Holiday Playlist To Keep Your Christmas Day Merry & Bright

Here are 10 holiday songs for your uber-gay Christmas Day.

All of these artists are proudly LGBTQ, and celebrated for their artistry their respective genres.



1. George Michael (back in his Wham! days) delivered unto us this now-required listening holiday pop gem, “Last Christmas,” in 1986.

2. Out country hunk Ty Herndon takes the iconic “O Come All Ye Faithful” into African rhythm territory here, and it totes works.

3. It doesn’t get any more camp than this: the first true bear band, Bearforce1, with their holiday mashup, “Christmas is here!”

4. Two-time Out Music Award winner Matt Zarley covered Mariah Carey’s “Miss You Most At Christmastime” to spectacular result as part of his ‘UnCOVERED’ cover song series.

5. Award-winning cabaret star Ann Hampton Callaway offers this uber-jazzy “Jingle Bells.”

6. Before winning an Emmy Award as an insane murderer on American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Darren Criss’ “Blaine” was singing and dancing the holiday classic “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” in high style with out actor Chris Colfer’s “Kurt” on GLEE.

7. Tony Award winner Levi Kreis (Million Dollar Quartet) gives you a little bit gospel, a little bit rockabilly on his new cover of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.”

8. Elton John released his “Step Into Christmas” in 1973 and it raced all the way to #1 on the Billboard Christmas Singles chart that year.

9. Handsome out smooth jazz saxophonist Dave Koz shared this cover of “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)” on his 1997 release, December Makes Me Feel This Way.

10. Bright Light Bright Light gifted us with this synth-pop version of the classic “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”

Out Music: Bright Light Bright Light "Uh-Huh!"

Rod Thomas aka Bright Light Bright Light (image via Facebook)

Regular readers know I love me some Bright Light Bright Light.

Check out the third track - "Uh-Huh!" - from Bright Light Bright Light's upcoming EP, Tough Love.

"With 'Uh Huh!' I wanted something much more fun and playful,” Thomas told Billboard. “It's an upbeat, summery song about not overthinking.”

You've got some serious George Michael influence (in a good way), and some sassy horn blasts in just the right places.

Oh yeah, you're gonna bounce. Get ready and hit play.

Tough Love comes out Sept. 21, coinciding with a performance at Manchester Pride and a U.K. and Europe tour.

Out Music: Bright Light Bright Light "New York Pretty"

Singer/songwriter Rod Thomas, recording under the moniker Bright Light Bright Light, explores and celebrates the streets of New York in the new bright and bouncy music video for “New York Pretty.”

The track is from the upcoming EP Tales of the City to be released July 7.

Thomas sets the tone from the get-go, opening the track thusly:

I hope that everyone can see me now
Now that I feel so much better about myself
Now that I feel better about myself

With Pride Month in full swing, Thomas whirls and swirls throughout gay NYC including visits to three iconic gay bars: Stonewall, Julius, and Williamsburg’s Metropolitan.

Thomas describes the feel of "New York Pretty" on his official website thusly:

'New York Pretty' came out of the blue one sunny say in New York winter. It's inspired by the Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin movie 'Big Business' and the idea of spending a long time in a place that's not quite right, eventually moving to the city and feeling like you finally belong.

It's no secret that New York is my place for that, and also inspired by RuPaul and the incredible RuPaul's Drag Race, I wanted to write a song about self-empowerment and self-belief, and this is what emerged. Musically, it's a mix of inspiration from Broadway, Queer As Folk's UK gay scene and Kylie's 'Light Years' which all had a large influence on my music taste growing up.

Watch the upbeat, Pride-worthy music video below.

Music Video: Bright Light Bright Light & Ana Matronic "Good Luck"

Bright Light Bright Light (Rod Thomas) teams up with former Scissor Sisters vocalist Ana Matronic with this track from the coming Life Is Easy remix album.

The duo collaborated earlier this year covering the Pet Shop Boys classic West End Girls in a charity single for NYC's Hetrick-Martin Institute, which serves at-risk LGBT youth.

Music: Bright Light Bright Light "There Are No Miracles"

New music video from Bright Light Bright Light - "There Are No Miracles."

Available now on iTunes.

(h/t JMG)

Charity Single For World AIDS Day - Bright Light Bright Light "Everything I Ever Wanted"

For World AIDS Day, out singer Rod Thomas (currently touring with Elton John) has released this charity single "Everything I Ever Wanted."

From Bright Light Bright Light:

"I really wanted to do something to help raise money for World AIDS Day. I know many people who have been affected by the disease and making pop music, I don't get to do an awful lot that feels like it helps a wider community. And while I love working in a pop world, it's so important for me to still be connected to the real world and real people.

"I hope we can raise money, and in some small way I can help to fight AIDS and to give something back to Elton to thank him for all his support of my work, by raising money for his AIDS Foundation and the excellent work he and his team do."

A portion of all proceeds go to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Available now on Amazon.

New music: Bright Light Bright Light "I Believe"

Rod Thomas, currently on tour opening for Elton John promoting his new album "Life Is Easy," drops this new single on iTunes today.

Music: Elton John & Bright Light Bright Light "I Wish We Were Leaving"

“I Wish We Were Leaving” is the title track of Rod Thomas’ new EP out on April 7 (as well as a track from his forthcoming sophomore record Life Is Easy, due out in July) — and Thomas shares vocal duties with Sir Elton John.

The duet happened after Elton John reached out to Rod Thomas to praise BLBL's debut album, Make Me Believe In Hope.

“From then I kept hearing his voice on the track,” Thomas tells The Guardian. “In time I played him ‘I Wish We Were Leaving’ and he added his vocals. Although it wasn’t written as a duet, I love that his voice taking lead in the second verse is a reminder that every relationship has two sides and two voices.”

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