An award winning media company committed to sharing the perspectives of people of colour from marginalised genders

Music

A Queer Valentine’s playlist gift from us to you

In a time when love might be feeling weird and unwieldy, take some time for yourself and gently sink into these songs (and maybe even have a lil dance now and then).

gal-dem staff

13 Feb 2021

Love right now is a weird thing.

Valentine’s Day is meant to be a celebration of love, but it can feel pretty unwieldy to celebrate anything right now, let alone something that is seemingly difficult to put into practice. How do we show love to our communities, our friends, our crushes, ourselves in a time where most of us can’t see one another, hold one another, touch one another?

It’s LGBTQI+ History Month right now and, for queer people, the internet has long offered a place of solace to be oneself. Even then, though, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by the current state of the world in a time when there’s nowhere else to turn. It’s difficult not to feel lonely, and Valentine’s Day – for all it is corny and co-opted by grim consumerist practice – is perhaps going to emphasise that for a lot of us.

So whether you’re boo’d up, happily single or yearning for love in this endless bloody lockdown, this is a playlist for you, made-up entirely of our fave QTIPOC artists. Dua Saleh, Kindness ft. Kelela and Syd are bringing the silky sexiness. There’s sweetness from Hope Tala, mxmtoon and Raveena, and sugary elation from Kelsey Lu, Rina Sawayama and Conan Gray. Plus the closing songs from ELSZ and Glenn Copeland are reminders of the romance and magic innate in the world around us – in a time where everything can feel bleak, centring ourselves within nature can be a really beautiful way of practising self-love.

If you can, take some time for yourself and gently sink into these songs (maybe even have a lil dance now and then, too). A Queer Valentine’s gift from us to you.

P.S. if you’d like to give a little something to help QTIBPOC feel the love, why not support the crowdfunder from our friends at queer mental health collective, Misery?