Soundtrack of Pride: ABISHA Fangirls Over Rihanna's Queerest Song

ABISHA's Soundtrack of PRIDE

We all have those songs that are forever ingrained in our coming-of-age stories. Songs that gave us hope, played during our first kiss, made us feel fierce, or simply helped us understand ourselves a little bit better. This can be particularly true for LGBTQ+ artists.

Throughout the month of June, and only on PRIDE, LGBTQ+ artists are curating and sharing playlists that reflect their formative years—their Soundtracks of Pride. With protests calling for justice for Black people who have died at the hands of police violence popping up all over the world, we're taking the time this week to celebrate a few of our favorite Black LGBTQ+ artists.

Singer-songwriter ABISHA uses her pen to tell stories about her own life as a gay woman growing up in London. She also tells us there's new music coming this summer. The alt-R&B singer walked us through the songs that give her life, track by track:

"Te Amo" - Rihanna

"I’ve always been obsessed with Rihanna so as soon as I heard her singing female pronouns in this song I ran straight to my computer and watched the music video on repeat for HOURS!"

"Believe" - Cher

"I had a karaoke machine in my bedroom when I was about 8 and I used to invite my friends from school over. I pretty much forced them to sing the only 3 songs I knew on repeat all night Iong. 'Believe' was always my favorite and I used to sing it at the top of my lungs."

"Knock You Down" - Keri Hilson, Kanye West

"This song is probably one of my favorite songs of all time. It takes me back to really getting into R&B and becoming aware of R&B artists. It’s also my go-to karaoke song."

"No One" - Alicia Keys

"Also one of my earliest memories of music outside of stereotypical pop. I sang it, pretty badly to be honest, for a local singing competition when I was 14 and the high notes were definitely a stretch. I came in third."

"Out Tonight" - Rent, Rosario Dawson

"RENT is my ULTIMATE favorite film/music. I took singing lessons when I was about 13/14 and my singing teacher lent me the DVD so that I could learn one of the songs. Instead, I didn’t leave my bed for days, just watched it on repeat. As soon as it finished, I would put it right back on. It fascinated me in so many ways, and it covers so many important topics. Obviously it was also the first film I’d ever seen with 4 queer protagonists. By the way, I never gave that DVD back."

"We Found Love" - Rihanna

"This song has so many amazing memories attached to it for me. It was the soundtrack to my first time falling in love, and it reminds me of me and my friends having bbqs on the beach every evening in the summer, just dancing on the rocks until it was pitch black and stumbling home."

"Do It Like a Dude" - Jessie J

"Oh my god. I was in a music class at school when I first saw the 'Do It Like a Dude' music video. I remember watching it on repeat the entire lesson because I was obsessed. It was the first time I’d seen a current female artist be so ballsy (literally), from her lyrics to her dance moves to her makeup. This then spiraled into a very unhealthy obsession with Jessie J which lasted my through my teens."

"Don't Call Me Baby" - Madison Avenue

"I remember this song playing on the radio all the time when I was about 10 and I’d always shout 'Turn it up!!!' to my mum. I loved it! I also did a duet dance routine to it for a competition with my dance school best friend."

"I Try" - Macy Grey

"I don’t know why this song reminds me of being in the car with my mum in Safeway's car park. I think it was a really happy day and we were both singing along. Such a good song!"

"Smooth Operator" - Sade

"The first time I heard Sade’s voice, I was mesmerised! It was the smoothest, purest voice I’d ever heard. I thought she was so beautiful too. I love 'Smooth Operator' so much that I decided to re-write my own version of it a few years ago!"

"I'm Like A Bird" - Nelly Furtado

"My mum used to say that this was her favorite song. Even though it isn’t her favorite anymore I still think of my mum every time I hear it."

Listen to ABISHA's Soundtrack of Pride below:

And for the rest of the Soundtracks of Pride series, click here.