25 Albums Every Gay Guy Should Hear

From: Next Magazine

Deee-Lite

World Clique

Lady Miss Kier, Towa Tei and Super DJ Dmitry burst onto the scene in the summer of ’90 with this disco-funk-fueled call to arms. The debut album and accompanying music videos from this NYC-based trio combined a hooky and witty cross-genre pollination of music, culture, politics, love, dancing, fashion and unity—all with an intuitive, urban insider’s gaze. Delivered over meticulous, crate-diggin’, Technicolor beats, World Clique was street savvy, smart and a few dance steps ahead of its time. Deee-lite ushered in a suffocating, post Reagan-era ’90s with the most infectious invitation to your favorite love shack house party! Influenced by underground, go-go, fashion, gay, house, DJ, vogue ball, psychedelia and rap cultures, Dmitry and Towa’s productions complemented Kier’s R&B diva sass like a snug Pucci glove. From the hypnotic bounce of “What Is Love?,” “Who Was That?” and “Try Me On, I’m Very You” to floor fillers like “Good Beat” and “Groove Is in the Heart,” the album managed to be akin to capturing lightning in a bottle as well as becoming an instantly timeless classic of both style and substance. —Bill Coleman

World Clique is the debut and most successful album by the dance-music band Deee-Lite, which was released in 1990. The album's first single, "Groove Is in the Heart", was a top-five success on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart as well as a number-one hit on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart. Three subsequent singles also hit the top ten on the U.S. dance chart, including "Power of Love/Build That Bridge" and "Good Beat", which also hit number one.

Guest artists on the album include Bootsy Collins ("Try Me On... I'm Very You," "Smile On," "Groove Is in the Heart," and "Who Was That?"), Q-Tip ("Groove Is in the Heart"), Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker (Try Me On... I'm Very You," "Smile On," "Groove Is in the Heart").

When World Clique was released on Compact Disc, two bonus tracks were added to the album: "Deee-Lite Theme" and "Build the Bridge."