Cycle 2

Any typical conversation about Kelis will almost undoubtedly centre around that dairy-based beverage, and its power to lure ~the boys~ to her front lawn for a taste. Of course, Drew and Andy aren’t interested in typical conversations. This episode, the boys go lactose-free – they didn’t come here to talk milkshakes; they came here for flesh.

Still in the happy years of her second marriage and with two young children, American Life was Madonna’s opportunity to reflect on growing older and wiser, with her musings brought to life via one of her most successful creative relationships, with French producer Mirwais. Are you confused as to what makes this album, once seen as her biggest flop, the queerest Madonna choice of all? Hit play, and buckle down. It’s no Easy Ride.

From the blaring trumpets of "Run Away With Me" reminding you of the one that got away, to the rhythm of "Warm lood" made to match your throbbing heartbeat, to the multi-layered intricacies of "Boy Problems", it’s no wonder E•MO•TION has been so revered by the queer community since its release. But, girl… did you know about Side B?

What do maketh a queer icon? Pop princess blighted by tragedy – tick. Indie darlings, misunderstood by their contemporaries but retrospectively lauded – check. How about an effeminate, sexually ambiguous teenager pulled from small town 70s England? Boy George confused and bewitched men, women and everything in between, and in some ways, continues to do so.

Gimme a beat! This is a story about Control – Janet Jackon's Control. Join Drew and Andy as we work out what's up with this album, do we really like it that much, and what has it done for us lately, while journeying through a glorious eighties pop masterpiece and the genesis of many a female popstar's mission statement of independence. Aural Fixation episode 14, if you're nasty.

Experimental and unapologetically queer, Garbage cut their tusks in the nineties with their inimitable cocktail of genres across grunge, trip-hop, pop and rock. Here we explore the band's third, and arguably most divisive, album, with ultimate Garbage stan Liam Casey. So like a rosé, Beautiful Garbage has matured over time to become a curio in the band's canon that celebrates self-expression, deliberate weirdness and gender fuckery.

It’s the early seventies and Dame Elton John is spaffing out music like it’s nobody’s business. If you’ve seen Rocket Man, you’d know the gal needed a break. Break he did not, for what came out what undoubtedly Elton’s most experimental offering to date – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. A celebration of bravery, fantasy and bold brassy lassies, GYBR is lauded by many as Ms. John’s best album – but what makes it so (in Andy’s words) qwee-yah? Join the boys as they deep dive into the ultimate diva.

Our second cycle of queer icons wraps up with our most contemporary yet. Ariana Grande might be the most popular artist among queer people under the age of twenty five, but in recent years has trodden a path taken by very few, if any, of her peers. We're joined by noted Ariana authority and Canadian-Australian Friend of the Pod Maheena Menday to consult on the completely unique career of one of the world’s biggest pop stars, framed through the lense of two outstanding albums released half a year from one another. Thank u next, bitch. Yuh.

Q: Can Andy and Drew last an hour without talking about Madame X or Mother Monster?
A: No.

Q: Can Andy and Drew last five minutes without talking about Madame X or Mother Monster?
A: Also no.

By popular demand, the boys wrap up Cycle 2 with another bumper Q&A session – but this time there's a twist.