The Soundtrack to Our Stories: A UC San Diego Pride Playlist

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There’s something uniquely powerful about a song that makes you feel seen. Maybe it’s the first lyric that said what you couldn’t quite name. Maybe it’s the beat that carried you through a hard season, or the chorus that hit different when you danced in a crowd that felt like home.

Music has long held a powerful place in LGBTQ+ culture, offering both refuge and a way to be heard. It’s been a lifeline and a language—a space where expression has flourished, and where both queer artists and allies have transformed joy, pain and identity into sounds that resonate far beyond the moment.

Throughout the month of June, we asked members of the UC San Diego community to submit their go-to anthems for Pride—songs that reflect identity, resilience, love and self-expression—and to share why those songs matter. The result is a playlist full of glitter, guts and vulnerability, with reflections that are as personal as they are powerful.

From shimmering dance tracks and queer pop classics to ballads of becoming, this is “The Soundtrack to Our Stories”—and every song carries a piece of someone’s truth:

“Free” by Ultra Naté

“This song lifts me up when I’m low and grounds me when I need to remember who I am. It connects me to every version of myself, past, present and becoming. It reminds me that freedom isn’t always a place—it’s a feeling."

“Lights Up” by Harry Styles

“When the lights go on, and you’re left standing there with no other option than facing your own reflection, it’s tempting to turn the lights back off. But one day you recognize that despite their overwhelming brightness, the lights are making you shine, and from then onwards it becomes impossible to go back into the dark."

“Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan

“This song is about Chappell Roan leaving her hometown in the South to become a drag queen in LA. It represents the feeling of disappointing the people you love due to your queer identity while simultaneously being happier than ever because you're finally living your truth. I knew I was queer when I was 12 years old, but I didn't feel comfortable coming out to my parents until I was 20 and I met my partner at UC San Diego. Their reaction was negative, but the feeling of no longer carrying that secret with me was euphoric. ‘Pink Pony Club’ perfectly captures the power that queer joy has to act as a form of perseverance and rebellion."

“The Village” by Wrabel

“I almost cried the first time I heard this song. It is not a joyful song, but it is very much a Pride song. While it affirms that you can be true to yourself and proud of it, it also acknowledges how difficult that self-acceptance can be in the face of a world that tries to tell you something different and still might not accept the truth yet. To me there is a special strength and meaning in an acknowledgement of the defiance it takes to accept and be yourself in spite of the prejudices you were taught or absorbed about yourself as a child."

“SPARK” by A.C.E.

“What this song means to me is that there is always someone there for you. It creates a sense of community.”

“Born This Way” by Lady Gaga

“Lady Gaga’s ‘Born this Way’ is an inspiring Pride anthem because it is all about self-love, acceptance and celebrating who you are—no matter how you identify."

“You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) by Adam Lambert x Sigala

“Good vibes, and reminds me of my first Pride in San Diego.”

The original version of this song, by Sylvestor, was also submitted with the following reflection: “This song was made in 1978 by a Black queer person. It represents liberation to me. It sounds like freedom and love.”

“Bloom” by Troye Sivan

“‘Bloom’ is a whole queer vibe—soft, flirty and totally unapologetic. To me, it signifies that moment when you stop hiding and start living your true, glittery self. It also explores, in no uncertain terms, that moment when you trust someone queer on a deeper, more personal level."

“I Want to Know What Love Is” by Wynonna

“This is a power ballad that makes one feel strong and powerful. It exemplifies the human experience of searching for love and acceptance, from others and from yourself. Sometimes that can ‘take a little time.’"

“When I Forgive You” by Sasha Allen

“The lyrics are beautifully moving in showing the resiliency of the LGBTQ+ community in our continued quest for equitable treatment. Our trans loved ones have been especially under scrutiny, and this song playfully pokes at how much of this hatred comes from being scared of something you don’t know: ‘’Cause I’m not an act of revolution that you’re watchin’ on the news/ I’ll bet you’d like me if we talked, I’ll bet you wouldn’t have a clue/ And when the swords are to their side, when the army finally falls/ You’ll see we’re just two human beings, not too different after all.’ I think this can get lost in the chaos. I am human above any other label and so are you—and that should be met with love and kindness."

“The Cure” by Lady Gaga

“This was one of my best friend's favorite songs. He officially came out after high school and was one of the best people to be around. Each year on the anniversary of his passing, when we're all missing him the most, one of my favorite clips to watch of him is the one where he is lip syncing and dancing to this song. I'll always think of him when I hear it."

“Cherry” by Rina Sawayama

“I discovered this song in my first year of high school when I was still struggling to put a label on my sexuality. The emotions of Rina’s voice and the story of her lyrics made me feel seen in my experiences. I went to a private Catholic school for all of my elementary through high school education and I was the first person of my friend group to come out as queer. Songs like ‘Cherry’ helped me feel comfortable in my own body in a world that denied those experiences."

“You Need to Calm Down” by Taylor Swift

“Singing and dancing to this song with Taylor in a stadium of 50,000 people was electric—joyful, defiant and unforgettable. It made one thing clear: there’s a lot of darkness in the world, but there’s also light. You just have to find the ones who carry it."

“The Joke” by Brandi Carlile

“It's a multilayered anthem for hope in oppressive times."

“Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae

“‘Put Your Records On’ has been a theme song for me this year because I’m inspired by the message—you’re gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow. Coming out and embracing my authentic self hasn’t been easy; it’s a process filled with uncertainty, fear and vulnerability. But with each step, I’ve gained a deeper sense of freedom, confidence and peace. What once was a reminder to stay true to myself will one day feel natural and effortless."