New Hayley Kiyoko, Tegan and Sara, and More on This Week’s Queer Music Mixtape

Welcome back to INTO’s Queer Music Mixtape, your #1 hub for all things new LGBTQ+ music. Here, we’re covering the hottest releases of the week in one handy guide.

“‘Twas the Friday before Pride month, and boots down the house” or whatever that guy wrote. Even in the face of exacerbated queerphobia and rainbow capitalism blowing in the wind across the U.S., it still somehow feels like the High School Musical 2 “counting down the seconds ’til summer” scene as we wait for the calendar page to turn.

This week’s releases are perfect for satiating that antici……….pation. Whether you’re feeling some love/sex/drugs or just wanting to talk with the girls, our list has you covered.

We’ve included Instagram links in each byline, streaming links below for your convenience, and a full Queer Music Mixtape playlist from our Spotify page to keep you rocking out for hours to come!

Get ready for June with the jams on this week’s Queer Music Mixtape:

“Greenlight” by Hayley Kiyoko

Rather than putting the Panorama era in park, Hayley Kiyoko is letting the good vibes roll with her new single, “Greenlight”. Audiences may recognize this track from her ongoing Panorama Tour, where she’s been performing it as an unreleased stage-exclusive. While she kicked things off this time last year with sexy sapphic summer anthem “For the Girls”, her 2023 offering is more aspirational than sun-soaked. “[I’ve] realized that if a situation in life is stopping you from moving forward or making you feel trapped, it’s okay to pivot in a new direction,” Hayley says of the track. “‘Greenlight’ is about making an active decision to put your energy into the things that are working.” She’s certainly working this feel-good vibe!

Stream Hayley Kiyoko on Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

“Girls Talk” by Tegan and Sara

Renowned talking-to-girls experts Tegan and Sara added a little extra spice to the series finale of Amazon Prime series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel this week with this rocking ’70s cover. The original Dave Edmunds version of the song was featured in the pilot episode, making for a perfect musical bookend to the story of the titular female stand-up comic. Tegan and Sara called the show a “a constant source of inspiration” and said that they “hope fans of the show will enjoy our rendition of this iconic song once they’ve wiped away all their tears.”

Stream Tegan and Sara on Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

My Soft Machine by Arlo Parks

Arlo Parks’ well-awaited sophomore project is a healing, meditative collection that would do the mind just as well on a top-down roadtrip as it would in a sensory deprivation tank. Early releases “Blades” and “Pegasus” with Phoebe Bridgers are standouts, but these sounds weave together into a calming whole, optimistic even in the face of subject matter like abuse and mental health struggles. Troubles don’t last always and trauma doesn’t have to harden you; there’s bravery in embracing your own softness in spite of it all. The album’s title was taken from the 2019 film The Souvenir, but the project brings to mind Mary Oliver’s “Wild Geese” as much as anything — Arlo is letting the soft animal of her body love what it loves.

Stream Arlo Parks on Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

“Altar” by ieuan

The sound of what this artist describes as “ieuan 3.0” continues in hypnotic fashion. Where “All Blades Perish” had an electric quickness to it, “Altar” turns its driving beats into something heavier, with a bitter edge underscoring the airy vocals. The bite of bare lines like “Can you just f*ck off? Can’t you see I’m drinking alone?” is glossed over by soft, poppy sounds, but clear to anyone paying attention. If anybody wrote a song like this about me, I’d be rethinking some life choices.

Stream ieuan on Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

“My Ex Just Fell In Love” by Miss Benny

Miss Benny making her sudden doll comeback has been such an unforeseen delight these past few weeks, but the era is already almost at its peak! The singer announced alongside this single that her upcoming EP SWELTER is due out next Friday, and while we’re not ready to see the finish line already, we’re all too ready to revel in the new tracks. This week’s release is an embittered, ex-slamming pop punk number with a surprise voice cameo by queer YouTuber Thomas Sanders. Classic YouTube-era fans of these two are, indeed, quaking.

Stream Miss Benny on Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

“Delicate People” by Tiberius b

In the new “Delicate People” video, Tiberius b continues the avian-inspired visual world they established in their previous single, “Jetski”. The song finds them facing astounding tragedy head-on with the open fragility of a wounded bird. They explain the origin of the track, writing: “I wrote this song after finding out my friend died in a sudden accident in 2020. I was told the day before going to my grandma’s funeral and it was just a very overwhelming time of grief, not only in these very clear personal ways but globally also.” This grief is palpable in the short, subdued piece, all the way to the quietly uttered “wait for me, I really want to come” outro.

Stream Tiberius b on Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

“Delusional” by Hayfitz

The story behind the Hayfitz project this single precedes is a unique and captivating one. The upcoming album tells the story of the singer’s unrequited love for his collaborator-turned-best friend, followed by their falling out and eventual re-connection. Said collaborator/crush reunited with Hayfitz to help create this work, of which he, himself, is the subject. It’s the classic story of the unrequited crush on the straight best friend, but this time with a compelling ending and told with a masterful musical hand.

Stream Hayfitz on Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

“The King” by Anjimile

On “The King”, Anjimile creates an intriguing and complex soundscape that forces one to lean in and listen to the tale it tells, both lyrically and sonically. Through biblical allusions and classical elements turned on their heads, this artist comments on the experience of being Black and trans in the U.S. The common adage of “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is thrown out here, in favor of the lines, “What doesn’t kill you almost killed you/ What don’t fill you pains you, drains you”.

Stream Anjimile on Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

THE DEEP END by Jxckson

Jxckson delves into new water in new EP The Deep End. Between the alt-pop risks and the always-engaging Boy Sim production, this singer explores dark new sounds and has fun doing it. One of the new EP tracks, “INTO THE LIGHT”, plays perfectly for any folks who wish Taylor Swift’s “Mastermind” was five times more messed up and ten times sexier. Whether Jxckson himself was raised on Electra Heart is unknown, but this song should be a proper fit for the girls who were.

Related:

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Stream Jxckson on Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

“LSD, Pt. 2” by Michael Medrano & Funk LeBlanc

If Michael Medrano wanted to spend forever just dropping new bits of LoveSexDrugs content, we would never complain. This new Funk LeBlanc take on the title track will make you move just as hard as the original, possibly with even more hip-thrusting. Of course, it doesn’t give up an inch of the disco-drenched, glittering, objectively horny vibes that make LoveSexDrugs one of the best albums of 2023 so far.

Stream Michael Medrano on Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

Stream Funk LeBlanc on Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

Check out the past month’s best new releases on our official Queer Music Mixtape playlist: