The New Guard of Queer Country Music
Photo Credit: T.J. Osborne / Instagram
by Timothy Rawles Mar 11
17 MIN READ
Much like sports used to be, country music was also a homophobic workspace. No matter how talented you were, or determined, if you were gay, it was best to stay in the closet or just kiss your Grand Ole Opry dreams goodbye. Today it’s a different story and while the country music scene is still a conservative one, queer folks now have zero interest in hiding who they are, and to them, storytelling is still a musical art no matter what lane you choose. Some of these trailblazers are listed below. All of them talented and worth a listen on your music app. Turn up the volume, let your hair down and your Pride flow!
Orville Peck
Orville Peck hasn’t just infiltrated the country music scene he’s officially incorporated it into the LGBTQ+ community as a brand. Where the genre was once dedicated to pining about heteronormative relationships, Beck inserted same-sex ones, and no one batted an eye. His music is boisterous, theatrical and above all else relevant.
T.J. Osborne (of Brothers Osborne)
Talk about being brave, T.J. Osborne threw the music industry a curveball. When he came out, he and his brother John were already big names in country music with huge numbers ones like “It Ain’t My Fault,” and “All Night.” Then T.J. let the world know in 2021 that he is gay. It was a game-changer, he became the first A-list country star to be gay and have a contract with a major country music label. The industry didn’t collapse and neither did the groups fan base. In fact, the reaction was positive and supportive, another sign that subverting the dominant paradigm creates cultural change.
Brandi Carlile
Perhaps now considered a veteran in the country music landscape Brandi Carlile has become an icon in the industry. The Grammy-winning artist couldn’t care less about what people think about her sexuality; with her dedicated humanitarian away from the stage, it’s probably the furthest thing from her mind, especially as a mother and wife. After all is said and done Carlile is still doing tours and filling seats. Her powerhouse vocals are what matters and people seem to understand that.
Amythyst Kiah
The term “Southern gothic” sounds foreboding. And it is. Maybe “Alt Blues” sounds better. Musician Amythyst Kiah does both while keeping her queer black identity intact. Her songs capture the rootsy parts of South while still being firmly set in rock. Her song “Still + Bright” is a haunting mixture of saloon style live music with a pop style beat which sounds more mainstream than down home. This isn’t what traditional country sounds like but we appreciate the expansion.
Adeem the Artist
If you’re looking for some real country twang for nostalgia’s sake, Adeem the Artist lives in that space on the country charts. Their storytelling is reminiscent of artists like Hank Williams or even Patsy Cline. Fearless and uncompromising, Adeem the Artist doesn’t sanitize the message and clearly doesn’t need validation.
Fancy Hagood
Country artist Fancy Hagood used to be a pop singer. Apparently, that wasn’t his true calling because today he’s a successful country singer and he’s leaned completely into it. Listen to his pure country tune “Ever Really Ready” from his latest album to understand his style. It might be a little twangy for some, maybe not enough for others, but it’s pure gold through and through.
Ty Herndon
Gender pronouns in songs mattered back in 1995 when Ty Herndon’s hit “What Mattered Most” charted at number one on the Country Chart. The song is about a man regretting that he never saw what was in his girlfriend’s heart. It’s beautiful. Except it’s not technically honest. Herndon came out in 2014, a brave thing to do even later in life. Thankfully he amended that in 2019 by singing the song using male pronouns at Pride events. Herndon is still booking gigs and making albums, but now from outside the closet.
Orville Peck hasn’t just infiltrated the country music scene he’s officially incorporated it into the LGBTQ+ community as a brand. Where the genre was once dedicated to pining about heteronormative relationships, Beck inserted same-sex ones, and no one batted an eye. His music is boisterous, theatrical and above all else relevant.
T.J. Osborne (of Brothers Osborne)
Talk about being brave, T.J. Osborne threw the music industry a curveball. When he came out, he and his brother John were already big names in country music with huge numbers ones like “It Ain’t My Fault,” and “All Night.” Then T.J. let the world know in 2021 that he is gay. It was a game-changer, he became the first A-list country star to be gay and have a contract with a major country music label. The industry didn’t collapse and neither did the groups fan base. In fact, the reaction was positive and supportive, another sign that subverting the dominant paradigm creates cultural change.
Brandi Carlile
Perhaps now considered a veteran in the country music landscape Brandi Carlile has become an icon in the industry. The Grammy-winning artist couldn’t care less about what people think about her sexuality; with her dedicated humanitarian away from the stage, it’s probably the furthest thing from her mind, especially as a mother and wife. After all is said and done Carlile is still doing tours and filling seats. Her powerhouse vocals are what matters and people seem to understand that.
Amythyst Kiah
The term “Southern gothic” sounds foreboding. And it is. Maybe “Alt Blues” sounds better. Musician Amythyst Kiah does both while keeping her queer black identity intact. Her songs capture the rootsy parts of South while still being firmly set in rock. Her song “Still + Bright” is a haunting mixture of saloon style live music with a pop style beat which sounds more mainstream than down home. This isn’t what traditional country sounds like but we appreciate the expansion.
Adeem the Artist
If you’re looking for some real country twang for nostalgia’s sake, Adeem the Artist lives in that space on the country charts. Their storytelling is reminiscent of artists like Hank Williams or even Patsy Cline. Fearless and uncompromising, Adeem the Artist doesn’t sanitize the message and clearly doesn’t need validation.
Fancy Hagood
Country artist Fancy Hagood used to be a pop singer. Apparently, that wasn’t his true calling because today he’s a successful country singer and he’s leaned completely into it. Listen to his pure country tune “Ever Really Ready” from his latest album to understand his style. It might be a little twangy for some, maybe not enough for others, but it’s pure gold through and through.
Ty Herndon
Gender pronouns in songs mattered back in 1995 when Ty Herndon’s hit “What Mattered Most” charted at number one on the Country Chart. The song is about a man regretting that he never saw what was in his girlfriend’s heart. It’s beautiful. Except it’s not technically honest. Herndon came out in 2014, a brave thing to do even later in life. Thankfully he amended that in 2019 by singing the song using male pronouns at Pride events. Herndon is still booking gigs and making albums, but now from outside the closet.
Copyright EDGE Media Network. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
