Queer Jams of the Week: New Music from Lil Nas X, Elton John, Brandi Carlile & More

With the end of the year fast-approaching, now’s the best time to tune into some of the best new songs from your favorite queer artists. Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.

From Lil Nas X’s long-awaited new single to Elton John’s new collaboration with Brandi Carlile, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:

Lil Nas X, “Light Again”

Ladies and gentlemen, Lil Nas X is back. With his new(ish) single “Light Again,” the 25-year-old pop culture phenomenon proudly arrives ready to party, spitting out bars about where he’s headed and declaring himself the “king and the jester” of pop music. With some house-inspired production and a ballroom-adjacent bridge breakdown, Lil Nas makes sure to sink his catchy hooks into you before the song is over.

Elton John & Brandi Carlile, “Never Too Late”

Even at 77 years old, Elton John wants to make sure you know that it’s “Never Too Late” to make a change. On his new duet with folk hero Brandi Carlile — which serves as the de facto theme song for his new documentary of the same name — John looks back foldly on a career filled with massive, groundbreaking successes, and then trains his eyes on the future. Armed only with a piano and some light drums, John and Carlile make excellent partners on this lovely new addition to the legend’s discography.

070 Shake, Petrichor

070 Shake has always been an experimenter at heart — but with Petrichor, she draws that label out to its fullest vision. Throughout this excellent new album, Shake plays with rock, pop, R&B, rap and just about every other musical concept that she can think of (including a left-field TIm Buckley cover with Courtney Love) in order to weave her particular tale of heartbreak and self-evaluation. She promises that “I remember everything” on immediate standout “Elephant” — and with the rest of Petrichor, she proves it, too,

Cat Burns, “Teenage Dirtbag” (Wheatus cover)

If you’ve been to a Cat Burns show in the last few years (or, hell, if you follow her on TikTok), then you already know that the rising UK singer has an affinity for Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag.” Now, with her own recorded version, Burns takes her queer-bent version of the track and gives it the full single treatment — guitars, drums and an astonishing amout of vocal melodies join in as the singer begs Noelle to “listen to Iron Maiden baby with me.” We’re sold, and after your first listen, we guarantee you will be, too.

Teddy Geiger & Yaeji, “Pink Ponies”

Ahead of Transa’s full release next week, Red Hot shared two more singles off the ambitious project for fans. While Julien Baker, Calvin Luber, SOAK and Quinn Christopherson certainly shine on their cover of Belle and Sebastian’s “Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying,” we’d like to focus on electronic star Yaeji and singer-songwriter Teddy Geiger’s stunning original “Pink Ponies” for a moment. On this gorgeous, hypnotic new song, both Geiger and Yaeji reflect on the often painful-but-beautiful truth of finding yourself in another person. It’s yet a stunning addition to what promises to be a deeply meaningful album.

Jordy, Sex With Myself And It Lasts Longer

Why not close things out with something fun? After laying himself bare (literally) on his last album Sex With Myself, Jordy is here to take a victory lap with the album’s deluxe version. Throughout his five steamy new numbers, Jordy keeps the dance-fueled highs of the original album intact as he takes you on a self-guided tour of his latest sexual encounters. But it’s on closer “Drinking of Me” that Jordy lands on something different — a hyperpop-assisted kiss-off where he bids is former flame adieu with a flexed middle finger. If that’s the energy you’ve been looking for in recent weeks, then look no further.

Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s 2024 Queer Jams of the Week playlist below: