Upon the announcement of a MUNA single featuring Phoebe Bridgers, I had a feeling that its release would be a big moment for me. And the fact that listening to it immediately prompted the making of a playlist entitled “i made you a mixtape” is perhaps testament to that. Beyond that, the release of “Silk Chiffon” has reminded me just how important queer pop representation is, as its open lyrics and earworm of a chorus shout about queer sex, joy and love. Pop music has always had its gay icons, but the music of MUNA, Hayley Kiyoko, FLETCHER and Arlo Parks, amongst so many others, feels like a fresh new generation of artists unabashedly spotlighting the experiences of queer joy to be broadcast on the radio and throughout media outlets.

“[MUNA] address topics sincerely while never taking themselves too seriously”

“Silk Chiffon” is the latest in a long run of queer anthems from MUNA, and their outspokenness about their queerness, political activism, and utter joy in being in a pop group are things that should be celebrated. The music video is a homage to But I’m A Cheerleader, a film about a young girl who gets sent to a conversion camp to “cure” her lesbianism. I’m aware that this doesn’t exactly sound like a fun concept for a music video. However, the film But I’m A Cheerleader is a satirical comedy, a rom-com. And the fact that MUNA chose to pay tribute to this film says a lot about the way they address topics sincerely while never taking themselves too seriously.

They have created a cult space for young queer people who want to talk about the issues that face our community and the world, but also want to have nights when they dance until they can’t feel their feet anymore. This performance of “I Know A Place” from 2017 means a great deal to a lot of their fans, as the new lyrics in the bridge reference the recent election of Donald Trump to the presidency, reinforcing how the safe “place” that the song talks about is intrinsically linked to the American political landscape, and how many felt that it was slipping away from them at that time; many of us still feel like it’s out of reach.

“For many of us, it was media representation that started our queer awakening”

But “I Know A Place” is one of my favourite songs to dance to, which again demonstrates how MUNA manage to reconcile perfect, catchy electronic pop with heartfelt messages of queer euphoria. “Silk Chiffon” is the reminder that MUNA have this formula down, and using the music video to pay tribute to But I’m A Cheerleader, down to the cheesy campfire chants and ‘straight is great’ t-shirts, shows their audience that they are more than aware of queer cult media. For many of us, it was media representation that started our queer awakening, and when an artist nods to the art that has inspired them, we can feel seen, especially if it has also been a part of our journey. Furthermore, artists like MUNA and Phoebe Bridgers will be a part of many young queer people’s lives, continuing this cycle of art inspiring introspection and revelation for LGBTQ+ people.

MUNA signed with Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records in May of this year, signifying the start of a new era for the band; one that would inevitably hold collaboration with Bridgers. And even if you haven’t listened to this song, the lyrics about being sad and high in a CVS tells you very quickly that she is involved. Bringing her trademark whimsy to a track that arguably didn’t need any help in that department cements “Silk Chiffon” as a classic, and starring in the video as the founder of the conversion therapy course pokes fun at her new role as MUNA’s “boss”. She playfully conducts her verse as band members scrub the floor, mirroring the reinforcement of gender roles that is taught at the True Directions camp in But I’m a Cheerleader, continuing the theme of MUNA playing with gender and sexuality in their art.

Ultimately, if it wasn’t obvious, I strongly believe that MUNA is a band you should be watching very closely. The “your fave’s fave” moniker has never been more appropriate; in 2017 they supported Harry Styles, and they’re about to tour with both Phoebe Bridgers and Kacey Musgraves. The joy that their songwriting brings is infectious, and I haven’t stopped listening to “Silk Chiffon” since it came out − I hope that you love it as much as I do.