MUSIC FORWARD AND GIBSON GIVES PARTNER FOR: LGBTQ+ EMERGING ARTIST AWARDS GIBSON GIVES TO DONATE OVER $43,000 TO UNIQUE AND IMPACTFUL MUSIC MENTORSHIP PROGRAM SUPPORTING YOUNG TALENT IN THE MUSIC
NASHVILLE, TN (August 5, 2024) Gibson Gives, the non-profit division of the legendary music brand Gibson, is honored to partner with Music Forward to present the LGBTQ+ Emerging Artist Awards for 2024. A unique and impactful grant program, the goal of the LGBTQ+ Emerging Artist Awards is to help break down the barriers of access in the music industry, allowing artists to have thriving careers and promote a more inclusive music industry overall. With 45 of the LGBTQ+ Emerging Artist Awardsgranted, the new Music Forward and Gibson Gives partnership allows the program to continue to champion diverse voices from all backgrounds and communities, from Atlanta to Austin, and New York City to North Hollywood.
The screening process for the awards is extensive, with ten (10) LGBTQ+ Emerging Artist Awardees aged 18-24 years old to be selected based on many factors, including the strength of their body of music work, the breadth of their body of work, their artistic vision, and their articulation of their career goals. The ten US-based selected artists are dedicated to their songwriting craft, and their vision for themselves through music. The ten awardees will each receive:
· $3000 Grant
· $1000 Gibson retail for an instrument.
· Performance Opportunities that include the Gibson Garage Nashville and Gibson showrooms, as well as other venues.
· Quarterly Mentorship with established musicians, as well as the Gibson and Music Forward teams.
LGBTQ+ Emerging Artist Awards submissions for applicants are open now HERE.
The timeline for the LGBTQ+ Emerging Artist Awards program is as follows:
· Monday, August 5: Applications open.
· Sunday, August 18: Applications close.
· Monday, August 19 – Friday, September 27:Application review and selection.
· Monday, September 30: Awardees notified.
· October 2: Announcement of Awardees.
· Mid-late October: Virtual Award Show.
Music Forward and Gibson Gives believe in music as a catalyst for discovery, connection, and transformation, and the power of amplifying artists and providing a forum for their diverse voices to be heard. Gibson Gives will donate over $43,000 to the program for 2024, including $33,000 in cash grants ($30k grants/$3k admin fees), and $10,000 in Gibson retail for an instrument. Music Forwarddevelops and administers the grant awards from selection to distribution, and Music Forward and the Gibson team collectively develop and execute mentorship programs. The Quarterly Mentorship Opportunities range from songwriting sessions with Gibson artists to exploring a variety of trending topics and skills, including Gibson and Live Nation Leadership professionals sharing knowledge and insight on what it takes to find success in the business, learning from experts who have turned their passions into professions in the ever-changing entertainment industry, from bands to boardrooms and everything in between. The program is designed to help nurture artists’ growth and progress, expand their social capital, and to reduce barriers, both external and internal, that may come between them and achieving their greatest artistic potential.
Singer-songwriter and record producer Butch Walker, one of the LGBTQ+ Emerging Artist Award musician mentors for 2024, states “Hey all! I’m excited to be supporting the LGBTQ+ Emerging Artist Award, and to celebrate the amazing talent and diversity within the community. This award not only recognizes artistic excellence, but also empowers emerging voices to inspire and create needed change.”
“Gibson Gives is proud to partner with Music Forward to support the LGBTQ+ Emerging Artist Award,” says Erica Krusen, Global Executive Director of Gibson Gives. “We believe in the power of individual voices and strive to break down barriers, promoting a more inclusive music industry. These awards support often-marginalized artists, nurturing their growth and helping them achieve their greatest artistic potential.”
“At Music Forward, we work towards inspiring young artists and providing resources to drive their careers forward while making the industry more inclusive for all voices,” adds Nurit Siegel Smith, Executive Director of the Music Forward Foundation. “The LGBTQ+ Emerging Artist Award is a staple of our programs, and we are excited for our partnership with Gibson Gives to continue to empower the next generation of LGBTQ+ musicians.”
A national nonprofit in the Live Nation family, theMusic Forward Foundation creates opportunities for young talent in the music industry by mentoring entertainment careers for the next generation through live performances, workshops and panels. Acclaimed artists like Phoebe Bridgers, Maxwell Frost, Trombone Shorty, and Andrae Alexanderare past program participants and grant recipients. While performers such as Kahlid, Sophia Carson, Lauren Daigle, Martina McBride, Carlos Santana, and Julia Michaels have served as Ambassadors for Music Forward:https://musicforwardfoundation.org/.
Gibson Gives is the non-profit division of the legendary music brand Gibson, Gibson supports the music community via its philanthropic endeavor, Gibson Gives, assisting non-profit organizations in their efforts to advance musicians, youth-focused music education, health and wellness initiatives, and inclusive musical partnerships worldwide. The Gibson Gives Scholarship program has provided direct financial support to young students with music career aspirations and is on track to help even more players in 2024. Gibson Gives a 501(c)(3),is committed to cultivating and offering steadfast support for all communities. To date, Gibson Gives has raised over $4.5 million and enabled $46 million in funding for key organizationsthrough product donations and meaningful giving worldwide, with 100 percent of all donations to and from Gibson Gives going towards providing the gift of music.
It’s Here! Ben Bakson Releases “You Got Me”
An Original Club Track Featuring Vocals by OMEO
*Remixes by GSP, JUNYO, Mauro Mozart, Elof de Neve and Dan Slater *
DJ Ben Bakson is out now with ‘You Got Me’, an uplifting original club track that features the incredible vocals of pop singer OMEO. It encourages listeners walk away from toxic people that keep them from achieving their life goals. “The song is about leaving the past behind and moving towards a happier, freer self,” Bakson explains. “It’s about finding peace within and taking back your power.” OMEO wrote the song and Ben Bakson produced its radio edit and original club remix. To support the single, Bakson is also releasing a dance package of ‘You Got Me’ with additional remixes by Dan Slater, GSP, Elof de Neve, Mauro Mozart & JUNYO. All are available on Apple Music, Spotify and all digital platforms.
“I’ve known OMEO for many years but when we ran into each other at this year’s Mardi Gras in Sydney, I knew it was kismet,” Bakson continues from his Miami home. He says the song’s story is one he can relate with. “I’ve had so many naysayers tell me I couldn’t do this or I was too young to do that. I have gotten rid of them all. If there is one thing I’ve learned, it is how important it is to surround oneself with positive people that encourage you to go to the distance. Anything worth achieving is going to take blood, sweat, tears and a whole lot of optimism.”
Ben Bakson grew up as an only child with two parents in a small village in south Germany where he enjoyed watching movies, listening to music and long days at the lake or sea with family and friends. At 18 years old, he moved to Berlin to study Economics and after graduating, he landed a marketing job at a large firm. It was only then that he began dabbling in music production.
His music style is commercial with hard, emotional, and energetic beats. Vocals are important to Ben as he believes that they are the soul of every song. In addition to his original compositions, he is noted for re-working famous songs from the 80s and 90s, as he did recently with Cutting Crew’s “(I Just) Died in your Arms”. “It’s fun to recreate past hits with fresh vocalists and modern, driving melodies,” Ben Bakson says.
OMEO is a pop singer from Sydney, Australia. His signature sound is one of smooth tones and warm vocals over electronic beats. He grew up singing a mix of Soul, R&B, gospel, and pop music. His name is indigenous and means ‘mountains’. It is a reminder to the artist that every mountain top is within and it is important to keep climbing. OMEO lives by the quote “The best view comes after the hardest climb”.
Ben Bakson is currently on a world tour. He premiered “You Got Me” at his recent parties in Sao Paulo, San Francisco, Washington DC and NYC. His next events will be in Madrid, Panama, Mexico City, and Dallas. “I can’t wait to open my sets with ‘You Got Me’ because it’s the best feeling in the world to see crowds enjoying music I have made.”
Ben Bakson’s “You Got Me” featuring OMEO is available now on Apple Music, Spotify and all platforms
Jake Wesley Rogers Interview | Austin City Limits
Interview by: Wesley Smoot
Jake Wesley Rogers. If you don’t know the name already, you will. He’s an absolute powerhouse— singer, songwriter, showman, and a master on the keys. At 25 years old, he’s done Madison Square Garden (opening for Panic at the Disco), has been a musical guest on The Ellen Show, and currently has a track featured on the major Universal Pictures rom-com, Bros. His lyrics transcend generations with a kind of depth you’d find hard to believe is coming from someone his age.
I got the chance to chat with Jake Wesley Rogers at Austin City Limits.
Pinkies up, now sip!
Jake Wesley Rogers by Chad Wadsworth for ACL Fest 2022
Weslo: Howdy ya’ll, this is Wesley Smoot (Weslo) with Unleashed LGBTQ, in Austin, Texas at ACL– today I get the chance to sit down with Jake Wesley Rogers. How’s your ACL?
JWR: Hey! It’s very hot. Literally. But it has been so much fun.
Weslo: So freakin’ hot. Texas heat!
Well the crowd obviously loved your performance. What are your thoughts on Texas, besides the heat?
JWR: Well, I'm from Missouri, so I understand what it means to come from a complicated place, but I’m always astounded by how much love there is, even in a state where there is a lot of bullshit going on.
Weslo: It’s a big state with lots of fabulous folks, I’m glad you get to see there are all kinds, plenty of like minded people.
JWR: Of course. You sometimes have to remind yourself, we’re everywhere and we’re not going anywhere. So, I’ll always keep coming back.
Weslo: Please do.
I have to talk to you about the movie Bros with Billy Eichner. One of my favorites of the year, not just because it’s a gay film, but it’s just so well done. You have a song featured in the movie— your single Hindsight. What’s it like having your music on such a groundbreaking film?
JWR: It was mind-blowing to hear my song in a movie theater and be part of such a historical film. I would actually call it a surreal moment for me.
Jake Wesley Rogers & Wesley Smoot in Media Tent at Austin City Limits 2022
Weslo: So you’re on the cover of The Advocate this month, it seems like you’re well on your way to becoming a LGBTQ+ icon. How does that feel?
JWR: I don’t want to speak for anyone. I can only tell my story, I do that on purpose. Tony Morrison says “The function of freedom is to free someone else” so I think if I show up, even if I’m not feeling confident, tell my story, the hope is to allow anyone to feel free to be themselves, because that makes everything better.
Weslo: I agree 100%.
I know some LGBTQ+ artists might not care to be labeled or pigeon-holed as a gay artist, I’m sure with you, there’s a lot of crossover with other demographics.. I mean, you have been opening for Panic at the Disco. Have you seen your fanbase grow with the non-LGBTQ+ audiences?
JWR: I'm always surprised how many straight people are at my shows. I think my favorite thing about being queer is that it shows very explicit on the outside. But we all feel different, excluded, even if only to some degree. I think we’re the superheroes that have no choice but to show it.
Weslo: Well you really go into that with your song Pluto. Which I love by the way.
JWR: Yes! Exactly, and thank you. That is very much what the song is about, using Pluto as a metaphor, as the outsider. And just giving everyone permission to embrace it because I think that’s how things change, when everybody realizes we have this tendency to hide something. It’s the queer life. We’re accustom to it and learn it at such an early age. But not only us, everyone feels that on some level, we’re just the lucky, fabulous, beautiful ones that get to show others that it's ok. It’s ok to be free.
Austin City Limits 2022 | Jake Wesley Rogers | Photo Credit: Jakob Wandel
Weslo: Inclusion is incredibly important. I think ACL, it’s organizers, and bookers do an amazing job bringing in queer artists. I have been able to see so many over the last few years. Did you get to see anyone here? Lil Nas X? Boy George, Izzy Heltai?...
JWR: Sadly, because of the tour, no. We have been doing red-eyes to come in and make these events. Usually I come in, play, and go to bed (laughing). So I’m sad I missed Lil Nas X but hoping to catch Kacey Musgraves tonight.
Weslo: That will be a great show.
You covered I’ll Stand by You by The Pretenders. You did it magnificently. It has millions of streams… Do you plan on covering any other artists' songs in the future?
JWR: That’s a great question.
We have been covering Welcome to the Black Parade (My Chemical Romance) on the tour. But we’ll have to see. I enjoy singing so many… I’ll keep you posted.
Austin City Limits 2022 | Jake Wesley Rogers | Photo Credit: Jakob Wandel
Weslo: Your outfits for live shows are Everything! What inspires you in picking your wardrobe? Are you inspired by other artists?
JWR: This outfit I’m wearing now is like a red dandy number inspired by the movie The Velvet Goldmine, it’s like an unofficial David Bowie bio pic and there’s this one scene where a character is wearing this dandy outfit — I did a photo shoot for Vogue, they had me wear something similar, and when i wore it, I felt I had been there before. So I wanted to make something, something to recreate that feeling.
But you know before every tour, I think about what I want to wear, feel like, and present to my fabulous audience. But yes, I’m proud to say all the costumes from my tours are made by queer designers— which is always very exciting to me. I love a great collaboration between creative minds.
Austin City Limits 2022 | Jake Wesley Rogers | Photo Credit: Jakob Wandel
Weslo: I love that.
Many queer artists I see perform to tracks in the background. You not only have a full band but you are also slaying it on the piano. Has that always been the vision?
JWR: When it comes to music, for me personally, it’s always been me and the piano. I don’t think that will ever change. As far as having a band to perform with, it just feels right to me.
Weslo: Well, I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with us. You’re an amazing talent and we wish you all the success. You have our full support.
JWR: Thank you for that, I appreciate you as well.
Make sure to check out Jake Wesley Roger’s new EP LOVE
The EP includes two brand new songs “My Mistake” and “Call It Love” along with previous releases, “Modern Love,” “Lavender Forever,” which he performed on ELLEN, “Dark Bird” and the most recent “Hindsight” from the Billy Eichner film Bros.
Jake Wesley Rogers to Perform at Austin City Limits
Rising superstar Jake Wesley Rogers is set to play ACL both weekends with sets Sunday 10/9 and 10/16 @ 1:15pm on the Miller Lite Stage. Attendees will not want to miss this electrifying, live show.
With the release of new song “Hindsight” for gay rom-com film, BROS this past Friday, major buzz is surrounding up-and-coming queer artist and advocate Jake Wesley Rogers.
Jake released his first major-label single “Middle Of Love” last May, Paper Magazine said “Give Jake Wesley Rogers a stadium” and now he is performing in arenas across the country, opening for Panic! at the Disco.
“Hindsight” along with earlier releases from this year including “Modern Love” and “Lavender Forever” which he performed on Ellen and HBO Max’s Legendary can be found on Jake’s upcoming EP.
"My new song Hindsight is very special to me, especially since it will be the end title track in Billy Eichner’s historic new film, “Bros”—the first gay rom-com made by a major motion picture studio. I wrote it with my go-to collaborator Justin Tranter, as well as the producer, Jason Gill. The song is about looking back at the past and longing to make the future better, by actually living and loving (and dancing) to your fullest potential." – Jake Wesley Rogers
Interview coming soon.
Queer Synth-Rocker Caleb De Casper Performs at Austin City Limits Festival
Austin, Texas– Caleb De Casper, the “alternative diva crowds want to rally behind” (Austin Chronicle) will be playing Austin City Limits Festival on weekend one, Sunday, October 9th on the Barton Springs Stage at 1:15pm before synth-poppers, Muna. As always, the show promises to be spectacularly unforgettable, but De Casper and the band have new surprises in store for the ACL audience. As Culture Map declared last month, "If theatrics are what you are after, don't miss this performance." The classically-trained artist was previously scheduled for the following weekend, October 16th at 11:15am, but was moved to a more ideal time slot.
The queer, electronic glam-rocker was invited to join the lineup of the popular festival (which draws crowds of 450,000 yearly) after a whirlwind year, which included the release of his new album Femme Boy, the designation of Caleb De Casper Day by the City of Austin on April 21st and being named June Artist Of The Month by tastemaker radio station KUTX FM. The artist also performed at The Long Center for a 2,000 cap Pride event, shared the stage with Big Freedia and A Giant Dog in front of packed crowds, as well as landing notable press including Teen Vogue and an interview on one of the most popular queer podcasts in the country, Feast of Fun.
Up next for De Casper is an otherworldly video steeped in fantasy and mythology for the single “Do You Feel” directed by Mexican filmmaker Robbie Cabrera. Stay tuned…
Photo by Stephanie Tacy
STEWART TAYLOR RELEASES VISUAL FOR SONG, “MAYBE WE SHOULDN’T TALK”
Stewart Taylor is out now with the visual for “Maybe We Shouldn’t Talk”, his catchy true-to-life pop tune about breaking ties with an ex-lover. Directed by Benjamin Farren and filmed primarily at Vasquez Rocks National Park in California, the video depicts the unraveling of Taylor’s last serious relationship. “It can be extremely difficult to move on from someone you love,” he reflects, “even when you know it’s bad for you. Sometimes the only thing you can do to stop the unhealthy cycles of a toxic relationship is to stop talking altogether.” Stewart Taylor’s "Maybe We Shouldn’t Talk" is being distributed independently and is available on Apple Music, Spotify, and all digital platforms.
“My ex and I argued over anything and everything,” Taylor continues from his LA home. “If there was a boundary that I set, he would cross it every time. I’m not saying he was a bad person. I did things, too, that hurt the relationship. It’s just that we all have our demons. I didn’t respond well to his and he didn’t respond well to mine. Some people simply shouldn’t be together.”
The video for “Maybe We Shouldn’t Talk” reflects on the song’s portrayal of the struggles of a venomous relationship. Taylor made sure to include a game of tug of war to depict the constant push and pull. There are also scenes with the two lovers chasing one another, battling it out and then passionately making up, all in front of a fantastical canyon backdrop. “It was fun to recreate my life through the lens of fantasy,” he says. He admits he took some creative license. “Did my ex and I ever fight and chase each other through a desert? No. But it’s more interesting to recreate our dynamic against that backdrop because it represents how it often felt for me emotionally.”
Jake Dean Taylor plays the role of the ex-boyfriend in “Maybe We Shouldn’t Talk”. Australian Actor Stephen Multari and up and coming pop artist Kelechi also play troubled love interests in the video. Dancers are Kyle McCraw and former Glee cast member RILAN. Julie Vegliante, who has worked with Lady Gaga, choreographed the video. The role of the snake is played by Beau, a real-life sweet and well-behaved python that was provided by the same family of handlers who supplied Britney Spears with the seven-foot python she performed with in her “I’m A Slave 4 U” production at the 2001 VMA’s.
Stewart Taylor is an LA-based singer, songwriter, dancer, and MMG model. He grew up in a small town outside of New York City, performing in local talent shows and Lower East Side clubs. He graduated from Boston’s Berklee College of Music.
He has collaborated with a number of Grammy-nominated songwriters and producers including Charlie Puth, Kara DioGuardi, (P!nk, Katy Perry) and David Pramik (Selena Gomez) and has released multiple singles, notably 2019’s “Mess Your Hair Up,” 2021’s “Cover Boy”, and 2022’s “Maybe We Shouldn’t Talk,” a song Stewart Taylor premiered earlier this summer at California’s first-ever Venice Pride Festival.
“My look, sound, and artistry have changed dramatically since I first started releasing music in 2015,” Stewart Taylor acknowledges. “Back in college, I was heavily inspired by David Bowie and everyone I came across expected me to sing rock music. I love rock, but my heart is in soul and pop, more in the line of early George Michael and Prince. I’ve worked hard to get in touch with the R&B influences I grew up on and I’ve become a better dancer, singer, and songwriter in ways that I never could have imagined a decade ago.”
If there is one thing Stewart Taylor has learned these past few years, it’s the importance of great friends, creativity, and walking away from unhealthy relationships. “I learned the hard way that being half of a destructive duo will never make a person whole,” he says. “Walking away is so much easier said than done, but if I can leave the toxic relationship I was in, I believe anyone can.”
Stewart Taylor’s “Maybe We Shouldn’t Talk” is being distributed independently and is available on Apple Music, Spotify, and all digital platforms. Visit stewarttaylorofficial.com. Follow on IG @imstewarttaylor
Non-Binary Queer Femme Artist THE ORACLE Releases “Cloud 9 Angel” Visual
The Final Single from Debut EP, Lost Amulet
THE ORACLE returns this month with a new visual for “Cloud 9 Angel”, the final chapter of their debut EP Lost Amulet. The track is magical, dreamy, ethereal; it celebrates the abundance of nature by offering a moment of surreal escapism. Reflecting on the fantastical whimsy of the song, THE ORACLE and co-director Laura Weyl @metametagasm shot its visual in several iconic NYC locations including the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, and on the historic carousel in Prospect Park.
“We aimed to capture the crystal desert, a beautiful place of dreams, in the visual,” THE ORACLE explains. “When I think of the crystal desert, I think of Brian Froud’s Faerie realm, the sandscapes in the sci fi classic Dune, as well as the hallucinatory visual landscapes of the liquid planet in Solaris. The crystal desert can be a wondrous place, but it is also treacherous with danger lurking in hidden corners. It is best to travel over it securely with a loved one at your side.”
“Cloud 9 Angel” is one of the six tracks on THE ORACLE’s debut EP from August 2021, Lost Amulet. In the album, the nonbinary queer femme artist blends a love of poetry with soaring vocals, a futuristic sound, and deeply emotional narratives. “Cloud 9 Angel” stands apart from the other moody tracks on the EP due to the hopeless romanticism and naivete of the lyrics and sound. No other track on the EP features the bouncy glitches, progressive drums, and soaring melodies that carries this track.
“Cloud 9 Angel was written while a friend and I were on crystal cave exploration in Riviera Maya, Mexico,” THE ORACLE continues. “The song came to me with the beat, a progression of dreamy, enduring and playful love between two souls. Galen Tipton provides the production, which is a satisfying blend of drum, bass and twinkly pop beats.”
The song relates to THE ORACLE personally because they are a self-identified hopeless romantic who works to paint the reverie of love through all of their relationships. “I am deeply spiritual, a dreamer, but also woefully timid. It can be hard to relate my deepest wishes to someone I care about when there is so much fear involved. My heart wrote the song from this state of mind.”
THE ORACLE was born in Jerusalem, Israel as Julia Sinelnikova and until five-years-old, lived in St. Petersburg, Russia. Now living in Brooklyn, NY, THE ORACLE remains an artist, working predominantly in sculpture, lighting design and performance, but also currently expanding their expressiveness into recording and DJ production.Their music has become a soundscape for THE ORACLE’S video art and light art ideas to come together through performance. “I want my music to encourage psychedelic exploration, excessive dreaming, and the imagination of new, utopian and dystopian worlds,” THE ORACLE sums up. “Through listening to my songs, I aim to reveal my personas and the details of the worlds in my mind to my audiences.”
THE ORACLE is nearly ready to reveal their ORACLE666 album, the follow-up to Lost Amulet. A music video shot at THE ORACLE’s NYC studio and at The Invisible House in the Joshua Tree Desert is forthcoming, from that album.
Follow THE ORACLE on Instagram.com @ or_acle. Other links.
New music video - BIG DIPPER w/ TT The Artist + cameo from Nicole Byer pole dancing
Queer internet rapper BIG DIPPER releases A ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids’ inspired music video for HAM AND CHEESE. Featuring TT The Artist, a 3D world of meats & cheeses, and a pole dancing cameo from Nicole Byer!
Big Dipper - HAM AND CHEESE (feat. TT The Artist)
The music video for HAM AND CHEESE is a fantasy world where Big Dipper, TT The Artist, and their dancers, shrink to miniature proportions and get jiggy in a grocery bag, a baseball mitt, and on a picnic table in the park all surrounded by giant food items.
Featuring a bikini clad pole dancing cameo from everyone's favorite BBW queen Nicole Byer, the video for this high energy club track makes you want to shake your ass on a ham and cheese sandwich (apologies to the vegan contingency).
Of the collaboration with TT The Artist, Dipper said “Working with TT was so great because she is such a good writer, sounds amazing on any track she works on, and she was so down to play around with this wacky idea we had for the video!”
This is the first of 3 music video releases slated for Big Dipper for summer 2022, following a brief hiatus after his video for BACK UP OFF ME came out in 2020.
The HAM AND CHEESE music video was created in collaboration with animator Michael Chadwick, editor Julian Lormant, choreographer Melissa Schade, and stylist Patrick Gainer with custom clothing pieces by airbrush artist Malcom Stuart.
HAM AND CHEESE was written by Big Dipper and TT The Artist, with music production by So Drove, who created all the music for Big Dipper’s EP: THE HAM AND CHEESE EP (May 2020). Past collaborations between the two include Big Dipper’s body positive viral anthem LOOKIN.
MARTINA PETRIC AND PERCY RICHTER LIT UP THE LGBTQ+ LOVE
The artist with residence in Spain and the musician located in England, featuring for the first time a song that celebrates daily love and positivity. Petric and Richter were inspired by their stories inviting us to dance, making us remember the most important: love is love, it is lightning and healing.
A dance melody produced by Petric, that gained its upbeat style fromRené Roco, in which the artists seek to convey more positive feelings about romanticism. ‘Bringing along more awareness to our LGBT+ community, we want to leave a message with our music. In this single we have decided it would be about love, intimacy, affection, understanding that we live in a complex society that most of the time we don’t allow us to love and be ourselves; society of which we were victims’, they have said.
‘If there is someone that is suffering, dealing with hate, abuse and fear, we would like them to listen to this song, understand the message, watch the video and feel a glimpse of hope, peace and affection. You are not alone, there is an enormous force that is with you’.
‘One More Night’ video clip was recorded with a hi8 camera, directed by Martina Petric. It shows daily lives of LGBT+ couples bringing us closer to the intimacy and home feeling in a potent and exciting way.
'We expect that people will dance, sing and dedicate this song'. ‘One More Night’ the desire to repeat what makes us feel good every single night.
Ashlee Keating's Fierce New Song "Saucy" is a Must for Your Summer Party Playlist
Ashlee Keating is ready to take the pop music scene by storm with her new single “SAUCY” and forthcoming EP. The hot new single has quickly become an anthem for both female-empowerment and the LGBTQ+ community. The track was created by the top-tier team of producers Tommy Brown (who works closely with Ariana Grande), YNG Josh and Nick Cooper. While the vibrant “Saucy” music video racked up over 100K views in the first week since its release, directed by Combina Key and choreographed by Shirlene Quigley.
Ashlee Keating “SAUCY” Official Music Video
As a Billboard-charting music sensation, Ashlee is a true multifaceted talent. Her music is a perfect mix of upbeat and inspirational, with lyrical themes of loving yourself and living your best life. Between her colorful style and dance-worthy music catalog, Ashlee has also become highly regarded within the LGBTQ+ community as an ally and activist. She strives to spread messages of love, positivity, and confidence through all of her work. Making major strides in the music industry, Ashlee’s recent single “YASSS” garnered over 1-Million streams on Spotify while her singles “Hurt Me So Good” and “Bad Mistake” spent weeks on the Top 20 Billboard Dance/Club Chart.
Born and raised in Southern New Jersey, Ashlee discovered her love for music at a young age. She made her Broadway debut at only 6-years-old, playing ‘Gretl’ in the national tour of “The Sound of Music” (alongside Richard Chamberlain). Shortly after, she was cast as the lead role of “Annie” at the famous Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia. Ashlee has since been seen as a contestant on CBS’ “Star Search”, a member of Radio Disney’s “Up and Coming Artist” Incubator Program (performing for artists such as Demi Lovato, Keke Palmer, & Raven Symone), in acting roles in movies such as “The Bandit Hound”, and with her holiday single “Ice Kingdom” featured in Coca-Cola’s ‘52 Songs of Happiness’ campaign.
Ashlee loves to use her platform for good, giving back to philanthropic organizations supporting women empowerment and the LGBTQ+ community. Over the years, she has worked closely with GLAAD, Girl Up, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Outside of her music career, Ashlee likes to stay active with her passions for fashion, dancing, pilates, make-up, traveling, and fitness. She also loves spending time with her pomeranian puppy Koko.
Stay tuned for upcoming Unleashed LGBTQ exclusive interview with Ashlee Keating.
MUSIC & SOCIAL MEDIA:
Instagram | TikTok I Twitter | Facebook |
Music: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube
Website: ashleekeating.com
FELIX III DEBUTS “THE SOUNDS I MAKE” VIDEO TODAY
Queer, Mexican-American musician and composer FELIX III releases his new video for "The Sounds I Make" today. FELIX III’s music focuses on giving into carnal pleasures at the cost of mental wellbeing – and centers around unlearning the damage caused by poverty, homophobia, higher education, heartbreak and the great sadness of not living up to the American Dream that we are conditioned to believe in as our ultimate goal.
Of “The Sounds I Make” and its accompanying video, FELIX III says: “This song is about dancing away your problems. ‘The Sounds I Make’ is my lyrical mantra. It is facing the things you aren’t happy with in your life, and letting them go. Every sound you make is a chance to grow, learn and expand your potential. I used Big Room style beats with rave-ready anthemic synths to drive the song forward, much like life. Then I used a modulating vocoder to change my voice as the song progresses like the way we change our points of view as we mature and grow wiser.
The video is shot vertically. We want you to watch it on your phone, just like everything else. “The Sounds I Make” was shot in a swimming pool, a bathtub, and at the ocean. I wanted to capture the vulnerability of being in and beside a body of water. Water can be both healing and dangerous - one minute we are floating at the top, and the next we are under the waves. Being in water is also a place where we cast aside inhibitions and expose our bodies. As the ingenue in the video, we wanted that voyeuristic side of the starlet in the swimming pool gazing at the Hollywood producer debating how far he would go to get the part.”
FELIX III is the official artist-in-residence for OUTsider Fest – an Austin-based transmedia nonprofit that celebrates the bold originality and creative nonconformity of the LGBTQ+ communities through the presentation of provocative, overlooked and out-of-the-box film, dance, theater, performance art, music, writing and visual art. Through OUTsider Fest, FELIX III will be the recipient of the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts Grant). The residency began with a performance earlier this year and will continue with the presentation of a semi-surreal feature film to be shot this year and premiere in 2023.
FELIX III will perform at Brooklyn’s 3 Dollar Bill on July 20.
Felix III: Instagram / Spotify / Apple Music / TikTok / Twitter
Ash Gordon Releases New Single “Cosmic Colors” feat. Trixie Mattel
June 3, 2022 – LGBTQIA+ music maven Ash Gordon is making her long-anticipated debut as a solo artist with her new single “Cosmic Colors” featuring world-renowned drag queen Trixie Mattel. A feel good track complete with acid-trippy lyrics, “Cosmic Colors” brings a taste of early 2000’s girl bands and modernizes it for 2022 and is Ash’s self-proclaimed “favorite piece of ear candy ever.”
“Cosmic Colors” is available to stream now at https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/ashgordon/cosmic-colors-feat-trixie-mattel
On the new release, Ash shares: “If Scott Pilgrim vs. The World had a female lead, this would be the song you hear when she beats the bonus level and makes out with her manic pixie dreamboat.”
“My favorite songwriter in the world has teamed up with my favorite drag queen in the world,” adds Trixie.
Alongside the release, Ash Gordon has announced that her debut solo double albums, Ash Gordon and Ash Gordon II, will be available on July 15. Complete with collaborations from Trixie Mattel, Alaska Thunderfuck, BONAVEGA, Earl St. Clair, Bob the Drag Queen, and many others, the albums provide sixteen psychedelic songs that perfectly encompass Ash’s lipstick garage-rock vision.
Ash Gordon Tracklist
1. Alright Alright Alright
2. Good On Ya
3. I Wanna Be A DJ
4. Cosmic Colors (feat. Trixie Mattel)
5. Nice Personality
6. Feel Like This (feat. Marty James)
7. YES
8. Come and Get It (feat. Earl St. Clair)
Ash Gordon II Tracklist
1. Everyone Is A Little Bit Gay (feat. Alaska Thunderfuck)
2. WIN/WIN
3. Viva Electric (feat. Bob The Drag Queen)
4. Chicka Boom Boom
5. Hit Different
6. All I See Is Gold (feat. BONAVEGA)
7. Connection
8. I Want It
Ash Gordon is a guitar slingin' New Yorker residing in LA. As founder of The Blah Blah Blahs, she's been styling songs for music artists, film, and TV over 10 years and will be making her debut as a solo artist with an upcoming lipstick garage-pop double album featuring the likes of Trixie Mattel, Alaska, BONAVEGA, and many more.
D’Arcy Releases New, Highly Anticipated Single “Crazy”
Today, NYC singer-songwriter D'Arcy shares a brand new single entitled "Crazy," alongside a music video and live video performance.
Speaking on the track, D'Arcy wrote:
"'Crazy' is about falling in love with someone and being transported into a different world where just the two of you exist. It is about wanting to feel that intense emotion no matter the cost, which sometimes can result in darkness. I really wanted the lyrics to capture what it feels like to really fall in love for the first time, where your whole world becomes this other person and you would do anything to keep that feeling alive."
On its accompanying music video, she continued:
"We spent a whole night and day shooting this video in and around Los Angeles. Is it a dream ? Is it real ? The character in the video is based on the female lead of a movie script I’m currently developing. Collaborating with director Mynxii White, she really helped me capture the fantasy elements that show the intensity of emotion the character is experiencing."
D'Arcy's debut EP, Hard to Kill, came out last year. The EP consists of six tracks, including three that are new: "Forever Numb," "Dangerous," and title track "Hard to Kill." Thematically, the EP focuses on self-empowerment, young love, addiction, and heartbreak. At times dark and moody, and at times strong and powerful, Hard to Kill is imbued with honesty, attitude and confidence, taking the listener through a range of emotions, sounds and narratives.
D’Arcy is a new alternative artist most recently deemed “our favorite thing to come out of NYC” from the ultra hip indie music outlet When The Horn Blows. Her debut EP Hard To Kill, released Aug 6 2021, has over 500k streams, and coincided with her 40 city tour across the US. The EP was also a success at college radio being spun at 65+ radio stations, and making the top 20 on over 10 stations.
“Mulit-Dimensional” and “Alluring,” D’Arcy has received incredible praise from Grimy Goods, EARMILK, Flaunt, and Under The Radar.
The Queerties, the Awards Show that Celebrates the Best in LGBTQ Entertainment and Pop Culture, Premieres on Revry and YouTube
New York, NY – March 14, 2022: The Queerties 10th anniversary award show will begin streaming on Revry and YouTube on Wednesday, March 16, the first time in its history that the fully-produced live show ceremony will be viewable on national TV. The Queerties is a celebration of entertainment and pop culture moments that defined the past year in the LGBTQ community. Produced by the LGBTQ entertainment news site, Queerty, the ceremony is designed to uplift and spotlight LGBTQ creators, tastemakers, and storytellers who are not often recognized at other award shows. “We’re like the People’s Choice awards, but super gay, and with way more drag queens,” says Dan Tracer, Queerty’s Editor in Chief who co-hosts The Queerties 10th anniversary award show with RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World’s Mo Heart. This year’s event honors Pose’s Michaela Jaé Rodriguez with the Icon Award and RuPaul’s Drag Race season 13 winner Gottmik with the Groundbreaker Award. Celebrities appearing at The Queerties 10th anniversary award show include Murray Bartlett (White Lotus), Robin De Jesus (Tick Tick Boom), Amy Schneider (Jeopardy!), Ryan O’Connell (Special, Queer as Folk), Aubrey Peeples (Nashville), and a bevy of RuPaul’s Drag Race favorites including Bianca Del Rio.
Nominees for The Queerties 10th anniversary award show were selected by the editorial team at Queerty. Winners were then voted on by Queerty readers. Queerty received over 1.4 million votes for categories ranging from the “Badass” award, honoring the top LGBTQ newsmakers, to “Closet Door Bustdown”, recognizing brave notables who shook up mainstream America with their coming out stories. “When folks are out and proud, and making waves in the world, we think it’s important to honor that,” continues Tracer.
The Queerties 10th anniversary award show is packed with comedy, fashion and over-the-top fierce lewks, but there is a serious side to the ceremony, too. “A large reason for this event is to shine a light on independent LGBTQ artists,” says Scott Gatz of Q.Digital, the parent company of Queerty. “Whether they are creating indie music videos, web series, YouTube content, TikToks, or posting on Instagram, the Queerties strives to honor creatives who are making content, with or without the support of a brand or a studio.”
Queerty decided to televise this year’s ceremony after the success of last year’s virtual event. “While we were thrilled to be able to return to an in-person celebration for The Queerties 10th anniversary award show, with a fully vaccinated and tested crowd, we wanted to viewers at home to join the party as well,” Gatz explains. Revry, America’s first LGBTQ streaming network, made for an ideal partner. The show will also stream on Queerty.com and Queerty’s YouTube and Facebook channels.
“We have so much to celebrate this year,” says Dan Tracer. “The LGBTQ community made significant strides in pop culture that will have a lasting impact on the next generation of queer youth.” He points to Queerties Icon Award Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, a trans women of color who made history this year as the first trans actor to win a Golden Globe, and the first trans woman to earn an Emmy nomination in a lead acting category; both for her work on Pose.
In her Queerties acceptance speech, Rodriguez reflects on her career accomplishments and the legacy she hopes to leave. “All I wanted to do was inspire the youth. To encourage them to dare to be who (they) are and never be afraid of what anyone says. Instead, challenge them to be more open and understanding of the people that we are, which is fabulous.”
The Queerties 10th Anniversary award show will begin streaming on Revry, Queerty.com, and Queerty’s YouTube and Facebook channels this Wednesday, March 16 at 9pm ET/6pm PT. For more information and the complete list of Queerties 10th anniversary winners, visit https://www.queerty.com/Queerties2022/
Gender-Bending Queer Artist ALONE Releases “Everything”, An Ode to His Trans Siblings
Debut Single Declares “Opulence is a State of Mind”
“Everything”, the debut single from the gender-bending Queer artist ALONE, pays homage to the shiny, brassy days of Motown while also serving as an affirming ode to the Transgender Community who continue to enrich our world while battling tremendous negativity. “I want my siblings to know that they are blessed, loved and perfect just the way they are,” says ALONE, who’s own lewk blends disco-rock camp fierceness with svelte Hollywood glamour silhouettes. He wrote, composed, and arranged the soulful RnB Pop track, and topped it off with soaring falsetto vocals brimming with joy fitting for a true anthem. The song was recorded in New York City with a full live band on all-analog equipment. “It is meant to be a bright and feel-good reminder that you already have everything you need to be happy and thrive,” he explains. ALONE’s “Everything” is available now on Apple Music, Spotify and all digital platforms. Its music video is available on YouTube.
“Everything” started as a love song to a guy I was dating who had a fabulous life but couldn't stop complaining about everything,” ALONE recalls from his NYC home. “I wrote the song to try to convince him to see how good he had it and help him cultivate a spirit of gratitude.”
During the production of the song, the message grew larger than a simple love song. It became a proclamation for all to appreciate life regardless of unfavorable circumstances. "Your joy is not dependent on external factors," ALONE urges. "Right now, just as you are, you are already as good, as well and as complete as anyone can ever hope to be — and therefore you are already, in fact, everything."
“I wrote the lyric, ‘Opulence is a state of mind,’ while sunbathing on the crumbling roof of an old house I was living in,” he continues. “At the time, I was barely making rent and struggling to find work and ways to bring my music to life. I laid down a patch of Astro turf on that hot tar, covered it with a piece of leopard fabric, treated myself to a box of strawberries and felt like royalty.”
In the song’s music video, ALONE spotlights an all Trans and Gender Non-Conforming cast. “I wanted to assure the Trans and Queer youth out there that there is a family here for them and that they are beautiful, powerful and worthy,” he says. He enlisted some of the leading activists in the Black Trans Lives Matter Movement including Tahtianna Fermin, founder of Bridges 4 Life, an organization that serves Trans youth in the foster care system; Danni Gucci, founder of the #Wontberased campaign for Trans visibility; and Suburbia, a drag queen who has been featured on HBO Max’s And Just Like That, and is the founder of the POC Collective.
ALONE was born Alon and raised in Israel, in a small coastal town called Herzliya. His father died in military action when he was three and a half years old. He grew up in a household of women, with only his mom and sister. His musical influences were Prince, Grace Jones, George Michael and Sylvester. “Growing up as a Queer kid who never fully fit in anywhere, seeing a Queer artist like Sylvester was a beacon of hope,” ALONE reflects. “It made me feel like I wasn't alone, like there was a future for me and that there were others out there like me.”
Upon moving to New York City, Alon changed his name to ALONE to reclaim the word; empowering its meaning from something sad and scary to independent and in control. “Being alone is one thing everyone experiences from time to time. There is beauty and strength-building in it. The binary concept that being alone is bad and being together is good is false. Both are equally important to our growth and well-being.”
ALONE’s next single, "Fine", is currently in production and scheduled to be released on April 8th with an accompanying music video. A sultry tribute to homo- and pansexual attraction, it pays homage to 80s rock strip songs while challenging the prevalent notions of sexuality and gender.
ALONE’s “Everything” is available now on Apple Music, Spotify and all digital platforms. Its music video is available on YouTube. Visit his website and follow ALONE on Instagram @ TogethALONE.
STEWART TAYLOR IS TAILOR-MADE IN “COVER BOY”
HIS NEW SINGLE AND MUSIC VIDEO
Stewart Taylor’s “Cover Boy” is a modern pop track with a seventies’ throwback vibe about falling in love, knowing your self-worth in a relationship, and not playing mind games along the way. Produced by DWhit and co-written by Taylor with his longtime collaborator Benjamin Samama, the song also draws inspiration from bold men who take chances with their style and aren't afraid to be both masculine and feminine, glamorous and rough around the edges. “James Dean, Marlon Brando, Harry Styles, and Timothée Chalamet are by far my favorite cover boys,” says Stewart Taylor. “I've always had a soft spot for the old school, brooding, classic Hollywood types.” Stewart Taylor’s “Cover Boy” is being distributed independently and is available on Apple Music, Spotify, and all digital platforms. Its video is available on YouTube.
“I was inspired to write ‘Cover Boy’ after landing my first magazine cover for my last single, ‘Mess Your Hair Up’,” Stewart Taylor continues from his Los Angeles home. “I had just started dating someone new and the idea came to me when I felt like he wasn’t making enough of an effort to take things to the next level. I wanted to be his cover boy. I wanted to be front and center; the starring role in his life. The relationship didn't end up working out but it was a great premise for a song!”
“Cover Boy” expands both sonically and vocally from Taylor’s previous release, “Mess Your Hair Up”. “I've evolved a lot as an artist over the years. I’ve tried on different sounds and outfits, stripped those things away, started over, and have rebuilt and rebranded myself into what I feel is the most authentic me in the moment. I've come into my own with my music, dance, and fashion and everything I do now is a lot more influenced by funk and R&B while still staying very pop.”
Stewart Taylor sings in a sexier, lower tone on “Cover Boy,” reminiscent of early Robin Thicke.
The music video reflects his evolution as an artist. Directed by Brad Hammer and styled by Kiki Xtravaganza and Kályd Odeh, the video is vintage, stylish, flirty and joyful. Taylor turns out many different looks from Guess, Versace, and Chanel; surrounding himself with old vintage magazines, Polaroids, and a stereo from 1982. He even dons a triangle jacket that pays homage to Madonna and the movie Desperately Seeking Susan.
“I love bringing little moments from the past and carrying them into the future like that in videos. Hopefully some of the hardcore Madonna fans will get the reference!”
Stewart Taylor is an LA-based singer, songwriter, dancer, and MMG model. He grew up in a small town outside of New York City, where he began writing songs and performing in local talent shows and Lower East Side clubs. Since graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston, he's collaborated with Grammy-nominated songwriters and producers Charlie Puth, (Wiz Khalifa) Kara DioGuardi, (P!nk, Katy Perry) Jayson DeZuzio, (Imagine Dragons) and David Pramik (Selena Gomez).
In addition to writing for himself, Stewart Taylor has penned songs for Romanian pop star Antonia and American Idol's David Hernandez. He is an active voice in the LGBTQ+ community and his coming out story was featured in the New York Times bestselling book, It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating A Life Worth Living.
“I struggled through this last year of pandemic,” he reveals, “but I'm coming out of it wiser and more driven to succeed than ever before. I’m not waiting in the wing for the industry to shine its stage light on me. Nor am I going to wait on the side while some guy decides whether or not he wants a real relationship. My time is valuable and I’m not wasting another second.”
Stewart Taylor’s “Cover Boy ” is available on Apple Music, Spotify and all digital platforms. Its video is on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=numGLNO6B7c. Visit www.stewarttaylorofficial.com. Follow on Instagram @ imstewarttaylor.
Tom Goss and Actor-Turned-Rapper Daniel Franzese Celebrate Plus-Sized Gay Geeks with Fuzzy Cheeks in Nerdy Bear: The Remix
Last summer, Tom Goss paid homage to the subset of plus-sized gay men that enjoy superheroes and video games with his smash anthem, “Nerdy Bear.” Now he returns with “Nerdy Bear: The Markaholic Remix,” a reinterpretation of the song from the bear’s perspective, featuring brand-new rhymes by the gay community’s ultimate nerdy bear, Mean Girls and Looking actor Daniel Franzese. “The remix was my idea,” says Franzese. “When Tom’s original came out last summer, I was like ‘OMG, it's about time we got an anthem of guys pursuing us in song. We should do a remix of this track where the bear responds that he’s down to party—and I should rap on it!’” Tom Goss’s “Nerdy Bear: The Markaholic Remix (featuring Daniel Franzese)” is available on iTunes, Spotify and all major digital platforms. Its music video is on YouTube at https://youtu.be/ymiXYYHrM1k.
The friends have worked on several projects together over the past few years. Most notably, Franzese played Tom’s husband in a series of videos from the singer’s Territories album. “It’s always fun to work with Danny and at this point it seems like we’re just making up opportunities to work together,” Goss laughs.
The original “Nerdy Bear” is a pop track, with a big, snappy sound, an infectious melody, and a sultry R&B vibe. The remix—by LA-based producer Markaholic
(RuPaul, Trixie Mattel, Willam Belli)—raises the BPMs and adds slick and seductive rhymes written by Franzese. He wittily weaves explicit sexual connotations into many of the popular arcade games from the 80s, as in: “If you like whips and chains, we can do the Double Dragon,” referencing the martial arts game. He continues with “I’ll follow you down your Oregon trail and hitch on to your wagon.”
He makes similar playful associations with the shapes from Tetris, the cherries in Pac-Man and the mushrooms in Mario Brothers. The idea is not just about getting laughs; it is meant to convey the confidence Franzese and others in the gay bear community have built by not only accepting their girth, but embracing it. “It’s fun to find unique ways to amplify body positivity and happiness,” says Franzese.
Michael Serrato (Big Gay Sketch Show, Neil's Puppet Dreams), Goss’s long-time collaborator, who directed the original “Nerdy Bear,” returns to direct the remix version. “I always love the movement and cheekiness Michael brings to a project,” Goss reflects. “He can always make me smile.”
Goss brings a few smiles of his own in the video, debuting his stripper moves. He’s not quite sure where he learned them. “I guess years of taking off my clothes to try to get people to listen to my music,” he jokes.
Tom Goss was 22 and in seminary, training to be a Catholic priest, when he realized his strong attraction for plus-sized men, known as "bears" in the gay community, and nerdy ones to boot. “‘Nerdy Bear’ is authentic to my experience and relays my unique perspective that beauty doesn’t fit a standard mold,” he says.
Tom Goss’s “Nerdy Bear: The Markaholic Remix (featuring Daniel Franzese)” is available on iTunes, Spotify and all major digital platforms. Its music video is on YouTube.
Visit http://tomgossmusic.com
Follow Tom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @ tomgossmusic
American Idol David Hernandez Releases “ILY.”His Inclusive love letter
American Idol’s David Hernandez will release “ILY.”, a new summer anthem that is perfect for the Pride season, on May 21. Co-written with Stewart Taylor and produced by Alex Teamer and Push Kahlon, its powerful message is one of inclusion and how it is vital that we love one another for who and what we are. “ILY. is not pronoun specific and that was intentional,” Hernandez points out. The initial pre-chorus was written as “I wouldn’t be the man I am if it weren’t for you”. Hernandez changed the line to “I wouldn’t be who I am, if it weren’t for you”. “I want everyone to be able to identify with the song’s message. We are lacking inclusion in music and it needs to be recognized because inclusion inspires understanding and humanizes our experiences.” Hernandez’s “ILY.” is being distributed independently and is available now on Apple Music, Spotify, Tik Tok, Amazon, and all other major e-music retailers. Its music video is on Youtube.
It is important to David Hernandez that we normalize the LGBTQ experience, and instill in everyone that love is love, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. “Growing up, I was only taught the dynamic and gender roles between a man and a woman,” Hernandez reflects. “There was never any rule or guide book on how two men can coexist in a romantic relationship. Navigating it on my own has been challenging, especially when many people in the world still continue to view same sex relationships as not normal.”
The “ILY.” video, shot by Arno Diem, depicts two people in a relationship that are struggling with each other’s shortcomings and insecurities. They visit a therapist, played by trans actress, Alexa Abraxas, and discover that through the heartache, they share a common thread of love for one another and that for many, it’s the obstacles we overcome that make a relationship stronger.
Benji Schwimmer from So You Think You Can Dance plays David Hernandez’s love interest in the video. He also choreographed the dance sequence that he taught to David in two days. “I had never danced so much in my career!” David laughs. “Benji is an incredible and patient teacher. He made the experience much less stressful and really helped me to connect the movement to the music. “
“Talent is a funny thing,” Benji Schwimmer reflects from his LA home. “It sometimes means you have to deal with personalities that aren’t the easiest to get along with because it goes hand in hand with one’s genius. That was not the case with David. Here you have an artist who not only can sing the roof off but also was on time for every rehearsal, practiced till we both were hot sweaty messes and never stopped seeking the best solutions to the project at hand. Beyond all of that, David is just an awesome, humble person, and it was a true pleasure to be able to move and create with someone I now call friend.”
David Hernandez began singing at age six, starring in musicals and performing with various theatre companies. At fifteen, he started writing original music and recording his arrangements. In addition to American Idol, he has showcased his talents on The Ellen Show, The Today Show, MTV’s TRL, EXTRA, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Teen Choice Awards, Idol Tonight, FOX-TV’s Idol Gives Back. He was named among TV Guides’ Sexiest Stars and opened for John Legend at President Barack Obama’s Inauguration. His previous single, Beautiful, released in 2016 became a Billboard Top 200 Dance Chart hit.
He has released two full-length albums, 2011’s I Am Who I Am and most recently, KINGDOM: THE MIXTAPE, an album that included twenty original tracks, many of which reflected on the love and loss he experienced since rising to fame on American Idol.
David and Benji recall different experiences coming out. David’s was simple in that he phoned his mom after a breakup, crying, “Mom, someone broke my heart”. She asked, “Who baby? What’s her name?” David answered, “Shane.”
Benji’s coming out consisted of battling through fourteen years of reparative therapy within the Mormon church. He fought his temptations towards the same sex for many years until finally coming out via a 4-hour film documentary.
David Hernandez hopes “ILY.” inspires acceptance and understanding as grace and love are essential. “We are all beautiful and intricate beings that just want to love and be loved,” he says. “This Pride season, be who you are unapologetically and authentically. Break free from judgment and live your best life! ILY.”