Soundtrack of Pride: Jamie Hannah Adores Celine Dion, Ariana, & Kylie

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, made us feel fierce, or simply helped us understand ourselves a little bit better. This can be 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. 

Jamie Hannah, who premiered his ethereal new single "Magic" with us last month, swept through to share an eclectic playlist of a few of his musical inspirations.  

Hannah's playlist includes stunning tracks from Ariana Grande, Kylie Minogue, Celine Dion, Boy George, and more.

Hannah dove into his affection for each song below:  

"Your Disco Needs You" - Kylie Minogue
"I’ve always loved Kylie. Four years ago I performed with her on stage at the Royal Albert Hall.  "Your Disco Needs You" was my favorite song that we performed together, purely because she was carried onto the stage on a chaise lounge by six strapping men. Oh how I wish I was the chaise lounge…"

"Ombra mai fu" - George Frideric Handel
"Classical music has played an enormous role in sculpting my musical sound. 'Ombra mai fu' is an aria from Handel's Opera 'Xerxes' and was the first piece I found I could sing as a countertenor."

"goodnight n go" - Ariana Grande
"Ariana is vocally flawless. I was lucky enough to see her sing this live. Her performance of this left me covered in goosebumps. Every note she sang was perfection."

"Mr. Blue Sky" - Electric Light Orchestra
"When I was young, this was one of those songs that was always playing in the car whilst my dad drove me to school. We both sang along together and I have so many happy memories from those rides."

"Who Loves You" - Franki Valli & the Four Seasons
"Frankie always sings predominantly in his falsetto, I just love his voice. I saw him perform live with my family and he was phenomenal on stage."

"Life" - Boy George, Culture Club
"I love how in this song and the music video George shows his vulnerability. It was the first music video that he released without any make-up on or a hat. The video was stripped back to the basics, like it had no filter. It's the simplicity that makes it so powerful and so beautiful."

Previous Soundtracks of Pride: The Aces, pineappleCITI, Siena Liggins, J.Scott, ABISHA, CHAV, Alex the Astronaut, Lauren Phillips, Ruth Koleva, ALMA, Wafia, alextbh

"Hope There’s Someone" - Antony and the Johnsons 
"When I feel sad, I listen to this song. It’s an incredibly emotive song and is so cathartic to listen to."

"Che Gelida Manina" - Puccini 
"I have a love for opera and Puccini, he is one of my favorite composers. La Boheme is my favorite and I think I have watched a thousand times."

 "A Moment Like This" - Leona lewis 
"This is the first X Factor season I watched and from then on I was hooked. Leona is such a sensational singer."

"My Heart Will Go On" - Celine Dion
"Titanic is the best film ever written, period. Celine is the dream, period."

"Wind Beneath My Wings" - Bette Midler
"This is just an incredible song. She’s a 1988 diva and I love the movie Beaches, a film my family and I used to watch together. It is so nostalgic for me."

"Defying Gravity" - Wicked the Musical
"I just love a musical and when I was young, my parents took me to go see this for my birthday. For the months that followed, I used to spin around the lounge singing this at the top of my lungs."

"Put Your Records On" - Corinne Bailey Rae
"It’s just a number one bop."

"True Colours" - Eva Cassidy
"Such a stunning song. I was stuck between this and her cover of "Fields of Gold." Who wants to cry this evening? If so, go and listen to this. Be authentic to yourself and let your rainbow shine though."

Listen to Jamie Hannah's Soundtrack of Pride below!

And for the rest of the Soundtracks of Pride series, click here!