Arts & Entertainment
Queer ally Dua Lipa releases new single
LGBTQ ally Dua Lipa has released a new single from her current hit album, “Future Nostalgia.”
The UK songstress has been a queer fan-favorite since the early days of her career, when she released the singles “Be the One” and “Last Dance,” as explained in a recent article from the website, Means Happy.
Speaking to the site, an 18-year old London fan named Tom, who identifies as gay, said, “The gays definitely caught onto her first. Going to her concerts before and after “New Rules” was funny because before it was like 90% gays. After it was like a 50-50 gay-straight mix. I don’t think there’s been a British pop girl like her in a while. It was something that we wanted.
“I also think that because she’s young, she’s very relatable to us, especially on social media,” said Tom, who has seen Dua live six times. “That’s something that definitely appealed to me.”
The singer made headlines last year after she spoke up in support of fans ejected from her concert in Shanghai for holding up banners in support of LGBTQ rights, saying in a tweet, “I will stand by you all for your love and beliefs and I am proud and grateful that you felt safe enough to show your pride at my show. What you did takes a lot of bravery. I always want my music to bring strength, hope and unity. I was horrified by what happened and I send love to all my fans involved.”
She is slated to appear at Sydney’s 2020 Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
The new single, which is the title track from “Future Nostalgia,” is the follow up to the runaway success of her last single “Don’t Start Now,” which has has seen over 240m streams to date and sold over 1 million copies as well as getting its live debut on “The Graham Norton Show.” It’s described in the press material as, “A pure slice of 80s influenced brilliance,” that “drops more hints towards her forthcoming album and the next exciting era of her career.”
Of the track, Dua says: “ ‘Future Nostalgia’ is my album title track and is a little something to tide you over till the New Year. I wrote this one with Jeff Bhasker and Coffee one afternoon in LA. It’s all playful and fun and not taking ourselves too seriously but we loved it so much we wanted to share it with you.”
Dua’s debut 2015 album has eclipsed 4 million sales worldwide and spawned over 40 million single sales. It is officially the most streamed album by a female artist in Spotify history. She is also the youngest artist ever to hit 1 billion views on YouTube and has won 3 BRITS – for British Female Artist, British Breakthrough Artist in 2018 and Best British Single for “One Kiss” with Calvin Harris in 2019 – along with Grammys for Best New Artist and Best Dance Recording for “Electricity,” her collaboration with Silk City. She also opened the 2019 MTV EMA Awards with a breathtaking performance of last single “Don’t Start Now” in Saville, Spain.
You can listen to the new track below.
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
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