🏳️‍🌈 Artists to Watch: Pride Month - Part 1

In recognition of Pride, we’re featuring some of our favorite LGBTQIA+ artists throughout the month of June - when you discover your new favorite, be sure to like, love, and share!

Wafia

“My existence is political, but I have so many dimensions to me, I go through heartbreak, I want to write fun songs like everyone else, and sometimes it’s political.”
- Wafia

Wafia’s (she/her) bright, poppy, synth-heavy music belies a lyrical depth that is often personal and sometimes political. Her single “Bodies” addresses the Syrian refugee crisis through a lens of unity, highlighting the need to see migrants as human beings seeking safety. While she acknowledges that her mere existence as a brown, Muslim, pansexual woman makes her a political target, Wafia doesn’t necessarily see herself as a “political” artist. She spends most of her time writing about personal experiences, including songs about falling in (and out) love and self discovery. As of May 2021, “Better Not,” her collaboration with Louis the Child, is certified platinum.

Listen to Wafia on YouTube or Spotify

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10 attributes that make Wafia's audience unique

1. Audience skews Asian and higher income
2. Candy + 0.44
3. Gym Enthusiasts + 0.34
4. Streamers + 0.29
5. Natural Health and Beauty + 0.26
6. Ridesharing Users + 0.25
7. Bottled and Flavored Water + 0.23
8. Investigative Journalism Podcasts Listeners + 0.22
9. Super Premium Whiskey + 0.20
10. LGBTQIA + 0.19

Perfume Genius

“I don't know if I am a role model, but I've had young kids write to me. I try to write songs that I wish I would have heard when I was younger.”
- Perfume Genius

Michael Hadreas (he/him), better known as Perfume Genius, creates music that alternates between seeming contradictions — from intimate to anthemic, melodramatic to raw, his vocals polished in one moment and gritty the next. His layered, intricate sound has made him a darling of fans and music critics alike since the release of his first album, Learning. With each successive album, Hadreas has grown as a musician and songwriter while maintaining a lyrical intimacy and emotional honesty. His vocals reflect his lyricism, ranging from fragile and breaking to powerful and warm, as he explores stories of queer love, introspection, and self-acceptance.

Listen to Perfume Genius on YouTube or Spotify

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MAX Artist Insights*
10 attributes that make Perfume Genius' audience unique

1. Audience skews slightly male and heavily high income
2. Hybrid Drivers + 2.91
3. Vapers + 2.69
4. LGBTQIA + 2.18
5. Men's Fashion + 2.15
6. Hard Seltzer + 2.11
7. Natural Health and Beauty + 1.92
8. Arts and Cultural + 1.71
9. Travelers + 1.52
10. Streamers + 1.50

Big Freedia

“Freedom to me can be so many things; freedom to be myself, to express myself and do the things I want to do, freedom to go in any direction I want to go in order to accomplish my goals.”
- Big Freedia

Big Freedia (she/her), aka the Queen of Bounce, helped elevate New Orleans bounce music from the underground into the mainstream. In addition to being bounce royalty, she is an author, a reality TV star, an ambassador for LGBTQIA+ visibility and acceptance, and an advocate addressing gun violence in her local community. She has collabed with artists from Beyonce to Kesha, and most recently worked with artist Elohim on their fierce self-love anthem “STRUT.” While her music is high-energy and up-tempo, Big Freedia doesn’t shy away from weighty subjects in her other ventures. Her documentary, Freedia Got a Gun, shines a light on the epidemic of gun violence in her home community, which took her own brother’s life in 2018. On and off the mic, Big Freedia is a powerful voice for her community.

Listen to Big Freedia on YouTube or Spotify

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MAX Artist Insights*
10 attributes that make Big Freedia's audience unique

1. Audience is primarily female (71%) and Black (+ 2.06)
2. Budget Conscious + 2.23
3. Hybrid Drivers + 1.32
4. News and Current Events Podcasts Listeners + 1.15
5. Moms + 1.14
6. Standard Wine Drinkers + 1.11
7. Ethnic Haircare + 1.00
8. College Degree + 0.93
9. Arts and Cultural + 0.88
10. LGBTQIA + 0.88

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