With LGBTQ+ Pride Month nearing its end, we are spotlighting artists across the Latine diaspora who are also a part of the queer community. Remezcla’s Pride theme this year is joy, so we compiled a list of songs where queer Latine artists celebrate who they are. Artists in the LGBTQ+ community are making waves in music beyond June, so this is a friendly reminder that their stories should be heard all year round.
Latine acts in the LGBTQ+ community have become the biggest stars in the world today. Dominican star Tokischa, who is openly bisexual, is collaborating with global stars like Madonna, Marshmello, and Rosalía. In addition to helping take dembow music to the mainstream, she also recorded the corrido “Kilos De Amor” last year with Natanael Cano. At the Grammy Awards in February, two queer Latine acts were nominated for Best New Artist. Brazilian superstar Anitta, who identifies as bisexual, was up for the top honor with Mexican-American singer Omar Apollo, who is openly gay.
One of the first major Latine pop stars to come out as gay will be hitting the road again this summer. Mexican singer Christian Chávez reunited with his band RBD, and since announcing the Soy Rebelde Tour earlier this year, the pop group has sold out stadiums in the U.S., Mexico, and Brazil. “To be on stage again, being myself, without any restraint? It’s going to be something really incredible,” Chávez told Remezcla earlier this month.
With queer Latine artists embracing who they are in their music, here are 10 songs that embody queer joy.
LoMaasBello - "Borondo"
LoMaasBello has emerged as an empowering queer and Black voice in Colombia. She identifies as non-binary trans woman. With her breakthrough single “ShutUp,” the Bogotá-based singer and rapper dropped bars about embracing the person she is without letting anyone dim her light. LoMaasBello carried that defiant energy into her debut EP Marica Negra. She also became a voice for sex workers in the trap banger “Token$,” where she highlighted the adult webcam scene in Colombia. In her latest single, the breezy “Borondo,” LoMaasBello delivers a hypnotizing performance as she daydreams about enjoying a blunt with a loved one. She channeled her joy into a feel-good anthem about self-love and self-care.
Red 6xteen - “Bando”
Artists from the Dominican Republic aren’t just helping dembow music go global. Case in point: Red 6xteen is an Afro-Dominican rapper making her mark in drill music. The openly bisexual artist sings about rap from a woman’s perspective in her captivating tracks. “When I want to express myself passionately and straightforwardly, I turn to the musicality of drill and what that can bring out of me lyrically,” Red 6xteen told Popsugar last year. In the beautiful and therapeutic song “Bando,” she sings about becoming the woman she is today by learning from the past decisions that she’s taken in her life, whether good or bad. Maybe Red 6xteen will collaborate with another openly queer artist in drill, Dominican-American star Ice Spice, in the future.
Bruses - “Más Que Amigas”
Bruses is an artist who is queering up the Latine alternative music scene. In her bio on Twitter, the Mexican singer-songwriter refers to herself as “the emo punki friki kid from Tijuana.” Throughout her debut album Monstruos, Bruses proudly embraced her lesbian identity. One of the biggest anthems on the LP was the rock-infused banger “I Like 2 Be,” where she sang about loving the person she is and not caring about the naysayers. Showing that there are no limits to her sound, she tackles synth-pop in the sweet love song “Más Que Amigas.” The song about falling in love with a friend will be included in her upcoming EP Cuando Ella Me Besó, Probé A Dios.
Yadam - “Beso”
Being born in Venezuela and later relocating to Paris, Yadam is bringing his global perspective to Latine pop. At the same time, the openly gay singer-songwriter is also bringing a new emotional depth to the genre with his powerhouse voice. One of the most striking songs in Yadam’s discography is flamenco-infused “Otras Mujeres,” where he sings about loving another man on the low. His new single “Beso” fully embodies the feeling of queer joy. In the feel-good song, Yadam sings about sharing a kiss with his lover without caring who might see them. The songs will be included on his album Belamor, coming out in September.
Nicole Zignago & Coro Gay Ciudad de México - “Rosas”
Nicole Zignago has co-written some of the biggest Latine pop songs of the past few years. The Peruvian singer-songwriter co-wrote Sofía Reyes’ “1, 2, 3” with Jason Derulo and De La Ghetto and Kenia Os’ “Todo My Love.” Kenia later used that song as a statement for her support of the LGBTQ+ community. Zignago made her debut as an artist last year with the EP Así Me Siento Hoy. As an openly queer musician, she sang about her feelings for another woman in songs like “Feelings.” In October, she teamed up with the Coro Gay Ciudad de México for her spellbinding version of the classic “Rosas” by La Oreja de Van Gogh.
Clarissa - “Ela”
There were two queer Latine artists who were nominated for Best New Artist at the Latin Grammy last year. One was Nicole Zignago, and the other was Clarissa. The Brazilian singer made a splash in 2021 with her self-titled debut EP. The very personal release followed Clarissa’s decision to come out as queer to her family and embrace love in all its facets. In the heartfelt ballad “Ela,” she sang about being enamored by another woman. She lived out that queer relationship beautifully in the music video for the song.
Willie Gomez - “Mira Cómo Baila”
Willie Gomez has served as a backup dancer for pop icons like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, and Katy Perry. “It makes me feel very proud of who I am, of who we are, and to get that support from the entire community is very special for me,” the openly gay singer told Remezcla about his LGBTQ+ fanbase last year. “I know they love the pop stars, the queens, like we all call them, so it’s awesome to get their support. It means the world to me.” Following the release of his debut album Del Cibao, the rising Dominican-American star dropped his club banger “Mira Cómo Baila.” The sexy track is perfect to dance to this Pride season and all year round.
Lali - “Obsesión”
In April, Lali released her self-titled album. This LP speaks the most to her experience as an openly bisexual artist who wants to please her massive LGBTQ+ fanbase. There are a lot of songs on it that have become anthems for Lali’s queer fans, like the fierce “Diva,” where she name-checked Britney Spears and Cher, as well as the banger “Disciplina.” In a very iconic fashion, she sampled Spears’ voice on her kiss-off track “Obsesión.” In letting an ex-lover know that she’s done with them for good, Lali used Sperars’ iconic “Stop!” from the “(You Drive Me) Crazy” remix to get her point across.
Pablo Alborán & María Becerra - “Amigos”
In 2020, Pablo Alborán came out as a proud gay man. On his latest album La Cuarta Hoja, the Spanish singer teamed up with another queer artist for one of his best songs. He joined forces with openly bisexual Argentine star María Becerra for the feel-good song “Amigos.” Their worlds collided incredibly, with flamenco from Spain meeting the reggaeton beats that have made Becerra famous. In the sultry collaboration, Alborán and Becerra trade verses about partying the night away with a group of friends. “I can see life in color / The whole neighborhood looks at us drinking the hours as if they were liquor,” they sing together in Spanish.
Esteman - “Reina Leona”
One of Colombia’s proudly gay artists released a banger just in time for LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Esteman comes through with one of his fiercest songs with his new single “Reina Leona.” He seamlessly blends the past and present with house beats colliding with a disco-inspired sound. Like Shakira encouraged us to let out the “She Wolf,” Esteman now wants listeners to embrace their inner “Reina Leona.” In a statement, he said, “A ‘reina leona’ or lion queen is a person who felt misunderstood and shunned in the shadows during their childhood or adolescence but managed to take all those difficult moments to build themselves to become a nighttime diva. It’s a song that invites everyone to empower themselves through their own identity and everything we have inside.”