Super [1] - ™️That Gay Sh™️ - Wattpad

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• GAY CULTURE HAS GROWN TOXIC WH UNCHECKED PRIVILEGE. IT'S TIME FOR TO RET
• 'SUPER MONSTER' CLD REVELS IN THE 'GAY SH'WHEN TO WHO THEY ARE, THE RISG DIE-POP GENUE WANTS THEIR BUT ALBUM TO SPEAK FOR {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.25 "GRAVY",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.25 "GRAVY",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}MICBY SAM MANZELLAFEBARY 11, 2021/10:00 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:4500PX;}JEREMY REYNOSOBY SAM MANZELLAFEBARY 11, 2021 / 10:00 AM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"'SUPER MONSTER' CLD REVELS IN THE 'GAY SH'","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2021-02-11T15:00:00.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2021-02-11T15:00:00.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"MTV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"MTV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1280,"HEIGHT":720}},"CREATOR":"SAM MANZELLA","KEYWORDS":"POP MIC","ARTICLESECTN":"MIC"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHEN COVID-19 PRODUCTN SHUTDOWNS FORCED MANY MICIANS TO RERD ALONE FOR THE FIRST TIME, DIE-POP GENUE CLD MTZ HAD A LEG UP. THEY BEGAN WRG AND RELEASG MIC 2018 AS THE LEAD OF TOAST, A NOW-FUNCT LO-FI DUO THEY FORMED AS A LLEGE STUNT WH THEIR BT IEND, PRODUCER JOSH MEHLG. ALTHOUGH THEY LIVED THE SAME CY AND ATTEND UNIVERSY TOGETHER, THE PAIR RERD SEPARATELY BY SENDG STMENTAL TRACKS OR HALF-BAKED SONG IAS BACK AND FORTH. “WE'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO MAKE MIC THE SAME ROOM,” CLD, WHO PERFORMS MONONYMOLY, TELLS MTV NEWS OVER ZOOM WHILE HUNKERED DOWN LOS ANGEL. “IF WE ARE THE SAME ROOM, WE GET DISTRACTED OR WE GET EMBARRASSED, AND WE JT N'T DO . SO DIDN'T FEEL UNUAL BEE THAT'S WHAT I’VE BEEN DOG THIS WHOLE TIME.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}UNR A MOP OF TTON NDY-LORED CURLS, CLD IS HUMBLE AND SOFT-SPOKEN, BUT DON’T LET THAT FOOL YOU TO THKG THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY’RE TALKG ABOUT. AT 21, CLD HAS ALREADY RELEASED THE EIGHT-TRACK EP SILE STAR, LLABORATED WH THEIR BEDROOM-POP NTEMPORARY CLAIRO, AND UGHT THE ATTENTN OF GRAMMY-NOMATED DIE-ROCKER PHOEBE BRIDGERS. THEIR FULL-LENGTH BUT, SUPER MONSTER, DROPS FRIDAY (FEBARY 12) VIA SADST FACTORY, BRIDGERS’S FLEDGLG RERD LABEL. TO DATE, CLD IS SADST FACTORY’S ONLY SIGNEE. “I WAS NVERSATN WH A FEW OTHER LABELS,” THEY REMEMBER. “BUT I SORT OF FELT LIKE, IF I WAS GOG TO SIGN AND TO REALLY TST THE TEAM THAT I WAS GOG TO SIGN TO, I'D WANT TO BE SOMEBODY WHO UNRSTANDS MY PERSPECTIVE AND AN ARTIST THAT I ULD REALLY TST CREATIVELY.” BRIDGERS, AN DTRY-SAVVY POWERHOE WH “HER FGER ON THE PULSE,” F THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}TOAST IS NO LONGER TOGETHER, BUT CLD IS STILL BFFS WH MEHLG, WHO PLAYED ON AND -PRODUCED SEVERAL SONGS OM SUPER MONSTER, CLUDG THE WKG SGLE “CUFF YOUR JEANS” AND THE SELF-REFLECTIVE FALE “FALLG WH THE RA.” THE ALBUM ALSO FEATUR NTRIBUTNS OM PRODUCTN DUO ZACH & ROGER AND DAN NIGRO, WHO WAS BEHD OLIVIA RODRIGO’S NAWAY H SGLE “DRIVERS LICENSE.” MEHLG AND CLD’S CISN TO RETIRE TOAST WAS ENTIRELY AMIBLE: AFTER THEIR EARLIT RELEAS GAED SOME TRACTN, THE PSYCHELIC ROCK BAND THE MARIAS AND ALTERNATIVE TR TRIATHLON APPROACHED CLD AND MEHLG ABOUT JOG THEIR TOUR. MEHLG PASSED FAVOR OF STAYG SCHOOL, BUT CLD AGREED. “[JOSH] WAS LIKE, ‘JT GO FOR A FEW MONTHS,’” THEY RELL. “AND THEN A FEW MONTHS TURNED TO A FEW YEARS.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}TOWARD THE TAIL END OF THE TOAST ERA, BRIDGERS FOUND CLD’S MIC AND “REALLY LIKED ,” THEY REMEMBER. “WE STARTED HAVG MEETGS, AND SHE’D E TO MY SHOWS.” WOW, REMEMBER SHOWS? CLD DO, FONDLY. IN FACT, PROMOTG THEIR NEW RERD DURG THE PANMIC MEANS THEY WILL MISS OUT ON ONE OF THEIR FAVORE LIVE-MIC MOMENTS: SGG THEIR SOMETIM “VERY JARRG LYRICS” TO AN UNSPECTG DIENCE. THEY CE “WISH YOU WERE GAY” (THE GENUELY QUEER CLD CUT, NOT THE PETTY BILLIE EILISH SONG) AS A PRIME EXAMPLE. “SEEG PEOPLE'S REACTNS WAS JT SO FUN.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;PADDG-BOTTOM:56.49999999999999%;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:100% !IMPORTANT;WIDTH:100% !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}CLD’S SONGWRG STYLE IS TOBGRAPHIL, AND THEY HAVE BEEN OPEN ABOUT BEG QUEER AND NONBARY THROUGHOUT THEIR REER. COMG OUT, AS WE UNRSTAND THE TRADNAL SENSE, WAS NEVER A LCULATED CISN. “I THK WHETHER I WAS OUT OR NOT, I'D STILL BE WRG ABOUT GAY SH BEE I AM GAY,” THEY EXPLA WH A {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}INED, “GAY SH” IS EVERYWHERE ON SUPER MONSTER. THE RERD IS A HODGEPODGE OF SONGS WRTEN AND RERD BEFORE AND DURG THE PANMIC, BUT CLD’S BRIGHT SOUND AND NTEMPLATIVE SONGWRG ARE PRENT THROUGHOUT. IT FEATUR TWO TRACKS NAMED AFTER OLD FLAM: “ANA,” A WISTFUL LETTER TO AN EX AFTER A MUTUAL BREAKUP, AND “JORDAN,” AN ANGSTIER CUT ABOUT AN UNHEALTHY RELATNSHIP. “BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW I WON’T LET A STRAIGHT MAN THROW ME OFF,” CLD SISTS THE PRE-CHOS OF THE PLAYFULLY FIANT “THAT’S MR. BCH TO YOU.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}EVEN THE ALBUM’S TLE — A REFERENCE TO A SKETCH BY LATE VISUAL ARTIST AND MICIAN DANIEL JOHNSTON LLED “CLD THE SUPER MONSTER” — N BE TERPRETED AS A METAPHOR FOR EXPLORG GENR BEYOND THE BARY. CLD ISN’T A SUPERHERO OR A MONSTER; THEY’RE A “SUPER MONSTER,” FYG THE RIGID LABELS AND TIRED ARCHETYP WE’VE ALL BEEN NDNED TO UPHOLD. “IT'S ALL A METAPHOR,” CLD SAYS WH A KNOWG {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;PADDG-BOTTOM:56.49999999999999%;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:100% !IMPORTANT;WIDTH:100% !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT OPENNS ISN’T WHOUT S DRAWBACKS. CLD POTS OUT THAT, MOST PRS VERAGE, THEIR INTY IS MENTNED BEFORE THEIR NAME. “IT WAS SOMETHG I NOTICED THIS SUMMER,” THEY SAY. “EVERY ARTICLE ABOUT ME [WAS TLED] ‘QUEER ARTIST CLD’ OR ‘NONBARY ARTIST CLD.’” OF URSE, BEG ABLE TO HAVE A REER AS AN OUT RERDG ARTIST IS A GOOD THG, AS WELL AS A RELATIVELY NEW PHENOMENON. BUT THIS “LABEL-Y” MDSET, AS CLD LLS , N FEEL TOKENIZG TO MARGALIZED ARTISTS AND DISTRACT OM THEIR WORK. FOR CLD, WHOSE SONGS TELL EPLY PERSONAL STORI OF YEARNG AND HEARTBREAK, WHO THEY ARE N BE HEARD THE MIC. “CUFF YOUR JEANS,” A MEMORABLE CUT OFF SUPER MONSTER, IS SO SONILLY LH THAT ’S EASY TO MISS THE SELF-AWARE REFERENCE TO THAT ENDURG JOKE ABOUT HOW SOME STYLE THEIR {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}CLD, EVER WISE BEYOND THEIR YEARS, PROPOS A SIMPLE SOLUTN TO THIS PLITED DILEMMA. “IF YOU WANT TO HIGHLIGHT [QUEER] ARTISTS, JT DO ,” THEY SAY. “YOU DON’T HAVE TO SAY YOU’RE DOG .”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}POP {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
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GAY CULTURE HAS GROWN TOXIC WH UNCHECKED PRIVILEGE. IT'S TIME FOR TO RET

But even though the nversatns that muted this lumn for six weeks are nowhere close to beg over, I do feel like some thgs that me up durg that time of ntemplatn are worth sayg now — particularly to my fellow whe gay cis out more stori on LGBTQ+ ins and activistsHowever, the ghost of Larry Kramer very much remaed my own head as I ma my way through a Pri month unlike any other. I spent a few quiet afternoons readg his 1978 but novel Faggots, a satiril (yet clearly tobgraphil) look at the liv of gay men 1970s New York Cy that he wrote jt before AIDS ma him a figurehead of Amerin activism. Followg a man his late 30s (based on Kramer himself) who is seekg out a lovg, long-term relatnship a sea of hedonism, the novel has a clear msage: gay men need to start lovg each other stead of beg so obssed wh gettg fucked up and (lerally and figuratively) fuckg each other.

- Larry Kramer his but novelUpon publitn, Faggots was dismissed by many as puranil and self-loathg for s cricism of gay men's obssn wh vany, promiscuy and recreatnal dg e. And while, on one level, the book is a wild (if at tim problematic) wdow to an era of gay culture 40 years the past, also felt like had a lot to say about gay culture today.

'SUPER MONSTER' CLD REVELS IN THE 'GAY SH'WHEN TO WHO THEY ARE, THE RISG DIE-POP GENUE WANTS THEIR BUT ALBUM TO SPEAK FOR {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.25 "GRAVY",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.25 "GRAVY",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}MICBY SAM MANZELLAFEBARY 11, 2021/10:00 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:3000PX;WIDTH:4500PX;}JEREMY REYNOSOBY SAM MANZELLAFEBARY 11, 2021 / 10:00 AM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"'SUPER MONSTER' CLD REVELS IN THE 'GAY SH'","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2021-02-11T15:00:00.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2021-02-11T15:00:00.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"MTV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"MTV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1280,"HEIGHT":720}},"CREATOR":"SAM MANZELLA","KEYWORDS":"POP MIC","ARTICLESECTN":"MIC"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHEN COVID-19 PRODUCTN SHUTDOWNS FORCED MANY MICIANS TO RERD ALONE FOR THE FIRST TIME, DIE-POP GENUE CLD MTZ HAD A LEG UP. THEY BEGAN WRG AND RELEASG MIC 2018 AS THE LEAD OF TOAST, A NOW-FUNCT LO-FI DUO THEY FORMED AS A LLEGE STUNT WH THEIR BT IEND, PRODUCER JOSH MEHLG. ALTHOUGH THEY LIVED THE SAME CY AND ATTEND UNIVERSY TOGETHER, THE PAIR RERD SEPARATELY BY SENDG STMENTAL TRACKS OR HALF-BAKED SONG IAS BACK AND FORTH. “WE'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO MAKE MIC THE SAME ROOM,” CLD, WHO PERFORMS MONONYMOLY, TELLS MTV NEWS OVER ZOOM WHILE HUNKERED DOWN LOS ANGEL. “IF WE ARE THE SAME ROOM, WE GET DISTRACTED OR WE GET EMBARRASSED, AND WE JT N'T DO . SO DIDN'T FEEL UNUAL BEE THAT'S WHAT I’VE BEEN DOG THIS WHOLE TIME.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}UNR A MOP OF TTON NDY-LORED CURLS, CLD IS HUMBLE AND SOFT-SPOKEN, BUT DON’T LET THAT FOOL YOU TO THKG THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY’RE TALKG ABOUT. AT 21, CLD HAS ALREADY RELEASED THE EIGHT-TRACK EP SILE STAR, LLABORATED WH THEIR BEDROOM-POP NTEMPORARY CLAIRO, AND UGHT THE ATTENTN OF GRAMMY-NOMATED DIE-ROCKER PHOEBE BRIDGERS. THEIR FULL-LENGTH BUT, SUPER MONSTER, DROPS FRIDAY (FEBARY 12) VIA SADST FACTORY, BRIDGERS’S FLEDGLG RERD LABEL. TO DATE, CLD IS SADST FACTORY’S ONLY SIGNEE. “I WAS NVERSATN WH A FEW OTHER LABELS,” THEY REMEMBER. “BUT I SORT OF FELT LIKE, IF I WAS GOG TO SIGN AND TO REALLY TST THE TEAM THAT I WAS GOG TO SIGN TO, I'D WANT TO BE SOMEBODY WHO UNRSTANDS MY PERSPECTIVE AND AN ARTIST THAT I ULD REALLY TST CREATIVELY.” BRIDGERS, AN DTRY-SAVVY POWERHOE WH “HER FGER ON THE PULSE,” F THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}TOAST IS NO LONGER TOGETHER, BUT CLD IS STILL BFFS WH MEHLG, WHO PLAYED ON AND -PRODUCED SEVERAL SONGS OM SUPER MONSTER, CLUDG THE WKG SGLE “CUFF YOUR JEANS” AND THE SELF-REFLECTIVE FALE “FALLG WH THE RA.” THE ALBUM ALSO FEATUR NTRIBUTNS OM PRODUCTN DUO ZACH & ROGER AND DAN NIGRO, WHO WAS BEHD OLIVIA RODRIGO’S NAWAY H SGLE “DRIVERS LICENSE.” MEHLG AND CLD’S CISN TO RETIRE TOAST WAS ENTIRELY AMIBLE: AFTER THEIR EARLIT RELEAS GAED SOME TRACTN, THE PSYCHELIC ROCK BAND THE MARIAS AND ALTERNATIVE TR TRIATHLON APPROACHED CLD AND MEHLG ABOUT JOG THEIR TOUR. MEHLG PASSED FAVOR OF STAYG SCHOOL, BUT CLD AGREED. “[JOSH] WAS LIKE, ‘JT GO FOR A FEW MONTHS,’” THEY RELL. “AND THEN A FEW MONTHS TURNED TO A FEW YEARS.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}TOWARD THE TAIL END OF THE TOAST ERA, BRIDGERS FOUND CLD’S MIC AND “REALLY LIKED ,” THEY REMEMBER. “WE STARTED HAVG MEETGS, AND SHE’D E TO MY SHOWS.” WOW, REMEMBER SHOWS? CLD DO, FONDLY. IN FACT, PROMOTG THEIR NEW RERD DURG THE PANMIC MEANS THEY WILL MISS OUT ON ONE OF THEIR FAVORE LIVE-MIC MOMENTS: SGG THEIR SOMETIM “VERY JARRG LYRICS” TO AN UNSPECTG DIENCE. THEY CE “WISH YOU WERE GAY” (THE GENUELY QUEER CLD CUT, NOT THE PETTY BILLIE EILISH SONG) AS A PRIME EXAMPLE. “SEEG PEOPLE'S REACTNS WAS JT SO FUN.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;PADDG-BOTTOM:56.49999999999999%;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:100% !IMPORTANT;WIDTH:100% !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}CLD’S SONGWRG STYLE IS TOBGRAPHIL, AND THEY HAVE BEEN OPEN ABOUT BEG QUEER AND NONBARY THROUGHOUT THEIR REER. COMG OUT, AS WE UNRSTAND THE TRADNAL SENSE, WAS NEVER A LCULATED CISN. “I THK WHETHER I WAS OUT OR NOT, I'D STILL BE WRG ABOUT GAY SH BEE I AM GAY,” THEY EXPLA WH A {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}INED, “GAY SH” IS EVERYWHERE ON SUPER MONSTER. THE RERD IS A HODGEPODGE OF SONGS WRTEN AND RERD BEFORE AND DURG THE PANMIC, BUT CLD’S BRIGHT SOUND AND NTEMPLATIVE SONGWRG ARE PRENT THROUGHOUT. IT FEATUR TWO TRACKS NAMED AFTER OLD FLAM: “ANA,” A WISTFUL LETTER TO AN EX AFTER A MUTUAL BREAKUP, AND “JORDAN,” AN ANGSTIER CUT ABOUT AN UNHEALTHY RELATNSHIP. “BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW I WON’T LET A STRAIGHT MAN THROW ME OFF,” CLD SISTS THE PRE-CHOS OF THE PLAYFULLY FIANT “THAT’S MR. BCH TO YOU.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}EVEN THE ALBUM’S TLE — A REFERENCE TO A SKETCH BY LATE VISUAL ARTIST AND MICIAN DANIEL JOHNSTON LLED “CLD THE SUPER MONSTER” — N BE TERPRETED AS A METAPHOR FOR EXPLORG GENR BEYOND THE BARY. CLD ISN’T A SUPERHERO OR A MONSTER; THEY’RE A “SUPER MONSTER,” FYG THE RIGID LABELS AND TIRED ARCHETYP WE’VE ALL BEEN NDNED TO UPHOLD. “IT'S ALL A METAPHOR,” CLD SAYS WH A KNOWG {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;PADDG-BOTTOM:56.49999999999999%;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:100% !IMPORTANT;WIDTH:100% !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT OPENNS ISN’T WHOUT S DRAWBACKS. CLD POTS OUT THAT, MOST PRS VERAGE, THEIR INTY IS MENTNED BEFORE THEIR NAME. “IT WAS SOMETHG I NOTICED THIS SUMMER,” THEY SAY. “EVERY ARTICLE ABOUT ME [WAS TLED] ‘QUEER ARTIST CLD’ OR ‘NONBARY ARTIST CLD.’” OF URSE, BEG ABLE TO HAVE A REER AS AN OUT RERDG ARTIST IS A GOOD THG, AS WELL AS A RELATIVELY NEW PHENOMENON. BUT THIS “LABEL-Y” MDSET, AS CLD LLS , N FEEL TOKENIZG TO MARGALIZED ARTISTS AND DISTRACT OM THEIR WORK. FOR CLD, WHOSE SONGS TELL EPLY PERSONAL STORI OF YEARNG AND HEARTBREAK, WHO THEY ARE N BE HEARD THE MIC. “CUFF YOUR JEANS,” A MEMORABLE CUT OFF SUPER MONSTER, IS SO SONILLY LH THAT ’S EASY TO MISS THE SELF-AWARE REFERENCE TO THAT ENDURG JOKE ABOUT HOW SOME STYLE THEIR {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}CLD, EVER WISE BEYOND THEIR YEARS, PROPOS A SIMPLE SOLUTN TO THIS PLITED DILEMMA. “IF YOU WANT TO HIGHLIGHT [QUEER] ARTISTS, JT DO ,” THEY SAY. “YOU DON’T HAVE TO SAY YOU’RE DOG .”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}POP {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

What even do mean to say "gay culture"?

In mastream gay media, the phrase almost always refers to a fairly specific subset of the LGBTQ "muny" largely ma up of whe gay cis men — even though many of the battl won around queer rights were fought by people of lour, trans and genr-nonnformg folks, and queer women, and fact the morn Pri movement self was large part iated by Black trans women.

If an imprsn of a monolhic "gay culture" fed by such a homogeneo mographic exists, is bee whe gay cis men have until very recently domated mastream reprentatn unr the LGBTQ umbrella and have, general, been hand a level of privilege the last that is wildly disproportnate to any other mographic unr said umbrella. (Prophetilly enough, Fire Island is where the climax of Faggots — Kramer's exriatn of "gay culture" — tak place.

27 GAY MEM SURE TO MAKE ANYONE LGH

The panmic sentially shut down all of social gay culture, relievg me of prsur to participate .

Gay bars were shuttered and, unls you were beg a horribly irrponsible person, Grdr was no more. When was the last time I actually had a good time at gay bar full of people I have fely spoken to on social media or apps but who act like I'm pletely sane when I se or say hello person?

In analyzg the show's pictn of young gay men livg San Francis, wrer Daniel Wenger diagnos what he terms the "new gay sadns": an entire generatn of urban, privileged gay men who seem to have no clue what they're lookg for or who they are.

14 MORE OF THE MOST UNTENTNALLY GAY RAP LYRICS EVER

Largely born the 1980s, they are the earlit wave of a "post-Stonewall, post-plague, post-activist" generatn of gays — "too old to have brought a boy to the prom and too young to have nursed a fantasy of nng away to an urban gay utopia, " Wenger explas. "Gay culture" should learn the same lson: "back to normal" is not enough.

Queeri5 pneerg LGBTQ Canadian films you n watch for ee right nowI've seen many of my fellow whe gay cis men seemgly rise to the ocsn by retweetg Black and Indigeno voic, gog to ralli and vowg to te themselv on how to tly be anti-racist (though how performative that is some s is unclear). Which of the gays do you want to be? Rettg "gay culture" will require fightg back agast entrenched social prsur and expectatns of gay cis men — and llg them out when they perpetuate, even passively, any form of discrimatory dialogue.

HOW ‘FEAR STREET’ BEME QUEER STREET: THE SUPER GAY MOVIE EVOLUTN OF R.L. STE’S FAMED SERI

Larry Kramer didn't give a sh what people thought of him, particularly other gay men. And was large part bee of that attu that he uld lead AIDS activists through a rpt and homophobic system to ga accs to the dgs that ma possible for our generatn to have the liv that we do.

SUPER GAY NIGGA

So let's thk long and hard about how we've been choosg to live the fuckg bolt cutters, gays. They ce “Wish You Were Gay” (the genuely queer Cld cut, not the petty Billie Eilish song) as a prime example.

“I thk whether I was out or not, I'd still be wrg about gay sh bee I am gay, ” they expla wh a, “gay sh” is everywhere on Super Monster. 27 Gay Mem Sure To Make Anyone Lgh. gay.

GAY SH

homophobia. It's easy to pull one le om a homophobic tough-guy gangsta rapper that, on s own, mak him sound ravenoly gay. And we say that bee we're fuckg hard, not gay.

BEER IS SO GAY

SUPER GAY PUTIN [origal]. Super-gay-shTumblrTumblrlongreads.

The director, openly gay wrer, and non-bary star on the popular book seri' queer evolutn.

Phil Graziai, the openly gay screenwrer behd Netflix’s new queer-clive film trilogy based on spook master R.

SUPER GAY

And he fely remembers them not beg very gay.

That hasn’t stopped fans, as Graziai not, om talogg “all the homoerotic unrton of each book” for years. That “Fear Street” go beyond jt gay vib was one of the most excg parts of starrg the summer mp-set “Part Two: 1978” for non-bary actor Ryan Simpks, who they/them pronouns. Even though the script didn’t intify Simpks’ Alice character as gay, they believed om the onset that she was.