The Singles Jukebox

A “warm burrito of panflutes”… damn, now I’M hungry…

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Crystal Leww: CupcakKe’s got dizzyingly great raps for days, but she’s consistently elevated her tracks by having a great ear for production. “LGBT” pulses with a dance beat that is faster than most hip-hop tracks, and it gives CupcakKe a chance to show that she can thrill even at a higher BPM. This is joyful and effortless, a cute shout-out to her fans in the LGBT community.
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Micha Cavaseno: There are people who truly enjoy CupcakKe’s hamfisted sex-romps, and frankly if that suits your needs then go for it; and likewise, “LGBT” isn’t subtle in any way, nor should such a bold gesture of allyship need to be, right? But if you think about it as a song, its the same problems I’ve had with CupcakKe’s typical X-rated output: bad hooks, clumsier punchlines, and a bad ear for beats. Good intentions are not to be ignored, but sometimes good results are a little more vital.
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Alfred Soto: I’m always ready for sass, and CupcakKe includes a couple of well-delivered zings, but “LGBT” can’t escape its clunky chorus, the way in which it relies on the moniker as the shield behind which they can throw soft punches.
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Will Adams: “LGBT” is about as good as pop allyship can get (granted, we’re working with a pretty low bar) because it’s pure, unabashed fun. Unlike so many others, CupcakKe never talks down to her audience; she weaves her encouraging words with clever braggadocio, never missing a beat and always rapping with energy. You feel less like you’re on the receiving end of market-tested patronizing and more like you’re heading out with her to the club. And on a personal level, hearing “shout out to the bi’s/You ain’t gotta pick a side” is pretty goddamn affirming to those who’ve constantly faced raised eyebrows or scoffs or questions of “which way do you lean?”/”are you sure…?” As a song, it’s a bit slight, but it manages to do a hell of a lot more in its 2:41 than most others have.
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Ramzi Awn: The “Egypt”-era Kate Bush synths make for an interesting addition to this uplifting junior high school ode to the Spice Girls.   
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Jonathan Bradley: The pan flutes evoke grime in its earliest days, as does Cupcakke’s craggy, pointed flow (even if the accent is all wrong). The dancefloor-paced kick drum, which thuds along at house speed belies “LGBT”‘s Chicago origins. “LGBT,” then, is a marriage of two hometown traditions: DIY teen rap and queer anthems. She hammers out the letters of the title initialism with the same familiarity and intimacy as if she were shouting out the address of a local cross-street.
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Adaora Ede: Characters like CupcakKe are oft appropriated by the gay Internet for their snappiness — which can end up backfiring on both sides, as some white cisgender gays find themselves identifying with an “inner black woman” that simply does not exist and idols such as Azealia Banks, well, you know. “LGBT” is mutually embracing, a warm burrito of processed panflutes. This time, it’s free of the over expository lyrics from older CupcaKKe hits like “Deepthroat”; filler over filler that ends up being a better anthem than any midtempo Katy Perry song. Yeah, to the naked eye, it looks not a lot of this song is specifically about LGBT people outside of the stabby chorus and the opening verses shouting out the so-called bis, lesbians, drags, and gays. But the beauty is in the details: a music video portraying and glorifying queerness in all its normality featuring a bevy of PoC and people of different shapes and sizes. Lady Gaga auntie is SHAKING. 
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Mo Kim: There’s a lot to say about this, but I’m just going to hone in on CupcakKe’s voice itself: bursting with pride, anger, playfulness, and defiance, it does the heavy lifting under the breezy text of “LGBT.” I can’t wait to dance to this soon and feel all of it for myself.
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