Queer Jams of the Week: New Music From Chappell Roan, Reneé Rapp, Demi Lovato & More
From Chappell Roan's long-awaited new(ish) ballad to Reneé Rapp's rowdy new album, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:
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Chappell Roan, 'The Subway'
After more than a year of patience from fans, Chappell Roan is finally ready to offer them a ride on 'The Subway.' The plaintive ballad paints a vivid picture of Roan mid-heartbreak, as she recounts the mundane tale of seeing an ex on the train and going into a full-blown spiral of Big Feelings™. It's easy to see why fans have wanted a full studio version of the song — the dreamy guitars end up pairing perfectly with Roan's ethereal vocal, as she pines for the day her former flame becomes 'just another girl on the subway.'
Reneé Rapp, Bite Me
Reneé Rapp is ready for a switch-up. Where her excellent 2023 album Snow Angel saw the singer getting vulnerable about the hard realities surrounding her, Bite Me, her raucous new album, sees her disengaging from the hardships and opting to have fun instead. Over pop, rock, and R&B-tinged tracks, Rapp revels in sex ('Kiss It, Kiss It'), parties ('Good Girl'), and petty breakups ('That's So Funny'), all while giving some of her best vocal performances to date. The pathos and angst from Snow Angel is still present throughout, but as Rapp herself sings in the back half of the album: 'If I can't be happy, then at least I'm hot.'
Demi Lovato, 'Fast'
Everyone, please welcome back Demi Lovato, Pop Star. After zigging and zagging into adult contemporary and hard rock on her last few albums, the singer steps firmly back into the pop space with 'Fast,' their new dance-fueled banger. Plinking synths litter the background of the new track, alongside a beat that slowly ratchets up until bursting into an electric symphony on the chorus. But as usual, the standout on 'Fast' is Lovato's inimitable voice, as she flexes the power and versatility of her own instrument throughout this delirious new single.
Slayyyter, 'Beat Up Chanel$'
If Lovato's new song hasn't quite slaked your need for a high-octane new club track, then Slayyyter's should get the job done. Over a crunchy industrial beat, Slayyyter works her way through a nightlife scene packed with 'sex, money, drugs, chains on my chest, vintage Celine' and just about everything else you can hope to encounter. But she's not interested in the opulence of the scene, as suggested in both the lyrics and grimy production — Slayyyter's on a mission to find the filthy underbelly of the club. And with a track like 'Beat Up Chanel$,' she's sure to find it.
Debby Friday, The Starrr of the Queen of Life
After spending much of her career sowing chaos into dance tracks, Debby Friday is having an introspective moment. The Starrr of the Queen of Life finds the underground dance star still firmly situated in the club, but this time she's ready to tackle some more existential questions about her personal life ('Alberta') and about life itself ('Arcadia'), all while still providing some of her most fascinating production to date.
Adam Lambert, 'Heaven on Their Minds' (Jesus Christ Superstar cover)
Leave it to Adam Lambert to make a 55-year-old rock opera song sound new and vital again. Ahead of his performance this weekend in the Hollywood Bowl production of Jesus Christ Superstar alongside Cynthia Erivo, Lambert shared his rendition of the show's opening number 'Heaven on Their Minds,' letting his stratospheric voice go as far as it can. You can also hear his acting in the role of Judas throughout, as the performer brings a sense of desperation and panic to this rollicking new rendition.
Check out all of our picks on Billboard's Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:
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