Queer Jams of the Week: New Music From Sam Smith, Lola Young, Tyler, the Creator & More

As we head deeper into the summer months, keep your summer playlists fresh with some new tunes 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 Sam Smith’s tender new ballad to Lola Young’s angsty anthem, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below:

Sam Smith, “To Be Free”

Since the start of their career over a decade ago, Sam Smith became known, primarily, for their singular voice. So, for their latest single “To Be Free,” Smith returned to the roots of their talent and delivered one of their most striking songs in years. Paired only with a single guitar and a choir of soulful voices from The TwoCity Chorus, Smith lets their gorgeous falsetto narrate a story of liberation, as they celebrate their own sense of true and unabashed freedom.

Lola Young, “d£aler”

The saying goes that “wherever you go, there you are” — no matter how far you run from your problems, you can’t run away from yourself. Lola Young is looking to learn that lesson the hard way on “d£aler,” her alternative ode to the act of dissociation itself. With impeccable vocals and just enough build to give it some extra drive, “d£aler” follows Young as she declares that she’s had enough of life’s bulls–t, and she’s picking up and moving on, come what may.

Tyler, the Creator, Don’t Tap the Glass

Less than a year after the release of his critically beloved album Chromakopia, Tyler, the Creator decided to give fans a little bit more to rock with this summer. Throughout Don’t Tap the Glass, Tyler still delivers the witty bars and eclectic instrumentation his fans have come to expect, but this time through the lens of a more straightforward, dance-inspired album. Whether he’s handing out warnings on “Stop Playing With Me” or diving deep into sex and desire on “Sugar on My Tongue,” Tyler spends the entirety of Don’t Tap showing himself and his fans a good time.

Kim Petras, “Freak It”

After leaning hard into the experimental lane on her last release “Polo,” Kim Petras is firmly bag in her big bold pop bag on her new song “Freak It.” Throughout this deliriously fun new track, Petras lets her sparkling voice take control on the instantly memorable pre-chorus, before she commands her fans to … well, freak it!

Maren Morris, “Be a Bitch”

After the breakout success of a song like Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild,” here’s hoping we get to see a new trend of “Destroying the Egos of Fragile Self-Important Dudes Via Song” like we do on Maren Morris’ latest track. “Be a Bitch” centers Morris’ sharp-as-ever songwriting, as she issues a takedown for a former lover who she lived to make happy. Now, though, she’s more than happy to let them have it, as she goes for the jugular with lines like “my reputation precedes me, your hairline recedes you.” Get ’em, Maren!

JHart, “Can’t Relate”

There’s no denying that JHart, the singer-songwriter behind multiple hits by Justin Bieber, Keith Urban, Cher, Usher and others, is an undeniable talent in the music biz. Yet “Can’t Relate,” the singer’s new original song off Netflix’s new docuseries Hitmakers, feels like yet another bit of proof as he flits around this grooving track as he pushes away the negativity to embrace the good vibes he’s looking for.

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