Three reasons why it’s about to be a sapphic summer
This summer is for the sapphics.
This summer is for the sapphics. With three releases from openly queer femmes, our rotations will be blessed. Firstly, Victoria Monet teased us with a potential song of the summer when she released “Party Girls” off her upcoming album Jaguar II. This highly anticipated project will follow up on her 2020 debut Jaguar. Through her finesse and poetry, Monet has solidified her space in the R&B world as a Picasso with the pen. She is openly bisexual and has made sapphic anthems such as “Touch Me” (remix) with fellow artist Kehlani.
And I love them tattoos, I still gotta learn ’em all. Tell me when you’re gonna make them the writings on my wall.
Victoria Monet
On this song, the pure poetry keeps you engaged throughout the track. In one line in particular, she says, “And I love them tattoos, I still gotta learn ’em all. Tell me when you’re gonna make them the writings on my wall.” This is a beautiful reference to the fact that Kehlani has finger tattoos. By making them the writings on her wall, Monet is masterfully asking her partner to perform fingering on her.
It is lyrics like these that affirm my identity. However, Monet is not the only aficionado with an early summer release. Just after the beginning of Pride Month, Janelle Monae will release their fourth studio album. Monae, who has spoken candidly about their non-binary identity, has embraced being queer in a multitude of ways. On Dirty Computer, Monae created a metaphor for queerness, referring to herself as a Dirty Computer.
This album, which inspired my coming out, was the affirmation I needed back in 2018 when I was first learning about my queerness. Moreover, when Monae wore the vagina pants, I realized she was being loud and proud about her sexuality, a theme throughout her music and career.
Really, Monae and Monet give representation to the beautiful spectrum of queerness. Other queer artists who have inspired me are Tyler, The Creator, Sam Smith, and Kehlani. Although they are not releasing music this summer, there is one queer cultural cultivator who is: Big Freedia. Known for her bounce hits, Freedia was shot to the spotlight when she was featured on Drake’s song “Nice for What.”
Since then, she has continued to make bops such as Central City Freestyle, the title track on her upcoming album. Regarding pronouns, Big Freedia is open to he and she, because as she said in an interview with SSENSE, “I know who I am.” Her confidence is awespiring for baby queers like myself who are still learning how to identify.
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