This week, as we kick off the celebration of Pride Month, Luminate joyfully honors the LGBTQ+ music makers whose unwavering dedication to their craft continues to shape the musical landscape and empower queer voices.
Year over year, we see queer representation in the music industry increasing. In 2021, there were 35 solo artists ranked in the Top 1,000 who self-identified as LGBTQ+; so far in 2024, that number has increased to 39¹. Consumption of these artists similarly increased, from 17.9M units in 2021 to 20.8M units in 2023. At the genre level, Pop, R&B/Hip-Hop and Rock lead the way in queer representation, with the majority of these queer artists performing in one of those genres.
Outside of these artists, there are still many queer stories in the music industry making waves:
- Chappell Roan – With the success of her 2023 debut album and new single “Good Luck, Babe!” Chappell Roan has had a meteoric rise. In February, she was the #126th most-streamed female pop artist in the U.S.; now, she is #7².
- Honey Dijon – She collaborated on Beyonce’s Renaissance, which won a GRAMMY for Best Dance/Electronic Album in 2023. In her solo career, Honey Dijon has had 12.8M total lifetime streams.
- Kevin Abstract – He has been rapping since 2009 and regularly mentions his sexuality in his lyrics, saying that he will continue to do so as long as he “can imagine a fan in need of a voice.”³ Kevin Abstract currently has 445M lifetime streams.
- Orville Peck – Helping to lead the way for gay artists in Country music, Orville Peck won the Libera Award for Best Country Album in 2020.
In many cases, artists who do not identify as queer are still important to the queer community. Our Luminate Insights consumer research data shows that over 32% of fans of Portugal. The Man, Tame Impala and Alesso identify as LGBTQ+. In 2017, Portugal. The Man joined the Human Rights Campaign’s “Equality Rocks” movement*, and in 2022, Alesso headlined Chicago’s Pride in the Park**. These artists have created a safe space for queer fans to gather in a way that also helps to contribute to queer inclusion.
Source:
¹ Artists ranked by U.S. Albums w/TEA w/SEA On-Demand Audio. 2024 ranking is based on consumption from Week 1 2024 through Week 21 2024.
² Female pop artists ranked by US On-Demand Audio streams in Week 6 and Week 22 of 2024, respectively.
³ How Many Times Does Kevin Abstract Need to Rap About Being Gay?
* Portugal. The Man Joins HRC’s Equality Rocks Campaign
** Lori Lightfoot talks LGBTQ+ rights at Pride in The Park Chicago, headlined by The Chainsmokers and Alesso
