Rufus Wainwright and Brandi Carlile couple up, Miley’s gay dance party & more: Your weekly bop roundup

The weekend is upon us, and with Daylight Savings starting on Sunday, it’s gonna be a bright, sunshiny day.

This week’s had its share of sunshine already: Michigan introduced some new legal protections for LGBTQ+ people, a “Don’t Say Gay” bill author got her a** totally handed to her, and the light glistened right off Dan Reynolds’ abs and pecs.

Not all this week’s LGBTQ+ music drops have been so sunny, though. In between dance tracks and flowing raps, we’ve got a traditional murder ballad and an emotional synth groove. It’s a nice range.

From a fluid dance party to a rapper’s rockin’ body (it’s a slant rhyme, okay), here’s your weekly bop roundup!

“Down in the Willow Garden” by Rufus Wainwright and Brandi Carlile

Queerties Icon Award recipient Rufus Wainwright is all set to unveil his upcoming Folkocracy album, and who better to kick things off with than lesbian folk goddess Brandi Carlile? The forthcoming album is going to feature the likes of Chaka Khan, David Byrne, Nicole Scherzingerd, and more, but they all have their work cut out for them after this duet.

“River” by Miley Cyrus

Endless Summer Vacation just dropped (coincidentally also featuring Brandi Carlile!), and new single “River” is hitting the ground running. Miley explained the song’s origin through Spotify’s Storyline feature, recounting a dance party she threw where “every girl had to bring their gay best friend, or no entrance”. We don’t have time to unpack all that, but this song is just banging enough that the “GBF” anachronism may be excused.

“Let Me Rock” by Cookiee Kawaii ft. Rocky Snyda

The rapper behind 2020’s viral hit “Vibe (If I Back It Up)” is giving smooth, sample-heavy goodness on this latest intoxicating track. If she does end up securing the Ice Spice feature she’s looking for, a remix of this could easily be our next “Boy’s A Liar”.

“To be honest” by Christine and the Queens

We’re still trying to parse out whether this artist is going by Chris, Christine, or Redcar at current, but whatever he’s got going on moniker-wise, he’s giving. With “To be honest”, he’s back to putting out the thrumming synthy vibes we love to hear with emotionally honest lyricism and artsy black-and-white visuals.

“La Reina” by Maluma

While Maluma may not be a member of the Eligibility Community, his contributions to the gays don’t go overlooked. They go very much Looked, actually. However, the singer took a step back to showcase this lovely International Women’s Day track that highlights the strength and beauty of the women of Colombia.

Join us next week for another Bop After Bop!