Coming off her Music Educator of the Year win at the Ottawa Capital Music Awards, Contemporary Christian singer-songwriter and producer Danah-Lee has released her newest single, “Make Some Room,” an anthemic track, containing lyrics that enforce activism and are backed by beautiful symphonies, upbeat percussion, and prominent bass guitar.
A song that advocates for queer acceptance and pride, Danah-Lee says the single represents an effort to utilize her Christian faith to push for LGBTQ+ rights. Through her artistry, the Canadian singer-songwriter always strives to balance and express both her Christian and her queer identities.
Regarding “Make Some Room,” she says, “It feels like the direction of my music is shifting to social justice and equality for those of us in the queer community. There is still such a lack of awareness and understanding of what it is like to be part of a marginalized group. When you come from a place of privilege, it is difficult to fathom what it might be like to walk in the shoes of those who are traditionally considered marginalized.”
Despite the ridicule and harsh treatment that people in the LGBTQ+ may face, Danah-Lee’s latest musical release emphasizes the importance of queer pride in our world today.
“My song focuses on the importance of Pride because of these factors,” she says. “Pride symbolizes our right to live openly; to be seen and validated. For decades, queer people were persecuted, and we were considered illegal. We could be jailed just being ourselves or loving who we love. That law was overturned only 55 years ago – and we refuse to go backwards. That’s why we need pride!”
With five solo albums, two collaboration albums and an extensive background in studying music, Danah-Lee has proven herself to be a powerful force within the world of Canadian music. After receiving her music degree from Taylor University College and Seminary, Danah-Lee established herself as a prominent songwriter within the Christian and Contemporary music scenes, all while fiercely expressing her identity as a queer artist. This year she received Ottawa’s Capital Music Awards “Music Educator of the Year” award, and she has won the Reader’s Choice Award for Best Music Instructor from 2019 to 2023. She also received nominations for Louder Than the Music’s “Christian Album of the Year” (2020) and Ottawa’s Capital Music Awards “The Impact Award” (2021) and Music Educator of the Year just this week.
After facing discrimination from the church throughout her youth due to her queer identity, Danah-Lee knew she wanted to provide a platform and help others through music. Not only has she established herself as a musical artist, but Danah-Lee also is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, church music leader and music educator. As a music director for the church, Danah-Lee has established the Rainbow Worship Service in the Ottawa Valley, a first-of-its-kind service designed to create a spiritual safe space for those who have been marginalized by the church and may suffer from religious trauma.
Throughout her musical career, Danah-Lee has retained her devout faith as well as her pride, and her newest single “Make Some Room” shows the songstress like never before as she explicitly advocates for the importance of queer pride, acceptance, and advocacy.
