Mathew V Creates His Soundtrack of Pride

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Mathew V Creates His Soundtrack of Pride

Which songs helped Mathew V during his formative years?

We all have those songs that are forever ingrained in our coming-of-age stories. Songs that gave us hope, played during our first kiss, helped us feel fierce, or simply helped us understand ourselves a little bit better. This is oftentimes particularly true for LGBTQ artists.

Throughout the month of June, and only on PRIDE, LGBTQ+ artists are curating and sharing playlists that reflect their formative years—their Soundtracks of Pride.

Singer-songwriter Mathew V shares a piece of himself with every track he records. Scroll down to check out V's playlist and read why he picked each song!

"Man! I Feel Like A Woman!" - Shania Twain

"This was the first and only song I sang until I was 7 years old (I was born this gay.) I would roll on the ground and lip-sync for my entire family while wearing a cheerleader pom pom as a wig. Shantay I stay!"

"Thats the Way It Is" - Celine Dion

"My parents blessed me with TASTE, raising me with the music of these Canadian QUEENS. I think Celine is the greatest vocalist of all time, but also such an LGBT ally. I have a Celine Dion tattoo on my shoulder that not many people know about."

"Oops!... I Did it Again" - Britney Spears

"While other kids were watching Barney… I grew up watching this video on repeat. Explains a lot."

"Give Your Heart A Break" - Demi Lovato

"Queen of bops. When everyone on my baseball team was discussing whatever they were discussing… I was praising pop queen Demi Lovato and listening to this on repeat. Sue me."

"Before He Cheats" - Carrie Underwood

"Ok I’m so sorry Carrie, but you were fully my beard. I made collages of her on my duotangs and told classmates that she was my dream woman. Next please."

"Bad Romance" - Lady Gaga

"This one did it…. made me gay. I remember seeing the music video and it was so glamorous and extra. Also Lady Gaga was so vocal about LGBT rights and was one of the first people I heard speaking up for ME in the media."

"Sledgehammer" - Fifth Harmony

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"This is the most played song in my iTunes Library….. y’all…. I- … I listened to it 5607 times. I know the choreography. Hello my name is Mathew V and I have a problem. Please don’t fix me."

"Blank Space" - Taylor Swift

"When I lived in London, I walked around Regent’s Park EVERYDAY listening to 1989 on repeat. It had nothing to do with me being gay… but I happened to be gay while listening. That was enough."

"Picking Up the Pieces" - Paloma Faith

"I discovered Paloma Faith while living in the UK at 17 and I saw this video and it influenced my entire direction as an artist. The GLAMOUR. I wanted to be her. Still do."

"Domino" - Jessie J

"I waited 10 hours to see Jessie J live in London at a gay club called G-A-Y. It was my first time in a gay club. Lots of sweat. But it was the most amazing live show I had ever seen."