Are the straights okay? That question has been circling around queer spaces on and off the internet for a while now, mostly as a reaction to outrageous claims and actions of (mostly) heterosexual individuals regarding sex, relationships, and everything LGBTQIA+. The common consensus is that no, the straights are not okay, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask them directly, right? Pillowprince do just that with their latest single and music video, “R The Straights Ok”.
Oakland-based Pillowprince are a self-proclaimed ‘shitpost gaze’ and ‘dark gaywave’ duo who write ‘gay songs literally about the lifestyle & culture‘. Their sound ranges from indie pop over playful punk to doomgaze, encompassing a style and overall aesthetic that’s a rich and varied as the subculture they’re portraying. Taking their name from a subversion of the common pillow princess trope, Pillowprince seem to delight in a bluntly open depiction of their personal queer experience, and good for them! We need all the unapologietc representation we can get in times where our voices and mere existence are constantly stigmatized.
“R The Straights Ok” takes its lyricism from things people (*cough* potential bigots *cough*) have said to the members of Pillowprince over the years, taking an obvious jab at the privileged position of the white heterosexual individual. This is taken to its logical extreme by the unabashed, brutally honest depiction of various queer and kink experiences in the song’s music video. Says singer/guitarist and songwriter Olivia Lee:
‘“R the Straights OK” is a playful dig at homophobia, and the lyrics are some things people have said to us over the years.
‘We wanted to make an unapologetically queer music video that shows some of the beautiful beacons of light in the Bay Area queer and kink community. In a time when we’re actively being targeted, dehumanized, and erased, I think it’s more important than ever to show authentic queer and trans embodiment and joy.
‘I wanted to show something more than what’s deemed respectable enough for corporate rainbow washing. I wanted to show desire dripping with subversion and what it’s like when we’re on our best freak behavior. We live in our own expansive universe where we don’t abide by the rigid rules of acceptability. I want to show that we dissent and that queers have more fun.‘
While the rights and lives and identities of many people are turned into political debate fodder by bigoted demagogues and shameless populists, Pillowprince show the beauty that thrives within a community where radical acceptance and shared joy aren’t inhibited by false norms imposed by people who have never ventured outside of the narrow mindspace instilled by heteronormative societies. For that alone, this band is important; it helps that their music is absolutely infectious and brilliant in its own right.
Pillowprince will release their début EP pretty, baby! in Spring 2025, with Dune Altar handling the rollout. If they can deliver more ‘hedonistic smoochcore’ in the vein of “R The Straights Ok”, I’m sure they’ll be received quite warmly. If you liked what you heard above, you can follow the band on Instagram and check out their official website. Their previous single “Mercurial” can be purchased on Bandcamp.
So “R The Straights Ok”? Probably not, but Pillowprince definitely are!
Photo credit: Kristin Cofer
