Lesbian Renaissance Follow-up — The Lexington Line

Summer 2025 was the summer of sapphic singers: Chappell Roan’s highly anticipated “The Subway” release, Reneé Rapp’s new album “Bite Me,” King Princess’s new album “Girl Violene,” Lorde’s queer rebranding, Lucy Dacus’s masc-loaded “Best Guess” music video, Young Miko’s Governors Ball performance, and Billie Eilish’s and Doechii’s coming out.

The media named it “The Lesbian Renaissance,” but by calling it a Renaissance, we fail to recognize all the sapphic artists that came before, who paved the way for these new voices to flourish in such an extravagant way. Artists such as Hayley Kioko, also known as “Lesbian Jesus,” Kehlani, Lauren Sanderson, Girl in Red, MUNA, and Fletcher have kept the lesbian community afloat before the rest of the world was listening.

Now that you have dipped your toes into the lesbian music universe, summer 2026 is about the underground, up-and-coming sapphic artists—so you never take queer art for granted again. Here is a list of new sapphic singers you should listen to based on your 2025 favorite artists:

Chappell Roan and Zolita:

Extravagant, sensual, and fun are adjectives that both describe Chappell Roan and Zolita, in and outside their music career. While their music falls under the pop genre, they are heavily influenced by rodeo, disco, and drag. They use energetic melodies to illustrate queer and emotional storylines. If you enjoy Chappell’s creative vision, boy, are you in for a treat.

Zolita’s music videos are a multiverse of their own, at this point—if you haven’t yet watched the “Somebody I Fucked Once Serie,” I highly recommend that you do. Storytelling is one of her strongest qualities, from her lyrics to her visual aesthetic and even her costumes; everything is part of a bigger meaning. For her new song, “Hell’s Belles,” she created a month-long promotion plan where six influencers recounted their experience at a “camp turned lesbian cult,” only to reveal it was the plot of her latest music video.

Her music is personal and passionate, always manipulating concepts of love, desire, and sexuality. She illustrates ordinary, human emotions through a cinematic lens, creating a relatable experience for her audience to digest.

Reneé Rapp and Towa Bird:

If you like Reneé Rapp, then you definitely know her girlfriend Towa Bird already, but have you listened to her music?

Towa Bird is a British-Filipino Singer-songwriter and guitarist who just released her second album, “Gentlemen.” Towa’s music combines modern rock and alternative pop with original, electric guitar riffs. Her music often displays queer themes and/or political messages.

She holds a similar energy to Reneé, but with a more experimental and electro outcome. Towa carries herself with a sexy, provocative manner that translates into her music, making it seductive and addictive.

Young Miko and sArah:

This pains me to say, but Young Miko has gone mainstream. Don’t get me wrong, I am very happy she found success, but her music was my little secret for a while, and it is finally out. However, I will let you in on my other secret: Sarah Burgues. With 43,229 monthly listeners, Sarah Burgues, or sArah as she goes on Spotify, holds similar trap melodies as my Puerto Rican mami.

Born and raised in Argentina, sArah is relatively new to the music industry with only ten singles out, but already creating a name for herself in a genre that is heavily dominated by men. Her music is the perfect mix between reggaeton and trap, ideal for dancing and singing all summer long.

She carries herself with confidence and authenticity, which reflects on her music. Her lyrics talk about love, lust, and relationships with women. They are light-headed and filled with serotonin. Her most recent song, “y2k,” has become my latest addiction.

Lorde and Asal:

For an experimental and alternative sound, I would recommend familiarizing yourself with Asal’s discography. Just like Lorde, she plays with the boundaries of music genres and the mixture of her voice with distinctive sound effects.

She was born in Iran but moved to Vancouver early in her childhood, where she was raised by her family of creatives who influenced her musical journey heavily. She has one album out and is preparing to release her second album, “Kiss the Sun,” in May 2026.

Asal’s vocals are raw and hypnotic. Her music fully transports you into a flow state. She manages to combine the upbeatness of hip-hop with a feeling of tranquility. She understands sounds and how to blend them perfectly and isn’t afraid to break from what is traditionally expected of a genre.

Lacy Dacus and Cat Burns:

If you saw the “Best Guest,” Lucy Dacus’s music video, and thought to yourself, “I wish there were more,” then you should watch the music video “Girls!” by Cat Burns.

Cat Burns is a British-Liberian pop singer-songwriter who uses her music and platform not only to provide representation for POC sapphics, but also to speak up on social-political issues. She believes there is a lot of negativity in the world and wishes to use her music to show the positive side of being queer.

Her music is personal, joyful, and light-hearted. It touches on all the emotions of falling in and out of love, accepting yourself, and growing into the person you want to be. In her words, she is “helping you get through shit one song at a time.”

It is easy to relate to her tracks because of the human emotions tied to them. Her melodies are laced with queer celebration. Her lyrics make you feel accompanied. It is impossible not to feel the empowerment and queer joy spilling out of her music.