Going thru some of the best of 2022 lists that are circling around, comparing them to my own compiled favorites. A few music sites listed songs by Muna as some of their 2022 favorites, “Anything By Now”, “Home By Now”, and my favorite, “What I Want” are the three name-checked the most.

“What I Want” by Muna
Song of the Day

“I want the full effects,
I wanna hit it hard,
I wanna dance in the middle of a gay bar.
Ooh oh oh,
that’s what I want.
There’s nothing wrong with what I want.
Yeah, yeah.

I want the fireworks,
I want the chemistry,
I want that girl right over there to wanna date me.
Ooh oh oh,
that’s what I want.
There’s nothing wrong with what I want.
Yeah, yeah.”

For me, “What I Want” time-travels me right back to the late 80’s and early 90’s, and nights where I danced until “after hours” at gay bars in West Hollywood, and underground clubs and parties in and around Los Angeles. This track has the beat, the hooks, the mood, and the spirit of songs that packed the floor at Studio One and Rage. When I turn this up loud I swear I’m transported back – and I HAVE TO DANCE.

The lyrics above even reference dancing at a gay bar, as well as it just exudes the feeling of dancing at a gay bar. I adore this.

Muna

Muna is a indie pop trio made up of Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson. Muna, their self-titled 2022 album, is their third record released, the first of theirs with Phoebe Bridgers independent label, Saddest Factory Records.

All three members identify as queer and McPherson is non-binary. Initially wary of being pigeonholed as a “queer band”, Muna later came to embrace the opportunity to use their musical fame to help inspire younger people to be comfortable with their identities. Their songs frequently address issues of sexuality and gender.

According to McPherson, “It would have meant a lot to me when I was, say, 12, to know of someone in a band and think they were cool and know they were out.” McPherson added, “I am out and I feel safe being out because the three of us are a little army for one another. I don’t feel afraid to be myself. That makes me proud to be queer. That’s the whole point of why we do this. We want a safe haven.” (from Wikipedia)

Muna

Not since Jonathan Richman’s “I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar” has a pop song so perfectly captured the bubbly joy of taking sips, shaking hips, and regarding leather dykes with love. But “What I Want” is about self-love too. MUNA singer Katie Gavin doesn’t want to just date a girl, she wants a girl to want to date her. The song hits hard on a dancefloor and even harder in a graffiti-spattered bathroom; face the mirror, freshen your lipstick, and mouth the hook: “There’s nothing wrong with what I want.” – Peyton Thomas, Pitchfork – The 100 Best Songs of 2022 (# 87)

If you’d like to hear more about Muna, dance on over HERE.