and I would absolutely die for King Princess, and that’s all I have to say on the matter.

Janelle Monae, Make Me Feel

It's like I'm powerful with a little bit of tender An emotional, sexual bender Mess me up, yeah, but no one does it better

Janelle worked with none other than PRINCE to make Dirty Computer, and the late artist is rumoured to have contributed the synth line on this bi-sexual bopper.

Dizzy Fae, Her/Indica

Just give me a second I think I recall her name Just give me a second I can't re-root the touch of pain

Her/Indica is a medley of two tracks about falling in love with a woman for the first time and then finding yourself again afterwards. Her/Indica is an ambient, moving exploration of first love and the vulnerability that comes with opening yourself up to it.

Beth Ditto, Love in Real Life

What more could we ask for? Some kind of fantasy There's no one I want more More than anything

Love in Real Life is a modern rock balla about, as the title suggests, love in real life. This realistic love song is somehow all the more romantic for its rejection of perfection and fantasy in romance.

Emily Burns ft Olivia Nelson, Vanilla Sundae

Sunlight on the bed sheets Your eyes looking heavy Shit shows on the telly But we don't mind, we don't mind at all

This love song from Emily Burns is as sweet as a Vanilla Sundae. More, please.