(And embrace this energy ↓)

The older I get, the more I appreciate summer. The more it feels like what I’ve spent the year waiting for. Maybe it’s the sun’s warmth on my skin or the sight of people outside everywhere I go, but the summer air, I swear, contains some magic. And even though there seem to be infinite reasons to love summer, I still find more reasons each year.

While the changing of the seasons usually leaves me feeling quite contemplative, summer is the one that brings me out of my head. It pulls me outside, challenging me to see how long I can stay out at night. Seattle summers are an especially magical experience. It stays light until 10 pm and stays within the 70°s almost every day. It really feels like the light at the end of the rainy, dreary tunnel.

Growing up in San Diego, summer also feels like home to me. I’m most comfortable in the heat, when I get to lose the layers and let myself bask like a lizard. Summer feels like a homecoming in a way, like I have returned to the natural state of the world. It warms me on the outside, yes, but it does just the same on the inside.

The music I listen to during the summer is a bit different from my usual routine. I focus less on the details and intricacies, and more on the emotion and energy a song emits. I can think later, but for me, summer is for living.

This summer playlist is fun. It’s alive. It’s music that requires action. Some songs are made for a picnic in the park. Others are perfect for a night on the town. All of the songs on this playlist would make a great soundtrack for a lively little summer walk, headphones on, groove in your soul.

This playlist has been mine, but now it’s yours. Go live, laugh, love, and take full advantage of the sunny season.

With joy and warmth, I wish you the best summer of your life.

𓆉°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Summer Forever

Links to the complete playlist are waiting for you at the end :-)

1. Tender As A Tomb

Tennis

2. Summerboy

Lady Gaga

3. 420!!

Frog

4. The Idiot’s Maze

Tucker Zimmerman, Big Thief, Iji, Twain

5. Only One I Want

Bones and Jones

6. Me Myself and I

De La Soul

7. Amnesia

M83

8. I Know What I Know

Paul Simon, General M.D. Shirinda, The Gaza Sisters

9. Music Box

Sateen

10. Madison

Drugdealer

11. The Divine Chord

The Avalanches, MGMT, Johnny Marr

12. Half Court Press

Kitty Craft

13. Lola

The Kinks

14. Good Magicians

Sidney Gish

15. Steal My Sunshine

LEN

Thanks for reading and listening! Below, you will find a recipe for berry jam. Making it is a summer tradition of mine. <3

Alison Roman’s Berry Jam

<3 Alex

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Before we get into my newest seasonal playlist, I have a few announcements!

I’ve spent the last few months pondering how to continue Funky’s Dilemma despite the growing busy-ness of my life. It’s been pretty much abandoned so far this year, but that stops TODAY!

I realized that in order to keep Funky’s sustainable, I need to take the pressure off and bring the fun back in. Here’s how I plan on doing that:

1. The Weekly Spin is now The Monthly Spin. This has been my favorite part of the blog, so I want to keep it going, just in a modified way. I’ll send one curated music exploration playlist out sometime during the month and, with more time to develop it, I’m hoping to make longer, more intensive playlists.

2. Funky’s Newsletter is currently on hold. I looooved writing it, but got to a point where it felt rushed and stressful. That is the opposite of what I want. My goal is to eventually bring it back, but sporadically instead of scheduled. That way, I feel good about what I’m putting out and you get a fun surprise now and then!

3. More album reviews! Before I started Funky’s Dilemma. I had a blog where I wrote weekly album reviews. That blog (surprise surprise) also became unsustainable, so I shifted my energy here, but I miss writing in-depth reviews of albums. I’m going to start by reuploading some reviews from my old blog here, and then start writing up new ones. Yippeeee!

In short, I want to make sure Funky’s is a space that feels exciting instead of a chore, both for me and for anyone reading. Thanks for sticking out my hiatus with me. Can’t wait to see what’s next! Now… let’s celebrate Spring! (^_^♪)

It’s spring (technically, it’s been spring for over a month now) and the world is finally emerging from the dark haze of winter. Seattle has been kind this year and gifted us with plenty of warm days, where the sun shines from dawn to sunset. Everywhere I look, my eyes are greeted with waves of green. There are dandelions scattered on nearly every patch of grass, and the trees are blooming with pink and yellow flowers.

Right before the turn of the season, I celebrated my 25th birthday, which created a bit of an existential crisis within me. Feeling rushed by time, I have been soaking in the spring and the ways it reminds me that new beginnings are always just around the corner. Whether we’re 5, 25, 55, or 85, we can be sure that as long as we’re still alive and breathing, a new spring will be waiting to greet us.

Spring laces itself into the fine line between winter’s isolation and summer’s company. It is bright, but not blinding. Warm, but not sweltering. Sweet, but not sickening.

Each year, spring challenges us to return to the outside after the emotional, mental, and physical hibernation of the winter. It beckons us to leave our jackets at home, even if we might feel a bit chilly later in the day. It’s the beginning of the warmth that will turn into heat. Spring gives us chance after chance to start again, whether we take it or not.

To me, spring sounds light and free. It’s gentle music paired with heavy lyrics. It’s the sound of getting lost in your neighborhood or reading a new book on a park bench with birds crowing nearby.

This spring, I’ve crafted a playlist that encompasses all of these concepts. Give it a listen while you take a stroll and let the spring energy lead the way. I hope this spring revitalizes you and gives you the perfect canvas to paint your own new beginning.

◦°˚ヽ☻ノ˚°◦

Spring Forever

Links to the complete playlist are waiting for you at the end :-)

1. April Come She Will

Simon & Garfunkel

2. Sprout and the Bean

Joanna Newsom

*Original not available on Spotify*

3. Haunted Mountain

Buck Meek

4. Gentle Hellraiser

The Army, The Navy

5. I Belong In Your Arms

Chairlift

6. Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys

7. Jennifer Juniper

Donovan

8. The Rain the Park and Other Things

The Cowsills

9. I Don’t Know

Beastie Boys

10. Blossom

James Taylor

11. The Circle Game

Joni Mitchell

12. Changes

Joy Oladokun

13. Casual Drug Use

Katie Gavin

14. Sou Fera

Julia Mestre

15. Bluebird

Paul McCartney & Wings

16. This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)

Talking Heads

17. Blue Skies

Noah & The Whale

Thanks for reading and listening! Here’s one of my favorite spring recipes to brighten up your season <3

NYT Lemon Squares

<3 Alex

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Winter can be intimidating, at least for me, as its arrival seems to take so much that was loved and leave so much to be missed.

It is a season of contradictions. It’s the pure white flurries that become filthy, brown sludge. It’s frigid winds and freezing fingertips, greeted by blaring fireplaces and the drench of sweat. It’s footsteps cemented in snow soon to be smothered by nothingness. It’s the end of the year and the start of another. It’s cold, deep cold, begging to be met with even deeper warmth.

Winter is where our bodies and spirits conflict, where parts of us yearn for hibernation while other parts mourn the spark of possibility present in warmer months.

There are plenty of songs about winter, most of them Christmas songs, but in my seasonal playlists, I try to go beyond songs that directly reference the seasons themselves (with exceptions of course). Instead, I let myself ponder what the season sounds like, what it feels like, and what it is at its core. This is what I came up with.

Winter sounds like solemn ballads, restrained diddies, and grounded anthems. Keeping in line with the contradictions of the season, music that evokes the feeling of winter is larger than life, yet still able to fit in the palm of your hand.

As you hibernate (or resist hibernation) in the coming months, I hope this collection of songs can help keep you and your heart warm. <3

Winter Forever

Links to the complete playlist are waiting for you at the end :-)

1. A Hazy Shade of Winter

Simon & Garfunkel

2. martingale

Searows

3. Put Me Down

The Cranberries

4. My World Fell Down

Sagittarius

5. Corpus Christi Carol

Jeff Buckley

6. River

Joni Mitchell

7. TLC Cage Match

MJ Lenderman

8. Don’t Delete The Kisses

Wolf Alice

9. Stardust

John Coltrane

10. Happen

Nick Hakim

11. Those Memories of You

Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris

12. Little Mermaid

ash tuesday

13. Don’t Dream It’s Over

Crowded House

14. You May Know Him

Cat Power

15. Soul-net

DIIV

16. Mysteries (1)

Beth Gibbons, Rustin Man

17. Transatlanticism

Death Cab for Cutie

As always, I’m glad to have you here with me. Wishing you a cozy winter ahead. Maybe these cookies will help. Stay warm! <3

NYT Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread Cookies

<3 Alex

This declaration is ridiculous for two reasons. Firstly, Jojo’s music is capital H Horrendous. As someone who tries to find a bright side of even the worst music, I have continuously come up empty with her. Secondly, Gay Pop has been alive and well for decades. There are mixed opinions when it comes to defining Gay Pop. Some people view it as pop made by gay people, others view it as pop made for gay people, and some view it as music that simply sounds gay. For this piece, I’m going to define it as all three.

Gay Pop contains a myriad of things. It’s a sound, an energy, and an ideology all wrapped up in one. I’ve found that the queer community has a tendency to over-label itself. In attempting to make space for everyone, we often create more boxes and restrictions than we had before, and so I will reject doing the same in this piece. Gay Pop is as diverse and unique as the community it’s designed for, and that’s one of the reasons it’s so appealing, so I’ve compiled a list of Gay Pop songs that truly represent the genre in all it’s glory.

Seeing as October is LGBTQ History Month, let’s celebrate the joys, celebrations, sounds, and ideals our community has instilled in our music for years. Below, you’ll find a chronological journey through Gay Pop and all of it’s iterations from 1976 to today.

I’m sure I’ve left off some Gay Pop classics, so tell me in the comments if I missed your favorite. Enjoy!

☆ Full playlist links at the end ☆

1976

“Killer Queen” by Queen

The first stop on our journey is 1976. Freddie Mercury is often considered the father of Gay Pop, years before that term was ever uttered. In leaning in to all of the flamboyancies and theatrics of the queer community Queen revolutionized the music scene by bringing a community that was still largely functioning underground to the main stage. Queen challenged the industry by asking what if music was not just performance and emotion, but a whole production, akin to a Broadway musical? Although Freddie Mercury never got the chance to publicly come out before his death, he remains one of the most influential queer artists to ever grace the stage.

1980

“I’m Coming Out” by Diana Ross

In 1980, Diana Ross released “I’m Coming Out,” which is one of the longest standing gay anthems. Although Ross never intended for the song to be a gay anthem, the song’s cowriter and producer Nile Rodgers did. After a visit to a Manhattan gay club where he saw a group of Diana Ross impersonators, he was inspired by how much Ross resonated with the queer community. Soon after, “I’m Coming Out” was born and us gays were gifted a song that still resonates today.

1981

“Pull Up To The Bumper” by Grace Jones

Grace Jones is one of my favorite queer icons of all time. A model, singer, and fixture of the gay mecca Studio 54, Jones has spent her career celebrating the queer community and being celebrated right back. I find Jones to be deeply under appreciated these days, and I encourage every queer person to familiarize themselves with her discography and cultural impact. Constantly pushing the boundaries of gender and self expression, Grace Jones is a trailblazer and her song “Pull Up To The Bumper” is a shining example of the origins of Gay Pop.

1983

“I’m Still Standing” by Elton John

Obviously, I couldn’t compile a Gay Pop masterlist without Sir Elton John. There were lots of songs I could’ve chosen, but “I’m Still Standing” not only represents Gay Pop, but gay resilience, a trait even more important in the 80’s than it is today. After coming out as bisexual in a 1976 Rolling Stone interview, John was cemented as a queer legend and continued on to have a career full of radio hits and critical acclaim.

1984

“Love Shack” by The B-52’s

The B-52’s are one of the gayest bands of all time, with four out of the five original members identifying as LGBTQ+. “Love Shack” on it’s own is a resounding queer anthem, fully wrapped in campy, theatrical fun. The song’s music video is equally as iconic in queer musical history, with a cameo from a 29 year old RuPaul before he had made a name for himself in the music world. As the AIDS epidemic ravaged the gay community in the 1980s, songs like “Love Shack” brought some much needed relief and happiness to a grieving community.

1986

“West End Girls” by Pet Shop Boys

“West End Girls” is a perfect meeting place for the Gay Pop sounds of the 80s and the incoming sounds of the 90s. Not only was the song a staple in gay clubs at the time, but it was also written and performed by Neil Tennant, an openly gay man. Pet Shop Boys is another act that I believe is under appreciated by the current gay community, but their contributions to the Gay Pop genre are unmatched and remain significant today.

1990

“Vogue” by Madonna

Talk about a gay anthem! Madonna has been considered a queer icon for the entirety of her career, and has long embraced the LGBTQ+ community that has sustained and inspired her music. After seeing dancers voguing at The Sound Factory, a Manhattan nightclub that played a crucial role in developing the house music scene, Madonna decided to rename and rework a song she had been developing. The song was an instant hit, acclaimed by both the public and critics. “Vogue” is one of the first examples of a mainstream pop star openly embracing and appealing to a queer audience, a trend that has only grown through time.

1993

“Supermodel (You Better Work)” by RuPaul

In 1993, RuPaul Charles burst into the mainstream with her song “Supermodel (You Better Work).” RuPaul is now best known for her reality competition show, but she has been a pillar of queer entertainment long before Drag Race. Reaching #2 on the US dance music chart, “Supermodel” is a staple in gay clubs and continues to reach queer audiences today.

1998

“Believe” by Cher

Cher has been viewed as a queer icon for decades, in part to her ability to continuously reinvent herself and her sound. Fully embracing the autotune sound that emerged in the late 90s, Cher’s “Believe” solidified her role and impact on dance music. The song is still featured on almost every gay-oriented playlist I’ve seen, and is an excellent example of the Gay Pop sound of the new millenium.

2004

“Flawless (Go to the City)” by George Michael

Alright, alright, alright. It’s time to talk about George Michael, and how his best work continues to be severely slept on. His 2004 album, Patience, is one of my favorite records of all time, and represents a moment in time where queer artists could finally completely embrace and lead with their queerness. After being forced to come out in the 90s, Michael created what I consider to be the Gay Pop-est album of all time. The eighth song, “Flawless (Go to the City)” is a song made for the club, strutting around your neighborhood, or walking the runway. It’s empowering, flashy, and gay as hell.

2010

“Dancing On My Own” by Robyn

Robyn’s 2010 hit “Dancing On My Own” was almost immediately picked up and claimed by the gay community upon it’s release. Although it’s written from the perspective of a straight women, many gay men have resonated with both the sound of the song and the story of watching someone you love publicly fall in love with a woman. Robyn wrote a pop song from the perspective of an outcast, something that rarely happens, and in doing so created a Gay Pop anthem.

2011

“Born This Way” by Lady Gaga

I consider “Born This Way” to be the most explicit Gay Pop anthem of all time. There is no questioning the meaning or intention behind the song, and the impact of one of the world’s biggest pop stars releasing a song embracing the LGBTQ+ community is still felt today. There’s a reason so many queer people consider Lady Gaga their favorite artists. Never before had an artist opened themselves to the queer community so openly, and Gaga’s own bisexuality makes this a song written by a queer person for queer people.

2013

“Closer” by Tegan and Sara

Ah, Tegan and Sara. The band composed of two gay, twin sisters has long been a beacon of lesbian representation in the music world. Their 2013 hit topped Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Songs chart upon its release, and continues to be a Gay Pop standard. This song also marks a pointed turn in our journey, where lesbians joined gay men and straight women in the Gay Pop arena. Artists like Tracy Chapman, KD Lang, and the Indigo Girls had already made their mark on the music industry, but their work was largely focused in the singer-songwriter genre. Tegan and Sara were some of the first lesbian artists to break through to the pop genre, and they are considered by many to be trailblazers of Gay Pop.

2017

“Cut To The Feeling” by Carly Rae Jepsen

Carly Rae Jepsen is an artist who can almost credit her entire career to the LGBTQ+ community. After the release of her smash hit “Call Me Maybe,” queer people flocked to Jepsen and continue to make up the vast majority of her fan base. Her music represents one of the most prevalent iterations of Gay Pop, and she has long welcomed queer people to relate to and enjoy her music. Jepsen is an artist who I consider to have garnered the ideal amount of success. She can comfortably sustain herself with her music, while still maintaining a manageable amount of normalcy in her life. That is thanks to the queer community that has remained loyal to her for years.

2020

“Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan

If you’ve been on the internet in any way this past summer, I’m sure you’re familiar with Chappell Roan. She has so many songs I could’ve included in this list, but “Pink Pony Club” perfectly fits the bill. Telling the tale of discovery the gay club scene in West Hollywood, the song is one of the best modern examples of Gay Pop, as is her entire debut album. “Pink Pony Club” is a song that resonates with all corners of the queer community, and Roan is one of the first mainstream lesbian pop stars to make as a large of an impact as she has. Similar to MUNA, Roan is leading the way for lesbians in the pop music scene, and if anyone should be considered a pioneer of modern gay pop it’s her. Sorry, Jojo.

2022

“Silk Chiffon (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)” by MUNA

My first thought when Jojo declared herself the creator of Gay Pop was MUNA. If we’re defining Gay Pop to be music by gay people for gay people, MUNA takes the cake. Composed of three lesbians, MUNA is a band that doesn’t just embrace their queerness, but leads with it. “Silk Chiffon,” their collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers, is the band’s biggest hit so far. MUNA, like Tegan and Sara, were also one of the first examples of lesbians staking their claim to Gay Pop, leading the way for many other artists to follow their path. “Silk Chiffon” is not just a Gay Pop anthem, but a Lesbian Pop anthem, so they get extra points in my book.

2023

“Rush” by Troye Sivan

Troye Sivan has been making a name for himself as a contemporary queer icon since the early 2010s. As someone who has been following him since his Youtube days, it was exciting to see him finally get some widespread critical acclaim for his last album “Something To Give Each Other.” The songs “One of Your Girls” and “Rush” made an especially large impact and have both been lauded as modern day gay anthems. Sivan is another artist who leads with his queerness and largely leans into the aesthetics and sounds of the gay club scene. His star power has only grown over time, so I can’t wait to see where he goes in the future.

2024

“Von Dutch” by Charli xcx

Although modern day Gay Pop has been largely dominated by queer artists (thank God!), there are still some allies out there making a splash. One of those allies, is none other than Charli xcx, the brain behind one of the year’s biggest albums, BRAT. Charli has long cultivated and embraced her queer fan base, and finally broke into the mainstream with full force over the summer. Throughout her career, Charli has been misunderstood by critics, but the queer community has always uplifted and celebrated her artistry, a loyalty she rewards by releasing gay anthem after gay anthem. Charli has also frequently collaborated with queer artists, including the late, great SOPHIE, so her art is not just enjoyed by, but directly influenced by queer artists.

2024 (Pt. 2)

“Lunch” by Billie Eilish

There’s something that feels sacrilegious about ending this playlist with a song by a straight artist, so 2024 is going to have two entries to the playlist. Billie Eilish’s journey to being a publicly queer pop star has been long, and she has had to defend herself from nasty “queer baiting” accusations along the way. The release of “Lunch” felt monumental to me and many other lesbians, as a song so explicitly lesbian had never been released and celebrated in such a major way. Ending our journey through Gay Pop with “Lunch” just feels right, as it represents the progress that’s been made through the decades. We started with a song written by a closeted gay man that has no direct reference to queerness and have ended with one of the gayest songs ever created.

Although we have come so far, the Gay Pop genre is ever-evolving and will continue to grow and shift as time goes on. I hate to break it to Jojo Siwa, but just because a genre hasn’t been formally named or labeled doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Gay Pop is alive and well.

Thanks to Freddie, Diana, Grace, Elton, The B-52s, Pet Shop Boys, Madonna, Rupaul, Cher, George, Robyn, Gaga, Tegan, Sara, Carly, Chappell, MUNA, Troye, Charli, and Billie. There are so many more queer artists to acknowledge and thank, but I’ll leave you with the invitation to explore Gay Pop on your own and find your own favorite songs and artists. Queer art forever <3

<3 Alex

Maybe it’s because there’s something profound in watching the earth shed its layers year and year again. Fall reminds us of what we once were and invites us to consider what’s next. It encourages contemplation in a way not as scary as Winter, but not as hopeful as Spring. Fall is a soft landing, a plush pillow catching our fall and granting us some comfort and pause before the cold takes over.

And I know it’s not just me that feels this way about fall. Most people I know would say that fall is their favorite season, and the internet has long loved cashing in on the coziness culture that takes hold during fall. Hi Christian Girl Autumn, Sad Girl Autumn, etc etc.

There seems to be a close-to-universal tenderness for the season. Have you ever met someone who hates fall? Probably not. Summer and winter lovers are loud, but the summer and winter haters are just as loud. Fall transcends polarization. It is the everyman of the seasons, a friend to all, enemy to none.

Every year before fall officially begins, I make a playlist. Usually, it’s been a bit of a kitchen sink situation, with me just offloading any and all Fall-esque songs I can find.

This year, I set out to be more intentional. I spent time with every choice and made sure every second of the playlist was firmly planted in the feelings of the season. I shortened the tracklist significantly and valued quality over quantity, one of the biggest playlist lessons I have learned.

Alright, enough shop talk now. It’s time to sit back, relax, and embark on a musical journey through the fall.

Fall Forever

Links to the complete playlist are waiting for you at the end :-)

1. The Great Pumpkin Waltz

Vince Guaraldi

2. Cool About It

boygenius

3. Perfect Day

Lou Reed

4. Cruel World

Lana Del Rey

5. Albert Road

English Teacher

6. Gold Dust Woman

Fleetwood Mac

7. American Teenager

Ethel Cain

8. Will Anybody Ever Love Me?

Sufjan Stevens

9. Fire and Rain

James Taylor

10. Creature Fear

Bon Iver

11. Orange

Pinegrove

12. I’d Have You Anytime

George Harrison

13. Into Dust

Mazzy Star

14. Cherry Soda (and the happy medium)

The Wisconaut

15. Leaves That Are Green

Simon & Garfunkel

16. Pale September

Fiona Apple

17. Haley

Big Thief

18. Blindsided

Hovvdy

If you’ve made it all the way to the end, here’s one of my favorite fall recipes to say thanks for reading! I hope you all have a lovely start to the season <3

NYT Pumpkin Maple Muffins

<3 Alex