It's time for another edition of Songs For Saturday.
Before June and Pride Month ends, I wanted to post some of my favorite songs from performers associated with the LGBTQ community.
K. D. Lang hit the charts in the early 1990's with a powerful and evocative voice that stirred the hearts and souls of millions of listeners.
Lang was ostensibly country music singer but her persona was unique from any other female country music singer. Lang sported short cropped hair and no dresses or rhinestone studded jeans for her.
K. D. Lang, in defiance of the expected conventions of country music of the day, came out as a lesbian in a 1992 article in The Advocate and has remained a stalwart defender of gay rights.
Our song for today is Lang's biggest hit, a song of painful longing underscored with haunting melodies. Here is "Constant Craving".
After all these years, I am still impressed by how beautiful "Constant Craving" is.
While K. D. Lang took control of her narrative and was able to express her truth on her terms, our next artist demonstrates the tragic results when that truth is denied and one has no control over their own story.
With Wham and later as a solo artist, George Michael was the pop star darling of millions of young women around the world. This was a facade and the pressure of maintaining it led to legal troubles including arrests for multiple drug-related offences.
Micheal came out as gay in 1998, becoming an active LGBTQ rights campaigner and HIV/AIDS charity fundraiser for the rest of his life.
Our next song is one of my favorites from Wham. With a Motown influenced sound, here is "I'm Your Man".
Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics is herself not publicly gay but there has been no bigger ally for LGBTQ community. The Advocate said of Lennox, "her distinctive voice and provocative stage persona have made Lennox a longtime gay icon."
Lennox sported an androgynous look in the 1980s, such as seen in the 1983 music video for "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" with her close-cropped, orange-coloured hair, and wearing a man's suit brandishing a cane. This music video was seen by millions the world over and catapulted the Eurythmics to super stardom and made Annie Lennox an international phenomenon.
Here is one my favorite songs from the Eurythmics, "Here Comes The Rain Again".
That's that for today's Songs For Saturday.
Remember to be good to one another, stay strong, be proud of who you are and always keep the music alive.
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