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2014: The Year in Lesbian/Bi Music

2014 has been hailed the year of the woman when it comes to music. From newcomer Iggy Azaela becoming a household name to Taylor Swift‘s official entrance into pop, to Meghan Trainor‘s “All About That Bass”, to the hit that is “Bang Bang” from three women on the same track (Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj, in case you didn’t know), the past 12 months have been ripe with female energy on the radio, award shows and the world wide web. And, for the most part, queer women have been a part of the same female-fever. In a time when women are becoming more respected for their artistry instead of simply for their assets (although those are celebrated by many, as well), out songwriters and performers like Sia and Mary Lambert have made some great achievements in the name of mainstream visibility, while others like Brandy Clark and Angel Haze are breaking barriers in their respective genres.

Here’s what we saw from the music industry this year: The good, the bad and the WTF?

Hitmakers

Bisexual singer/songwriter Sia Furler has continued to build momentum over the last decade, but her single “Chandelier” and album 1000 Forms of Fear really raised her profile. A video for the single, featuring Dance Moms star Maddie Zeigler, went viral and led to performances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Dancing with the Stars. The song itself broke through the Billboard Top 10 and peaked at #8 and has sold close to 1.7 million copies. What was most interesting about Sia’s success is that most of her performances were done with Sia facing away from the audience, as the singer was intent on not elevating her personal profile and taking attention away from her work.

Outside of her solo efforts, Sia has continued to collaborate on other projects, including writing several songs for the new Annie adaptation (which she had a bit part in) and wrote two tracks on the new Kylie Minogue album. In 2015, we’ll hear her work on new records from Shakira and out artist Kate Pierson.

Sia was married this year to documentary filmmaker Erik Anders Lang.

Coming off a Grammy nomination and banner year for her performance on Macklemore‘s “Same Love,” Mary Lambert released her major label debut, Heart on My Sleeve, which made it to number 29 on the Billboard Charts and produced the hit single “Secrets,” a song about self-acceptance. The album also included Mary’s cover of Rick Springfield‘s “Jessie’s Girl,” and Mary has kept busy touring with high-profile performances throughout the year.

In her personal life, Mary moved from Seattle to Massachusetts to be closer to her partner, Michelle Chamuel, who is readying an album for release in February 2015.

Rapper Angel Haze was lent her vocals to a Mary Lambert track, and having released her own album two days before 2014, spent most of her year performing tracks from Dirty Gold. Her song with Sia, “Battle Cry,” was nominated for a Video Music Award (Best Video with a Social Message) and she collaborated with Ludacris on the theme song for the film 22 Jump Street.

Angel, who identifies as pansexual, is in a relationship with model Ireland Baldwin and has spoken in interviews and on social media about how the press covers her interracial same-sex relationship. To say that she’s an atypical MC in the hip-hop arena would be an understatement.

St. Vincent is one of 2014’s most celebrated musicians, her self-titled fifth album both critically acclaimed and hitting the #12 position on the Billboard charts this fall. Although she’d never spoken publicly about her sexuality before, St. Vincent (nee Annie Clark) told Rolling Stone that she “doesn’t identify as anything … I think you can fall in love with anybody.” She later told the Sunday Times she “engages in the spectrum.”

St. Vincent has made a splash on several best of 2014 lists, including Pitchfork, NPR, BBC Radio and The Guardian. She’s also up for a Grammy for Best Alternative Album. While it seems as though Annie is most likely to keep her private life under wraps, it’s fantastic to see she’s comfortable enough to let fans know she should not be assumed straight. Her musical prowress is admired by many, and so her coming out is celebrated.

Country music has been one of the most difficult genres for gay visibility, but times, they are a changing. Out lesbian singer/songwriter Brandy Clark took home several awards in 2014 for her work on Kacey Musgraves‘ “Follow Your Arrow,” including Song of the Year at the Country Music Awards. Her own album, 12 Stories, is nominated for Best Country Album at the Grammys and Brandy is also up for Best New Artist. At its highest, it reached #23 on the US Billboard charts.

This past year, Brandy penned tracks for Toby Keith and Ray Scott, and released two videos: “Get High” and “His Hands.”

The Usual Suspects

Tegan and Sara continued to tour on their 2013 album, Heartthrob, opening up for Katy Perry in the U.S. They were also nominated for a Grammy for their contribution to The Lego Movie, a song called “Everything is Awesome” which they did with The Lonely Island. On December 23, they released So Jealous X, a box set with B-sides, demos, a book and extras for fans of their well-loved album from 2004.

Joan Jett was finally named as an inductee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The ceremony won’t happen until April 2015, but it’s been a long time coming for the legendary musician, who is being inducted with her band The Blackhearts. (The Runaways will have to be inducted separately.)

When she wasn’t playing live shows, Joan appeared in the Lifetime film Big Driver and on two television shows about music: HBO’s Sonic Highways and Song By Song.

Kate Pierson continues to tour with The B-52s but took time off the road to record her 2015 album, Guitars and Microphones. The first single, “Mister Sister,” has been released with a video directed by her partner, Monica Coleman. Kate also appeared with Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry at a John Lennon Tribute Concert this October.

Speaking of Debbie, the iconic frontwoman came out as bisexual in an interview this year, telling a reporter she’d had “sensual” relationships with women.

Sinead O’Connor released her tenth album this year: I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss. Although the Irish singer has recanted her lesbianism or bisexuality at certain points in her life and career, she most recently stated she is not interested in labels, but is open to dating both men and women.

Rock fans rejoiced when Sleater-Kinney announced they were reuniting after seven years apart. Out bisexual frontwomen Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker are back with drummer Janet Weiss for a forthcoming album, No Cities to Love, already having released the single, “Bury Our Friends.” Tickets for their first tour back on the road sold out in seconds.

Melissa Etheridge made a return to music with her twelfth studio album This is M.E., which debuted at #21 on the Billboard charts. The album was her first not on a major label, as she released on her own M.E. Records and signed with a new management group, Primary Wave. The out artist appeared on several daytime and late night shows to promote her album and single, “Take My Number.”

Former Christian music star Jennifer Knapp released her second post-coming out album, Set Me Free, and also published a memoir, Facing the Music: My Story.

In August, UK-based Christian vocalist Vicky Beeching came out as a lesbian in an interview in The Independent. Although she hasn’t released any new music in the last four years, she appears regularly on British television as a religious commentator.

Another artist who came out publicly this year is Jesse Thomas. The indie folk-pop musician released her second LP, Burn the Boats, in May, telling AfterEllen the songs were inspired by female lovers and exes.

While she didn’t put out a new record this year, Charice went on a world tour and also appeared on Oprah’s Where Are They Now? where she discussed coming out as a lesbian and continuing to share her big voice with the world.

Music on TV

After 12 seasons on air, American Idol finally saw its first out lesbian contestant in MK Nobilette. The now 21-year-old singer made it into the Top 10 with her throaty renditions of John Legend‘s “All of Me” and Pink‘s “Perfect.,” all while donning androgynous apparel and referring to her (then) girlfriend, Casey. (They have since split up.) MK went on tour with the other Idol finalists from Season 13 and is working on a debut single for 2015.

Meanwhile on The Voice, Kristen Merlin was breaking barriers of her own as she was the first out lesbian contestant to perform and excel in her genre: Country music. Her renditions of country hits “Stay,” “Let Her Go,” “I Drive Your Truck” and “Gunpower and Lead” all made it to the top 50 on the Billboard Country charts, and Kristen finished in the top five on the show’s sixth season. She is releasing her own EP, Boomerang, in January.

Hunter Valentine appeared on Vh1’s Make or Break: The Linda Perry Project, where out band members Kiyomi McCloskey, Laura Petracca and Aimee Bessada competed for a chance to record their next album with the musical empresario. While on the show, Aimee left the band to pursue her solo career, staying on the show to work with Linda on her own. Kiyomi and Laura are working on a new album and recently performed with Cyndi Lauper.

Another act on the show , a duo called OMAR, featured a musician named Candice, who came out during the series and ended up winning the chance to work with Linda solo as well. She has since changed her performing name to Hemming and is readying her debut, produced by Linda.

Linda herself got married this year and is expecting a baby with partner Sara Gilbert.

Oxygen’s Sisterhood of Hip-Hop featured out rapper Siya as she dealt with the struggles of trying to balance her relationship with girlfriend, Renee, while working on her career. She was one of the show’s main stars, a peace-keeper within the larger group of female MCs who sometimes fought and weren’t as level-headed as Siya proved to be. Siya’s skills were praised by industry heavy-hitters like Eve and Irv Gotti, and her on-again, off-again romance with Renee was dealt with like any heterosexual pairing, which is to say, not sensationalized outside of any kind of normal reality TV way.

Monifah made television history on Season 2 0f R&B Divas when she married her partner, Terez Thorpe, on an episode that aired on TV One this year. Her co-stars were in attendance to support the couples’ big day, a very sweet ceremony in Honolulu. This year, Monifah released a new single, “The Other Side.”

Friends and Foes

Some of the best videos of the year were from straight allies who put lesbians in their work. Sara Bareilles included a real life proposal in “Choose You,” Jessie Ware (whose brother is gay) had both male and female same-sex couples in her video for “You and I (Forever)” and Macy Gray‘s “Bang Bang” had the singer ending the night with a beautiful woman and also co-starred Diana Nyad. The Head and the Heart won new fans with their video for “Another Story,” starring Pretty Little Liars fave Troian Bellisario, while John Legend employed Tig Notaro and Laverne Cox in “You & I.” Ally Demi Lovato also filmed her music video for “Really Don’t Care” during her live performance at Pride in Los Angeles.

Other artists decided to utilize lesbian and bisexual women as lyrical content for their songs. Metro Station‘s “She Likes Girls” was a tune about a guy whose girlfriend seems more interested in the same-sex. Ne-yo protégée Candice‘s single “Lesbian” was about a man who was acting so “female” that the singer felt like she was in a lesbian relationship.

Perhaps the most disappointing music moment this year, though, was when previously out bisexual performer/songwriter Jessie J declared that she was no longer bisexual; that it was a phase and she was tired of being referred to as something other than straight.

The LGBT community had collectively supported Jessie J as a songwriter and singer, so when she recanted her previous statements on being out and proud, it was particularly hurtful. “Remember the thing that you tried/did back in the day. The phase you had? That is so not YOU anymore?!” Jessie wrote on Twitter. “And you look back and think wow how I’ve changed. I would never do that now. Something that you don’t even talk about or want to talk about anymore. Because you’ve moved on? That was just part of you growing up? Discovering yourself and working out what you liked and disliked…. Remember? I have those too. … And I have changed and grown up ALOT [sic], and that’s allowed. And I feel more comfortable in my own skin now than ever before. We all are on a journey and I refuse to feel boxed and judged because of how I felt once! A long ass time ago. Vegetarians eat meat sometimes. Get it. People change.”

Although she later apologized for calling her bisexuality a phase, Jessie has not wanted to discuss the topic any further, especially as she has become more well-known in pop music with hit singles like “Bang Bang.”

Former Spice Girls member and current X-Factor judge Mel B spoke about her bisexuality publicly this year, discussing her last long-term relationship with a woman. Although she sometimes referred to her sexual past as “having fun,” she did speak highly of her ex (calling her a “lovely lady” that she still talks to “to this day”) but said she was happily married to her husband of seven years.

Iggy Azalea showed her love of ladies by performing at Club Skirts’ the Dinah in the spring. Her star kept rising after that, with hit singles like “Fancy” and “Black Widow” getting major airplay and high profile gigs on the MTV Video Music Awards. Both her performances with “Black Widow” collaborator Rita Ora and music video with J.Lo for “Booty” had the Aussie rapper showing off her love of the female body, although she says she’s not bisexual, but is definitely an ally.

Keyshia Cole‘s song “She” had lyrics that made the R&B star sound as if she were singing about a female lover, and the video followed suit. Keyshia said listeners could take what they wanted from the song, and she had no problem with anyone assuming it was about a lesbian love affair.

Rising Stars

Catey Shaw is an out bisexual singer whose Brooklyn EP dropped this year with two singles “Human Contact” and “Brooklyn Girls.” Her video for “Night Go Slow” was a beautiful love story (“The Ballad of Dylann and Jenny, Pt. 1”) about two young women in the 1950s, on the run together. Her holiday tune, “Cuddle Up,” was a hit and brought Catey more of a fanbase, which will likely keep growing into 2015 when part 2 of “Night Go Slow” is released.

Out French singer SOKO made a big splash with her song “We Might Be Dead By Tomorrow,” which was featured in a viral video, “First Kiss.” She also kissed women in Chromeo’s “Jealous (I Ain’t With It)” and a ck One ad. She went on tour with Foster the People this summer and fall, and she’s readying a new album for 2015, My Dreams Dictate My Reality.

Bisexual singer Lowell says her single “LGBT” was created to be an anthem so catchy, even homophobes would catch themselves singing along. Her full-length, We Loved Her Dearly, came out in September, but people are still catching on to the feminist pop musician, who is touring the U.S. in 2015.

Punk band Fit for Rivals has an out lesbian frontwoman, Renee Phoenix, and released two single this year from their forthcoming sophomore album, Freak Machine. They are heading out soon on the SnoCore Winter Music Tour with Flyleaf, Adelitas Way and Framing Hanley.

Other notable albums from out artists this year include Sarah Jaffe‘s Don’t Disconnect, S‘s Cool Choices, EMA’s The Future’s Void, La Roux‘s Trouble in Paradise, Azealia BanksBroke with Expensive Taste, LP‘s Forever for Now and Hurray for the Riff Raff‘s Small Town Heroes.

Looking Forward

Early 2015 will see albums from Sleater-Kinney (January 20), Kate Pierson (February 17), Screaming Females (February 24), Brandi Carlile (March 3), and Michelle Chamuel, and the Grammys will be worth watching to root for Sia, Brandy Clark, Tegan and Sara and St. Vincent on CBS January 26. We’re hopeful that the new year will bring more visibility and ally alignment, and less songs about lesbian identity borrowed for supposedly fun song fodder.

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