Masculinity

Masculinity is the first studio album by American singer-songwriter Beau Howard, released by Tomorrow Records on November 17, 2023. It was co-written by Howard, along with producers Gladys Rivers and Andrew Archer.

The music of Masculinity is inspired by the dance-pop of the late 2000s and early 2010s that Howard grew up with, along with influence from 80s synth-pop, 70s disco, ballroom music, and house. The album revolves around Howard's life as a transgender man, with themes of sexuality, religion, gender, gender roles, freedom, and individualism. The album was well-received by music critics, praising Howard's lyrics and the diverse production. Several music publications included the album in their year-end best-of lists. Lyrical labeled it one of the best musical debuts of all time, and the best album of 2023.

Masculinity topped several charts around the world, Howard becoming the first transgender artist to top the charts in several countries. Three of the album's singles, "Mirrorball," "Masculinity," and "The Devil" reached number one on the charts, with "Privilege (ft. x)" and "Mercy on Me" charting in the top 10. A promotional single for the album, "No Good (ft. x)" charted at 13.

Background
Development of Masculinity began right after Howard signed to Tomorrow Records in March 2023. Many of the lyrics for the album had already been written previously. Andrew Archer matched Howard with transgender producer Gladys Rivers, and the two began to develop an album inspired by house and ballroom music.