Layke Shares ‘XOXO,’ Love Letter to Queer Community, Ahead of EP Release

As Pride Month 2022 reaches its end, queer alt-pop artist Layke (she/they) issues a proper send off with her new single and music video, “XOXO.” The queer party anthem acts as a love letter to the LGBTQ community following the release of their equally danceable and electric single, “No One Can Stop Us,” in May.

“I guess you could say everything is really coming up roses at the moment,” Layke says. “So happy that my team and I were able to time this out so ‘XOXO’ could come out in time. Even though Pride is something that is year-round for all of us, it’s just really exciting when the timing is just right.”

Both tracks act as a sneak preview for what listeners can expect from her upcoming EP, Frequency, slated for a July 29 release.

Frequency explores the duality of Layke’s experiences from 2020 and 2021. On one hand, she felt the sense of anxiety and stress so many folks faced—and continue to face—looking at the state of the world and the ongoing pandemic. Though, on the other side, they tried to make the best of the circumstances, dancing around in their apartment and using that time in a productive way even though it wasn’t always easy.

“The songs on the EP definitely reflect that,” she says. “It’s a bit of a personal dichotomy.”

In reference to the sound of the new EP, Layke nods to her producer, Adrian Gurvitz, and the fun they share when creating music. For Frequency, the pair dug deep in to the electronic realm, each track acting as a reflection of their feelings while they created them. While the tracks have multiple layers, Layke says they were careful to maintain space for “the songs to breathe” in the right moment.

With “XOXO,” Layke wanted to craft an inclusive, queer anthem that made people want to get up and move, and the track comes with an equally bubbly and colorful music video. Off the bat, viewers are greeted with iconic choreo, vibrant visuals, and a collection of familiar faces from the “No One Can Stop Us” video, who Layke says each represent a different aspect of the “amazingly diverse queer community.”

“When we set out to do the video, I knew I really wanted to give something a little different than I have before, something that would really stand out and reflect the incredible, enigmatic queer community,” Layke says. “And I was really feeling pastel, neon, rainbow, candy-coated vibes, which I think we definitely got across in the video and it makes me so happy. Every time I watch it, it just makes me smile because I love it so, so much, and I love everyone in it so much.”

In a time when LGBTQ rights are under constant threat and harmful rhetoric against the community continues to persist, “XOXO” serves as a reminder of the importance of uplifting and centering queer Pride.

“There are always people that are trying to tear down the beauty that is our community,” Layke says. “They are so threatened by our joy; it just doesn’t make any sense to me. But no, I wasn’t thinking one bit about any of those bigots when I wrote this song. I was thinking about our beautiful, shining, gorgeous, bright, amazing community and everything that I love about it.”

Though, Layke asserts that the current climate around the LGBTQ community and countless anti-LGBTQ and anti-trans bills are “absolutely abominable.”

“I think it’s more important than ever that people get involved in their community, that they vote, that they really stay informed and aware of what’s going on, because this is a huge human rights issue,” they say. “And it’s not OK, and they’re not going to stop coming for us unfortunately because my entire life, I’ve seen this happening. So, we have to be stronger and smarter than ever. And we will prevail. Love always does.”

As listeners dive into Layke’s discography, she hopes they feel supported in being their authentic and unapologetic selves. They also hope their music shows listeners their individuality is worth celebrating and that it’s OK to go through hard times and reach out to others when they need support.

“The world is a hard place to live because everybody’s trying to be perfect all the time, and nobody has to be perfect; they just have to be themselves,” Layke says. “And that’s what I’m trying to get across: Who you are is incredible, and keep doing you.”

Looking ahead, Layke is eager to remix some of the tracks in their catalog for the first time. She says it’s the perfect opportunity to learn and experiment, allowing for further creative exploration and the opportunity to envision their finished tracks in a new light.

As we collectively bid Pride Month farewell, and Layke looks ahead to their next chapter, she reflects on her personal relationship with LGBTQ Pride:

“Pride is love and community,” Layke says. “Pride is being thankful for those that came before so that we can have the choices we have today. Pride is everyday, 24/7, 365. Pride is so much more than one month a year. Pride is a noun, a verb, an adjective, a way of life. Pride is everything.”

Watch the music video for “XOXO” here:

For more from Layke, find them on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.

Photos courtesy of Quinn Tucker