In 2017, Medusa set two goals: to write the most visceral music possible, and to make sure nobody ever found out.* For months, they produced in secret, dropping roommates off at school before sneaking back home to record their first album, Residuals. Over 5 million streams later, Medusa reached their first goal—and failed the second spectacularly. The record’s most popular track, Danny Phantom, became a cult favorite in online circles, lauded for its gritty and unglamorous depiction of anorexia and substance abuse. Faced with a dilemma—retreat into hiding, or come out swinging—Medusa chose the latter.
Now, the self-proclaimed “revenge-pop” artist defines their new goal as follows: to transform tales of queer joy, desperation, and agony into gratifying music “by any means necessary.” And they make good on the promise; their signature production style—described by Soundriv as “a breakthrough collection of LGBTQ hymns,” and by Bucketlist as “the most inventive [expletive] music we’ve heard in a long time”—features unconventional samples like wolf howls and cheerleading chants as often as distorted basslines.
Their sophomore album, Rosie, depicted violent fantasies taking aim at those who betray the innocent. This release coincided with the peak of the feminist Me Too movement, which amplified the voices of those affected by sexual violence. In the underground hip-hop scene of Buffalo, NY, survivors flocked to Medusa’s performances. Their first show was also the first real concert they’d ever attended. As their audience grew, so did the artist’s self knowledge. In March of 2020, Medusa released their coming-of-gender LP, just as the United States went into COVID-19 lockdown. Throughout quarantine, Boy of The Year soundtracked the un-closeting of many transgender people.
Confidence in their identity as a trans-nonbinary person led to their next release, S. O. B. Story, which won “Best EP” at the 2021 Wavy Awards. The Wavys also awarded Medusa the following year, in recognition of their dedication to providing queer representation on social media. This cemented the artist as an underground bard for fellow outcasts, a responsibility Medusa took seriously, lending their voice to publications like GRAMMY.com and The Independent. This advocacy extended to the stage, with performances at SXSW in 2022 and NYC Pride in 2023, the same year Keychange selected Medusa for their inaugural U.S. cohort to champion gender equity in music.
After Audiofemme awarded Medusa as a recipient of the Agenda Grant, Medusa embarked on their largest project to date: an album and short film called Allegory of The G/rave. However, a rare neurological diagnosis halted production and forced Medusa to put the project on hiatus after the release of the album's first single and music video, Damocles. This experience deepened Medusa’s relationship with Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities (RAMPD), with whom Medusa had already been working in the context of autism and ADHD. With this new physical manifestation of neurodiversity, Medusa invoked RAMPD’s tenet—that Disability is a fundamentally creative and radical culture about much more than accessibility alone—and prioritized using their platform to promote Disability Justice. The artist discussed how neurodivergence enriches their artistic process on panels by Berklee College of Music and ReelAbilities Film Festival.
In 2024, Medusa publicly rescinded their sophomore SXSW slot as part of a larger boycott regarding the festival's sponsorship ethics and artist contracts. Instead of the showcase, Medusa performed at a protest show held by United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW): "Fair Pay at SXSW." SXSW met demands that June, removing all weapons manufacturers sponsors. Later that year, Medusa hosted the Wavy Awards with one of the organization’s founders, M The Myth, then joined the nonprofit—which aims to recognize historically excluded talent—as a member of The Wavys' advisory board.
In 2025, Medusa co-wrote Love Cure from Chris Redding's GRAMMY®-nominated album, The Colors In My Mind, alongside Lachi, USA Today's 2024 Woman of The Year, and Jay Manuel (MiniProducer). The track celebrates and uplifts the neurodivergent experience. Medusa also participated in Anti Social Camp, the largest songwriting camp in the country. Collaboration reignited their confidence, which inspired a return to their unfinished epic, Allegory of The G/rave. The album and accompanying short film mark not only a homecoming to an artistic ambition, but a revival of their contributions to storytelling, built on a new core ethos: some stories only become possible when you stop trying to tell them alone.
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* Medusa would like to note this narrative is indicative of improper recall and shall henceforth be categorized as revisionist history. Medusa only began performing thanks to a punk DJ, chef, and serial senior dog caretaker (M. V. S.) who grew up in the West Bank before relocating to Buffalo NY. He encouraged Medusa to embrace their Rusyn heritage**, accompanied them on their first miniature tour, and explained the basics of the industry to them until they professionally deviated. Furthermore, the following individuals supported Medusa and encouraged them to begin releasing music publicly, and shall henceforth cease to be unrecognized and unthanked: their former best friends both living (C. H., E. Z., L. H., M. C.) and deceased (W. P.), all of whom they miss terribly.
** both did, however, at the time, think said Rusyn heritage was a lie, having unknowingly divined the truth from the ether by sheer force.
