Artists have been singing about self-love for decades. But as the number of out and proud LGBTQ+ artists grows, music has become an even more prominent vehicle for embracing every part of who you are — including who you love. Whether you’re into men, women, non-binary folks or all of the above and more, there is at least one track out there that sets out to give you the courage to be your most authentic self.
Over the last few years, artists from pop to R&B to rock have stepped out with empowering odes to bisexuality, pansexuality and bicuriosity. Demi Lovato’s summer 2015 pop anthem “Cool For The Summer” helped establish them as a queer icon before officially labeling themself as non-binary. Janelle Monaé’s sexuality has also long been a subject of speculation, up until their 2018 album Dirty Computer album which celebrated Black feminism and yes, queerness. And Panic! At The Disco showed their support for the LGBTQ+ community with their 2013 gem “Boys/Boys/Girls” — which dropped years before frontman Brandon Urie came out as pansexual.
In the decades before, few artists have ventured outside the norm to sing about relationships with those of the same sex. But David Bowie was never a stranger to sexual expression — no matter what people thought of him. His 1972 track “John, I’m Only Dancing” can be interpreted several ways, but its most widely accepted meaning revolves around assuring his partner, John, that he’s only dancing with a girl and nothing more.
While what truly defines a bisexual song can certainly be up for debate, here are 15 jams about attraction that aren’t hindered by gender constructs.
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Katy Perry, “I Kissed A Girl”
Don’t pretend you didn’t run to the nearest drugstore for some new cherry chapstick after this track dropped. The electro-pop gem sat comfortably at the top of the Hot 100 for seven weeks. Listen here.
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Rihanna, “Te Amo”
This bad gal RiRi jam comes complete with a Latin-influenced track and lyrics full of heat, lust and adventure. Although Rih been linked to her share of hot guys (Drake, Leonardo DiCaprio, Travis Scott and now A$AP Rocky), there’s no doubt she’s singing about lady love in this track: “Pulled me out on the beach, danced in the water, I start to leave/ She’s begging me and asking why it’s over.” Listen here.
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Franz Ferdinand, “Michael”
“Beautiful boys on a beautiful dance floor” is the lyric that essentially sums the song up. Although lead vocalist Alex Kapranos has been linked to women romantically, he croons about wanting “Michael” close to him on the dance floor. Listen here.
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Lady Gaga, “Poker Face”
Who thought one could make so many sexual innuendos using casino terms? “Poker Face” is all about masking your sexuality, and Gaga even said in an interview with BBC’s Jonathan Ross, “When I was making love to my old boyfriend, I used to think about women sometimes.” Mother Monster took this track to the top of the Hot 100. Listen here.
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Dove Cameron, "Boyfriend"
Dove Cameron, who came out as bisexual in 2020 and queer in 2021, lays out all the ways a female love interest deserves better than her current BF in her sultry pop banger. Cameron told Billboard the song is “a report of what it felt like to grow up queer and be surrounded by all these women who were famously mistreated and under-celebrated.” Listen here.
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Panic! At the Disco, “Girls/Girls/Boys”
Threesomes. Brendon Urie took all the guessing out of this one and said in a Genius annotation that this track is about the first threesome he ever had. Urie’s also had bisexual experiences, telling PrideSource in 2013 that, “I have, in the past, experimented in other realms of homosexuality and bisexuality.” Girls can love girls and boys and boys can love girls and boys. Listen here.
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Bright Eyes, “Lover I Don’t Have To Love”
Conor Oberst was years ahead of Tinder. He sings about wanting both a man and a woman, someone to comfort him but not necessarily someone he has to love and be affectionate with in Bright Eyes’ early 2000s track. Listen here.
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David Bowie, “John, I’m Only Dancing”
There are a few ways to interpret this classic, but the most commonly accepted theory is that the singer is assuring John that he’s only dancing and will remain faithful. Listen here.
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The Veronicas, “Take Me On The Floor”
Kissing boys, kissing girls and doing it all while letting loose and getting close on the dance floor (Or bedroom floor, whichever you prefer). The Veronicas show off their wild side in their 2007 electro-pop track.Listen here.
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Kehlani, “1st Position”
Kehlani is anything but shy in this sexy R&B jam. They want to show you what it’s like to “rock with something trill” and do a damn good job. While Kehlani revealed she identifies as a lesbian on a 2021 Instagram Live, they told Complex in 2015, “I like who I like. I’ve dated both men and women.” Listen here.
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Demi Lovato, "Cool For The Summer"
Demi isn’t afraid to admit that they get a little curious. This bop about a same-sex summer romance dominated the radio in 2015 and peaked at No. 11 on the Hot 100. Listen here.
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Halsey & Lauren Jauregui, “Strangers”
Halsey, who is openly bisexual, scored a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 back in 2017 with their album hopeless fountain kingdom which features “Strangers.” It’s a groundbreaking duet with Lauren Jauregui of Fifth Harmony — another out-and-proud bisexual person. Listen here.
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Hayley Kiyoko, “Curious”
The singer dubbed “Lesbian Jesus” by her fans cheekily confronts a former flame who’s got a boyfriend and a thing for Kiyoko, suggestively asking her, “[Do] you let him touch you/ The way I used to.” It was accompanied by a steamy video to boot. Listen here.
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Frank Ocean, “Chanel”
Frank Ocean opened up about his sexuality in an open letter back in 2012, and on the 2017 single “Chanel,” he coos an ode to sexual fluidity over a chilled-out vibe. “My guy pretty like a girl / And he got fight stories to tell/ I see both sides like Chanel,” he sings at the start, even getting real with “Yes the good / D—k could roll the eyes back in the skull.” Listen here.
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Janelle Monae, “Make Me Feel”
Janelle Monae revealed their pansexuality in a 2018 Rolling Stone cover story — and the lead single from her album that same year, Dirty Computer, is a deliriously funky testament to fluidity: “It’s like I’m powerful with a little bit of tender / An emotional sexual bender,” she boldly declares on “Make Me Feel.” Listen here.