Tag: out musicians

Posted on

Out Music: Jonathan Allen “Amen”

Jonathan Allen, openly gay semifinalist from Season 8 of “America’s Got Talent” Season 8, has released his first single since his appearances on AGT, “Amen.”

During his initial audition for AGT, Allen shared that he was thrown out of his house at the age of 18 when his parents told him being gay was “sinful” and that living openly as a gay man meant he would have to leave. The resulting eviction left him homeless.

He made it to the semi-finals of AGT during the summer of 2013 with powerful yet emotionally vulnerable performances of pop/classical crossover material (“Time To Say Goodbye”) and stirring Broadway ballads  (“The Impossible Dream,” “Bring Him Home”).

Via press release:

For the last year, Jonathan has based himself out of Albuquerque, NM where he has established his business and worked on his music. Since his appearance on the show he has matured in his musical endeavors. Combined with strikingly original music and euphoric live performances; he has become recognized as one of the most captivating artists around.

“AMEN was primarily arranged and produced in my home and speaks to the many trials and tribulations that we all face, but is an LGBT liberation song at its heart, said Allen.

“The song touches on several issues that surround the community in day-to-day life, and in the political realm. The song attempts to chip away at many issues by starting a dialogue that shows people we all can believe the same things, deal with the same things, and be torn apart by the very same things that should bring us together,” continued Allen.

“Despite the title, AMEN is a song that transcends any one belief system. It is not so much about Christianity as it is about breaking free from hatred and celebrating love on this Earth in the highest form possible,” concluded Allen.

Allen’s already impressive voice sounds even more reassured since his AGT days. The slightly religious bent isn’t my thing, but there’s no denying the power and depth of his voice.

You can listen to “Amen” below, along with his impressive debut on AGT.

Find the track on iTunes here.

Posted on

Radio Show: This Week In LGBT News

Dancing With The Stars champ Nyle DiMarco

Take a listen to my latest radio show episode, hosted on BlogTalkRadio, which aired today.

Episode synopsis:

Join Randy as he wraps up the latest in LGBT news from the worlds of entertainment, music, politics and sports.

• Three time Olympic medalist Danell Leyva is not only a double-silver medal winner but an ardent equal rights activist ally

• Hottie Nick Jonas talked about criticism he received for playing a gay MMA fighter on “Kingdom”

• “American Idol” alum/out musician David Hernandez drops his new single and music video “Beautiful”

• “America’s Next Top Model” & “Dancing With The Stars” champ Nyle DiMarco announced as next ‘Celebrity Guest Host’ for the world-famous Chippendales

• E! Network cancels “I Am Cait” after only two seasons

• A new study shows homophobic men are possibly just hiding their own latent homosexuality

Tune in as Randy covers these stories and more.

Hit the play button below to listen.

3-time Olympic medalist Danell Leyva

Nick Jonas
Caitlyn Jenner
Posted on

Out Music: Judah Gavra “Falling”

Just in time for the weekend, out singer/songwriter Judah Gavra drops his latest single and music video – “Falling.”

Written with collaborator Chris Williams and produced by Gilad Markovich,  the music video is directed by Frank Boccia.

Paired with Gavra’s impressive, soaring vocals, the video – like Gavra’s previous releases – is a high-end production across the board. Moody and plaintive at the outset, “Falling” takes it’s time to build to an emotional crescendo.

Gavra has performed extensively all around the world including Carnegie Hall, the finals of Israel’s Eurovision competition, and extensive musical theater credits across the U.S. in musicals like “The Full Monty”, “Aida” and “Legally Blonde.”

The track is available now on all major digital download sites like iTunes and Amazon.

I’ve previously covered the handsome and talented Mr. Gavra here.

Posted on

Out Music: David Hernandez “Beautiful”

David Hernandez, American Idol season 7 alum, drops his new single and music video, “Beautiful.”

In an exclusive interview with OUT, Hernandez says the theme of the track is to remind folks that they are beautiful just as they are. “If you’re missing a leg, you’re still beautiful. If you’re overweight, you’re still beautiful. If you are 75 years old, you’re still beautiful,” Hernandez says.

In 2008, Hernandez made it onto the reality competition series American Idol, landing in the top 12 before being eliminated. Rumors, however, quickly started circulating about the “real reason” Hernandez was sent home. Viewers bombarded Hernandez with comments about his past as a male stripper and soon questioned his sexuality, wondering if it influenced his exit from Idol.

Hernandez has said members of the show were fully aware of his past from the very beginning. But still, the media was relentless. “It was hard to go online and not read something negative about myself.”

People were more interested in rumors and scandals than the music.

Though Hernandez now believes he has the strength and self-confidence to handle a lot of backlash, his younger self did not, and the Idol drama took a toll on himself and his family.

“My dad still knew nothing about my sexuality or my profession. So when it’s plastered all over CNN that’s not how somebody really wants to go down.”

The song is imminently listenable – sexy tribal drum beat with tons of visual diversity lighting up the screen makes this a big, vocally bold anthem for celebrating all dimensions of ethnicity, sexuality, age and whatever flavor you can think of.

Posted on

Out Music: Michael Blume “Colors”

Out singer Michael Blume dropped this second track, “Colors,” from his upcoming EP When I Get It Right due out July 29th.

You can listen to the first track from the EP, “Manufactered,” here.

Teeming with honeyed vocals, soulful scatting and thoughtful, socially conscious lyrics, When I Get It Right showcases Blume’s trademark mix of R&B, neo-soul, hip-hop, jazz, and electronica, with avant-garde twists.

Blume has been celebrated for his intelligent lyrics that explore his passion for civil rights, particularly racial equality and LGBTQ rights.

He hits the road in advance of the EP release with a select run of shows beginning at Bowery Ballroom in New York City on July 26th, where he will be backed by a dynamic 11-piece band. Additional stops have been announced for Philadelphia, DC, and Boston.

For more info, check out his official website here.

Posted on

Out Music: Tegan And Sara “Boyfriend”

Tegan and Sara, Canada’s identical lesbian pop duo, drop this single from their upcoming new album Love You To Death.

The song’s lyrics, “Boyfriend,” evolved from a real-life dating situation Sara had experienced.

From the Billboard review:

The track’s a stadium-shaking hand-clapper from the twin duo’s forthcoming album, Love You to Death. Sara Quin spoke to DJ Matt Wilkinson about the song, explaining the story behind the song: Quin was stuck in a love triangle with a woman who hadn’t dated another woman before and was still seeing a man at the same time.

“I think that’s pretty relatable,” Quin said of the song. “Obviously, being gay, there’s sort of a bit of a gender twist in the song and I get that that sometimes doesn’t seem immediately relatable to everybody, whether they’re straight or whatever. But this idea, you know, that we’ve all been in that situation where we really like someone and we want to make it official and they’re not ready, that’s what the song is about.”

I’m liking the 80s vibe of the electro-pop groove. Fun 🙂

The single is available now, and the full album drops June 3rd. Check it out on iTunes.

Posted on

Out Music: Eli Lieb & Steve Grand “Look Away”

New music video from out musicians Eli Lieb and Steve Grand – “Look Away.”

Said Steve Grand of the collaboration:

“Eli is a real pro. It was a true pleasure working with someone who knows what they want creatively. Eli kept the process streamlined.Though we are in a similar line of work, our personalities are very different, which I think we really got to see throughout the day we shot the video. I’m an irreverent goofball and Eli is a more serious guy just really focused on his craft. I think it makes for an interesting collaboration.”

It’s interesting that Grand notes their different approaches. I was struck throughout the video by Lieb’s connection to the camera, eyes and heart open to the viewer. Grand, on the other hand, largely avoids directly looking into the camera, choosing to look away or down. The differences lead the viewer to a much for connected experience with Lieb.

The emotional break-up song is sparse on production which feels appropriate, but the powerful lyrics and Lieb’s devastatingly open relationship with the viewer makes for a winning combination.

It was only after I had watched the video that I found this statement from Lieb which underlines the connectedness of his performance:

“We filmed this the day after my boyfriend and I broke up, and the footage is so real and raw, that I struggled if I even felt comfortable putting it out. I wasn’t sure I wanted everyone to see the pain I was in. But then I realized that this pain came from love and is a part of life most people experience at some point – we’ve all been there. I hope it helps remind people that pain and love are so closely related to not forget how powerful love is.”

I’ve previously written about Eli Lieb here, here, here, here, and here.

Posted on

Music Video: Troye Sivan “Youth”

Aussie YouTube sensation Troye Sivan drops his new music video, “Youth,” from his album Blue Neighbourhood.

My first thought was perhaps the song would be a bit “young-ish” for me, but I like the medium vibe and the anthemic chorus.

Oh, and the pretty colors.

Via MTV:

The vid takes us inside a hazy, neon-washed house party where alcohol, sex, and tongue piercings are all the rage. But there are moments of quiet intimacy, too, and nods to… well… youth: light-up sneakers, Care Bears and blanket forts all make an appearance. It ultimately feels like a marriage of maturity and recklessness, as Troye sings about loving too hard and not really caring about the consequences.