Queer Artists You Need to Hear Right Now
Boyish, Mothé, NoSo, and Arlo Parks are queer artists in the indie, alt, and rock music scenes who deserve your attention.
Creative expression in one form or another has been at the heart of the LGBTQ+ liberation movement and subsequent pride celebrations, from the Stonewall Inn’s connection to the New York drag scene, to contemporary pride events highlighting the artistic joy of queer DJs, dancers, and other performers. This Pride Month, the staff at Off the Record is spotlighting the queer artists we love who are enriching the indie, alt, and rock worlds with their artistry.
Here are our picks for queer artists you need to listen to (and not just during Pride Month), along with the best song recommendations for your pride playlist.
Alaina May
With her first single since 2023 having dropped just in time for Pride Month, Alaina May is a rising singer-songwriter to know. “Casual,” a dreamy track that toes the line between indie pop and indie rock, is a remnant of May’s journey towards embracing her queer identity. After trading her conservative hometown in Wisconsin for the freedom of Boston and eventually Brooklyn, May’s emotional exploration of limerence feels deeply authentic.
For Your Pride Playlist: “Casual”
Arlo Parks
If you’ve ever found yourself in the midst of a complicated queer situationship, then you need to listen to Arlo Parks’ “Eugene” off her critically-acclaimed 2021 debut album, Collapsed in Sunbeams — just prepare yourself for a bit of emotional devastation accompanied by Parks’ characteristic honey-infused vocals and a moody drum line you won’t soon forget. English singer-songwriter Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho, known professionally as Arlo Parks, sits right at the intersection of pop, R&B, and rock, and as a bisexual musician who has spoken openly about her queer identity, Parks’ discography deserves a front-and-center spot in your music library, both for Pride Month and beyond.
For Your Pride Playlist: “Eugene,” “Pegasus (ft. Phoebe Bridgers)”
Watch the official music video for “Secreat Language.”
Ryan Beatty
Ryan Beatty has long been able to capture the deeply specific feeling of queer yearning since dropping his first LP, Boy In Jeans, in 2018. Claiming songwriting credits with some of the music industry's biggest stars, like Tyler, The Creator, Miley Cyrus, and Beyoncé, his sharp lyrics will be enough to fuel your yearning for all of Pride. Plus, his newly announced fourth album, Sweet Fortune, is set to drop June 26.
For Your Pride Playlist: “Casino,” “Flash,” “Secret Language”
Boyish
India Shore and Claire Altendahl make up Boyish, the indie rock duo that has long released anthems centered around the queer experience (see: 2020’s “mom i think i’m gay”). For lovers of the concept album, 2025’s Gun is a world of small-town sapphic yearning to get sucked into. It has love triangles to the tune of dark guitars, dramatic odes drenched in glistening synths, and imaginative character arcs marked by hazy sonic atmospheres. As Shore describes it, Gun is basically a musical, queer “Twin Peaks.”
For Your Pride Playlist: “mom i think i’m gay,” “Prom,” “Jumbos”
Ethel Cain
Something about Ethel Cain’s demented and damned music inspires both intense dread and hope for the future. The unapologetic, no-holds-barred lyrics combined with Cain’s expert production inspire you to feel less alone in a world that seems to test your every limit with each new horror that arrives at your door. Cain invites you to let the horrors in, sit with them, and turn them into something worth scream-singing at the top of your lungs.
For Your Pride Playlist: “Thoroughfare,” “Dust Bowl,” “Crush”
Mothé
Spencer Fort, the artist behind Mothé, is redefining what it means to be a pop star in 2026. Most recently touring their 2025 album, Total Popstar, while opening for Indigo De Souza this past spring, they invited concertgoers into their own world of sex, drugs, and, well, total pop stardom. Despite their masterful use of autotune and electronic beats, Mothé uses their songs to explore topics heavier than the production might lead you to believe. A dying club scene, friends gone too soon, failed romance, and unapologetic queerness are woven tightly into the tapestry of their discography. But make no mistake — they absolutely still want you to shake your ass to their music.
For Your Pride Playlist: “Naked in the Hotel Bar”
NoSo
Watch the official video for “Nara” on YouTube.
Writing about the queer experience through a beautiful lens, Baek Hwong, better known as NoSo, explores themes of queerness, identity, and growing up. Their cathartic songwriting centers on the beauty and pain of self-expression and finding one's identity. Backed by catchy guitar riffs and vibrant beats, NoSo is an artist that deserves to be on your rotation this Pride Month (and, frankly, the rest of the year).
For Your Pride Playlist: “Nara,” “Sugar”
Princess June
With a blend of raw, guitar-driven energy and sun-drenched melodies, Newport’s Princess June perfectly captures the authentic spirit of coastal indie soul-pop. Their magnetic live performances lean into a feel-good, community-first vibe that transforms local crowds into dedicated, lifelong fans.
For Your Pride Playlist: “Moondown,” “Breaking Blue”
Searows
For the lovers of sad music, Searows is a pinnacle artist to love. With his most recent release, Death in the Business of Whaling, Searows displays his most beautiful artistry. Stand out tracks from the record like “In Violet” and “Belly of the Whale” accompany his no-skip discography, where every single song is more poetic than the last.
For Your Pride Playlist: “[there is still time],” “Dearly Missed”
Indigo de Souza
Indigo de Souza isn’t here for your easy consumption. They are unapologetically themselves and not afraid to take a jab at the establishment: at last year’s Pitchfork Music Festival in London, they overtly called out the organizers for their largely negative review of their 2025 album, Precipice, performing on stage with the score (6.6) printed on their t-shirt. The North Carolinian musician burst onto the indie rock scene with their debut album, I Love My Mom, in 2018, and since then, their unflinching, fervent, and raw artistry has remained a steadfast part of their music, which eschews easy categorization, morphing from garage rock and punk to synth pop, and everything in between.
For Your Pride Playlist: “Not My Body,” “Always,” “Crush”
underscores
underscores has emerged as an influential, genre-bending artist, seamlessly blending hyperpop, indie rock, and beyond, while creating more space for queer voices in alternative music. This fall, her rapidly growing impact will reach an even larger audience as she opens for Charli xcx on the North American leg of the Music, Fashion, Film Tour.
For Your Pride Playlist: “Music,” “The Peace,” “Tell Me (U Want It)”
Mitchell Stewart, Jane Flautt, Brooke Shapiro, Elena Cabigas, Brady Jager, Claire Cole, Jackie Fortis, and McKenzie Blasi contributed to this article.