TheStandard_Vol10_Issue3.pdf

Page 41

MUSIC

ALONE RELEASES ODE TO HIS TRANS SIBLINGS BY JOHN STEIN

ALONE - EVERYTHING PRESS SHOT MIKE KIODO

“Everything”, the debut single from the gender-bending Queer artist ALONE, pays homage to the shiny, brassy days of Motown while also serving as an affirming ode to the Transgender community. “I want my siblings to know that they are blessed, loved and perfect just the way they are,” says the artist who’s own lewk blends disco-rock camp fierceness with svelte Hollywood glamour silhouettes. ALONE wrote, composed, and arranged the soulful RnB Pop track, and topped “Everything” off with soaring falsetto vocals brimming with joy fitting for a true anthem. “It is meant to be a bright and feel-good reminder that you already have everything you need to be happy and thrive,” he explains. We spoke with ALONE from his Manhattan home. The video for “Everything” is spectacular! What did you have to do to prepare for the shoot? ALONE: Oh my God, as the producer, director, stylist, art director, casting director and performer, I had so much to prepare but thankfully I also had enough amazing, generous, and talented people around me to help bring it all together. The video has an all Trans and Gender Non-Conforming cast. ALONE: They are all people I love, admire and respect

very much. They inspire me with their beauty, talent, courage, and resilience. They all deserve to be celebrated and shine. I wanted Trans and Queer kids out there to see that they have a future and that there are others like them living in their truth and thriving. It is an important message for Trans and non-binary youth to hear! ALONE: With so many voices around telling them that who they are is wrong or bad, I wanted to put a voice out there that lets them know they don’t need to conform to any label or external factors for validation. Who they are is a blessing. I love the lyric, “Opulence is a state of mind”. What is an example of something small that makes you feel grand? ALONE: Riding my bike to the beach and diving into the ocean. Yass! I love the Sylvester reference in the song. Why is Sylvester someone all LGBTQ+ youth should know? ALONE: Sylvester was an icon: a Queer icon, a style icon, a music icon. He represents a peak in the development of Queer culture, reached just before the onset of the AIDS pandemic that

MARCH 2022 41


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.