The Queer History Behind the Heated Rivalry Soundtrack | The Walrus

"the most rewatched episode of an already highly rewatched show, closeted hockey player Scott Hunter calls his secret lover Kip Grady down to the surface of the ice to join him in the televised celebration of the New York Admirals' triumph. Hunter tells him that he loves him so fucking much before kissing Grady with eager passion. Behind the yearning and the hesitance and the passion of them blares "I'll Believe in Anything" by Canadian indie rock band Wolf Parade."

"A beloved touchstone of the Montreal-based indie rock band's debut record Apologies to the Queen Mary (2005), "I'll Believe in Anything" is an angular, propulsive, and beautiful song exploring the fearful yearning of wary hearts. When Wolf Parade's Spencer Krug sings "give me your eyes, I need sunshine," his voice all frantic and desperate, you can almost taste the sweat on Hunter's forehead and feel the heat despite the ice of it all."

"Indie rock, itself born of alt-rock, punk, and post-punk, has long been informed and built by queerness. R.E.M., led by Michael Stipe, has been a lasting influence on countless ramshackle bands in garages hammering out the chords to "Orange Crush." Queercore, a subculture created by influential queer icons, like G. B. Jones and Bruce LaBruce, was an active effort to defy the rampant homophobia and bigotry in punk rock."

A pivotal moment in Heated Rivalry shows closeted hockey player Scott Hunter summon secret lover Kip Grady onto the ice and declare love publicly, followed by a passionate kiss. The sequence is scored by Wolf Parade's "I'll Believe in Anything," whose frantic vocals and yearning lyrics amplify the emotional intensity. The use of early 2000s indie rock underlines connections between indie music and queer expression. Indie rock's roots in alt-rock, punk, and post-punk have been shaped by queer contributions. Queercore and queer icons like G. B. Jones and Bruce LaBruce actively challenged homophobia within punk, reinforcing queerness as foundational to the genre.

Read at The Walrus