The 5 Best Songs To Have On Repeat During Pride Month

Whether you identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community or are a self-proclaimed ally, there are myriad ways that you can celebrate Pride month this June. From watching shows centered around queer people to hitting that follow button on out and proud makeup artists or brushing up on your history of the gay rights movement, the choice is yours.

In similar fashion, music can be the ideal option to get in on the festivities. Over the decades, there's been so many iconic artists who have given us bops and ballads to honor those who believe sexuality is a spectrum and/or don't see themselves inside the binary. Iconic artists like Britney Spears, Diana Ross, Ariana Grande, Donna Summer, and so many more have provided queer-approved "gay anthems" for the masses. 

Although we love them for that, here are some songs by musicians who are members of the LGBTQ+ community that you can proudly stream this month for boosted serotonin levels.

In 2012, the neo-soul singer-songwriter Frank Ocean revealed via Tumblr that his first love was a man. Though he's never boxed himself in with any LGBTQ+ identifying label, his music speaks for itself.

Following the Grammy-award winning artist's 2016 commercial success from "Blonde," in 2017, Ocean released a single entitled "Chanel." The smooth, slow-piano track's first four lines rope us in: "My guy pretty like a girl / And he got fight stories to tell / I see both sides like Chanel / See on both sides like Chanel." 

Inferring what we know about Ocean's sexual fluidity, the song can represent how the fashion brand logo symbolizes his interest in both men and women, making "Chanel" a love-fluid ballad we're still bumping to today.

Two openly-queer pop vocalists collaborating? Sign us up. In 2018, Kiyoko, known as "Lesbian Jesus" to fans, released her studio album "Expectations" filled with declarations of queer love that explored the facets of evolving queerness. 

One of the singles from the album — "What I Need" — was a collaboration with the non-binary R&B sensation Kehlani and speaks on the need of having a reciprocal partner comfortable and confident in their sexuality. The bridge declares: "We could be bigger and brighter than space / Ain't no running away / No, real loving is sure."

It doesn't hurt that besides the painfully relatable lyrics for queer women, the music video, directed by Kiyoko, showcases lesbian love through the female gaze.

If you're looking to blast an unapologetic gay pride anthem in the car or in the shower to pump you up, CupcakKe's "LGBT" has you covered. 

The Chicago-born rapper released the upbeat rap track in late 2016, empowering LGBTQ+ listeners with lyrics like, "Don't judge a lesbian, 'cause she don't want you back, man / Judge one of the gays, they drag you from Z to A / And shout out to the bi's, you ain't gotta pick a side." A few months later in 2017, she even wrote an open-letter for Billboard to the LGBTQ community. "I recently wrote a song called 'LGBT' for the LGBT community, stating nothing more or nothing less but it's okay to be you. Don't hide your truth," she wrote. 

Ally-ship is a beautiful thing, folks.

In April, Janelle Monae came out as nonbinary. When asked about pronouns, the actor and singer told the Los Angeles Times that, "My pronouns are free-a** motherf***** and they/them, her/she." Monae, who told Rolling Stone in 2018 that they identify as pansexual, has been a vocal proponent of embracing their sexuality and identity and never shies away from addressing it in their music.

Their 2018 album "Dirty Computer" examined themes of being a woman in America and explored sexual identities. One song in particular — "Make Me Feel" — has elements of funk that make listening to it an electrifying experience. In case we needed confirmation, the music video showcases a bisexual pride flag so it's safe to say this record is yet another celebratory Pride anthem we can dance to.

When two musical forces in the industry collaborate, the sonically pleasing outcome is easy on the ears. Dev Hynes, AKA British singer-songwriter and producer Blood Orange, and pop star sensation Carly Rae Jepsen linked up for the 2016 record "Better Than Me." 

Hynes, who once tweeted that he's neither straight nor gay speaks on being "not black enough or not queer enough" in this song (via EW). The '80s-esque funk beats synthesize while Hynes sings, "Know my worth and fake the blame / But I know she's better than me / Wait your turn and change your ways / But I know he's better than me." 

We're either jamming out or crying to this one, there's no in-between.