19 Gender (or lack thereof): A Playlist

Keywords: Song, Gender, Trans, Pronouns (2SLGBTQ+ related)

Spotify playlist link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1x8O8tWIaWJ2yl8U0AFbhn?si=6bc782e716ef4231

Description

The first song on this playlist is ‘Boys Will Be Bugs’ by Cavetown (Genius, Skinner 2019). This song is about “the toxic masculinity toward teenage boys that is portrayed in society”, and how the artist of this song, Robin Skinner, separates himself with the stereotype portrayed, insofar that he “doesn’t wanna be mean and bully anyone; he just wants to play with bugs.” (Genius, Skinner 2019).

The second song on this playlist is ‘Daughter’ by Ryan Cassata (Genius, Cassata 2017). It is about Ryan Cassata, a multi-talented trans man’s experience of coming out to his father and how he’ll always be his dad’s “little girl” (Cassata 2022; Genius 2017).

The third song is ‘Cloud 9 (feat. Tegan and Sara)’ by Beach Bunny and Tegan and Sara (Genius et. al. 2021). It is a more inclusive version of Beach Bunny’s version of ‘Cloud 9’ that the band created in 2021, with Tegan and Sara and Trifilio using she/her and they/them pronouns, respectively, for verses following Beach Bunny’s first verse (for which Beach Bunnyused he/him pronouns for who the speaker is referring to in their song (Genius et. al. 2021).

The fourth song is ‘Not a Phase’ by Jessie Paege (Genius, Paege 2019). This song talks about the endurance of bisexual people with others believing that bisexuality is “just a phase”, and the eventual acceptance of themselves (Genius, Paege 2019).

The fifth song is ‘I’m Not A Girl, I’m Not a Boy’ by Scout Parker (Genius, Parker 2018). This song is about Scout Parker expressing their annoyance of cisnormativity, expressed in the lyrics “Just met and you think I’m someone else/While I’m tryna do me so I feel myself/Assumptions got me so annoyed” (Genius, Parker 2018).

The sixth song is ‘I Wanna Be A Boy’ by Addison Grace (Grace 2022). In an Instagram post, the artist Addison Grace (who uses he/they pronouns) stated that this song of theirs is about “not only for those who “want to be a boy” but for everyone who’s ever felt insecure about themselves and like they were somehow made “wrong”” (Genius, Grace 2022).

The seventh song on this playlist is ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ by The Cure (Genius, The Cure 2022). It is about toxic masculinity and the harmful stereotype that boys and men shouldn’t cry/express emotions, shown by the lyrics “I tried to laugh about it/Cover it all up with lies/ I tried to laugh about it/Hiding the tears in my eyes/’Cause boys don’t cry/ Boys don’t cry” (Genius, The Cure 2022).

The eighth song is ‘Stones’ by Miki Ratsula (Ratsula 2019). It is about the experiences of “a young boy who is ‘“specially different” like the artist” (Ratsula uses they/them pronouns), and “a young girl who wears “a pink dress that falls to her ankles like chains””(Galaxy Magazine 2019).

The ninth song is ‘I/Me/Myself’ by Will Wood (Genius, Wood 2020). It is about Will Wood (the artist of this song)’s “frustration with the limitations of the male gender role, the maladaptive ways (he’s) coped with that frustration, and trying to figure out if this experience or any other regarding (his) gender can or should define (him)” (Genius, Wood 2020).

Finally, the tenth song is ‘They/Them/Theirs’ by Worriers (Genius, Denitzio 2015). It is about how the lead singer, Lauren Denitzio, prefers “gender-neutral pronouns when meeting people”, and how they think “there’s often a pressure to define yourself in a very specific way — specifically as a queer person, going beyond that and naming exactly what your gender identity is and exactly where you are on the spectrum. And I don’t really have one” (Genius, Denitzio 2015).

‘Gender (or lack thereof)’ songs:

1. ‘Boys Will Be Bugs’ by Cavetown

2. ‘Daughter’ by Ryan Cassata

3. ‘Cloud 9 (feat. Tegan and Sara)’- Beach Bunny and Tegan and Sara

4.‘Not A Phase’- Jessie Page

5. ‘I’m Not A Girl, I’m Not A Boy’- Scout The Wise

6. ‘I Wanna Be A Boy’ by Addison Grace

7. ‘Boys Don’t Cry’- The Cure

8.‘Stones’ by Miki Ratsula

9. ‘I/Me/Myself’ by Will Wood

10. ‘They/Them/Theirs’- Worriers

References:

Cassata, Ryan. 2022. “Bio.” Ryan Cassata. Retrieved November 20, 2022 (http://www.ryancassata.com/band).

Gaylaxy Magazine. 2019. “LGBTQ Artist Miki Ratsula Releases Heartfelt Single ‘Stones’ in Response to Brunei’s Anti-LGBTQ Stoning Law.” LGBTQ ARTIST MIKI RATSULA RELEASES HEARTFELT SINGLE “STONES” IN RESPONSE TO BRUNEI’S ANTI-LGBTQ STONING LAW. Retrieved November 14, 2022 (https://www.gaylaxymag.com/articles/entertainment/lgbtq-artist-miki-ratsula-releases-heartfelt-single-stones-in-response-to-bruneis-anti-lgbtq-stoning-law/).

Grace, Addison. 2022. “Addison Grace – I Wanna Be A Boy.” Addison Grace- I Wanna Be A Boy. Retrieved November 20, 2022 (https://genius.com/Addison-grace-i-wanna-be-a-boy-lyrics).

Genius, Cassata. 2017. Ryan Cassata – Daughter. Retrieved November 20, 2022 (https://genius.com/Ryan-cassata-daughter-lyrics).

Genius, Denitzio. 2015. Worriers – They / Them / Theirs. Retrieved November 20, 2022 (https://genius.com/Worriers-they-them-theirs-lyrics).

Genius et. al. 2021.Beach Bunny & Tegan and Sara – Cloud 9. Retrieved November 20, 2022 (https://genius.com/Beach-bunny-and-tegan-and-sara-cloud-9-lyrics).

Genius, Paege. 2019. Jessie Paege (Feat. Lucy & La Mer) – Not A Phase. Retrieved November 20, 2022 (https://genius.com/Jessie-paege-not-a-phase-lyrics).

Genius, Parker. 2018. Scout the Wise – I’m Not A Girl, I’m Not A Boy. Retrieved November 20, 2022 (https://genius.com/Scout-the-wise-im-not-a-girl-im-not-a-boy-lyrics).

Genius, Skinner. 2019. Cavetown – Boys Will Be Bugs. Retrieved November 20, 2022 (https://genius.com/Cavetown-boys-will-be-bugs-lyrics).

Genius, The Cure. 2022. The Cure – Boys Don’t Cry. Retrieved November 20, 2022 (https://genius.com/The-cure-boys-dont-cry-lyrics).

Genius, Wood. 2020. Will Wood – I/Me/Myself. Retrieved November 20, 2022 (https://genius.com/Will-wood-i-me-myself-lyrics).

Musicmatch, Ratsula. 2019. Miki Ratsula- Stones. Retrieved November 14, 2022 (https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Miki-Ratsula/Stones).