The Sound of Sapphism

In the 20th century, queer people had the phrase “are you a friend of Dorothy?” But in 2022, there’s the saying “do you listen to girl in red?” 

If you’re young, queer, or on Tiktok, you might have noticed a growing community of artists and listeners over the past few years under the banner of “sapphic pop,” a term recently coined referring to music by and/or for sapphics (a.k.a. women or femme folks attracted to other femme folks). Journalist Emma Madden defines the folk-inspired sound as having a “soft tactile approach” that’s “more sensual than it is sexual.” This umbrella folds in everyone from indie pop veterans Tegan & Sara to nonbinary artists like King Princess; even artists like Hozier and Sufjan Stevens are, improbably, considered sapphic pop, with their music having the same sonic qualities of other songs dedicated to feminine yearning.

From articles popping up in multiple news outlets to the majority of Taylor Swift’s openers for this upcoming tour (looking at MUNA, gi...

In the 20th century, queer people had the phrase “are you a friend of Dorothy?” But in 2022, there’s the saying “do you listen to girl in red?” 

If you’re young, queer, or on Tiktok, you might have noticed a growing community of artists and listeners over the past few years under the banner of “sapphic pop,” a term recently coined referring to music by and/or for sapphics (a.k.a. women or femme folks attracted to other femme folks). Journalist Emma Madden defines the folk-inspired sound as having a “soft tactile approach” that’s “more sensual than it is sexual.” This umbrella folds in everyone from indie pop veterans Tegan & Sara to nonbinary artists like King Princess; even artists like Hozier and Sufjan Stevens are, improbably, considered sapphic pop, with their music having the same sonic qualities of other songs dedicated to feminine yearning.

From articles popping up in multiple news outlets to the majority of Taylor Swift’s openers for this upcoming tour (looking at MUNA, girl in red, and Phoebe Bridgers, specifically), the terminology of “sapphic pop” has come to define a scene almost out of nowhere.

This week on Switched On Pop, we explore exactly what sapphic pop is, where it came from, and how artists feel about it – even asking Tegan & Sara and King Princess directly. You can listen wherever you get podcasts.

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Songs discussed: 

Clairo – Sofia

King Princess – Talia

girl in red – i wanna be your girlfriend

Hozier – Cherry Wine (live)

Alex G – Sarah

The Velvet Underground – I Found A Reason

Sufjan Stevens – To Be Alone With You

Cris Williamson – Shine On Straight Arrow

Jaylib, Madlib, J Dilla – The Red

Taylor Swift – betty

Brittany Howard – Georgia

MUNA, Phoebe Bridgers – Silk Chiffon

Tegan & Sara – Call It Off

Tegan & Sara – Smoking Weed Alone

King Princess – 1950

King Princess – I Hate Myself, I Want To Party

King Princess – Pussy is God

Kate Bush – Why Should I Love You?

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