ABBA are a Swedish pop supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's name is an acronym of the first letters of their first names arranged as a palindrome. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the best-selling music acts in the history of popular music, topping the charts worldwide from 1974 to 1982, and in 2022.
A gay anthem is a popular song that has become widely popular among, or has become identified with, the gay community, although some of these songs have also become anthems for the wider LGBT community. Not all songs labelled as "gay anthems" were written intentionally to become gay anthems, but those that do are often marked by themes of perseverance, inner strength, acceptance, pride, and unity. Research in 2007 suggested that the song most commonly identified as a gay anthem is "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor, and described the song as "a classic emblem of gay culture in the post-Stonewall and AIDS eras".
"Like a Virgin" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna from her second album of the same name. The song was written and composed by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, and it was released as the album's lead single on October 31, 1984. A dance song with two hooks, Madonna sings in a high register while a continuous arrangement of synths are heard along the bassline. The song's lyrics are ambiguous, consisting of hidden innuendos and open to various interpretations.
Deric J. Ruttan is a Canadian country music singer, songwriter and record producer from Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada. A Nashville, Tennessee resident, he has released four studio albums and has written or co-written more than 60 songs that have been recorded by other recording artists.
"It's a Sin" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their second studio album, Actually (1987). Written by Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, the song was released on 15 June 1987 as the album's lead single. It became the duo's second number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, spending three weeks atop the chart. Additionally, the single topped the charts in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, while reaching number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Uzoechi Osisioma "Uzo" Emenike, professionally known by his stage name MNEK, is an English singer, songwriter and record producer. He has been nominated for a Grammy and a Brit Award, and has received the ASCAP Vanguard Award. His writing and production credits include H.E.R., Jax Jones, Zara Larsson, Little Mix, Dua Lipa, FLO, Sugababes, Clean Bandit, Julia Michaels, Craig David, Christina Aguilera, Becky Hill, Selena Gomez, Years & Years, Kylie Minogue, Beyoncé, Hailee Steinfeld, Madonna, KSI, Mabel and Twice.
Oliver Alexander Thornton is an English singer and actor. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the pop band Years & Years who achieved two number one albums on UK Albums Chart, a number one single and five top ten entries on the UK Singles Chart. As an actor, he rose to critical acclaim for his performance as Ritchie Tozer in the Channel 4 drama series It's a Sin (2021).
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer+(LGBTQ+)music is music that focuses on the experiences of gender and sexual minorities as a product of the broad gay liberation movement.
Years & Years was an English band formed in London, in 2010. Their music has been described as electropop, mixing R&B and 1990s house elements. Since 2021, the band has operated as the solo project of frontman and sole remaining member Olly Alexander, and previously included Mikey Goldsworthy, Emre Türkmen, Noel Leeman and Olivier Subria. The band's debut studio album, Communion, debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart in July 2015 and was the fastest-selling debut album of the year from a UK signed band.
"Crave" is a song by American singers Madonna and Swae Lee, from the former's fourteenth studio Madame X (2019). The song was written by the two artists and Starrah, while production was handled by Madonna, Mike Deanm and Billboard. It was released by Interscope Records for digital download and streaming as the album's second single on May 10, 2019. The song has been noted as a pop, trap, and hip hop ballad inspired by Fado music, with the lyrics talking about desire and craving for someone who's running away. It was one of the first songs Madonna wrote for Madame X, but she put the work on hold when she began working with other musicians in Lisbon. When she revisited the song, Madonna came to the conclusion that a male voice was needed for inclusion and approached Swae Lee to sing with her, as she was a fan of his voice.
"Sanctify" is a song recorded by British synthpop band Years & Years. Written by Olly Alexander and its producer Kid Harpoon, it was released on 7 March 2018 by Polydor Records, as the lead single from the band's second studio album, Palo Santo (2018). It was voted as the 3rd hottest record of the year 2018 as part of Annie Mac's hottest record of the year.
Palo Santo is the second studio album by the English electronic trio Years & Years, released by Polydor Records on 6 July 2018. Executive produced by the band, it is the follow-up to their debut album Communion (2015). After the success of their Communion, the trio felt pressured in making their succeeding record. Influenced by religion and spirituality, lead singer and principal songwriter Olly Alexander wanted to connect religious transcendence to pop music after perceiving parallels between a church's sense of belonging and gay nightclubs. The trio met with frequent and new collaborators such as Mark Ralph, Greg Kurstin, Steve Mac and Jesse Shatkin to produce most its tracks. Named after the South American "palo santo", which was commonly used to fend off bad spirits, though Alexander used its name as a dick joke referring to men he knew, it is the group's last album as a trio. As of December 2023, the album primary artist has changed to 'Olly Alexander ', after the band's disbandment.
"All for You" is a song by British synthpop band Years & Years. It was released as a digital download and for streaming on 27 June 2018 as the third single from their second studio album Palo Santo. The song was written by Olly Alexander, Mark Ralph and Greg Kurstin.
Montero Lamar Hill, known by his stage name Lil Nas X, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his country rap single "Old Town Road", which spent 19 weeks atop the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the longest-running number-one song since the chart debuted in 1958. As the song was atop the Hot 100, Lil Nas X came out as gay, becoming the only artist to do so while having a number-one record.
"Dreamland" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys featuring English synth-pop band Years & Years. It was released on 11 September 2019 as the lead single from Pet Shop Boys' fourteenth studio album, Hotspot (2020).
"Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" is a song by American rapper and singer Lil Nas X. First previewed in a Super Bowl LV commercial in February 2021, the song was released on March 26, 2021, through Columbia Records, as the lead single and title track from his debut studio album, Montero (2021). It was written by Lil Nas X along with its producers, Take a Daytrip, Omer Fedi, and Roy Lenzo.
"Starstruck" is a song by British musician Olly Alexander, released under his solo project Years & Years. It was released for digital download and streaming on 8 April 2021. The song was written by Clarence Coffee Jr., Mark Ralph, Nathaniel Ledwidge and Olly Alexander, and marks the first release of Years & Years as Alexander's solo project following the departure of Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Türkmen. A remix featuring Australian singer Kylie Minogue was released on 21 May 2021. On 15 February 2022, a remix featuring Japanese singer SIRUP was released.
Night Call is the third studio album by British artist Years & Years, released on 21 January 2022 by Polydor Records. It serves as the follow-up to their second album Palo Santo (2018). Marking the first album release of Years & Years as Alexander's solo project following the departure of Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Türkmen, it was preceded by three singles; "Starstruck", "Crave", "Sweet Talker" with Swedish DJ duo Galantis. Alexander embarked on the Night Call Tour in support of the album in the UK and Ireland.
"Hallucination" is a song by Kosovo-Albanian disc jockey Regard and British singer Olly Alexander from the streaming edition of the latter's third studio album, Night Call (Deluxe) (2022). Regard produced the song and wrote it along with Olly Alexander and Jean-Jacques Goldman, Joel Little, Imany and Stéfane Goldman. Ministry of Sound released it as a single for digital download and streaming on 18 February 2022. Featuring a sample of the Filatov & Karas remix of Imany's single "Don't Be So Shy", it is an '80s-inspired and four-on-the-floor-driven disco and synth-pop song, with the lyrics warning off serial heartbreakers.
The Night Call Tour was the third concert tour by English synth-pop singer Olly Alexander, under the stage name Years & Years and was his first tour as a solo artist. The tour supported the Night Call album and began on 19 May 2022 at the Brighton Centre and concluded on 12 November in Melbourne, Australia.
