“Mardi Gras is the night of the whole year for me,” Courtney Act tells Apple Music. “My year is bookmarked by what I wore to Mardi Gras. I want the biggest hair, I want the biggest makeup, I want my performance to be as good as I can make it. It's a performance for my queer family and I want to make them smile.” Perhaps Australia’s best-known drag queen, Courtney—aka Shane Jenek—has been a long-standing face of Sydney’s Mardi Gras celebrations, performing and presenting many times throughout the years. Her favourite memories are a little too NSFW to share—“I have photos on a cloud somewhere,” she says. “Let’s just say I have a unique 16-character random password on the account.” Beyond the raucous times, though, she knows as well as anyone just how important and validating Mardi Gras is for the entire queer community. “It’s about all the intersections of our community coming together to celebrate and protest and lifting up those whose voices need amplification,” says. “And finding inventive new ways to wear rainbow each year.” Now the TV personality, performer, author and podcaster can add “DJ” to her list of titles, with this handpicked playlist representing the most recent years of Mardi Gras history and queer music at large, from 2018 onwards: a post-marriage-equality Australia where, despite the pandemic, the LGBTQ+ community forges ahead, finding new ways to come together, fight discrimination of all kinds, and celebrate the diversity and intersectionality that makes it so special to be a part of. “We are the outsiders changing the world,” she says. Press play to listen and read on for more on Courtney’s top picks. Lil Nas X, “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” “This is the moment the queer history has led up to. So many people fought so hard for our rights to live and love as we are today, and Lil Nas X personifies that for me with his music, videos and unapologetic demeanour. I don't think it's a coincidence that the most prolific and visible people in queer culture right now are also Black.” cupcakKe, “LGBT” “I had cupcakKe's ‘LGBT’ on repeat the other day. The lyrics, 'Fuck out my way when you see me, I'm rocking with the LGBT,’ was like a green tea sorbet palate cleanser that recalibrated my mindset. So much of my queer life has felt like I've been playing nice, hoping to be thrown a breadcrumb, but cupcakKe’s lyrics are unapologetic and I find that inspiring.” Kim Petras, “Coconuts” “This is a fucking bop! Fight me! It's so tongue-in-cheek and fun and it makes me wanna dance.” Electric Fields, “2000 and Whatever” “I heard this when we were competing in Eurovision - Australia Decides and I still can't stop listening. Their music makes me dance and feel. I love the way they incorporate Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and English into their lyrics, and seeing Zaachariaha and Michael perform live is such an experience. I love them.” Ben Platt, “Grow As We Grow” “This is actually the song I have as my alarm in the morning. It's so soothing and sweet and I love hearing love songs sung by a man to other men. It heals my teenage soul.” Mila Jam, “It’s Raining Them” “I just love that somewhere someone is getting their undies in a knot about ‘It's Raining Them’ by Mila Jam. The way Mila has given a twist of the Weather Girls classic by changing 'men' to 'them' is genius.”