This week's "Song of the Gay" were selected by KEXP DJs Larry Rose, Stas THEE Boss, Brit Hansen, and DJ Riz in honor of Pride. Join us on June 28th, 29th, and 30th as we team up with the Wildrose for GAYEXP Pride 2019 with live performances by Adra Boo, Mandate, Mirrorgloss, and Chanarah; DJ sets all day and evening long including sets by KEXP's own DJs Riz, Larry Rose and Tim; and of course, the infamous Booty Shaking Contest on Sunday! More info here.
Citing artists like Prince and Janet Jackson as an influence, Mhysa (an alter-ego of artist E. Jane) turns to club culture to inform their R&B-tinged pop sound. They also look to gay culture. In an interview with The Quietus, they stress the importance of asseting their queer identity in their songs. "Expressing it for me is definitely important," they explain. "I’m not just interested in men and I wanted my music to reflect that. I wanted to try and explore a more expanded spectrum of gender. So when I wrote these songs I was thinking about my own queerness, how I relate to bodies. Even with stuff like the voice pitching, I was playing around with the idea of gender. It’s a big part of my world, so it was inevitability going to show in my music."
