Tag: songs that soundtracked the aids crisis
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Songs That Soundtracked the AIDS Crisis: Spice Girls “2 Become 1”
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In 1996, Frank Mendez was one of the most visible people living with HIV in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas along the US-Mexico border. At a time when the drag community had been impacted heavily by losses to AIDS, Frank was out about his HIV status both in…
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Songs That Soundtracked the AIDS Crisis: Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam’s “I Wonder If I Take You Home”
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Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam emerged in the summer of 1985, during the height of the Reagan era, as one of the first Latin freestyle groups to achieve significant crossover and commercial success. Their debut single, “I Wonder If I Take You Home,” not only exemplified the burgeoning freestyle genre—a…
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Songs That Soundtrack the AIDS Crisis: Rihanna’s “Sex With Me”
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It is the year of our Beyoncé 2024, and folks got on her internet to deride people for taking PrEP, by admonishing them to just “not have sex with people who have hiv.” This began a few days ago when X account @ FemK_Ultra wrote that “Realizing sex doesnt have…
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Songs That Soundtracked the AIDS Crisis: Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”
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My memories are a sacred place. Some may say I am addicted to nostalgia, and maybe, on some level, I am. But aren’t most people? My visitations to yesteryear are not rooted in the longing to relive the past but rather a way for me to time travel and have…
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songs that soundtracked the AIDS crisis: Tiffany “Here In My Heart”
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The impact of HIV/AIDS in the collective consciousness in pop music was undeniable. This period saw a move toward more introspective and somber tones lyrically and sonically. “Being Boring” by Pet Shop Boys, and Gwen Guthrie’s “Can’t Love You Tonight” are notable songs of this time. And yes, even teen…
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songs that soundtracked the AIDS crisis: boogie down productions “jimmy”
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“here is a message to the super hoes” whew, name a more iconic and sex-positive opening line of a hip-hop song released in 1998 – during the genre’s golden era? well, maybe i am being hyperbolic, but almost every lyric in “jimmy” by the pioneering new york hip-hop group boogie…
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songs that soundtracked the AIDS crisis: martha wash’s “carry on”
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known as the queen of clubland, martha wash has been a constant presence on the dance floor of queer clubs for close to half a century. her voice helped to propel songs by sylvester (“disco heat”), the weather girls (“it’s raining men”), rebbie Jackson (“centipede”), seduction (“you’re my one and…
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DIONNE WARWICK
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2025 will mark the 40th anniversary of Dionne Warwick’s cultural milestone single, “That’s What Friends Are For.” The one-off single, featuring the equally iconic Gladys Knight, Elton John, and Stevie Wonder, “That’s What Friends Are For,” was released as a charity single in October 1985 to support AIDS research. The…
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songs that soundtracked the AIDS crisis: queen’s “there are the days of our lives”
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The early 1990s were a pivotal era in popular culture, significantly marked by the escalating AIDS epidemic. For Queen, one of the most celebrated rock bands of the 20th century, the impact of AIDS was deeply personal. By the release of “Innuendo,” Queen’s fourteenth studio album, Queen had established itself…
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songs that soundtracked the AIDS crisis: songs that celebrate coming out and inviting in
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the roots of queer clubs can be traced back to the early 20th century. many of these spaces existed in secrecy, then in the aftermath of the stonewall uprising against police violence in june 1969, queer clubs began to emerge from the shadows. the uprisings served as catalyst for transformation…
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songs that soundtracked the AIDS crisis: tasmin archer’s “sleeping satellite”
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i can still picture us hanging out in his dimly lit room as he sang his heart out to tasmin archer’s “sleeping sattelite.” i didn’t get it. i just didn’t hear what he did. where was the beat? how do you dance to this? what the hell was is it…
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songs that soundtracked the AIDS crisis: bone thugs-n-harmony’s “tha crossroads”
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in the vast universe of hip-hop’s fifty-year history, certain songs stand out for their musical brilliance and place within pop culture and their profound impact on how we eulogize the lives of the loved ones we lost. among these iconic tracks include pete rock & CL smooth’s “they reminisce over…