What was your favorite queer song of 2023?
The 30 Best LGBTQ+ Songs of 2023, RankedImages: Columbia Records; Atlantic Records; Capitol Records2023 was a stupendous year for queer music.
Artists like Victoria Monét, Allison Russell, Miley Cyrus, Ice Spice, Janelle Monáe, and Troye Sivan all scored Grammy nominations and released some of the biggest albums of the year. Longtime faves like Cyrus, Monáe, and Sufjan Stevens released new albums this year to great acclaim, and new artists like Reneé Rapp, Doechii, Jaboukie Young-White, and Chappell Roan delighted us with unique and exciting voices.
From R&B and hip-hop, to pop, Americana, rock, and more, here are our thirty favorite songs by queer artists in 2023, ranked in order.
30. "Rhinestone Heart" - Slayyyter
Slayyyter continued to slay with her second album Starfucker in 2023, and “Rhinestone Heart” was our favorite track, giving us a song to dance and believe in love to.
29. "Ashley" - Zolita
Zolita gave queer girls everywhere their own version of “Hey There Delilah” (only this time, the subject of the song is actually in a relationship with the singer). Queer girls will definitely be listening to this song on repeat for years to come whenever they fall head over heels.
28. "Ebony Eye" - Yves Tumor
Epic and eccentric, this experimental electronica track from Yves Tumor sounds like the soundtrack to an entire movie we want to watch.
27. "Dear Insecurity" - Brandy Clark ft. Brandi Carlile
Two titans of country teamed up to sing this beautiful piano ballad about self-image and trying to learn to love yourself.
26. "Oversized Sweater" - Shamir
Shamir’s ode to introversion is an instant bedroom pop classic. We don’t know which is more shimmery, Shamir’s vocals or guitars.
25. "Treat Me Like A Ho" - Kim Petras
Problematique has some of the most fun songs in Kim’s catalog, and this song is the most fun of all. With a catchy hook and lyrics that would make any bimbo proud, “Treat Me Like a Ho” was an anthem for sluts everywhere.
24. "Kool" - Meet Me @ The Altar
Pop-Punk has some new heroes and their names are Meet Me @ The Altar. Featuring a straight singer and two queer bandmates, MM@TA never lets off the gas, and this song is like a refreshing punch in the face.
23. "Red Wine Supernova" - Chappell Roan
Chappell Roan had a killer debut this year, and nowhere does she shine brighter than the super gay and hopelessly flirty “Red Wine Supernova,” where she sings “Long hair (no bra), that’s my type” and “I heard you like magic/I got a wand and a rabbit.”
22. "Cobra" - Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Thee Stallion released the powerful, electric-guitar-backed “Cobra” this year, and even when she’s rapping about depression, insecurity, and emotional pain, she still sounds badass.
21. "Moonlight" - Kali Uchis
Kali Uchis unleashed this sexy-as-sin track about getting high with your lover, something we all want to do. Then, she went and released a sapphic sleepover themed music video and we fell even deeper in love with the song.
20. "One of Your Girls" - Troye Sivan
Troye Sivan has never looked better than when he donned drag to give Ross Lynch a lapdance in the music video for this song that offers straight – and “straight” – men a chance to have one night with the girl of their dreams, as long as that girl is Troye.
19. "Chulo pt. 2" - Bad Gyal, Tokischa, Young Miko
Some of reggaeton’s hottest queer artists teamed up with Bad Gyal on this remix to bring us this swag-filled track that celebrates hookups and the people who have them.
18. "Princess Diana" - Ice Spice
Ice Spice was one of the hottest new artists this year with hits like “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2,” “Karma,” and “Barbie World.” In “Princess Diana” she shows off how she became an instant superstar, delivering great verses, killer style, and clever lyrics over a great beat.
17. "not_me_tho" - jaboukie
We love Jaboukie’s comedy, and this year, we fell in love with his music as well. On songs like “not_me_tho” he combines the two and makes genuinely great songs that also make us laugh. The song is all about the joys of not giving a f*ck and doing your own thing.
16. "Ice Slippin" - Omar Apollo
Does anyone have a smoother voice than Omar Apollo? On this introspective, slowed-down song, he explores loss, his life, and home. It's a look into a side of the artist we haven't seen before.
15. "What Was I Made For?" - Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish’s Barbie ballad gives us all feelings about gender and the mortifying ordeal of being known, and now that she’s come out, the song hits even harder. Eilish has come of age in the spotlight, and in this song, she explores what identity means when your life isn’t fully your own.
14. "The Returner" - Allison Russell
Allison Russell has positioned herself as one of the top voices in contemporary Americana music, and with “The Returner,” she triumphantly shows off what she can do. The song is a celebration of rebirth and being present in the here-and-now.
13. "Jersey" - Baby Tate
Baby Tate has an anthem for all the sensitive girls, gays, and theys who have ever cried in a club. We loved her entire Sexploration: The Musical EP, and this song about being in your feelings has to be our favorite.
12. "Pretty Girls" - Reneé Rapp
Rapp blew us away with her excellent debut album Snow Angel, and this song is a perfect encapsulation of her flirty, fun, and confessional artistry. If this is what we can expect from Rapp, we can’t wait to spend the next several decades listening to her. Rapp isn’t sad about crushing on a straight girl, she just invites her boyfriend along for a good time. (“You’ll be his in the morning anyway,” she sings.)
11. "Float" - Janelle Monáe ft. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80
Janelle Monáe’s “Float” is an anthem of pride and self love that we want to sing every time we walk in a room. Monáe has earned every right to be proud and float into every room she enters, and this song serves as a reminder of that, as well as a gloating anthem.
10. "Will Anybody Ever Love Me?" - Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens has been breaking our hearts with his songs for years, but this song hits entirely differently knowing that Stevens’ latest album Javelin is dedicated to his partner who passed away this year. In this song, Stevens sings about the desperation of seeking unconditional love
9. "Next Time Around" - Jenny Owen Youngs
Singer/songwriter Jenny Owen Youngs finally released this song after years of it being a fan favorite. Youngs sings about people whose souls are connected through different lifetimes, and even though it’s technically a song about Scully and Mulder from The X-Files, it could also be about any great gay love story.
8. "What It Is (Block Boy)" - Doechii
Doechii’s viral hit had us all singing along with the hook, “What it is hoe? What’s up? Every good girl needs a little thug/Every block boy needs a little love/If he put it down, I’ma pick it up, up, up.” It’s a brilliant song that we don’t want to leave our brains.
7. "Dumbest Girl Alive" - 100 gecs
100 gecs are here to stay. The hyperpop superstars honed their style of mixing cartoon sound effects, distortion, digitally-altered voices, and guitars into perfect pop songs like “Dumbest Girl Alive,” where Laura Les sings about all the things that make her dumb (“I took ten Advils today, I got bruises on my thighs” and “I did science on my face,” she brags). It’s a badass track that packs a huge punch in its two minute run time.
6. "Camp Isn't Home" - Theater Camp Soundtrack
What makes this year’s mockumentary Theater Camp really work is that the songs in the musical the stars of the movie write and stage are actually really great. In this song, the campers and staff, led by Noah Galvin, sing about how camp isn’t home, “but is it kind of? Kind of it is, I think it kind of is.” It’s a hilarious delivery system for a meaningful song about found family.
5. "Hungry Heart" - Steve Aoki & Galantis ft. Haley Kiyoko
Hailey Kiyoko has a new classic on her hands with this love song she wrote about her girlfriend Becca Tilley. She sings about the day they met (“knew that we’re gonna be friends in the morning/after we stayed up till six in the morning”), and every day that’s come after. It’s a fun dance song and a brilliant love song for her real-life partner.
4. "Flowers" - Miley Cyrus
Miley’s triumphant return to the top of the charts was the song of the summer, giving us all the perfect soundtrack for our year of self love. The first time we heard “Flowers,” we knew it was an instant hit, showing us how we all wish we could act after heartbreak.
3. "Rush" - Troye Sivan
Troye Sivan is proudly in his slut phase. His song “Rush” celebrates gay clubbing and hookups and references the rush you get from doing poppers. The fast-tempo song even sounds like you’re doing the party drugs, with drums reminiscent of a sped-up heartbeat and hook that hits you with an unstoppable need to dance.
2. "On My Mama" - Victoria Monét
Monét announced herself as a pimp and a true MOTHER in this song where she brags, “I look fly/I look good/you can’t touch my bag/wish you could.” If this song could follow us everywhere we go, our lives would be perfect. “On My Mama” is nominated for a Grammy for Record of the Year, and led her album Jaguar II to be nominated for seven awards total.
1. "Lipstick Lover" - Janelle Monáe
In 2023, Janelle Monáe redefined queer sexuality and queer music. Her album The Age of Pleasure was nominated for Album of the Year at the 66th Grammy Awards, and the searingly sexy but still laid-back attitude of “Lipstick Lover” helped it earn that. The song is unapologetically queer, celebratory, and horny, and we need more songs like that.
