First Out: New Music From Rina Sawayama, Daya, Snail Mail & More
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Pride Month may be officially over, but that doesn’t mean that you should stop listening to music from your favorite queer artists. Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of First Out, our weekly roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.
From Rina Sawayama’s dreamy new love song, to Daya’s blissed-out new single, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
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Rina Sawayama, “Catch Me in the Air”
Especially with everything going on as of late, we could all use something light. Rina Sawayama delivers just that on “Catch Me in the Air,” a soaring pop ballad dedicated to her mother and their complex relationship. Complete with key changes, a breezy melody and Sawayama’s signature ethereal vocals, “Catch Me in the Air” captures the feeling of being deeply in awe of someone even after years of knowing them, and it will have you singing along within the first listen.
Daya, “Love You When You’re Gone”
Ever been in a relationship where you just can’t stand each other until the moment you finally break up? It’s a feeling pop singer-songwriter Daya is certainly familiar with as she sings on “Love You When You’re Gone,” a deceptively sweet pop song dedicated to the person she’s just glad not to be with anymore. Taking on an almost indie-rock sensibility within the first few moments, “Love You When You’re Gone” oozes drama from its first chord, serving as a perfect kiss-off to the person you love to watch walk away.
Snail Mail, “Feeling Like I Do” (Superdrag Cover)
It’s been 20 years since post-grunge stars Superdrag shared their underappreciated gem “Feeling Like I Do,” so it’s the perfect time for Snail Mail, the indie-rock project of singer-songwriter Lindsey Jordan, to offer their own interpretation. That’s exactly what she does for her new Spotify Singles session; plugging in her fuzzed-out guitar, Jordan’s detached voice fits the grunge anthem perfectly. No reinvention is necessary here; Jordan knows the imperfections are what make “Feeling Like I Do” work, so she keeps them all in place.
Peach PRC, “Teenage Dirtbag” (Wheatus Cover)
When it came time for Australian pop sensation Peach PRC to record a cover for her own Spotify Singles release, of course she decided to take an early-’00s classic and make it very gay. Taking on Wheatus’s classic “Teenage Dirtbag,” Peach brings the lesbian subtext of the song’s lyrics to the forefront, making it a song about unrequited queer love, all while perfectly blending it with her alt-pop aesthetic. Throw in some expertly timed vocoder for the final chorus, and this might as well be a Peach PRC original.
Gia Woods, “Lesbionic”
You didn’t think we were gonna let Pride Month end without a proper queer dance anthem, did you? Gia Woods is here to get you moving with “Lesbionic,” a Daft Punk-meets-Britney-Spears dance-pop banger about ladies who really like ladies. Whether her voice is dripping with deadpan sex appeal, or soaring into a stratospheric pre-chorus, Gia Woods makes sure you remember one thing from the jump: “It’s not iconic/ It’s lesbionic.”
