US based non-profit group the Red Hot Organisation has spent decades raising funds for HIV support and awareness of safe sex campaigns.
Their upcoming project TRAИƧA brings together over 100 artists for a spiritual journey across 8 chapters and 46 songs, spotlighting the gifts of many of the most daring, imaginative trans and non-binary artists working today.
Among the artis contributing to the new collection is Julien Baker, Mary Lattimore, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Devendra Banhart, Jeff Tweedy, Moses Sumney, Bill Callhan, Andre 3000, Perfume Genius, Arthur Baker and the late Pharoah Sanders, plus many others.
The first taste of the album, which be out this November, comes from Lauren Auder, who has teamed up with Wendy and Lisa for a new take on Prince’s I Would Die 4 U.
Lauren Auder is a British-French singer who released her debut album The Infinite Spine in 2023. Auder shared that she is transgender in 2019.
Wendy and Lisa were part of Prince’s band The Revolution before going on to have their own successful career.
Prince’s song takes on a new poignancy with this recording, with its opening lyrics of “I’m not a woman, I’m not a man, I am something that you’ll never understand.” taking on a deeper meaning.
The album will also contain a new song from British singer Sade, her new track Young Lion is dedicated to her transgender son.
While Sade has been an iconic artist her music output is remarkably small. After bringing out three chart-topping albums as the frontwoman of the band that shares her name in the 1980s with hits like Smooth Operator, Sweetest Taboo and You Love is King, she’s only put out three more albums in the intervening three decades.
Another much anticipated track on the record is Sam Smith, Moses Sumney and Lyra Pramuk delivering a cover of Sylvester’s You make Me Feel (Mighty Real). While Rachika Nayar, Julianna Barwick and Cassandra Croft will supply a cover of Tim Buckely’s Song To The Siren.