In a year where LGBTQ rights have been regularly attacked by right-wing groups around the world — especially in the U.S., where over 200 discriminatory bills have been submitted in state legislatures this year alone — queer and trans people are in desperate need of some joy.
While entertainment does not provide a substitution for the freedoms and rights LGBTQ people deserve, it does offer a boost of that much-needed joy. Throughout 2022, multiple LGBTQ artists have released some of their most expansive albums to date, ranging from LPs fueled by raw, angry protestations against the systems in place, to dopamine-producing projects filled with the escapism many are desperately seeking out.
To celebrate the queer and trans stars that have given fans some of that much-needed joy throughout this year, here are Billboard‘s picks for the 10 best albums by LGBTQ artists released thus far in 2022: