10 Halloween Pop Songs By LGBTQ-Adored Divas
Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Ke$ha, Janet Jackson, Lady Gaga all have suitable hits for the Halloween season.
Before you know it, Halloween night will be here…are you ready? Have you purchased candy for trick-or-treaters? Picked out your sexy costume? If you’re hosting a party, do you have your playlist set?
Any good Halloween party should feature music that toggles between beloved hits, current favorites, and those cuts that seem like they were crafted specifically to be blasted in the month of October.
If you still need to up your game in this department to appease your ghoulish guests, here’s a list of 10 songs by divas typically loved by LGBTQ listeners that should make your event grisly, ghostly, and wonderfully gay.
Beyoncé – “Alien Superstar”
There are actually a number of Beyoncé songs that carry some sort of creepy theme, but for the purposes of this list, the newest entry is included. “Alien Superstar” is a fan favorite track from her latest album Renaissance, which itself is something of a tribute to ball culture and the LGBTQ community. It’s weird but works brilliantly, which is very Halloween.
If you’re yearning for more Bey on your playlist (and who isn’t), try adding “Sweet Dreams” from the Sasha Fierce era, “Haunted” from her self-titled effort to calm things down, or even the slower, nearly-menacing version of “Crazy in Love” she recorded for Fifty Shades of Grey.
Britney Spears – “Freakshow”/”Toxic”
Britney Spears isn’t known for being particularly scary, but she does have a handful of cuts in his discography that would work well for a Halloween party. The pop princess has recorded a pair of tunes that lean into spooky territory, and you can choose whichever one you like most (or use both).
“Toxic” was a huge hit for Spears, and it remains one of her most memorable tunes. “Freakshow” was never released as a single, but it is a standout from her album Blackout, which itself is known for being her darkest collection.
Halsey – “Nightmare”
When it first appeared, “Nightmare” was seemingly meant to be a single from Halsey’s album Manic, but it was left off the tracklist when the CD arrived. Instead, they tacked it on as a bonus cut on their alternative-leaning effort If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, relegating it to near-forgotten status, even though it reached the top 20 on the Hot 100. The cut is a rocking good time, and little bit scary.
Janet Jackson – “Black Cat”
Released as the sixth official single from her massively successful album Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814, “Black Cat” had a lot to live up to, as the five tracks that preceded it all broke into the top 10 on the Hot 100. Thankfully, it became yet another smash for the diva, bolting to No. 1, becoming the third (of four total) leaders featured on the set. It is still remembered as a favorite among real fans, and it works perfectly for this holiday.
Kanye West – “Monster (ft. Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Bon Iver & Nicki Minaj)”
This song barely fits onto this list, but Nicki Minaj’s presence makes it eligible…and hers is truly one of the better verses and performances in the rap genre of the past 20 years. Sure, nobody’s in love with Kanye right now, and names like Jay-Z and Rick Ross don’t often appear on LGBTQ-themed Halloween playlists, but this single was tailor-made for the last day of October.
Kesha – “Cannibal”
Recently, there has been some blowback regarding a line in this song where Kesha croons, “Be too sweet and you’ll be a goner Yeah, I’ll pull a Jeffrey Dahmer,” so if that’s too much for you, perhaps this tune should be left off of your playlist. If, however, you don’t mind, “Cannibal” is such an underrated bop, it deserves another play.
The song was featured on the pop superstar’s EP of the same name, and while it was only served as a promotional single (supporting bigger hits like “We R Who We R” and “Blow”), it lives on in the hearts of her fans.
Lady Gaga – “Bad Romance”
Of all the women on this list, Lady Gaga probably has the most songs that would work on Halloween playlists aimed at LGBTQ partygoers. “Bloody Mary,” “Judas,” “Scheiße,” “Heavy Metal Lover,” “Swine,” “Monster,” “Dance in the Dark,” “So Happy I Could Die,” and “Teeth” are all fitting, but none rise above the masterpiece that is “Bad Romance.”
The lead single from the aptly-named The Fame Monster EP is arguably one of the best pop songs of our lifetime, and it deserves to be included on any playlist, to be quite frank.
Little Mix – “Black Magic
The now-defunct girl group left behind a trail of incredible pop songs that LGBTQ fans won’t soon forget. Among Little Mix’s many hits (in the U.K., at least) is “Black Magic,” which suits any Halloween soiree. The lead single from their Get Weird album is not exactly weird, and it’s not dark like some other titles on this list, but it still deserves a spot–especially since there are so few tunes by vocal groups that work for Halloween!
Rihanna – “Disturbia”
As the world gets ready for Rihanna to return to music with both new singles from the upcoming Black Panther film and her Super Bowl halftime show, there is at least one song that demands a listen every Halloween.
“Disturbia” was the rare creepy tune that was also a huge hit, as it gave RiRi another No. 1 on the Hot 100. After landing smash after smash from her album Good Girl Gone Bad, the superstar reissued the full-length with new music, including the Chris Brown-penned “Disturbia,” which showed another side to the pop icon-in-the-making.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Heads Will Roll”
Okay, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs aren’t exactly known as LGBTQ favorites, but hear me out. “Heads Will Roll” is a perfect Halloween song. Like, it almost doesn’t make sense to listen to it any other time of the year…almost. Singer Karen O brings her signature odd vocal delivery to the terrifying tune, which wasn’t a proper hit, but which is one of the band’s best-remembered releases.
Give it a try if you’ve never heard this one – you’ll be happy you did.
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