Todrick Hall
Haus Party
Jessica Simelane
LGBTQ+ Pride is something that is celebrated through many mediums. Todrick Hall is a prominent advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and has had many breakthroughs in the community, including being a prominent gay, black performer. Hall has expressed the importance of remaining true to himself and his message. The 3-part album Haus Party is his latest project, which he has described as something to “give the LGBTQ community an anthem made especially for them”. The first part of the mixtape was released on 23 May and includes 7 songs. This is followed by Part 2, which was released on 19 September and includes 9 songs. Finally, Part 3 was released on 9 October and includes 7 songs. Compared to Hall’s previous music, this album lacks the flow of a story and seems like each song has its own personal message to tell – some very personal and others created for something bigger than Hall himself. Haus Party is an album that has given us songs that will be danced to for a long time and that hold so much importance for a generation fighting to be who they are.
Having been inspired by Cardi B, Hall took the challenge upon himself to release not two (like Cardi did) but three albums in six months, and so Haus Party was set in motion. Each part of the album is catered to a different type of person so that everyone has something to “get down” to that feels like their own. The album includes the coming out single “I Like Boys”, that tells the tale of a boy revealing his homosexuality to his mother, as well as songs like “Attention” which is similar to many girl-power songs and speaks to an ex-lover from a place of confidence. Hall simply uses the pronouns that apply to his ex andto the ex’s new lover. Referring to all parties involved as ‘he’, creates a space within this groovy song for members of the LGBTQ+ community to feel expressed and also that the issues that they face are just as normal as those of the non-LGBTQ+ community. Creating songs for LGBTQ+ people that aren’t sad stories of coming out or the struggles they have to face is an important step towards inclusivity. The songs do not lean towards any feelings of shame or those of feeling powerless as a queer person. There are fun songs to dance to, that include many quotes endorsed by the Gay community like ‘Work Girl!’ and ‘That’s Not the Tea, Hunty!’. [ceejay99@1] However, there are also songs like “Amen” which speak directly to structures and groups that are typically homophobic. Clever wordplay and the fearlessness with which Hall calls these groups out, create a beautiful soundtrack to which people can embrace who they are. Hall has taken back words that are negatively thrown at the queer community and instead has used them to empower by placing them over fun beats.
Photos: Instagram @Todrick
