Now Mr. Dylan himself is crooning about same-sex love. As part of a new EP called “Universal Love,” he rerecorded the 1929 song “She’s Funny That Way,” from the Great American Songbook catalog, but switched the pronoun to “He’s Funny That Way.”
The six-track set, to be released April 6, also features Kesha, St. Vincent and other noted musicians covering well-known pop hits with a same-sex twist. The performers represent a mix of gay and straight artists.
“If you look at the history of pop music, love songs have predominantly come from one heterosexual perspective,” said Tom Murphy, a co-producer of “Universal Love.” “If we view music as something that brings people together, shouldn’t these popular songs be open to everyone?”