MARISSA BURR
Opinion Editor
As someone who spent 18 years of my life not accepting the fact that I was a bisexual woman, I heard plenty of songs that made me feel all sunshine and rainbows inside, without knowing why. I would gravitate towards openly queer anthems thinking it was just the ally or activist in me, but once I came out everything made more sense. Over the years, I’ve added more songs to my “rainbow” playlist, whether they were actually talking about LGBTQIA+ relationships or not. These are some of my favorites, and yes, I am fully aware that the artists have openly said for some of these that they are about heterosexual relationships — but not to me.
“History Hates Lovers” by Oublaire
This is by far my favorite song on this playlist. It is so fun and upbeat but also has a unique premise that you don’t hear a lot on the radio — not that I’ve heard this song on the radio, especially not around here (there’d probably be a coup). The idea of the song is that throughout history, people will go to any length to hide the fact that queer relationships are happening around them, whether that be celebrities or family members or neighbors. The chorus of this song is so catchy, and it essentially makes fun of how people try to hide this. It goes “close friends, besties, roommates, colleagues, anything but lovers. History hates lovers. Sidekicks, family, good pals, buddies, anything but lovers.” The bridge implies that as much as people tried to keep these couples in the closet, people still figured it out anyway. When letters are signed “to my dearest with love” or they wear matching wedding bands and have a golden retriever, people can see through that. The most beautiful line in this song is “21 centuries of hate, some things may not have been okay back then, but they’re sure alright today.” This is the way the world needs to be; keep hatred in the history books.
“Betty” by Taylor Swift
Yes, I know Swift did not write this about a queer relationship, but I listened to this for over a year before I went to her Eras Tour concert and she openly admitted that it was about a teenage boy. I came from the perspective that the three characters in the story, Betty, James and Inez were all named after Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ children who are all girls. I loved listening to this as if it were about a young, high school queer relationship because those in non-heterosexual relationships can also make stupid mistakes. The metaphors in the song about “patching your broken wings” making up in the garden and “standing in your cardigan” all scream the kind of relationship I would’ve wanted if I was in a relationship with another girl in high school. Plus, as Swift points out, it is a complete fantasy that a teenage boy would ever apologize as this song describes, so I stand true to the fact that this is about two young girls in love.
“Boyfriend” by Dove Cameron
This song totally switches the vibes I know, but not every queer relationship consists of a cottage-core aesthetic. Sometimes it’s raw and sexy and dangerous, and that’s what this song is. The idea is that Cameron sees her crush’s boyfriend leave her at an event, and she starts fantasizing about how she would make a better partner. She wouldn’t grab her wrist, she’d be up all night having sex, and all of her clothes would fit. It would just be better to leave with her instead. Before I realized I was bisexual, I thought it was totally normal to believe that women would be better at sex than men because they knew what felt good with their sexual organs. There’s definitely some truth to that, which is one of the reasons why it’s fun for platonic girlfriends to talk about what sex is like. Men, never be afraid to ask a woman what kind of things your girlfriend might like both in and outside the bedroom, rather than swinging and missing.
“Born This Way” by Lady Gaga
I distinctly remember this song raising controversy when it came out in the very early 2010s. The fact that it said “no matter gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgender life” had people in uproar. Yet, the next phrase also talks about being proud of your race and other different qualities that make someone who they are. The point of this anthem is that you should own who you are and love yourself. However, this was more open than any other song I was hearing at the time. Gaga slams people for using their religion to hate others, and counters their arguments with the fact that “God makes no mistakes.” The way people responded to this song, you would’ve thought she cussed up a storm and used all sorts of slurs and explicit references. No, this is a beautiful anthem about being yourself and accepting your unique qualities as something positive.
“Brave” by Sara Bareillies
I remember when this song was first released in 2013 and it was one of those that just stuck with me and made me feel warm and fuzzy inside without any real explanation. This also isn’t as openly about being queer as Oublaire’s song was; that’s why it was a radio sensation. I had no idea why this song filled me with such confidence, but as I listen to it now, it all comes together. Lyrics like “maybe there’s a way out of the cage where you live, maybe one of these days you can let the light in” are obviously a callout to being “closeted” and not having the ability to show your true self to those around you. Being brave means facing the hatred and the bigots and not letting anyone’s unsolicited opinions stop you from being yourself.
This song has a double meaning to me now. It inspires me to use my ability to write to stand up for those who have no voice. Bareillies sings “Let your words be anything but empty, why don’t you tell them the truth.” To me, this means writing about controversy, and damn whoever’s feathers it ruffles. In one year at Fredonia, I’ve called out the campus multiple times, as well as workplaces, the government, sexists, misogynists and more. And I will continue to be brave and do so unapologetically.