GAYLETTER

Since I’m an admitted omnivore of all forms of LGBTQI media, there isn’t much that sweeps through the gay cultural landscape that I don’t at least warrant a passing glance. As such, I sat through the music video for Houston rapper Fly Young Red’s infamous new single ‘Throw That Boy Pussy‘ last week, an experience that deeply challenged my ability to objectively examine the work of this queer artist without wanting to a.) bash my head into my fucking desk and/or b.) roll my eyes until they were fixed in the back of my skull. I’m all for Fly Young Red leveling the playing field for gay hip-hop artists looking to apply hallmark conventions of rap to their own experiences, but there’s so much about this song that just doesn’t get it right. Can’t we get someone to make gay raunch rap who has a better flow and won’t slap an inherently misogynistic chorus on his lead single?

Needless to say, ‘Throw That Boy Pussy’ disappointed me. So I decided to go on a search for some other music videos that feature gay artists/imagery/content (broad parameters, I know, but c’mon — there really isn’t much out there for us). The five clips below run from hip-hop to indie pop to electro, but each of them are definitely visual treats.

 
#1. Thiago Pethit – Moon

In this NSFW clip for Brazilian cutie Thiago Pethit’s 2013 single, ‘Moon,’ model/actor (and my new obsession) Lucas Verissimo finds himself embroiled with a gang of street hustlers after a fight with his girlfriend. Director Heitor Dhalia sets the clip in black and white, probably to make sure the cast looked extra stunning romping around gorgeous apartments with each other. Be forewarned, the video features lots of sex (both gay and straight) and a pack of wolves (obviously). Also, this GIF.

#2. Le1f – Boom

There’s no one in the current realm of gay-identifying artists that revitalizes my faith in the queer community quite like Le1f. To coincide with the release of his major label debut EP, Hey, the fast-rhyming talent (real name Khalif Diouf) dropped this clip for infectious lead single, ‘Boom.’ With some excellent over-the-counter-at-a-diner choreography and first-class shots of Diouf passing blunts in hazy blue neon lighting, there’s no doubt that this wunderkind’s time as a hip-hop phenom has officially arrived.

#3. VV Brown – Faith (feat. Kele Okereke)

Classically-trained British pianist VV Brown’s stark black and white video for her ballad ‘Faith’ features a guest spot from Bloc Party’s openly gay frontman Kele Okereke. The entirety of the video hones in on VV’s gorgeously face-painted visage, but it’s Okereke’s voice, threaded through the track’s chorus, that really ratchets up this darkly electronic torch song’s impact.

#4. Baathhaus – Cave Song

Ok, yes, the lyrics on this one are a little glaring (“we will fuck to love/we will love to fuck you, too”, etc.). Regardless, there’s something endearingly campy about the glitter-smeared video for this Chicago synth pop group’s first single. The band says they drew inspiration from Daario Argento’s Suspiria and James Bidgood’s Pink Narcissus for the clip, and it certainly shows: there’s enough pink lighting and slimy Italo-horror elements here to put us all into a 70’s state of mind for a good week.

#5. Shura – Touch

British/Russian indie darling Shura put together a “snog fest,” as she puts it, for this clip for her debut single ‘Touch.’ Pretty much every permutation of kissing shows up in this irresistibly pretty video, as pastel clouds float around a bunch of hipster kids locking lips. It doesn’t get anymore undeniably warm and fuzzy than this.