Politics, pop culture and entertainment news of interest to the LGBTQ community
Jake Shears ‘Last Man Dancing’ (promo photo)Jake Shears releases the title track of his upcoming album, Last Man Dancing, a reminder to keep moving whatever life throws at you. Continue reading “New Music: Jake Shears Takes ‘Last Man Dancing’ Trophy”
The satirical music video for “All I Want” from the new album “+/-” (pronounced ‘polarity’) by German-Iraqi DJ and producer Boys Noize is smart, a bit profound, and definitely of the moment. Continue reading “Music Video: ‘All I Want’ Harnesses Opposites With Ironic Results”
Bright Light Bright Light aka Rod Thomas (photo: Warren Giddarie)Bright Light Bright Light has joined forces with Jake Shears (Scissors Sisters founder and global LGBTQ+ music trailblazer) on his high-octane new song “Sensation.”
Written initially about the euphoria of meeting someone (friend, lover, etc.) you instantly connect with while in a fractured and divided world, the song’s meaning feels amplified when viewed through the lens of the current health crisis.
The track is a sublime, upbeat bop with a disco-tastic beat and synthy horns that dare you not to bounce.
“For a song about connection and celebrating who you are, Jake was totally my top choice,” said BLBL (aka Rod Thomas) to FLOOD about the collaboration. “It was so much fun to do a proper duet and have a voice that reminded me to be myself on a song about celebrating your community.”
Shears echoed the enthusiasm: “Rod’s songwriting always blows me away, and getting to record with him is an absolute joy. ‘Sensation’ was just one of those songs, the first time I heard it, I was like— I flipping love this.”
“Sensation” is a cut from the forthcoming album Fun City, scheduled for release September 18, which will offer not only ’80s-inspired dance-pop, but will serve as a musical love letter to the LGBTQ+ community.
The album title is a clever reference to a quote said by NYC mayor John V. Lindsay who, on his first day in office in 1966 amidst a crippling transit strike, said: “I still think it’s a fun city.”
I recently wrote about the acclaimed first single from the upcoming collection, “This Was My House,” which was penned as a tribute to LGBTQ safe spaces. The evocative music video takes an unforgettable journey through NYC nightlife.
Paper Magazine wrote, “It’s not every day that we get a perfect disco song” while Rolling Stone praised its “buoyant beat to dance through pain and trouble.”
The vocals for Fun City were recorded on the empty dancefloor of East Village gay club Bedlam, a choice Bright Light Bright Light made as a way to channel the energy of the queer trailblazers that influenced him like Sylvester, Erasure, Scissor Sisters and Hercules & Love Affair.
With Scissor Sisters still on hiatus, frontman Jake Shears continues to journey on solo including a recent turn on the Great White Way in the hit musical, Kinky Boots.
Now, Shears is releasing his first solo album titled – what else? – Jake Shears.
Billboard gushes, “The result overflows with the opulence of orchestral Seventies pop — as if ELO and the Bee Gees got together to make a Muppet fantasia of Cajun rock.”
While the Elton John influence is unmistakable, Shears shares his own musical voice and vision as only he can.
Watch below.
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| Alex Abramov likes Autumn |
Some news items you might have missed:
• Woofy Instahunk Alex Abramov (above) is enjoying NYC’s autumnal weather. I’m enjoying the view.
• A new study of 21,000 children shows no increased emotional or psychological difficulties among children raised by gay or lesbian parents.
• One of the gay men who was refused a marriage license by anti-LGBT Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis says he may run against her in the 2018 election.
• A survey of more than 5,000 Attitude Magazine readers shows 71% of gay men say they are turned off from dating another if they have shown signs of femininity; 41% said that effeminate gay men give the gay community a bad image or reputation.
• Former Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears has announced he’ll be joining the cast of the hit Broadway musical, Kinky Boots.
• I’ll close out this round-up with some Friday Superfruit “Fantasy,” the new music video from OUT100 2017 honorees Scott Hoying and Mitch Grassi.
The video features a make-believe pool party, a trip to Paris, plus a cameo by K-pop star Amber Liu and some blue-wigged dancers. The tune, from the duo’s debut album Future Friends, is totally bopping. Dance into the weekend with Superfruit below.