Now More Than Ever (Pride 2020)

Like most of the rest of 2020, Pride is postponed (read: cancelled) this year. A month ago, I had zero intentions of putting together a mix this year, and was actually looking forward to taking a year off. But then some really killer music came my way, and a few people asked, and as what was supposed to be Pride weekend approached, it no longer seemed like the right thing to do. After all, the world is fucking crazy right now, and we all need a little normality in our lives.

Pride is certainly going to look and feel different this year. With official events off the schedule, I suppose it's up to us to observe as we see fit.  And given everything going on right now, I think it's important we not just forget it this year. Pride means many things to different people, which is one of the beautiful things about it. There a million and a half things that could be said about the protesting, the civil unrest, the more-than-justified anger, and the struggles many of our brothers and sisters of color are experiencing right now. But more than ever, I think it's important to know when to shut the fuck up and just listen. Being an ally means support, sure, but it also means not directing the conversation. We all have a hell of a lot to learn about each other (and an even greater amount of progress to make).

So here's to a very strange, very unusual, very not normal Pride 2020.  But nothing in the world is normal right now. If we do this right, we can get through it together.  Reflect. Celebrate. Listen. Learn. Now more than ever, be proud.

-Nate

Download link:
Nate Rusch - Pride 2020 [111 minutes / 101 MB]
or stream on Soundcloud here


Tracklist:
Dua Lipa - Break My Heart (Cosmic Dawn Extended Remix)
Gryffin, Gorgon City, & AlunaGeorge - Baggage (BOT Remix)
Gryffin, Gorgon City, & AlunaGeorge - Baggage
Halsey - You Should Be Sad (Tiesto Extended Remix)
Nause, Rebecca & Fiona - Can't Erase (Extended Mix)
Sonny Fodera ft Janai - Give Me a Reason
Lady Gaga - Stupid Love (Matt Moss Extended Dance Mix)
Galantis & Hook N Sling ft Dotan - Never Felt a Love Like This (Extended VIP Mix)
MATTN, Stavros Martina & Kevin D - Girlz Wanna Have Fun (Original Mix)
Gryffin ft Maia Wright - Body Back (Deniz Koyu Remix)
Laura Bryna - Stars Are Falling (Dave Aude Extended Mix)
Robin Schulz ft Alida - In Your Eyes (Original Mix)
Ava Max - Kings & Queens (Cosmic Dawn Extended Remix)
Dua Lipa - Don't Start Now (Folkness Extended Remix) (Rusch Re-edit)
Marshmello & Halsey - Be Kind (Amice Remix)
Thomas Gold & David Shane - Superhuman (Kosling Extended Edit)
Klaas - Roar (Extended Mix)
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande - Rain on Me (Charlie Lane & Mark Jay Remix)
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande - Rain on Me (Eric Spike Remix)
Caroline Romano - I Still Remember (R3hab Extended)
Tiesto & Jonas Blue ft Rita Ora - Ritual (Club Mix)
Katy Perry - Daises (Marc Stout Extended Remix)
Dua Lipa - Physical (Charlie Lane Remix)
Dua Lipa - Physical (Ofenbach Remix)
Kastra ft Evangelia - U & Me (Extended Mix)
Armin van Buuren & Brennan Heart ft Andreas Moe - All On Me (Extended Mix)
Martin Garrix ft Clinton Kane - Drown (Nicky Romero Remix)
Lindsay Lohan - Back To Me (Dave Aude Extended)
Jonas Blue and Paloma Faith - Mistakes (Rudeejay & Da Brozz Extended Explicit Remix)
Tiesto ft Becky Hill - Nothing Really Mattrs (Codeko Extended Mix)
Armin Van Buuren - Million Voices (Extended Mix)
Kaskade ft Meghan Trainor - With You (Kaskade Club Mix)
Hook 'n Sling ft The Loose Cannons - Superstars (Extended Mix)
Klaas - Indestructible (Extended Mix)
Cash Cash ft Wrabel - Mean It (Vice Extended Mix)
Martin Garrix ft John Martin - Higher Ground (Extended Mix)
Gryffin & Slander - All You Need To Know (Far Out Remix)

A gay old time

A lot of my friends have a thing for costume/theme parties.  Some of them even have entire closets devoted to storing old costumes.  It's generally not really my thing, but when some jokingly mentioned coming up with theme parties for an annual northern Minnesota cabin trip last summer (dubbed "Lake Edward Pride"), I suggested a gay pop icon party - not because I was thrilled to have to scrape together a costume, but because if there's one thing I can do, it's put together a pretty killer playlist.  The idea arose from a joke that's gone on for years now about Madonna (who?), a surprisingly polarizing figure among the gays.  Okay, not really, but that's kind of the joke.  Because when you have one or two friends with a borderline-unhealthy obsession, you give them shit for it.  It's much-deserved payback for largely controlling the campfire music for years and years now, at the very least.  So from Madonna sprung conversations about other gay pop icons, which culminated in an idea for a party with both costumes and music from those very icons.

I'm well aware that not all gay pop icons are represented here.  As I was reminded of several times, there are many, many omissions, particularly those who were big before the early 2000's.  Rest assured, it was a conscious decision to focus on just eight artists who retain pretty massive popularity today.  After all, this mix is already an hour and forty-five minutes long, and we had Rumchatta shots and uncomfortable games to get to.  And there's always next year for a sequel...

Also, my bad on the delay in posting this a whopping seven months after this party occurred.  I have no excuse for why a few minor edits took me so long.  But hey, at least it's not a year between mixes usual! :)

-Nate

Download link:
Nate Rusch - Lake Edward Pride 2019 Pop Icon Party [106 minutes / 97 MB]
or stream on Soundcloud here

Tracklist:
Lady Gaga - Born This Way (Bimbo Jones Club Remix)
Robyn - Handle Me (Soul Seekerz Extended Remix)
Britney Spears - Circus (Junior Vasquez Club Remix)
Pink - Please Don't Leave Me (Digital Dog Club Mix)
Madonna - Celebration (Benny Benassi Extended Mix)
Beyonce  - Ring the Alarm (Freemasons Club Mix)
Lady Gaga - Alejandro (Bimbo Jones Club Mix)
Christina Aguilera - Your Body (Country Club Martini Crew Dirty Extended Mix)
Madonna - Like a Prayer (Revolution & R.I.O. Remix)
Katy Perry - Unconditionally  (Cosmic Dawn Club Mix)
Pink - U + Ur Hand (Bimbo Jones Club Mix)
Britney Spears - Piece of Me (Bimbo Jones Extended Mix)
Madonna - Vogue (Luca Debonaire & Xenia Ghali Club Mix)
Robyn - Dancing on My Own (Buzz Junkies Club Mix)
Christina Aguilera - Not Myself Tonight (Jody Den Broeder Dirty Club Mix)
Katy Perry - Teenage Dream (Kaskade Club Remix)
Madonna - Give It 2 Me (Paul Oakenfold Remix)
Lady Gaga ft Beyonce - Telephone (DJ Dan Extended Vocal Mix)
Britney Spears - Work Bitch (7th Heaven Remix)
Pink - Raise Your Glass (Jump Smokers Extended Mix)
Christina Aguilera - Let There Be Love (Maison & Dragen Remix)
Katy Perry - Part of Me (Thiago Antony Remix)
Madonna - Girl Gone Wild (Dave Aude Remix)
Beyonce - Run the World (Girls) (Dave Aude Club Remix)
Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend (Kaskade Remix)
Lady Gaga vs Coldplay - Viva la Vida vs Bad Romance (DJ's From Mars Club Mix)
Beyonce - Partition (Dave Aude Main Mix)