Pride Music: Matt Alber "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"

Part of what the LGBTQ community has had to do over the decades was co-opt popular music for ourselves when it wasn't possible for an artist to be open about who they really were.

I've loved this gorgeous, poignant cover version of Whitney Houston's mega hit, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," by popular out singer Matt Alber for years.

Alber's brilliant reimagining of the tune reflects a universal feeling many young LGBTQs have experienced forever. Let's face it - how many of us thought we'd never find someone to dance with?

The lyrics really are front and center in this thoughtful take on the song.

From the single release notes: "I grew up listening to Whitney on my Sony Walkman cassette player while wandering my apartment complex in St. Louis. No one knew I was gay, and I spent a lot of time alone singing along to Whitney, and this song in particular."

"It's lonely growing up as a teen in the closet and Whitney helped me express the deeply hidden desires of my heart-- I wanted to dance with somebody who loved me."

A portion of the proceeds from the single benefit Larkin Street Youth Services in San Francisco, an organization directly meeting the needs of homeless LGBTQ youth in the bay area.

Learn more at: www.larkinstreetyouth.org

You can buy the single at iTunes or CDbaby.com