In this week’s podcast: • Prosecutors in Uganda have dropped charges against 19 LGBTQ people held in jail for 49 days • A ‘once every two months’ injectable version of PrEP has shown very positive results in clinical trials • Albania bans so-called ‘conversion therapy’ • NYC Pride has announced a huge 50th anniversary Pride television special featuring Billy Porter, Dan Levy, Janelle Monae, and more. • The 2020 Daytime Emmy nominations are out with big love for LGBTQ actors and shows Here’s the link to my recent interview with the Emmy Award-winning creators of the Amazon series ‘After Forever’ • Out singer/songwriter Clinton John’s new single “Cry” taps into those frustrating times when you realize you’re really not over that lost love. Link to download “Cry.” All that in this episode of The Randy Report.
Clinton John (photo: Acacia Evans) Out singer/songwriter Clinton John’s synth-pop single, “Cry,” offers his take on the internal push/pull of letting go of a past relationship. The downtempo earworm pairs top-shelf, pure-pop production with candid lyrics that capture the realization you haven’t moved on from a former love as much as you’d hoped. I recently chatted with the handsome Nashville-based artist about the single and a few other things. The Randy Report: Congrats on the new single. What inspired the track? Clinton John: “Cry” came about from the classic struggle of trying to get over someone. I had tried everything that I thought would help. I partied, hooked up with other people, basically used anything to distract myself from the feeling. After months passed, I saw that person again and all the emotion came flooding back and I was so frustrated that I had made no progress in getting over them. It was that type of frustration that makes you so mad you just want to cry and scream. And that is when I wrote the song. Clinton John (photo: Acacia Evans)TRR: What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? CJ: The best advice I have ever been given is “no one cares what you do.” It doesn’t really sound like great advice per se, but as an artist creating music it’s so easy to get in your head and the worry that people might not liking what you create holds you back from making something authentic or special. Also, as coming out as a gay artist I had years of built-up fear of what people thought of me that giving myself the freedom to just live authentically and care about what people think. TRR: What’s next on the musical horizon? CJ: I have a collaboration with another LGBT artist named Stasney Mav, a song called “SOLO.” After that, I have another single lined up for the beginning of June, and many other tracks in the works to release throughout the rest of the year! Check out Clinton John’s “Cry” below. The single is available on digital download sites here, and you can follow him on Instagram here.
Project Moses (right) in his music video ‘He’s Not Staying’ The new single, “He’s Not Staying,” from out artist Project Moses, explores the quiet turmoil of living with mental illness. The music video for the song, directed by Zach Adam (who also wrote and produced the track) was shot in on Fire Island during the quiet, cold weeks of November. Somber and reclusive, Project Moses says it was “the perfect setting for the dark subject matter of this single.” The story-telling for the video is artful and delicate as the artist reflects on the pensive journey of the song. Project Moses’s evocative vocals are clear and sure, never veering to hyper-emotional, letting the listener take the ride for themselves. Project Moses admits he was drawn to the song but had to do some self-exploration to understand his connection. “It took me a while to recognize what was going on in my head and the reason why none of my relationships with friends, family, or lovers lasted,” explains the artist. Over the years, he came to grips with the rejection he felt from his family after revealing he was gay. “For whatever reason, the feeling of abandonment cut deep into my heart,” he adds. “While my family and I are in a much better place today, the scars from our past remain.” Project Moses (promotional photo) Scars aside, playing the track for his mom proved to be a cathartic moment for both mother and son. “My mom cried when I played the song for her,” shares the handsome artist from his home in New York City. “It was the first time she realized how close I came to ending it all.” But just as the song evolves from a gloomy, melancholy sound to a more progressive, light at the end of the tunnel vibe, Project Moses says that he too has “transformed.” “He’s Not Staying,” from the upcoming album Better Man, is available now on all digital download sites. Check out the moody, wistful music video below. Follow Project Moses on Instagram here.
Drake Jensen (center) in his music video ‘Burn the Floor’ (screen capture) Out country artist Drake Jensen’s latest music video, “Burn The Floor,” is an upbeat, infectious, country/dance confection. “‘Burn the Floor’ was the result of country music imagined in a different way,” Jensen shared with The Advocate. “I really feel this is my strongest offering to date, and I created it with the ideology that I have had for years since starting my musical journey: that country music is for everyone. As long as there was a voice to send the message.” The music video for the new single, filmed at the Kinki Lounge & Kitchen in Ottawa, Canada, is a celebration of LGBTQ diversity featuring a wide-ranging spectrum of community members all celebrating as one. In a statement, Jensen said the inclusivity of the video was part of the message:
“There has been a lot of divisiveness within our community as we tend to sub-categorize each other. My answer to this was to create a song that would be completely inclusive and then invite the gay community of Canada’s capital to film the video. The result was an outburst of fun with so many different members of our community, all of who help make up our beautiful rainbow, where we all party the night away together as one.”
L-R Desereé Fawn Zimmerman, Kristin Sanchez Chicago-based electronic duo Dance Loud (Desereé Fawn Zimmerman & Kristin Sanchez) release their hypnotic new music video, “Why Lie,” asking the eternal question: why do some people choose dishonesty in relationships? The chill soundscape seems more like a ‘journey’ than an episode as the ebb and flow of the moody downtempo track feels soothing and tranquil. I especially like the extended rhythmic passage at the end. The Chicago Tribune raved about the real-life couple’s live performances: “The tandem’s live performances are a joy to behold. Sanchez’s beats build and build on the dance floor like any good house music set, then Zimmerman joins the production, adding layers of intricate drum rhythms that both complement and contrast with the synths.” I covered the duo’s euphoric single “Hollow” back in March. Both tracks are from their upcoming indie album The Moment due out June 5. You can Instagram the duo here.
Award-winning singer/songwriter/producer Matt Zarley teams up with critically acclaimed indie artist Jeb Havens to honor the educators and students of the class of 2020 with a reimagined rendition of the Kelly Clarkson hit, “Stronger.” The GLEE-tastic music video, featuring a cast of 50+ students and parents from Canoga Park High School in California, was shot on location at the school two weeks before the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. “If we had to delay shooting a week, we probably wouldn’t have been able to complete this,” says Zarley. “I can’t imagine being a high school senior and not getting to experience those special end of school year moments that you’ve been looking forward to for the past 4 years,” he adds. “I feel so bad for these kids. This entire situation is just awful.” As Havens and Zarley take on multiple roles as teachers, coaches, janitors, and cafeteria workers, the video tells the tale of a new student at school who finds his way to tryouts for the dance team. In a short time, he goes from misunderstood (#QuackIsWhack) to ‘rad’ (#FunkADuck). The duo’s soulful pop vocals are a perfect match for the soaring self-empowerment anthem.
I’ve shared music from both Zarley and Havens over the years, but just in case you missed it… Zarley made his theatrical debut at 17-years-old in the national touring company of CATS, at that time the youngest to ever perform in the mega-blockbuster. His career continued with roles on Broadway in A Chorus Line, The Who’s Tommy, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as well as TV appearances in Disney’s Cinderella (w/ Whitney Houston), Geppetto (w/ Drew Carey) & Annie (w/ Kathy Bates), The Drew Carey Show, Fame, The Tonight Show, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, and Smash, among others. An award-winning, 4-time Billboard charting recording artist, his albums include Debut, Here I Am (2008 Billboard Critics Top Ten and American Idol Top 20 Songwriter), and Change Begins With Me (2012 OUTMusic Award for Album & Single Of The Year). He was also the first openly gay man featured in People Magazine’s ‘Hottest Bachelors’ annual issue. He added filmmaker to his resume when he released hopefulROMANTIC, an award-winning musical short film he wrote, produced and starred in which played dozens of international film festivals including Cannes, Mumbai, Montreal, and as well as numerous stateside festivals. L-R Matt Zarley, Jeb Havens Jeb Havens is an international recording artist and songwriter whose music is a blend of catchy pop and raw emotional therapy. He became a viral sensation when he began recording original and cover songs in his closet (good sound) and shared them on YouTube. One of his earliest “Closet Covers” was his emotional, moving take of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” which quickly garnered hundreds of thousands of views. As it spread across the internet, his performance grabbed the attention of mainstream entertainment media outlets like Buzzfeed which raved, “Seriously, someone get this guy a record deal already.” His debut solo album “Home Base” was named one of the Top 5 in LGBT Music for 2016. The woofy duo has collaborated several times over the years on projects ranging from music videos to live performances in the U.S. and abroad including their ‘Works of Heart’ concerts. You can find my posts on Jeb Havens’s music here, and my previous coverage of Matt Zarley here.
Tafari Anthony (photo: Elliott J. Tilleczek) Toronto-based recording artist Tafari (pronounced Ta-far-eye) Anthony’s latest single, “Live In A Dream,” shares a message of empowerment as the search for personal contentment churns within all of us. Influenced by artists like Prince and John Legend, as well as contemporary artists like Lennon Stella and Charlie Puth, Tafari has been described as a blend of Sam Smith and MNEK. His music has been nominated for a Toronto Independent Music Award, receives regular airplay on CBC Radio, with one of his singles being named one of CBC’s Most Influential Songs of 2016. Tafari wrote ‘Live in a Dream‘ in January of 2018, as he took time off to focus on writing and explore new facets of his personal soundscape. “I was in a very reflective space at the time and thinking a lot about how much I was obsessing about other’s successes compared to mine,” shares the artist. “To the point where I really was feeling like I was working so hard and no matter what good would come my way it wasn’t good enough.” The inspiring new single encourages others to dream like we used to when we were children – dream despite the obstacles, setbacks, and alternate routes that try to stop us.
Fight for what you want, take back your power, and find contentment in your current situation.
Musically, Tafari’s powerhouse vocals are framed in a sonic soundscape featuring elements of pop, reggae, and Afro-beat. The result is a totally infectious earworm. Hit the play button below. You can follow Tafari Anthony on Instagram here and Facebook here.
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.
I’m a little late getting this News Round-Up out, so rather than make you wait while I scour the Gram of Insta for an InstaHunk, you get this pic of me from this morning before the day got away from me. Just want to let you know we’re still kicking out here in Las Vegas and I hope everyone’s going great as we close out Hump Day. Here are a few news items you might have missed: • The Advocate: After teaching English for 23 years at Archbishop Alter High School in a suburb of Dayton, Ohio, a teacher has been notified his contract will not be renewed for the coming school year because he’s married to his husband. • Gay City News: LGBTQ groups in Morocco are encouraging gay men to get rid of the Grindr accounts after a social media influencer encouraged people to use the app’s location data to identify gay locals. • Out Music: After years battling a debilitating chronic pain condition, out indie artist Stefan Alexander recently released his first new music since 2016. Check out the pop-synth title track from his new EP, Cry Again. “Cry Again is sort of the aftermath and getting back in touch with my emotions, all these emotions I had bottled up for so long and didn’t allow myself to feel,” Alexander shared with American Songwriter earlier this year.
• Washington Post: U.S. intelligence agencies issued warnings about the novel coronavirus in more than a dozen classified briefings prepared for President Trump in January and February, months during which he continued to play down the threat, according to current and former U.S. officials. • KIT212: For this week’s edition of ‘Wrestle Wednesdays,’ Kenneth notes “there’s so much going on in this scene you have to see it for yourself.” In addition to the athlete, that coach can seriously wear some pants…
Jwan Yosef (via Instagram) Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Ricky Martin’s hubby, artist Jwan Yosef (above), says he’s taking the ‘clothing optional’ approach to sheltering-at-home. #ThankGod Follow him on Instagram here. • NewNowNext: HIV hero Michael Cavnaugh was able to obtain 500 medical-grade masks and donated them to the volunteers at God’s Love We Deliver. The NYC-based organization and its network of volunteers provide thousands of free, freshly cooked, medically tailored meals every day to New Yorkers who are too sick to cook or grocery shop for themselves. • TV Insider: Check out this sneak peek from the upcoming series Love, Victor – the TV spinoff of the coming-of-age, coming-out feature film Love, Simon. You may never look at a latte the same way again. The series debuts June 19 on Hulu.
• The Advocate: Christiaan Otto, who has spent years spewing anti-LGBTQ vitriol and claimed the current health crisis is a punishment from God, appears to have been cruising for sex on Grindr. The group Expose Christiaan Otto posted screenshots of what it said was Otto’s Grindr account including a reported shirtless selfie. One message translates as “I thought I could trust you, dude. You say you deleted the Grindr chats. What are you trying to do? Delete and block me!” • The Daily Beast: Trump supporters Diamond & Silk (aka Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson) have been dismissed from their streaming gig on FOX Nation streaming service after promoting lies about the coronavirus health threat like the COVID-19 death toll is false, that the disease was made in a lab, caused by 5G networks, and was a product of the “deep state. #ByeGurls • Out Music: Pop/R&B vocalist Malia Civetz recently released her new single and video, “Heart Broke,” chronicling the relatable feeling of early, exciting, whirlwind romance – regardless of potential heartbreak. Malia’s passionate voice booms over the punchy production like a clarion call asking, “What’s a girl gotta do to get her heart broke?” Back in March, I shared Civetz’s “Broke Boy” music video here.
In this week’s podcast: • Prosecutors in Uganda have dropped charges against 19 LGBTQ people held in jail for 49 days • A ‘once every two months’ injectable version of PrEP has shown very positive results in clinical trials • Albania bans so-called ‘conversion therapy’ • NYC Pride has announced a huge 50th anniversary Pride television special featuring Billy Porter, Dan Levy, Janelle Monae, and more. • The 2020 Daytime Emmy nominations are out with big love for LGBTQ actors and shows Here’s the link to my recent interview with the Emmy Award-winning creators of the Amazon series ‘After Forever’ • Out singer/songwriter Clinton John’s new single “Cry” taps into those frustrating times when you realize you’re really not over that lost love. Link to download “Cry.” All that in this episode of The Randy Report. 
I’m a little late getting this News Round-Up out, so rather than make you wait while I scour the Gram of Insta for an InstaHunk, you get this pic of me from this morning before the day got away from me. Just want to let you know we’re still kicking out here in Las Vegas and I hope everyone’s going great as we close out Hump Day. Here are a few news items you might have missed: • 