Happy Lesbian Visibility Day! As usual, we prepared an article for you. This year, we’ll be focusing on the emerging lesbian artists. Remember last year when we talked about Chappell Roan right before her moment of rise to fame? You don’t want to miss out on these artists.

Cat Burns (she/her)

Cat Burns is a twenty-three year old British singer-songwriter who makes indie pop music. She began her career in 2016 with Adolescent, an extended play which was quite different in style compared to her recent music. The turn in her sound begins with her 2020 single titled go. Two years later, it caught the attention of listeners through Tik Tok. In the same year, she released her EP emotionally unavailable. The title track talks about the trauma that causes people to become emotionally unavailable, while at the same time being grateful towards her partner for giving her the time she needs to heal. 

The emotionally unavailable project would become part of her debut album early twenties. Her melodies are often guitar-led, with honest and vulnerable lyrics that explore the struggles of our generation. It is an impeccable time capsule of what it feels like to navigate adulthood. With subjects such as low self-esteem, people pleasing, ghosting and sleep at night, she points out the issues that are prominent in young people nowadays. In an interview with MTV, Cat Burns opened up on her process of accepting her lesbian identity — which is very similar to a lot of lesbians, including mine. Her song boy crazy looks back on her younger self with kindness and understanding of how difficult it is to accept an identity that doesn’t center around men.

Her debut album is a masterpiece that is worth listening to, and her most recent single shows she’s only getting better. GIRLS! is a lesbian anthem that talks about loving girls. It’s such a sweet like honey track which highlights the best parts of being a lesbian. Cat Burns is already on her path to fame, with over three million monthly listeners on Spotify. The ease at which she puts difficult emotions into words is her strength. It is what makes even a casual listener feel seen and comforted.

Gia Woods (she/her)

Gia Woods is a pop musician from Los Angeles, California. She’s been around for almost a decade, and we’ve been listening to her for just as long. Her first single Only a Girl released in 2016 talks about the understanding found in dating the same gender. The same year, Gia Woods collaborated with Matoma on the track Heart Won’t Forget, which now reached more than 10 million streams.

Heart Won’t Forget contains outwardly gay lyrics, which is rare for mainstream electronic music. This was only the beginning of Gia Woods’ electro pop influences. Her first extended play CUT SEASON showed her potential when it comes to making unforgettable music. The project has a unique sound, and the lyrics are brutal in their honesty. Gia Woods leans into the villain narrative, embracing all of her flaws. In 2021, she released her next EP titled Heartbreak County, Vol. 1 which contains the iconic lesbian anthem Next Girlfriend. 

Gia Woods doesn’t shy away from controversial subjects, sometimes venturing into dark pop such as with Oh My God. Her lyrics are cutthroat, but at the same time she speaks of what most people won’t admit — which highlights her humanity. Releasing Hello as her lead single off Heartbreak County, Vol. 2 was a bold choice. She continued with one of the best lesbian tracks to have graced our world, Lesbionic. Gia Woods is confident in her sexuality, showcasing lesbian desire as natural and pleasurable. It is reclaiming hypersexualisation and validating our lesbian desire. 

Peach PRC (she/her)

Peach PRC is a twenty-eight year old Australian pop singer. Her genre could best be described as bubbly pop, with her hyperfeminine stage persona going along with the sound. Although she began her music career in 2019, it was only in 2022 that she found most of her listeners. Her song God Is A Freak went viral on Tik Tok, reaching more than 23 million streams on Spotify. The lyrics question the ridiculousness of the views that affect queer people. Peach PRC makes a point of questioning why we, as queer people, would be interested in being devoted to God if he is indeed focusing on hatred instead of having other priorities? 

This isn’t the first nor last time Peach PRC has been bold in her discography. Her single Like A Girl Does compares how much better sleeping with women is versus sleeping with men. She is calling out the guys who have the audacity to think they can “turn” lesbians straight. Not only is it hyper pop perfection and hits all the right marks in both the lyrics and music production, it is also hilarious to listen to. 

Peach PRC has been open about her struggles with mental health, childhood trauma, substance abuse, toxic relationships and figuring out her sexuality. Manic Pixie Dream, her first EP, encapsulates these themes and gives comfort to those who have lived through similar experiences. Although a lot of her songs are heavy, Loved You Before is a particularly sweet ode to being in a sapphic relationship. The lyrics affirm that the two people must have met in past lives, for their love and connection is too great to be explained. Peach PRC is a rising pop star, and she’s just getting started. 

Déeyess (she/they)

Déeyess is an indie-pop musician who has just began their career. Her first single Cherry Pie (i think i love you) was released in 2023. It details a sexual encounter that meant a lot more to the narrator than the person they were with. Although the lyrics showcase obvious hurt and resentment, the strings and upbeat rhythm make for a soft indie song. An opposition between the lyrics and the production is a pattern for Déeyess. 

Déeyess’ music is for the sad lesbians, who are used to unrequited love. She explores her feelings towards this girl who is allegedly straight, yet lead them on by being with them. It’s an unfortunate experience, almost a rite of passage, that happens to most lesbians. Her single Claire, released in summer 2024, continues the narrative they’ve explored since Cherry Pie (i think i love you). 

Déeyess released the EP by the same name earlier this year. The production of Claire is a perfect exploration of heartbreak, with dreamy vocals that almost make the lyrics seem sweet. Almost, since the more you listen, the more the sadness that hides behind Déeyes’ magical voice becomes visible. if i was ur boy shows how the only thing standing between her and this girl is Claire’s denial of her own sexuality. love u (from afar) is an angrier version, admitting that they will stay away from her until she figures herself out. A notable aspect of Déeyess songs are their bridges, which take a step back from the romantic production to revel in the heartache. Déeyess is an artist to be watched. She has the potential to be one of the bigger names in queer indie pop. 

Carol Ades (she/her)

Carol Ades is a twenty-nine year old American singer-songwriter. She began by releasing music under the name Caroline Pennell, under which she had two EP’s and an album, as well as a few singles over the years. Carol Ades has been a songwriter for many known artists, such as Zara Larsson, Gracie Abrams, FLETCHER and Selena Gomez. She rebranded her career under the name Carol Ades in 2021, releasing some singles as well as her extended play Sadtown USA in 2022. Two years later, she released the song Better Than You Found Me off what would be her debut album. 

Despite receiving a lot of streams for her song Crying During Sex, it wasn’t until last year when she released her first album Late Start that she attracted a bigger audience. One of the next singles, Dreams, talks about yearning and pining over someone she cannot have. It’s an upbeat track and Carol Ades’ vocals on it are the embodiment of gay yearning. The admiration and desire she has for this person become palpable in spite of the atmosphere of the lyrics. 

Although fitting in the criteria of pop, most of her songs could be part of a romcom or coming-of-age film. The music production is cinematic, starting softly then reaching great heights. Everything Else Is Just Noise sounds as if it is about a romantic relationship, but what inspired the artist is her emotional connection to the queer band MUNA. Her album Late Start touches on themes such as growing pains, complicated family dynamics, long distance relationships and learning to co-exist with hope and fear. Even though it took her a while to be here, Carol Ades isn’t late and she’s not going anywhere.

Katie Gavin (she/her)

If you’ve heard of the band MUNA, then you should be familiar with the name. Katie Gavin is the front woman and vocalist of the band, a Chicago-born thirty-two year old artist. Having been part of MUNA since 2013, Katie Gavin embarked on the solo project adventure way before the release of her debut album, What A Relief. Although people were panicking about her leaving the band, the artist reassured everyone that this was solely a project, and that MUNA was her “primary relationship”.

The first single off her album is titled Aftertaste, explaining an encounter with an ex which she hasn’t moved on from, to the point of where she feels “naked” because of the emotions she can’t hide in front of this person. All lesbians have been there, as we get very attached to our partner. When it ends, it’s difficult to let go of both your significant other and the person who became your best friend. The sound is very representative of the direction in which album went, which makes Aftertaste a great first single.

It’s easy to see why Katie Gavin chose to put these songs in her solo project — the production is much more laid back, prioritising vulnerable lyrics and string instruments. It delves into indie folk, whereas MUNA is more electronic and indie pop. Some of the prominent themes in the solo album are the exploration of complex relationships, addiction, learning to be on your own, and intergenerational trauma. The latest offers us two songs which Katie Gavin said are her favorites, The Baton and Inconsolable. The beauty of the songs is that despite the heavy subjects, they are far from hopelessness. Inconsolable tells the story of a couple where both people come from families that didn’t know how to show affection or love towards each other. It is an ode to healing your inner child in order to have healthy relationships. What A Relief is a beautiful body of work, Katie Gavin showing she is capable of versatility through this facet of herself.

Nxdia (they/she/he)

Nxdia is a twenty-four year old Egyptian-British musician in the alternative pop genre. They began producing their own music after moving to the UK at the age of eight. Their first single titled Eyes On Me was released in 2020, which is when they started making content on Tik Tok. He became popular on the platform, which brought him an audience of over 700 000 subscribers in two years. They released their single OUCH! in 2021, a song about falling out with a friend. It is her first song sang in both English and Arabic, which would become her indicative.

In 2023, Nxdia came out with her first extended play in the flesh, which dealt with themes such as overthinking, people pleasing, and complicated relationships. The same year, they took inspiration from one of their teenage diary entries about their crush on a girl who liked a boy to write She Likes A Boy. The song was promoted on the same platform, becoming highly anticipated. Released in January 2024, the track now has over 55 million streams on Spotify, becoming Nxdia’s most listened track. The beat and the repetitive chorus make for a catchy song, but it’s more than that. It describes the questioning that happens when we don’t understand why a girl liking a boy affects us so much. It is a feeling a lot of lesbians can relate to with the discovery of their first sapphic crush. 

Following the success of She Likes A Boy, Nxdia released Jennifer’s Body. It references the horror film by the same name while talking about a toxic relationship that the narrator can’t quite escape. They keep coming back despite knowing the girl they’re coming back to is not good for them. It is one of their most pop-leaning tracks, though their usual genre is alt-pop. Nxdia writes compelling lyrics with a production that is both original and effective when it comes to staying in our minds. 

CATTY (she/her)

Catty is a Welsh born London based independent artist. She started her career by being in the duo Dusky Grey in 2016, and went independent after being dropped by her label in 2019. She released her first single Bella Donna in 2021, a lesbian anthem about being obsessed with a girl who has her wrapped around her finger. The music production is best described as elevated pop, with hints of the pop rock sound Catty leans into for her next songs. 

Catty became an artist to watch in 2024 when she released I Dated A Monster. It’s a haunting track about remorse over dating the wrong person. It is the single where we discovered Catty, the style of her music and her unique voice catching our attention right away. It sounds like it belongs on the soundtrack of a modern gothic horror film, the electric guitar adding onto the music production. The lyrics are particularly important for late bloomer lesbians who dated men before realizing their sexuality, such as myself. It is cathartic as much as it is haunting.

Catty’s following single would provide the name for her first EP, Healing Out of Spite. It’s almost a follow-up to the previous single, being much lighter in the production. While I Dated A Monster was full of regrets, Healing Out of Spite reflects on her experiences and letting go of the regret. Catty’s first body of work as an entirety is very strong, which makes us excited for the future of her career. 

Hope you enjoyed reading the article and discovering all these artists who deserve your attention. To make it easier to stream their music, here’s the playlist with all the songs mentioned in the article: 

If you’re just finding out about queer music, you can find the household names as well as common lesbian issues in this article for last year’s Lesbian Visibility Week: