Andrea Di Giovanni battles the urge to fear who we are in “Shame Resurrection”

Queerness is ingrained with the shame it can take to live as we are; to live our truth in a world that often feels dead set against us within our own community and outside of it. Even when most of us feel the freest when we act as ourselves, an uttering or twelve of “don’t be so flamboyant/boyish” can leave its mark. When we’re out and proud, shame can be found peering from a magazine with the Royal Wedding on the front cover - just to remind us of our place. The message Andrea Di Giovanni wants to give us about this is golden.

“I love and accept completely who I am. I want to encourage and motivate other people to do the same.” Doing this, he says, is the last step in the journey. It’s hope. And to that, he adds the most crucial of truths, “Sometimes the shame will come back, but don't let it take over.”

“Shame Resurrection” is a song Di Giovanni wrote on the back of a realisation he had: That people are so often scared to live as who they are. And those of us in the queer community aren’t immune to it, not always. Tired of dating people who would care too much about what people thought of them; those judgmental towards what isn’t their business—body parts, presentation, sexuality, gender—Andrea was done with it.

This crescendo-needling electro pop bop is dedicated to the feelings-destitute and a pearl of wisdom to men out there who have yet to get over their toxic masculinity and rampant self-hatred. Love yourselves. Accept yourselves. Be yourselves and fight that shame. Because Andrea Di Giovanni has, and his star is shining brighter for it.