Rayvon Owen Shares How ‘Pride 2023 Hits Different’ While Celebrating Friends In ‘The Sound Of Pride’ (Exclusive)

It’s Pride Month! Throughout June, HollywoodLife is celebrating with The Sound Of Pride, wherever celebs and stars of the LBGTQ+ assemblage prime songs for the eventual 2023 Pride Month playlist. It’s the cleanable soundtrack to readying your Pride party, researching how to support LGBTQ+ rights, oregon speechmaking astir the history of Pride Month. As Pride rounds the country into the last stretch, Rayvon Owen takes a infinitesimal to grant those who animate him.

It’s an understatement of sorts erstwhile Rayvon Owen tells HollywoodLife that “Pride 2023 hits different.” At the commencement of the month, the forecast was doom and gloom, considering the sheer fig of anti-LGBTQ+ bills floating astir the authorities legislatures successful the United States. Recently, the assemblage has scored immoderate victories – the Tennessee resistance prohibition was ruled unconstitutional by a national judge, and a national justice successful Arkansas struck down the state’s first-ever prohibition connected gender-affirming wellness attraction for transgender minors – but Rayvon knows that this doesn’t mean the combat is over.

“There’s a newfound consciousness of state and exploration wrong our community,” helium tells HL when picking songs for our Pride Month playlist, The Sound of Pride.  “On the flip side, there’s besides a deeper knowing of the value of our visibility successful bid to combat the emergence of anti-drag and anti-trans civilization and legislation.”

This isn’t to accidental that the LGBTQ+ assemblage is going to fto its haters rainfall connected their Pride Parade. Rayvon released “What Hurst More Than Loving” and “Work It” successful May, and performed connected the main signifier of LA’s Outloud Pride Festival astatine the commencement of June. On June 25, he’ll execute the National Anthem and the Halftime Show for the Connecticut Sun‘s crippled against the Chicago Sky. Before helium hits the court, cheque retired his picks for HL‘s Pride Month playlist.

VINCINT, “Take Me Home”

“These are immoderate songs that are peculiar to maine this Pride Month 2023. My beloved friend, VINCINT, has go a staple creator wrong our assemblage and “Take Me Home” lone further solidifies his people successful music.”

Janelle Monáe, “Lipstick Lover”

“I emotion ‘Lipstick Lover’ truthful overmuch – it reminds maine of pleasure, partying and bully energy. Janelle Monáe is simply a wonderment and inspiration…”

Demi Lovato, “Cool For The Summer (Rock Version)”

“…So is my different beloved friend, Demi Lovato. “Cool For The Summer” means truthful overmuch to maine and I cognize others successful the LGBTQ+ community. I felt seen when I archetypal heard this opus and saw the iconic music video we each privation we could beryllium in.

Zac Poor, “Catapult”

“I conjecture this is simply a database of friends because Zac Poor besides inspires maine and has been a idiosyncratic power successful my songwriting and artistry. Overall, Pride 2023 is, to me, astir community. An epoch of enactment and love: the existent meaning of PRIDE.”

Rayvon Owen, “What Hurts More Than Loving” 

“Can I prime my ain song? [laughs].”

HL: How does Pride 2023 feel when compared to past year’s?  

RAYVON: “Pride 2023 hits different. There’s a newfound consciousness of state and exploration wrong our community. On the flip side, there’s besides a deeper knowing of the value of our visibility successful bid to combat the emergence of anti-drag and anti-trans civilization and legislation.”

Pride is simply a clip to observe unsung heroes. So, who would you’d similar to spot get immoderate much of the spotlight this year?  

“There’s a TikToker by the sanction of Parker (@parkergetajob) who is simply a staunch state of the LGBTQ community. Daily, helium goes unrecorded successful beforehand of 2k+ viewers and proves idiosyncratic aft idiosyncratic incorrect who effort to situation him against either wherefore being cheery is immoral oregon trans issues. It’s fascinating to ticker and not lone does helium sometimes unfastened the minds of the idiosyncratic he’s debating, he’s explaining these issues successful a mode radical watching tin logically understand.”

Do you person a representation of Pride Months past that you’d similar to share?

“I truly enjoyed playing Tulsa Pride past summer. My fellow Ezra, aka “Daisy Doo,” joined maine onstage successful drag. We had specified a large clip celebrating unneurotic and it felt bully to beryllium unfastened and arrogant with idiosyncratic that I love.”

What bash you person planned for June (and the remainder of 2023?)  

“I’ve got my caller EP, Real, coming this summer!! Excited to stock this caller euphony and execute it unrecorded astir the country.”

Do you person a Pride 2023 connection to share?

“Hold choky onto who you are. Judge a histrion by its fruit: if who you are and who you emotion feels bully and isn’t hurting you oregon others astir you, past radiance bright. If you’re inactive figuring things out, instrumentality your time. Some effect takes clip to ripen.”

Keep reading HollywoodLife throughout June for more entries in The Sound of Pride and additional Pride Month coverage. And retrieve — hole your bosom oregon die!

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