Aiming to shine a light on marginalized voices, empowered queer pop artist Michael Love Michael releases their brand new single “6 Jaguars” which blends irresistible hooks, cinematic ’80s pop sounds, and glittery hip-hop beats to tell a lavish, but tragic story of a white woman hidden behind extravagant wealth and privilege, and thus protected from the worst parts of systemic oppression. Michael’s powerful and personal lyrics and messaging call attention to issues affecting the LGBTQ community and beyond.
Speaking on the importance of the song, Michael says:
"This song means so much to me. It was fun to conceive and create with my producer Rich Dasilva, and we meant for it to sound as catchy, layered and aspirational as possible - I feel proud of achieving that and hope it resonates on many levels depending on the listener. For me, it is also a reflection of the idealized American Dream I've been taught to envision, with the realization that it remains elusive as ever for those who look a certain way, make a certain amount of money, live a certain way, are a certain way. I didn't intend for this when I made it, but "6 Jaguars" somehow feels more relevant now, as the world shuffles during a pandemic. Class and race disparities in America are highlighted even in the face of this deadly virus. Black and Latinx communities are disproportionately and negatively impacted by this. I hope that anyone listening to "6 Jaguars" can feel more inspired to stand up for and reach out to those struggling right now. If you are able, donate to relief efforts for all, and include marginalized communities most greatly in your support: local hospitals, specialized advocacy groups for undocumented immigrants, homeless, queer and trans people, such as New Immigrant Community Project, End Homelessness and TGIJustice, organizations like Meals on Wheels or Save the Children, which care for the elderly, disabled and youth. There are so many ways to help and encourage change while staying safe, whatever that looks like for you. It is my hope that my new single, even if it provides moments of necessary escape, can ultimately help inspire that change."
Featured on PAPER Magazine, NYLON, and Grindr’s weekly New Music Friday Spotify playlist, Michael recently released their debut single, “Rope,” an aggressively fierce declaration of self that challenges the expectations society has continually forced on them. The lyrics embody the duality of being a Black person and a queer person in modern-day America, and the idea that they must be always on guard and perfect under the gaze of others, challenged by a surge of electric guitars, harsh industrial beats and disaffected vocal delivery. By unapologetically calling attention to these symbols and ideas in their music, Michael Love Michael is an artist spearheading a path toward widespread change and the collective liberation of all.
PRESS HERE to listen to the track
About Michael Love Michael: As a Black child growing up queer and nonbinary in the Midwest, Michael didn’t always feel encouraged to be themselves. Their emotional sensitivity, effeminate appearance and artistic expression was shunned by those around them, so they retreated into writing and storytelling, and when they finally got a desktop computer at 16, they quietly made songs in their bedroom about their isolation, desperate for a way out of it. As 2020 yields a new revolution for marginalized voices, Michael, having broken free of societal restraints, is determined to use theirs to call attention to issues affecting the LGBTQ community and beyond. Michael‘s musical influences span wildly from M.I.A., Bjork, Interpol, Nine Inch Nails and powerful female acts including Aaliyah, TLC and Madonna. Nevertheless, Michael‘s lyrics and messaging hinges on the idea that the personal is one’s most powerful political tool. Michael‘s ultimate aim, aside from helping people awaken to social ills so as to address them, is to encourage people everywhere — who’ve been backed into corners and made to feel like who they are isn’t enough — to unlock their voices and raise them to the rafters.
Follow Michael Love Michael:
Instagram: @michaelxomichael
Twitter: @LoveMichaelXO
