“Now even more than ever, it feels so sacred and important to be together in numbers, and to be proud and publicly celebrate who we are,” Romy tells Apple Music. The UK artist created this playlist ahead of her headlining performance at Sydney’s 2025 Mardi Gras Party. “It was important to me to include tracks by friends of mine from the LGBTQIA+ community who I love and admire, as well as pop anthems,” she says, giving context to the tracklist that ranges from songs by iconic names like Kylie, Madonna, and Lady Gaga to tracks by MUNA, I. JORDAN, her The xx bandmate Jamie xx, and more, alongside plenty of her own releases. “My heart has been feeling heavy, but I’m really looking forward to feeling all the queer joy at Mardi Gras and hopefully sharing some of it back to the crowd during my show,” she says. Romy envisions the playlist providing a pre-party soundtrack for friends getting ready at home together before heading out to celebrate, “feeling the anticipation of what’s to come.” Thinking back to how her own experiences at Pride events shaped her life and identity, Romy recalls the joy she felt at her very first one. “It was in Manchester,” she says. “I was 16, I’d never seen so many queer people in one place, it was so special. The memory of that moment stays with me, and some of the anthemic songs I heard for the first time that night have made it into this playlist.”