For his first new music of 2019, Sufjan Stevens is sharing two new songs in honor of Pride month, the annual celebration of the LGBTQ community that kicks off Saturday.
Titled “Love Yourself” and “With My Whole Heart,” the new tracks will support two organizations that provide assistance to LGBTQ and homeless children: the Ali Forney Center in New York City and the Ruth Ellis Center in Detroit.
“Love Yourself” has been decades in the making, with Stevens writing in a statement that he started working on the song 20 years ago. He also shared a 1996 demo of the song along with the finished version of the track.
“With My Whole Heart” is a new Stevens composition, with the artist challenging himself to “write an upbeat and sincere love song without conflict, anxiety or self-deprecation.”
The new songs are Stevens’ first release since his pair of “Tonya Harding” songs, dedicated to the controversial former figure skater, in December 2017, and a Christmas single, “Lonely Man of Winter,” in 2018.
