my dear baby queers
chappell roan is lovely, sure
but i promise
she didn't invent the concept of dykey lyrics
there have been entire ass decades before 2024 (or "I listened to chappell roan before 2024," which seems to be a competitive sport in some sectors now?)
if you can believe it
Gladys Bentley. Billie Holliday. Janelle Monae. Joan Armatrading!!! Ani DiFranco. The Butchies. Team Dresch. The Gossip. Le Tigre. Meshell Ndegeocello. Phranc, mothertruckers. We all know the Indigo Girls, Tracy Chapman etc but even beyond the obv there's a v v deep bench. So deep.
Sleater-Kinney! But yeah, there are so many.
And Janelle Monáe has been so explicitly queer so recently that it's surprising they aren't getting more of this attention. I hope it isn't a race thing. They're so talented and gorgeous
All of this is of course true.
But none of those women made an entire album specifically about being disappointed by men, realizing they wanted women, telling men to go to hell, then avidly pursuing women, which was both very sexually explicit & very danceable.
It's essentially a concept record about coming out, first to yourself, then to the world, which tells the story in a manner that is both witty & emotionally raw.
I'm in my 50s & have listened to most of the artists you named, yet her record really does feel like something new & special.
