QUEER LANGUAGE: CREATING NEW SPACES FOR IDENTITY IN MUSIC

Abstract

The article examines the usage of queer language in music, focusing on the creation of new spaces of identity in contemporary music. By analyzing the work of leading queer singers, such as RuPall, Lady Gaga, Sam Smith, and others, the study reveals linguistic and performative strategies that challenge traditional gender and sexual norms. The article also offers a comprehensive analysis of queer language in music, drawing on Ukrainian and international scholarship. It analyzes how musical performers use queer language as a tool for constructing identity, resistance, and self-expression. The research corpus uses an interdisciplinary methodological approach, integrating corpus analysis, quantitative analysis, and comparative analysis. The discourse analysis was used to study the pragmatic functions of queer vocabulary in musical discourse. The ethnographic approach allowed us to analyze field research in queer culture communities (bol culture, drag queens) and explore the contexts of everyday use of queer vocabulary. The key results highlight the transformative power of queer language in musical spaces, demonstrating how contemporary performers use linguistic innovation to create alternative spaces of belonging and representation. The article critically analyses the intersection of language, performance, and identity, revealing how musical expression becomes a powerful means of challenging heteronormative discourses and expanding understanding of gender and sexual diversity. Through a synthesis of theoretical material and practical analysis, the study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on queer linguistics, musical performance, and identity politics, offering insights into the dynamic and heterogeneous nature of queer expression in contemporary music.