As we welcome the month of June, we’re freshening up our Pride playlists to blast all month long (and beyond). Of course, we have our timeless classics such as Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ and Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody,’ but every year, we love to find new songs which bring us up to speed with the latest and greatest in queer pop music. So, without further ado, here’s our 2023 Pride playlist with a fresh new take for your soundtrack of celebration.
‘100% Pure Love’ – Years & Years
Always one to deliver absolute party bangers, Years & Years‘ ‘100% Pure Love’ is an absolute essential for your Pride playlist in 2023. Originally by Crystal Waters, this cover brings the iconic 90s song to the present day in a way that only Olly Alexander can. What we truly love is that this cover can bring generations together to celebrate Pride!
‘Flowers’ – Miley Cyrus
We’re celebrating love in all shapes and sizes, and there’s no love quite like self-love! So do yourself a favor, honey, and put searching for “the one” on hold and celebrate yourself for a little bit! Miley Cyrus‘s ‘Flowers’ is the perfect track for doing just that. And let’s be honest: it’s been on heavy rotation throughout all of 2023 so far, so why wouldn’t it make it to our Pride playlist?
‘Tattoo’ – Loreen
Loreen really did it for the queers. She has just won Eurovision for the second time in a row representing her home country of Sweden, and our bicon truly outdid herself with ‘Tattoo,’ which has been charting across the globe ever since. Plus, what is pride without a song that’s perfect to sing loudly (and typically out of tune) with people? ‘Tattoo’ is exactly the one for that.
‘Lights Up’ – Q.IX
Fellow K-pop stans, if you don’t already have QI.X on your radar, then now is the perfect time to do so! They are a 4-member group signed under indie label Sweet Potato Productions and are all openly queer. Their debut single ‘Lights Up’ was performed at the Transgender Day of Remembrance Memorial Party and is a sweet upbeat song that truly captures Pride and the message that needs to be spread.
‘Boyfriend’ – Dove Cameron
Dove Cameron truly came through with the ultimate queer anthem when she penned ‘Boyfriend.’ It took off, doing numbers on TikTok as an unreleased and unfinished demo, which quickly prompted her to get back in the studio. And thus, a hit was on her hands, and another sapphic song to add to our Pride playlist was chosen!
‘You Know What I Need ‘ – PNAU & Troye Sivan
PNAU and Troye Sivan gave us the perfect ending to 2022 when they hopped on this banger together. This retro synth-pop bop will have everyone up on the dance floor and in a real party mood for Pride and beyond, because it’s also got major festival vibes, too!
‘Cool For The Summer’ – Demi Lovato
‘Cool For The Summer’ is easily one of the biggest Pride anthems of the 2010s, and it looks like Demi isn’t going to let it die yet, either, as she’s recently dropped a rock version of the smash hit to fit more with her current sound. We are obsessed and are channeling our inner queer rock icon vibes while we blast this one on repeat.
‘Set Me Free Pt 2’ – JIMIN
Fresh from his solo debut, Jimin‘s ‘Set Me Free Pt 2’ is an anthem that queer ARMY hugely resonate with and have adopted as a Pride song of their own. This big number is dramatic, bold, and beautiful and sings about finding his freedom and moving forward, even comparing himself to a butterfly. The message truly mirrors the feelings that the majority of the LGBTQIA+ community goes through, so it’s for sure a clear choice for this year’s Pride playlist!
‘I’m So Hot’ – Chrissy Chlapecka
TikTok sensation Chrissy Chlapecka, made their iconic debut on the music scene this year and once again reminds us that self-love is so important as she introduces us to her new girlfriend: herself! ‘I’m So Hot’ is a true dance floor banger that’s worthy of a spot on every Pride party playlist. This song is just everything, TBH.
‘Girls Make Me Wanna Die’ – The Aces
If you’re into your instrumental bands, then The Aces‘s ‘Girls Make Me Wanna Die’ is an absolute must for your Pride playlist. Fused with nostalgic energy, the song is all about that feeling of being young, queer, and falling deep for your bestie. Hands up if you’ve been there! ‘GMMWD’ is the perfect way to rock your feelings out.
‘Curious’ – Tia Kofi
British drag icon Tia Kofi truly delivered with ‘Curious’ back in January. Singing about curiosity over a boy, Tia tells a story many of us will be familiar with over slick and irresistible beats that take over the movement of your hips. This bass-heavy bop is super relatable and a more laidback track for your Pride playlist but still playful enough for party moods.
‘Number Boy’ – Holland
Holland made his return to the music scene earlier this year as one of the only openly queer K-pop idols and made our hearts skip a beat with ‘Number Boy.’ The song is inspired by Holland’s relationship, he confirmed while speaking to CLASH: “I think my ex-boyfriend saw me more as a number [on social media] than who I am as Holland, as a person. This was inspired by that relationship.” Full of self-love, growth, and the struggles of the queer community, we are swooning over the amount of love and emotion Holland has put into the song. A beautiful love song to dedicate to your number boy, number girl, or number person on your Pride playlist!
‘if i were a fish’ – corook ft. Olivia Barton
More on soft love, this wholesome song is a lighthearted acoustic number that is sure to bring a smile to your face this Pride month. Corook wrote this song after being faced with a flurry of hate comments online attacking their gender identity and expression. Their supportive girlfriend came to the rescue as the pair wrote a silly song. The song originally lasted 49 seconds on TikTok, combining moments of vulnerability and silliness together to create a heartwarming number that took the social media platform by storm. And we love it!
‘Dance The Night’ – Dua Lipa
This Barbie is celebrating Pride! As we gear up for one of the campiest movies of the year, Dua Lipa has released the lead single from the upcoming Barbie movie soundtrack, and it’s the epitome of party! We know that celebrations across the globe will be finding every excuse to incorporate this song into their Pride playlist mixes, and the verdict proves we, too, are, in fact, guilty! A true retro disco vibe that captivates everything camp and Barbie. We’re living for it!
‘Equal Sign’ – j-hope
A true fan favorite from j-hope‘s debut album, Jack In The Box, ‘Equal Sign’ truly sums up the message that Pride has been sharing since day one and is another song that queer ARMY have claimed as a must-have in their Pride playlist. Short and sweet with hip-hop vibes, j-hope’s message is clear and has given strength to fans around the world. This track is just so Hobi!
Red Wine Supernova -Chappell Roan
Chappell Roan has pulled up in time for Pride month with her new single ‘Red Wine Supernova,’ a campy lo-fi smash that will engrave itself into your eardrums for the foreseeable future. This evocative pop bop is full of sapphic magic that’s made to make you let go and have fun and just be queer!
‘Her Body Is Bible’ – Fletcher
From her debut album, Girl Of My Dreams, FLETCHER‘s ‘Her Body Is Bible’ has made it to our Pride playlist. We know that a number of her songs could have easily made the cut, but this euphoric yet emotional single really showcases the tenderness of a WLW relationship. It’s easy to load up Pride playlists with upbeat excitable tracks, but we love this laidback and sensual song that truly celebrates sapphic sexuality.
‘Case 143’ – Stray Kids
A lot of queer STAY truly love that so many of Stray Kids‘ songs aren’t gender specific, and ‘Case 143‘ is a great example! Fused with hip-hop verses and electronic undertones, this song is an upbeat love song that goes into detail describing their feelings of falling for someone, which we relate hard to. Just dance through your feelings with this banger!
‘Crush!’ – Lauren Sanderson
We are a real sucker for songs without pronouns because they can truly be applied to any gender. Another somber song to add to our Pride playlist, ‘crush!’ by Lauren Sanderson truly has us in our feels, harboring butterflies in our bellies, and loving love. It truly summarizes that feeling, and we cannot get enough!
Happy Pride, everyone! Which songs from this playlist do you love the most? Which songs would you add to our list? Let us know in the comments below or by tweeting us @TheHoneyPOP!
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