The 55th Grammy Awards were a big night for Ocean, with six nominations and two golden gramophones coming his way, but his tender, raw love song was perhaps the most memorable of a night full of impressive tributes and star power. His changed plans, canceled performances, and vague updates only fuel that fire - but it’s performances like "Forrest Gump" that encapsulate that whole fandom experience. Elton John & The Backstreet Boys - "Philadelphia Freedom" (2000)įrank Ocean has proven to be one of the most mercurial stars in R&B, releasing just two studio albums since 2011 despite some of the most rabid anticipation in the music world. These moments commemorate some of the most impressive artists of the last few decades and helped uplift members of the LGBTIQA+ community around the world. In celebration of Pride Month, has collected nine of the most meaningful and thrilling performances by queer artists from the ceremony’s history. And as queer stars continue to deliver stunning performances in addition to award wins on Music's Biggest Night, young artists have meaningful representation and inspiration. From Elton John ’s 1999 GRAMMY Legend Award to Sam Smith and Kim Petras ’ 2023 performance of "Unholy," there is no shortage of iconic queer moments in GRAMMY history.īut more than merely honoring and showcasing queer artists, the ceremony is also the only major award to have moved beyond the outdated gender binary in its categories, an important step in ensuring that every artist feels welcomed. The 60-plus years of the GRAMMY Awards encompasses some of the most awe-inspiring and breathtaking moments in music history - and it should be noted that queer performers have produced some of the most dazzling highlights. Janelle Embraces Sexuality Across The Spectrum Throughout its journey of self-exploration, here are five takeaways from Janelle Monáe’s new album, The Age of Pleasure. Community has been so helpful to me it’s beautiful that I have a title called The Age of Pleasure because it actually re-centers me. "Most people don’t understand what’s going on in my brain. "I think being an artist gets lonely," Monáe told Rolling Stone in May. With warm melodies and lyrics meant for the bedroom (or wherever one enjoys pleasure), the album creates a utopia where all are welcome. The Age of Pleasure is Monáe's first album in five years and trades in her previous warnings of AI-driven dystopian futures for a lush paradise, replete with a reggae swing. The artist appears lighter, even more self-assured and quite frankly (as seen with her near-nude promo campaign) ready to get wild. Released on June 9, the 14-track album takes a more streamlined approach, creating an escape in just over 30 minutes. Now, Monáe is shaking off all expectations with her fourth studio album, The Age of Pleasure. Whether Monáe is building sci-fi worlds, continuing the Afrofuturism narrative of her Cindi Mayweather character or analyzing the concept of American identity on 2019’s Dirty Computer - which scored a nomination for Album Of The Year at the 2019 GRAMMYs - she tasks listeners with digesting various storylines and concepts. Since her 2010 debut album, The ArchAndroid, Janelle Monáe ’s work has been grounded in intricacy.
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