Last year same-sex marriage was legalised in England, and recently Ireland voted to follow suit. Whilst the world still has great lengths to go in terms of LGBT rights, progress is definitely being made. Greg Holden’s sentimental acoustic track ‘Boys In The Street’ is just one example of music being used to explore issues of sexuality and tackling homophobia. Although initially disheartening, as Holden narrates his father’s refusal to accept his sexual identity: “You’re the last thing I wanted / the last thing I need / how am I gonna answer when my friends tell me / my son was kissing boys in the street”, the track takes an unexpected turn.

When Holden’s Father’s life hangs in the balance, he finally realises what matters in life and the family achieve harmony. In particular the music video, using mannequins to act out the lyrical conflict, shines a light on the situation many LGBT individuals face. Overall, the track strives to show that despite ideological conflict across generations or religions, it is possible to love and respect people despite them being different to yourself: “There was no way of knowing / ‘cause all I was taught is men only love women / but now I’m not sure / my son, keep kissing boys in the street.”

‘Boys In The Street’ is a moving lyrical exploration of an ever-relevant matter in today’s society, which is exactly why we’ve chosen to put it in the spotlight as our Track of the Week.