Tunes for Tuesdays: k.d. lang

It was all a matter of time before k.d. lang was profiled for the beloved Tunes for Tuesdays segment here at Cute, Queer, Canadian. The woman is blessed in numerous areas: she's got a honeyed voice and a classic, seductive persona; she's respected throughout the North American music industry for her addictive, alt-country sound; she's a Juno and Grammy award-winning artist; AND she's an out and proud lesbian.

I have the inkling sense that for numerous Canadian gay gals, k.d. lang factors into those proto-lesbian years in a substantial way. I remember watching her video for the epic hit "Constant Craving" from Ingénue (1992) and sensing there was something wonderfully different about this Canadian icon. Impressive, considering I was six-years-old in 1992. I know she came out in the same year, but, this was LONG before the days I even understood the concept of "queer."

She has such an unmistakable, smokey quality to her voice -- such an elegant composure to her persona. I am certain that, given ten minutes, she could seduce everyone in a fifteen mile radius with the sheer magnetism in her voice. That includes ALL queer and straight women and men within that radius. There's not any sense resisting her. It's proven fact.

I mean, readers will remember those delicious cover shots from the August 1993 publication of Vanity Fair, right? Need a refresher?

Oh, to be that razor....

Oh, to be that chair...

As I said, I think k.d. lang is one of those fixed points in the Coming Out narratives of numerous Canadian women. In a social climate where few butch women exist in the entertainment industry, k.d. lang has represented since 1989 when she won her first Grammy Award for her collaboration with Roy Orbison on the track "Crying." From that point on, she has shown the world that Butch is Beautiful and we all best bow down to it.

For this week's edition of Tunes for Tuesdays, I am focusing on k.d. lang in her live performances. She is a rare breed of musician who cannot be contained by her recorded tracks. No. To feel the full power and passion behind her pipes, audiences NEED to hear her live.

On that note, I turn to her powerhouse hit, "Constant Craving." I defy you not to be seduced where you sit:

*Swoon* I hope I can summon the coordination necessary to post this next clip. Now, k.d. lang is quite well known for her ingenious covers. On her album, Drag (1997), she focused her talents on smoke-themed tunes and other lounge classics; Hymns of the 49th Parallel (2004) saw lang covering iconic songs by a host of English-speaking Canadian musicians; and, she's got an array of other collaborations under her belt. With this next clip, I would like to showcase the pure glory that is k.d. lang's version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" from the 2005 Juno Awards:

Glorious. I'm glad the Junos can sometimes make smart decisions. This single clip might just be their finest choice, I must admit.

I feel there's still so much about k.d. lang to share -- I could write on and on with no clear end in sight. From her extensive music career to her social activism (RE: Vocal vegetarianism, her support for Tibet human rights issues, her dedication to vital LGBT issues) and to a whole host of other delightful gems -- her stories are far too complex for a post of this nature.

Though, new and established fans alike will be thrilled to hear about her latest release. What better form of celebration is there than to head out and purchase her Recollection Deluxe Edition, an impressive 33-track album of her greatest hits (all released on Feb. 5th, 2010)?

Cute, Queer, Canadian -- she's a national treasure as far as I'm concerned.

And yeah, I suppose we could share her with the rest of the world, too. I mean, it'd just be too greedy to keep her all for ourselves, as much as we certainly would like to.