{"id":358365,"date":"2024-04-30T11:51:35","date_gmt":"2024-04-30T10:51:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gaytimes.co.uk\/?p=358365"},"modified":"2024-04-30T11:51:15","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T10:51:15","slug":"fred-roberts-wants-to-be-the-future-of-gay-pop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gaytimes.com\/amplify\/fred-roberts-wants-to-be-the-future-of-gay-pop\/","title":{"rendered":"Fred Roberts wants to be the future of gay pop"},"content":{"rendered":"

The London-based artist on why we need more gay male musicians, his diaristic debut EP <\/span>Sound of My Youth<\/span><\/em> and transforming into his truest self.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

WORDS BY ZOYA RAZA-SHEIKH<\/strong>
\nPHOTOGRAPHY BY JONO WHITE<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>

There\u2019s a boyish eagerness to Fred Roberts<\/a>. The rising 21-year-old artist wants his music to connect, to resonate, with his audience in the way his favourites \u2013 like Troye Sivan<\/a> \u2013 have with him. On his debut EP, <\/span>Sound of My Youth<\/span><\/i>, the singer unravels his queer<\/a> coming-of-age story through open-hearted lyricism and moving pop ballads. \u201cI spent a lot of time making sure the EP was perfect,\u201d he says, reflecting on its launch this month. To commemorate its arrival, the Hertfordshire-raised artist invited a small cohort of fans to Shoreditch Strongroom, a studio space not far from our current noisy spot. \u201cIt reminded me that my music is having an impact,\u201d he says earnestly. \u201cI feel like [<\/span>Sound Of My Youth<\/span><\/em>] has given me closure.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Roberts\u2019 lead single \u2018Runaway\u2019 is an explosive opener that boldly introduces the UK act as a must-watch rising star. An intimate pop anthem, he hooks diaristic lyrics to big beats, earning him a standout song for his discography. \u201cBefore I released music, there were a lot of factors in my life stopping me from doing certain things, whether that be insecurities, and not being able to follow my gut with everything,\u201d he explains. <\/span><\/p>\n

Now, maturer, Roberts feels like he\u2019s gaining a clearer understanding of himself, even if by unconventional means. From sweaty late nights in Brighton\u2019s Revenge to hours spent in Irish pubs in Rome, new experiences have coloured his perspective with valuable adolescent life lessons \u2013 a fresh way for the singer to explore his identity. \u201cI’ve never been to a gay club before Revenge!\u201d he laughs, eyeing up music posters nearby. \u201cOver the course of this year, I feel like I’ve not been answering to anyone or living for anyone else and that’s the most important thing.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As we settle into a navy blue cafe couch in Aldgate, the details of Roberts peek through. He\u2019s wearing a heather grey jumper, dark jeans and white Adidas trainers. A silver necklace twinkles in the bright room, an accessory he occasionally plays with when sifting through his thoughts. The necklace, a gift, is a small personalised pendant inscribed with the letters \u2018SOMY\u2019, the initials of his EP. Inside, there\u2019s a roughly fitted picture of his close friends, people that, he says, inspire him. His close circles have been instrumental in getting him where he is today. As a teenager, in 2019, Roberts landed a spot on <\/span>X Factor: The Band<\/span><\/em>. Encouraged by those closest to him, he completed the two-week experience and emerged with a renewed understanding of what he wanted his career to look like. Here, several years later, he\u2019s since signed to Universal Music and released his biggest personal project to date. \u201cFans have given my music purpose which, in a sense, has given me purpose. It\u2019s allowed me to have this confidence\u201d he says. \u201cIf I was releasing music 10 years ago, I would not have been as open as I am about my sexuality or my story.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Having reflected on his new milestone, the singer is grateful for his progress but he\u2019s ready to move on \u2013 ready to become the next big breakthrough act. His music is sincere and his lyrics, he admits, are at times a little too honest. A five-track compilation, his EP lends a shared eye to Roberts\u2019 perspective, letting us into his intimate moments whether this is shedding the weight of a break-up or indulging in the euphoria of first queer love. He cites <\/span>Blue Neighbourhood<\/span><\/em>,<\/span><\/i> an electro-pop debut album from Troye Sivan, as an emotional blueprint to him. \u201cYou think that artists are these otherworldly creatures, no matter how big or small they are,\u201d he says. \u201cBut, everyone’s terrified and putting their heart on the line but they want to keep doing it because they love [being an artist].\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, Roberts has, surprisingly, found himself in a unique spot as a young openly gay male artist in the British music scene. As we see a rise of queer male talent overseas \u2013 from Lil Nas X to Omar Apollo \u2013 there is a seeming lack of gay, Gen Z male artists landing in the UK charts or radio waves. \u201cI think people are scared [to come out] and no one wants to do anything wrong,\u201d he says. From his own experience, he\u2019s considered how his music will be received and discussed with family and friends what it means to be out, publicly. \u201cIf I take a risk by talking about who I am it\u2019s my decision but, for me, you can’t live your whole life not being open. People shouldn’t have to talk about sexuality, but because of how that impacts people’s lives that’s why I talk about it. I could release music and give no context but, I’m noticing that I have a connection with people and that\u2019s what it’s all about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.gaytimes.co.uk\/music\/queer-and-now\/queer-now-fred-roberts-is-a-gen-z-pop-star-interview\/<\/p>\n

As the music industry moves forward, Roberts hopes the UK scene is able to become more accommodating to LGBTQIA+ talent. \u201cI’m aware there are not many male singers who are gay and out about it [because] if they did come out, maybe they’d lose [listeners] because not everyone’s okay with it,\u201d he says. The concern for how you\u2019re perceived is an understandable anxiety. For many queer people, we root ourselves in communities and art that resonates with us, but what if you have to be the one leading the way? Roberts sits with his thoughts, mulling over the topic. We cycle through discussions of queer fandom: Towa Bird, Ethel Cain, Chappell Roan, and Rene\u00e9 Rapp \u2013 new female and sapphic stars that have found a community among LGBTQIA+ listeners, yet there\u2019s a notable lack of openly gay male acts. \u201cThere’s a need for it. The majority of media is straight and it would instantly pull in a whole wider audience,\u201d he says. \u201cI’ve never felt so supported by queer fanbases. I know a lot of my fans are queer [and] they are desperate to have something themselves.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I’ve never felt so supported by queer fanbases. I know a lot of my fans are queer [and] they are desperate to have something themselves<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The demand for queer artists, to Roberts, needs to be heard by music labels, executives and other leading musicians. Only with support, he says, can LGBTQIA+ talent meet the trajectory they deserve. \u201cLook at <\/span>Heartstopper<\/span><\/i>, for example, people were saying we didn’t know how big it was going to be but, of course, it’s going to be big,\u201d he says. \u201cThere isn’t a young teenage show dedicated to queer people like that. So, if you’re going to put that out on Netflix and put money behind it, people are going to eat up. <\/span>Young Royals<\/a>,<\/span><\/i> too, and I love that show. You create media [like] music, TV or films that represent an underrepresented community and people are going to love it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The cafe speakers crackle and soft pop pools into the room, pulling Roberts\u2019 thoughts back to music. “My EP is out,” he says, almost as a reminder to himself. He’s deliberating what’s next. \u201cIt’s a business and I’m feeling the pressure that I need to keep this going,\u201d he says tugging at his necklace. \u201cI can’t sit back and release whatever I want to. There is that thought of how am I going to reach more people and do that authentically [in a way that] translates to everyone else.\u201d He\u2019s been thinking, recently, about what it takes to become the next big thing.<\/span><\/p>\n

While many of us may find our favourites through charts, music listings or vinyl stores, Roberts vouches for how the internet amplifies new gay acts and provides a space for upcoming LGBTQIA+<\/a> acts to find a community<\/a>. However, as TikTok faces challenges with music labels pulling music and a potential ban in the US, the future of online queer spaces seems uncertain. But, for now, it\u2019s a platform allowing queer artists to connect and share each other\u2019s music without necessarily having to be publicly out. \u201cIf there’s a big queer artist out there, they’re on my [For You Page] because there’s not that many. I know others. I could name a handful of people. I won’t name them, but I could name a few who are in music and are not out right now. I think about those people and question who else is actually in that space.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So as Roberts continues to find new audiences online, he\u2019s excited for the opportunity to connect with fans IRL this summer \u2014 with appearances scheduled at a handful of notable UK festivals such as Y Not Festival, Monument Festival, and Camp Bestival. \u201cI’ve got these festivals which are sick and I\u2019m writing. A lot of the music I’m writing now is very much yearning, full and sad but it does come with more maturity and a bigger understanding of what everything means to me, and that\u2019s what matters.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sound of My Youth <\/b><\/em>is out now via Universal Music<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The London-based artist on why we need more gay male musicians, his diaristic debut EP Sound of My Youth and transforming into his truest self.\u00a0\u00a0 WORDS BY ZOYA RAZA-SHEIKH PHOTOGRAPHY\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7082,"featured_media":358368,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"templates\/feature.php","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[556,620],"tags":[1403,16189,15847,649,2463,9290,18243,297,1231,1334],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFred Roberts wants to be the future of gay pop<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The London-based artist on why we need more gay male musicians, his diaristic debut EP Sound of My Youth and transforming into his truest self.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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