It doesn’t sound watered down, though, as much as a sort of gratifying progress in not really giving a s–t about trifling dudes: Ashnikko’s fury may get to “Caught” levels at her worst, but after a barbaric yawp or two she’s onto doodling d-cks on his sweaters and turning to her toy rabbit as a replacement. –ANDREW UNTERBERGERĪt the turn of the millennium, there was no sound more chilling in pop music than a distorted Kelis bellowing “I HATE! YOU! SO MUCH RIGHT NOW!” at a soon-to-be-ex on her breakout hit “Caught Out There.” A little over two decades later, singer-rapper Ashnikko borrows that blood-curdling hook for a revenge anthem of her own with the playful dismissal “Deal With It” - this time, using it more as punctuation of her own mild irritation than a primal howl from the depths of a hollowed-out soul. It’s touching validation from your sweetest friend that not everyone you know goes away in the end.
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But this isn’t Trent Reznor or Johnny Cash singing - and in the always capable and sympathetic hands of Arlo Parks, the emotion at the song’s core isn’t despair but a weary optimism, the been-there British singer-songwriter insisting “Just know it won’t hurt so much forever” over a soothing bass-and-drum shuffle.
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HERAN MAMOĪ vivid portrait of crippling depression built around days of skipped meals, Twin Peaks marathons and far too much drinking, “Hurt” should feel like the end of the world. STEPHEN DAWĪfter creating one of many viral mashups with Rihanna’s “Kiss It Better” and Luther Vandross’ “Never Too Much” that Fat Joe and DJ Khaled later used on “Sunshine (The Light),” 23-year-old producer Amorphous properly steps into the spotlight and links up with Kehlani on his debut single. He cooks up a slinky beat for Kehlani to ride, while her verses flex on her exes while promising it won’t be the last they see of her. The gorgeous harmonies, grade-A production and her skillful songwriting made for one of the most memorable debut singles of the year, cementing Ponthier’s place as a queer star on the rise.
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Throughout the excellently crafted “Cowboy,” Ponthier waxes poetic on issues of identity, as she tells her very own coming out story in the context of a Western tableau. “It took New York to make me a cowboy.” In nine simple words, rising folk artist Allison Ponthier distilled her message of growth, change and self-acceptance into a masterful single. Now, Billboard is taking the time to celebrate their efforts - check out our picks for the 25 best songs released by LGBTQ artists in 2021 so far below.