Music moves fast. One minute you're listening to a bedroom pop artist in your headphones, and the next, they are the literal blueprint for a generation's identity. Marie Ulven, better known as Girl in Red, has always had that effect. When she released wish you were queer, it wasn’t just another track on a playlist. It was a pivot. It felt like a realization. Honestly, it captured that specific, agonizing, and somewhat funny frustration of falling for someone who simply doesn't—and can't—align with your world.
It's about the "straight crush." We’ve all been there.
The song arrived as a standout piece of her 2024 album, I’m Doing It Again Baby!. If you followed her earlier work, like the lo-fi yearning of "i wanna be your girlfriend," you noticed the difference immediately. This wasn’t muffled or shy. It was bright. It was loud. It had this polished, punchy indie-pop energy that signaled Ulven was done being the "bedroom pop" poster child. She was ready to be a rock star.
The Complicated Humor Behind Wish You Were Queer
The title itself sounds like a provocative statement, but the lyrics tell a much more personal, slightly pathetic story. We've all had those moments of delusional hope. Marie sings about a specific girl—someone who is great, someone she has chemistry with, but someone who is fundamentally unavailable because of her orientation.
"I'm not trying to change you," she basically says, "but wouldn't it be easier if you were just like me?"
It’s a selfish thought. It’s also incredibly honest. Most songwriters try to make their pining sound noble or tragic. Marie makes it sound like a nuisance. She leans into the absurdity of the situation. By the time the chorus hits, you aren't just feeling her pain; you're laughing at the relatability of wanting the universe to just bend a little bit to accommodate your crush.
Critics at outlets like NME and Rolling Stone noted how this track, and the album at large, moved away from the "sad girl" trope. It’s more assertive. Even when she’s losing, she’s singing like she’s winning. That’s the magic of the production—it’s high-energy, driving, and almost celebratory of the messiness.
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Breaking Down the Sound of 2024
Let's talk about the actual music for a second. The track uses these jagged, distorted guitar riffs that feel very much inspired by the early 2000s garage rock revival. Think The Strokes, but through a queer, Norwegian lens.
- The Tempo: It’s fast. It doesn't give you time to wallow.
- The Vocals: Marie’s voice is cleaner here than on If I Could Make It Go Quiet. You can hear the smirk in her delivery.
- The Lyrics: They are conversational. She’s not using flowery metaphors. She’s saying, "I think you’re hot, this is annoying, why is this happening?"
This directness is why wish you were queer resonated so deeply on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. It’s "clip-able." It’s a mood. People started using the audio to describe their own experiences with unrequited love, turning a specific Norwegian singer's experience into a global shorthand for a very specific type of longing.
Why the "Girl in Red" Identity Matters
You can't discuss this song without acknowledging what "Girl in Red" means as a cultural signifier. For years, "Do you listen to Girl in Red?" was a coded way for women to ask other women about their sexuality without being overt. It was a secret handshake.
When wish you were queer dropped, it felt like Marie was leaning into that legacy while also trying to break free from it. She wasn't just the "code" anymore. She was a major label artist making a big, bold statement about queer desire that didn't feel like a "coming out" story. It just was.
The Evolution from Bedroom Pop to Arena Anthems
There’s a massive jump from "fell in love in october" to this.
Early on, Marie’s music felt like a secret you were keeping. The production was fuzzy. The drums were often programmed or very simple. In wish you were queer, the drums are huge. The bassline is thick. It’s designed to be played in a stadium, which is exactly where she ended up while opening for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour.
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That exposure changed things. You could see the influence of those massive pop structures bleeding into her songwriting. She learned how to write a hook that sticks in your brain after one listen. She also learned that you don't have to be "indie" to be authentic. You can have a big, glossy pop song that still feels like it was written in a messy bedroom at 3 AM.
Addressing the Misconceptions
Some people—mostly those who only read headlines—misinterpreted the song as a demand. They thought it was about trying to "convert" people.
That’s a total misunderstanding of the art.
If you actually listen to the verses, it’s a song about self-awareness. It’s about the ego. It’s about that moment when you realize your feelings are going nowhere, and instead of being graceful about it, you just want to scream into a pillow. It’s not a political manifesto; it’s a diary entry. Marie has always been clear that her music is autobiographical. She isn't speaking for every queer person on the planet; she’s speaking for herself. And it just so happens that she’s very good at articulating feelings that a lot of us are too embarrassed to admit we have.
The Production Quality Shift
Working with producers like Matias Tellez, Marie refined her sound for this track. They stripped away the layers of "vibey" reverb that defined her early career. What’s left is a very dry, in-your-face sound.
- Vocal Layering: Notice how her voice doubles up in the chorus? It gives it a "gang vocal" feel, like a crowd of people is shouting along with her.
- Dynamic Shifts: The song drops out in key moments, leaving just the beat or a single guitar line before slamming back in. This is classic pop-rock dynamics 101, but executed with a modern sensibility.
- Length: It’s short. Under three minutes. It’s built for the streaming era where you want the listener to hit "repeat" the second it ends.
Impact on the Queer Music Scene
In 2024 and 2025, we saw a massive surge in "unapologetic" queer pop. From Chappell Roan to Renee Rapp, the landscape shifted away from tragic narratives toward something more vibrant and, frankly, fun. Wish you were queer fits perfectly into this movement.
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It rejects the idea that queer music has to be about struggle or "the closet." It treats queer attraction as the default. The conflict in the song isn't "I'm sad I'm gay"; the conflict is "I'm sad this specific girl isn't gay." That's a huge narrative shift. It treats the singer's identity as a settled fact and builds the drama from there.
That’s why it’s a staple at Pride events and indie clubs alike. It’s a song that celebrates the community by acknowledging its most common shared frustrations.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you're a songwriter or a fan trying to understand why this track works so well, look at the vulnerability. It's not the "cool" kind of vulnerability where you look like a brooding poet. It's the "uncool" kind where you look a bit desperate. That is where the strongest connection with an audience happens.
To truly appreciate the track and its place in music history:
- Listen to the full album: I’m Doing It Again Baby! provides the necessary context. Wish you were queer is a high point, but songs like "Too Much" show the emotional fallout of that kind of intensity.
- Watch the live performances: Marie is known for her high energy. Seeing how she interacts with the crowd during this song—often jumping into the mosh pit—shows that it’s intended to be a communal release of tension.
- Analyze the lyrics vs. the melody: Try reading the lyrics without the music. They’re actually quite sad. Then listen to the music. The juxtaposition of "sad" lyrics with "happy" music is a hallmark of great pop songwriting (think "Hey Ya!" by Outkast).
- Explore the "New Wave" of Queer Pop: Use this song as a jumping-off point to explore artists like Muna, King Princess, or Fletcher. You’ll see a common thread of reclaiming the narrative of desire.
The song ultimately proves that Girl in Red is no longer just a "bedroom pop" artist. She’s a songwriter with a sharp wit and an even sharper sense of melody. By leaning into the awkward, frustrating reality of a "straight crush," she created an anthem that is as hilarious as it is heartbreaking. It’s a reminder that sometimes the best way to deal with rejection is to turn it into a loud, distorted pop song that everyone can scream along to.