ELTON & DAVID’S PRIDE PLAYLIST:
LGBTQ+ ARTISTS YOU NEED TO HEAR
Curated by Aslan Dalgic
We asked Sir Elton John and his husband and manager, David Furnish, to tell us which LGBTQ+ artists are on their summer playlist. Sir Elton, a lifelong musicologist, has featured many of them on his Rocket Hour podcast, and some of the comments below are taken from those conversations.
Allison Ponthier
An indie-folk rising star signed to Interscope, Ponthier is set to shine at the All Things Go Music Festival this September in Columbia, Maryland, joining an impressive lineup that includes Janelle Monáe, Hozier and Reneé Rapp. Elton told her he was “obsessed” with her voice, adding, “I wouldn’t call you country—I would call you Ponthierland.”
Allison Russell
Canadian folk artist Russell earned four Grammy noms with her second solo album, The Returner (Birds of Chicago/Fantasy), winning Best American Roots Performance for “Eve Was Black.” Her North American tour with her Irish friend and collaborator (and ally) Hozier runs through September. “So soulful,” remarked Elton of the critical favorite, “with a voice that melts me.”
Brandy Clark
Not yet a decade into her career, acclaimed singer-songwriter Clark (on Warner) had already earned 10 Grammy nominations coming into this year, where she picked up six more, including an Americana Performance win with “Dear Insecurity,” her string-infused duet with Brandi Carlile. This summer, the lifelong Elton fan will be opening for HITS Pride cover model Ben Platt on his North American tour.
Bright Light Bright Light
Bright Light Bright Light is the nom de lumière of Welsh indie synth-pop/dance artist Rod Thomas. The New York-based singer-songwriter has collaborated with Elton (“I Wish We Were Leaving”) and toured with Cher. Elton says working with BLBL was “a challenge” because “I had to sing in a completely different way, which I really enjoyed. ‘I Wish We Were Leaving’ spoke to me… and I think that the combination of our voices is ethereal and beautiful.”
Chappell Roan
26-year-old Island artist Roan set Coachella ablaze this year with her playfully campy synth-pop aesthetic. After the performance, she leapt to the upper reaches of the DSP charts with “Good Luck, Babe!” Frequently enlisting drag queens as her openers, she’s currently touring the U.S. before heading to Europe in September. “You’ve been called a ‘queer-pop superstar in the making,’” Elton told her. “I think they called me that too. So we have something in common.”
Fancy Hagood
Nashville-based indie artist Hagood, whose work smoothly blends country and pop, hosts Trailblazers Radio on Apple Music Country, highlighting LGBTQ+ artists and allies. “I find it so fun and so moving because it’s heartfelt,” Elton said of Fancy’s music when the latter was a Rocket Hour guest. “I could listen to “Blue Dream Baby” on a loop all day. It’s the sort of thing you put on in the car and you drive for a long time and you don’t want it to stop.”
Hurray for the Riff Raff
Blurring the lines between folk and punk, Nonesuch’s Hurray for the Riff Raff kicks off its North American tour next month in New England. The creative engine behind the project is New York native Alynda Segarra, who identifies as nonbinary and also strongly identifies with their Puerto Rican heritage. The project’s ninth album, The Past Is Still Alive, dropped earlier this year. “It’s political but joyous,” Elton says of the band’s recordings. “I’m such a big fan.”
Jake Wesley Rogers
Facet/Warner pop singer Rogers first came out as gay in the sixth grade in his hometown of Ozark, Missouri. At 15, he made it to the quarterfinals of America’s Got Talent. After seeing Rogers perform live in 2020, Warner Records president Aaron Bay-Schuck quickly signed him. The 27-year-old the artist will hit the main stage at Bonnaroo this year for the Tennessee fest’s finale. “When I wear my platforms,” he told Elton on the podcast, “I’m like a gay monster.”
Joesef
In March, bisexual Scottish soul singer Joesef released a live version of his Permanent Damage album, Permanent Damage (Live at 45) (AWAL). Joesef’s sound draws from an eclectic range of influences including The Cure, A Tribe Called Quest, Arlo Parks (with whom he’ll tour in 2021) and Tyler, the Creator. “I’m in love with your music,” Elton told him. “I’m in love with your voice.”
Omar Apollo
27-year-old Warner artist Apollo, who sings in both English and Spanish, was nominated for both a Best New Artist Grammy and a GLAAD Media Award in 2023 and took home the Hispanic Heritage Awards’ Inspira trophy. Apollo, who describes himself as “very gay,” has won fans at Coachella and Something in the Water and as an opener on SZA’s SOS Tour. His music blends R&B, Latin, trap and bedroom-pop elements, among others; he scored a platinum single with “Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me at All),” which appears on 2022 album, Ivory; “Spite,” the lead track from his forthcoming LP2 set dropped on 4/5.
Katie Pruitt
Elton has described Pruitt as a “wonderful writer with the voice of an angel” and deemed her “destined for greatness.” Her second album, Mantras, released by Rounder earlier this year, details the Nashville singer-songwriter’s “full circle journey from self-sabotage to self-compassion.” Having struggled to come out as a lesbian after being raised in a conservative Catholic family, she uses her music to address issues faced by this next generation of LGBTQ+ youth. She’ll be at next month’s FairWell Festival in Redmond, Oregon.
Perfume Genius
Michael Alden Hadreas, aka Perfume Genius, was nominated for a Best Alternative Music Performance Grammy for “Spitting Off the Edge of the World” (with Yeah Yeah Yeahs). Along with headliners Santigold, Tegan and Sara and Rico Nasty, Perfume Genius will be featured at Seattle’s Queer Pride Festival on June 29. “You are fabulous in every sense of the word,” Elton told the artist. “You look fabulous. You dress fabulous. You sound fabulous. You write fabulous.”
Romy
Combining poignant lyrics with ethereal melodies, British electronic artist Romy (a particular favorite of Furnish’s) is also a member of The xx. Her 2023 album, Mid Air (Young), which Elton called “a masterpiece,” hit the U.K. Top Five. This year, Romy’s “Strong” (with Fred Again..) was nominated for a Best Dance/Electronic Grammy. Her European tour, which kicks off Pride Month in Barcelona, includes a stop at the Glastonbury Festival.
Saint Harison
Possessing what Elton called “one of the best voices I’ve ever heard,” Saint Harison (whose given name has magically disappeared from the Internet) was born into a musical family in Southampton, England. His musical style mixes R&B (influenced by the likes of Whitney Houston) with poignant storytelling. Last year, the indie artist went viral on TikTok with his song “ego talkin’.” Furnish deemed “james (bleeding alone)” to be “one of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard in years.”
Sufjan Stevens
Indie phenomenon Stevens has released 10 solo albums and multiple collaborative projects since his 2000 debut, A Sun Came, and has been “a perennial favorite of mine since his first record,” Elton remarked. Last year, the Grammy- and Oscar-nominated singer-songwriter saw his 2005 album, Illinois, adapted into a Broadway musical by choreographer Justin Peck; it earned four Tony noms, including Best Musical. Stevens received his Best Original Song Oscar nom for “Mystery of Love,” written for the 2017 film Call Me by Your Name. Last year, Stevens directly addressed his sexuality for the first time, revealing that his newly released album, Javelin, was dedicated to “the light of my life, my beloved partner and best friend, Evans Richardson,” who had died six months earlier.
Troye Sivan
Elton called Sivan “one of my favorite young singers.” With 15 million Instagram followers worldwide, Capitol’s 28-year-old Australian is just hitting his stride. Last year, he released his third album, Something to Give Each Other; its lead single, “Rush,” won Song of the Year at the 2023 ARIA Music Awards while earning two Grammy nominations and an MTV Video Music Award nom. To cap it off, Sivan became the first openly gay man to grace GQ Australia’s cover as its 2023 Man of the Year. He also became the youngest recipient of GLAAD’s prestigious Stephen F. Kolzak Award. Sivan will next join Charli XCX on the Live Nation-booked Sweat Tour, which hits 21 North American arenas this fall.
