Gemma Laws

Personally, music has always been about connection and expression, which is why I value diversity and representation. From Tchaikovsky to Freddie Mercury, LGBT people have made important contributions to the music scene. Yet visibility has generally been limited to cisgender white gay men. On 1st January 2018, Japanese-American artist Hayley Kiyoko – affectionately titled ‘Lesbian Jesus’ by her fans – declared we were entering “#20GAYTEEN”. As we find ourselves in a new year, how successful was

In July, a six-year-old song struck a chord in pop culture for all the wrong reasons. Following a four-year legal battle, a Los Angeles jury declared that Katy Perry’s 2013 track ‘Dark Horse’ had copied Christian rapper Flame’s 2008 track ‘Joyful Noise’ – a decision that has proved to be controversial. With Perry’s notorious industry status, the ruling generated a strong reaction, with some commentators stating its implications for songwriting are ‘chilling’ as juries with limited musical knowl