Celeb News: Olly Alexander:It's sad gay popstars don't use male pronouns

Robert

Quote:

'Real' is one of the few moments on the album where there's a gender specific reference that you're singing the song about a male lover. Was keeping that more neutral throughout the rest of the album a case of allowing a wider audience to be able to relate to it?

"Most of the album is written like that because that's how I've grown up listening to songs. I've thought a lot about this, that relationship of 'you and I' is so prevalent among music and all my favourite song-writers. I remember listening to Joni Mitchell and how she would write songs, and she was talking about how as soon as she put herself in, then that 'you and I' relationship is what unlocked all the songwriting places for her. I think that's just how I learnt to use my voice as a songwriter, like whenever I write a diary because I wanted to hide who I was writing about, it would always be 'you and I'. But then it was important for me to get some male pronouns in some of the songs, so I did it for 'Real' and 'Memo', and then one song on the deluxe. It is kind of sad to me that we don't have gay popstars singing about men using a male pronoun, but that could change hopefully."

It feels like music is in a good place for gay artists, but do you think there is still some way for it to go yet in terms of letting artists truly be honest in their work if they have to appeal for a mainstream audience?

"I think there are a lot of factors involved with mainstream success. There are loads of reasons why an artist is successful and I think what people loved about Sam [Smith] was that it felt like it was coming from an authentic place. But I think, yeah, there's still a way to go. I'd like to hear a gay artist express their sexuality in a really open way. That's something I've sort of tried to do a little bit on this album, but to be able to talk about sex is possibly new for gay artists, so I'd like to see that in the mainstream. I think you're right - music does feel like it's in a much more accepted, tolerant place; even with Miley Cyrus, when she doesn't identify with either gender, and we're getting used to these ideas of about non-binary gender, which is a good thing."

source

KillingYourCareer

Well, a certain formerly bisexual chanteuse released a song called "I Miss Her".

ElevateHigher

Bad Blood

Doesn't Ciara sing about men?

P!nkism

The straight male popstars pander to the gay
The gay male popstars pander to the straights

SlayingOnTheEarth

Quote:

Originally posted by rihCanna

Doesn't Ciara sing about men?

Yes, on the album she actually managed to release.

Truth Teller

I'll never understand why there's an obnoxious minority of fans that put pressure on gay artists to use pronouns, as if our pop girls use "he" in every song. Most songs are written in second person anyway. Minus some corny str8 guys who still say "girl" after every line.

BadBoy

Queen spilling the hot tea.

SlayingOnTheEarth

Quote:

Originally posted by Truth Teller

Tacky.

I'll never understand why there's an obnoxious minority of fans that put pressure on gay artists to use pronouns, as if our pop girls use "he" in every song. Most songs are written in second person anyway. Minus some corny str8 guys who still say "girl" after every line.

They do tho...

How is that tacky? He's gay singing about men and using male pronouns. You're reply is tacky, "Truth Teller". Olly's stance? Not so much.

ezra

Yeah it would be nice if more guys did it. I don't think either Adam or Sam on their new albums do this.

Paramore

Quote:

Originally posted by KillingYourCareer

Well, a certain formerly bisexual chanteuse released a song called "I Miss Her".

About an ill family member. A quick Google search does no harm.

KillingYourCareer

Quote:

Originally posted by Paramore

About an ill family member. A quick Google search does no harm.

oop, then Olly is right.

M!X

Quote:

Originally posted by ezra

Yeah it would be nice if more guys did it. I don't think either Adam or Sam on their new albums do this.

Adam has a song called 'These Boys' on his new album and on his first album his Gaga penned song 'Fever' has lyrics that say there HE goes, my baby walks so slow.

Truth Teller

Quote:

Originally posted by SlayingOnTheEarth

They do tho...

How is that tacky? He's gay singing about men and using male pronouns. You're reply is tacky, "Truth Teller". Olly's stance? Not so much.

Chill

And no, they don't. Most of their songs, if not all of them at this point, are written in second person. Sadly, while you did bother to put my name in quotation marks to act cute, you didn't bother to actually disprove my point.

Good for him for singing in male pronouns. I bought their album. But just because he does it, that doesn't mean it's some sort of obligation for everyone else to do it too.

Robert

Troye and Olly leading the way

ivi

Preach!

It should just come naturally, don't shy away from it.

Sazare

Eh. I feel like so many queer people learn to refer to their love interests gender neutrally from such an early age that writing songs in that way feels more natural. Like, even most married gay couples refer to each other as "partner" rather than "husband" or "wife." I don't think artists like Sam are necessarily scared or pandering to straights just because they don't use gender-specific pronouns (although I believe Sam has once or twice).

Even most of Y&Y's songs are written in a way that's genderless.

SlayingOnTheEarth

Quote:

Originally posted by Truth Teller

Chill

And no, they don't. Most of their songs, if not all of them at this point, are written in second person. Sadly, while you did bother to put my name in quotation marks to act cute, you didn't bother to actually disprove my point.

Good for him for singing in male pronouns. I bought their album. But just because he does it, that doesn't mean it's some sort of obligation for everyone else to do it too.

They do tho. It's implied straight women are singing about men, even when they don't explicitly say "him". A guy singing and not using pronouns, people assume it's about a woman. Therefore that's why they can be useful. We know Britney isn't singing about vagina. Or Beyonce with "Ego".

And he never said people are obligated. He said it's a shame others don't. And the fact you think so too is telling. It plays into the narrative of hiding your sexuality and being ashamed to proudly declare it.

Cupid

How is this tacky? Grow up if yall think that tbh, he doesn't need shading or attacking for saying this, it's a good thing! I think it's excellent, we need more songs which use different pronouns. Especially when they are sung by gay men, we need more men singing to men!

Nano

Acceptance of gay people isn't going to grow if we're just pandering to the straights.