Everyone Is Gay

Everyone Is Gay is one of those songs you listen to and leaves a mark for its unfiltered honesty. With just two minutes and ten seconds, the track by A Great Big World doesn’t seek adornments: its strength lies in the direct lyrics and a rhythm that moves forward like a steady step. There are no elaborate choruses or unnecessary tempo changes; what sounds is precisely what needs to be conveyed, without any detours.

The duo A Great Big World recorded it in New York while they were still music students at university, a time when the group’s sound was still taking shape. Ian Axel and Chad King, the two members, wrote it in that college environment where everything seemed possible and, at the same time, everything was an experiment. Later, the song became part of their debut album, Is There Anybody Out There?, a record that blended concise pop with lyrics that didn’t beat around the bush. Although the album didn’t achieve massive success at first, tracks like Say Something —which years later became an international hit alongside Christina Aguilera— ended up defining the group’s style: short songs, with catchy hooks and lyrics that speak without shame.