Frankie Grande Is Reclaiming the 'Locker Room' for the Gays in New 'Boys' Music Video — Watch! (Exclusive)
Frankie Grande details the inspiration behind his steamy "Boys" music video
Grande, who's gearing up to release his debut album in June, says he got to reflect on "so many stages" of his life
Grande reveals he wrote a "gay wedding song" for the albumIn need of a new Pride anthem this summer? Frankie Grande's got you covered.
In celebration of "queer joy," Grande released "Boys" with an accompanying music video on Friday, May 16. "Boys" is the latest release off his forthcoming debut album Hotel Rock Bottom, which is set for release on June 27.
"This is the gayest song on the album, and that's why I was like, let's drop this for pride," Grande, 42, tells PEOPLE exclusively.
"Boys" follows the release of "Rhythm of Love," which Grande, who's the older brother of Ariana Grande, says was a "beautiful introduction to the world as an artist."
"It was a beautiful like, 'Hello world. I'm an artist.' That was 'Rhythm of Love.' 'Boys' is like, 'Hello world, I'm a huge homosexual.' And then we'll see where we go from there," he says.
In the music video, Grande — who's surrounded by male dancers — breaks into dance numbers in a steamy gym. The idea came to him when he was working out at an Equinox.
"I was doing my makeup in the mirror with my headphones in and I was listening to the song 'Boys.' As I was doing my makeup, I was looking at all these men around me in towels and they were all so hot and so sexy and so masculine," he recalls.
Grande continues, "It's celebrating queer joy and masculinity and really just breaking down those gender norms as we have very queer men sometimes in various straight spaces. It's so cool to do so. So I just wanted to reclaim the gym in the locker room for the gays."
For Grande, "Boys" is also an opportunity for listeners to "shake it all on the dance floor."
"Especially in the LGBTQ+ community, we are under attack, and so we do have to find places to go celebrate. And for me, that's always been the dance floor," Grande, who's playing Outloud Music Festival in June, says.
As for his debut album, Grande says he's happy he gets to "reflect on so many different stages of my life," including his marriage to Hale Leon and sobriety journey. His goal all along was to be "as gay as humanly possible in every area of media" — and his next stop was music.
"I am currently seven and a half years sober, so a lot of my album exists in sobriety," he says. "There is the center song of the album, which is the choice to get sober, and then the first half of the album is me being a f--ing mess at the club."
He continues, "I love every single phase of me because it has brought me to where I am today. I don't judge any single part of my life, but it's been nice to go all the way back to the messy ass club days and then also get sober and get married."
Grande also teases that there's a "gay wedding song" on the album, which he wrote about Leon and means "so much" to him
"We don't have a gay wedding song and now we do. You're welcome," he says, adding that he's grateful he has a man who "supports me so unconditionally."
"Boys" is out now.
Read the original article on People
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