The Beaches’ New Ballad Speaks To Late Bloomers Everywhere
In “Lesbian Of The Year,” Leandra Earl reflects on regret, acceptance, and why self discovery never runs on schedule.
Featured image: Gilbert Flores via Getty
The Beaches have made a career out of turning heartbreak, growing pains, and late-night disarray into the kind of songs that make you want to scream-sing with your friends. Now, with their latest single “Lesbian Of The Year,” the Toronto quartet is slowing things down to deliver something more tender and personal. And it’s resonating with fans.
The ballad is carried by Leandra Earl’s story, which sits at the heart of the song. Earl, who plays keys and guitar in the band, explained the meaning in a statement: “‘Lesbian Of The Year’ is about the shame I felt coming out later in life and the pressure of trying to live up to ‘Lesbian Of The Year,’ a title given to me by my sweet fans. I feel regret for not knowing myself sooner, but this song is also about the journey of self discovery & sexual identity and accepting that everyone is on their own timeline and we’ll get there when we get there.”
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It’s the kind of sentiment that will land hard for anyone who’s wrestled with the timing of their own coming out. Where previous singles from the band’s upcoming record leaned into dance-floor energy (“Touch Myself”) or blistering situationship chaos (“Did I Say Too Much”), “Lesbian Of The Year” takes a quieter route. It’s reflective and melancholy, showing a different side of a group best known for their rowdy festival sets and viral anthems.
The single is part of No Hard Feelings, The Beaches’ next album, which arrives August 29 on AWAL. The record follows their 2023 breakout Blame My Ex and its viral smash “Blame Brett,” a track that launched the band into a new stratosphere of streaming numbers, sold-out shows, and meme-worthy TikToks. If “Blame Brett” was their introduction to the masses, “Lesbian Of The Year” feels like a reintroduction on Earl’s terms.
Formed by sisters Jordan and Kylie Miller alongside Earl and drummer Eliza Enman-McDaniel, The Beaches have been together since their teens. They’ve opened for giants like The Rolling Stones and The Killers, taken over major festival stages, and cultivated a fanbase that treats them like family. That bond with fans is clear in this latest release. After all, it was those same fans who jokingly crowned Earl “Lesbian of the Year” in the first place.
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This fall, The Beaches will take No Hard Feelings across North America on their biggest headlining tour yet, with a stop at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles on September 3 before they hit cities from New York to Toronto. Judging by the intimacy of “Lesbian Of The Year,” audiences can expect a setlist that doesn’t just celebrate the band’s highs, but also honors the vulnerability that comes with putting your real self onstage.
“Lesbian Of The Year” isn’t the band’s loudest song, but it’s one of their bravest. And for fans, it’s another anthem to carry them through the messy, imperfect, and beautiful process of becoming who they are.
