Towards the end, the song incorporates a warped sample of a Dusty Springfield quote from the ’70s in which she refused to put a label on her sexuality and closed a lot of doors for her in the process. “I’m aiming for innocence & bliss here - the joy of looking really good & dancing with people who already like you a lot.” “‘Gay Bar’ celebrates the incredible spectrum of characters dressed to impress at your average regional queer watering hole,” Tucker explains. It twinkles and twangs with Tucker’s sharp narrative point - the “Saint Peter clad in leather” and “cowboys dipped in glitter” are familiar figures for anyone who has spent time in gay bars, with their sticky floors and disco lights and sense of endless opportunity. “Gay Bar” highlights the perennial institution of its title, a portrait of the freedom and escapism that comes with queer spaces that are entirely your own. Los Angeles-based musician Rosie Tucker released their debut album, Lowlight, in 2015, and followed that up last year with a handful of songs, including “ Fault Lines” and “ Spinster Cycle,” both of which are featured on Tucker’s upcoming sophomore album, Never Not Never Not Never Not, which is being announced today alongside a new song.
