ISSUE: DNA #262 – Music | Buy
Let The Music Play! Put the needle on it, pump up the jam, and get down with our music issue!
One of my favourite things to edit each month are Marc Andrews’ music reviews because I love discovering new music. So when Marc said that Deacon by Serpentwithfeet was the best LGBTQIA+ album of 2021 so far, I had to hear it.
I don’t know about you, but I’d never heard of Serpentwithfeet. Weird name for a band, right? Well, it turns out it’s just one guy and his real name is Josiah Wise.
The album is gorgeous. Even Apple Music gushes: “Very few authors, inside of music or out, make the concept of loving a man sound as viable as Serpentwithfeet.” Dripping with romance, the album is a celebration of the men who are his friends and lovers.
I can imagine, as little as ten years ago, a record like Deacon would never have been released. A gay black man singing gospelinspired songs about his love for other men? No way! But today, with record companies having less creative control over artists than they used to, there’s a richness in the diversity of voices available to us. We’re spoiled for choice, lucky us.
So, this month, we decide to create The Music Issue. Not the disco divas of pop – instead, the male voices, the men who express their love of men through their music. Sex, romance, hopes, dreams, fears – all the aspirations, all the insecurities, all the emotions we feel can be found expressed somewhere in song. And that’s very special.
Imagine a gay teen hearing Troye Sivan’s Talk Me Down, recognising those same complex emotions, and thinking, “That’s me! That’s how I feel, too!” Or hearing Troye’s ode to bottoming, Bloom, and feeling that little less anxious about sex. Hearing music that we can relate to and own is as valuable as reading a whole book, it can be an education in itself, it can make us feel less alone.
The artists featured here range from the very young, like Lil Nas X and Keiynan Lonsdale, who are both blazing trails across the entertainment industry and playing by their own rules, to the absolute legend that is Elton John. At 74, Elton is not slowing down. He has a new album of duets, The Lockdown Sessions, he’s still touring, and he’s an incredible mentor to many up-and-coming artists.
We have an exclusive interview with Todrick Hall, an unstoppable force of nature. Unsigned to a major label, his fierce independence has meant that his voice and his queerness have never been beaten out of him by “the system”. He’s amassed legions of fans through social media and the number of mainstream artists, like Beyonce and Taylor Swift, who seek him out for collaborations is testament to his talent.
For those who like their men in a Stetson, we have out country music star, Orville Peck. If you like your rock, er, hard, we chat with the metal lovers, Man To Man. For those who like to experiment we have Frank Ocean and Perfume Genius and if you like your music in a stadium, look out, Adam Lambert + Queen are turning it up to 11.
“MUSIC WE CAN RELATE TO AND OWN IS VALUABLE, IT CAN BE AN EDUCATION, IT CAN MAKE US FEEL LESS ALONE.
The expressionist graffiti artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat said, “Art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time.” I hope you’ll spend a little time exploring some of the artists we’re featuring in this issue. If you find a new favourite, I’ll be really pleased.
THIS ISSUE also comes with Part 2 of Dr Joseph Brennan’s Sex And The Sailor feature. It’s just as juicy as Part 1 from last month, though less about the navy and more about pirates. Yes, they were swashbuckling in more ways than one!
I’d like to give a shout-out to Jonathan at JMC Photoart. I messaged him to see if he had any sexy guys in sailor outfits to go with the feature. He didn’t, but he jumped into action and he and hot model Erand Williams put together the stunning “sailor in the shower” images that illustrate the story. They’re amazing and there’s more from that shoot in the Extra Digital Pages of this issue.
Also in this issue, check out our exclusive interviews with Max Harwood from Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, and Natalie Imbuglia, and enjoy the amazing shoot with cover model Jake Ryan.
Stay safe, be kind, and love yourself.
Andrew Creagh
Founding Editor
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