LIONESSES — Korea’s first openly LGBTQ boy band — debuts first song
LIONESSES, a group claiming to be Korea’s first openly LGBTQ+ boy band, has just debuted their first song: Show Me Your Pride.
The song addresses the struggles of dealing with homophobia, being true to who you really are, and showing off your pride in being LGBTQ. More importantly, Show Me Your Pride acknowledges that there is pain in coming out, but you’ll truly shine and sparkle when you kick the closet door down and come out.
South Korea are not known for being entirely receptive of LGBTQ+ identities – there still isn’t any law that punishes discrimination against homophobia and transphobia, and while there are LGBTQ+ cultural icons like K-Pop star Holland, LIONESSES mark the very first openly LGBTQ+ boy band in Korean history. A monumental moment not just for the country, but for the entertainment industry as a whole.
Speaking to TW News, band leader Bae Dam-jun says the motif of ‘Show Me Your Pride’ is ‘we are us’ and that the band’s name, ‘라이오네시스’, means ‘lioness of the savannah plains’.
To echo this symbolism of their lioness nature, the music video accompanying the new song showcases the band members all in lion masks, with Dam-jun revealing their face near the end. It’s a strong message, and it helps that the song is damn good too!
‘Show Me Your Pride’ is available to listen on multiple platforms, such as Spotify, Melon, Vibe, Genie, Flo Bugs, Soribada, and Apple Music.
About The Author
