Kim David Smith’s New Album Is A Celebration Of Queer Joy In Uncertain Times

Entertainment

Kim David Smith hoped to set the scene for better days ahead when he premiered his latest cabaret show, “Mostly Marlene,” just days before COVID-19 shuttered theaters and live performance venues around the world in March 2020.

Five years later, the Australian-born actor and singer has captured “Mostly Marlene” for posterity as a new live album, recorded at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater in New York and released Friday. And though the world has changed significantly, he said his mission for the project remains.

“My album is proof of life for happy queer spaces, full of happy queer folk and allied others,” Smith told HuffPost. “I made a gay album for queer people, and especially hope it is streamed in Republican states – Lord knows they need some queer joy!”

As its title suggests, “Mostly Marlene” is Smith’s tribute to the late Hollywood icon Marlene Dietrich, with guest performers who include drag performer and playwright Charles Busch and Welsh pop artist Bright Light Bright Light.

One of the highlights of the show, however, is his rendition of two Kylie Minogue songs, “In Your Eyes” and “Slow,” performed as a throwback, piano-led mashup.

Watch Kim David Smith perform “In Your Eyes” and “Slow” below.

<div class="js-react-hydrator" data-component-name="YouTube" data-component-id="4459" data-component-props="{"itemType":"video","index":9,"contentIndexByType":2,"contentListType":"embed","code":"

","type":"video","meta":{"author":"Kim David Smith","author_url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_orVsK1vmU5fES2NJp7CiA","cache_age":86400,"description":"Recorded live at Joe’s Pub, Internationally fame-ish cabaret entertainer, Kim David Smith reimagines Kylie Minogue’s \"In Your Eyes\" as a jazzy, cabaret morsel, complete with a sly \"Slow\" sample, auf Deutsch! Smith’s music director, Tracy Stark, is at the piano, with Skip Ward on bass, David Silliman on drums, and Matt Podd on accordion. \n\n\"In Your Eyes/Slow\" is featured on Smith’s album, \"Mostly Marlene,\" available on all streaming platforms as of March 21, 2025. \n\nhttps://open.spotify.com/artist/28jimtJJc6lMucydxmYvYm\n\nhttps://music.apple.com/us/album/mostly-marlene/1796038795\n\nwww.kimdavidsmith.com 🎩💋","options":{"_cc_load_policy":{"label":"Closed captions","value":false},"_end":{"label":"End on","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"_start":{"label":"Start from","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"click_to_play":{"label":"Add your own player cover","value":false}},"provider_name":"YouTube","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/r9cIEYPP4QI/maxresdefault.jpg","thumbnail_width":1280,"title":"In Your Eyes/Slow, Live at Joe’s Pub – Kim David Smith (Mostly Marlene)","type":"video","url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9cIEYPP4QI","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://www.huffpost.com","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"67ddb8ede4b0706f276d86df","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kim-david-smith-mostly-marlene-album_n_67ddb8ede4b0706f276d86df","entryTagsList":"music,kim-david-smith,@queer_voices,@us_huffpost_now,@voices","sectionSlug":"entertainment","deptSlug":"entertainment","sectionRedirectUrl":"https://www.huffpost.com/entertainment","subcategories":"queer-voices,arts","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.entertainment","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22","noAdsPlayer":"deeeda04-49cb-4a1d-ac6c-c388a685b58e"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/0ef6364b-2c9f-4904-bb78-40a2c2279184/1_th.jpg?crop=629:354,smart&width=629&height=354&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":11},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"67ddb8ede4b0706f276d86df","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Music","slug":"music","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/music","permalink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/music","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/music"},"relegenceSubjectId":981391,"department":{"name":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"section":{"title":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"topic":{"title":"Music","slug":"music","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffpost.com/entertainment/topic/music"},{"name":"Kim David Smith","slug":"kim-david-smith","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/kim-david-smith","permalink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/kim-david-smith","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/kim-david-smith"},"url":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/kim-david-smith"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-1\", \"entry_paragraph_1\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-2\", \"entry_paragraph_3\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-infinite\", \"repeating_dynamic_display\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}”>

[embedded content]

Describing Dietrich and Minogue as his “mega-muses,” he said the decision to put his twist on the two songs was an easy one: “I received [Kylie’s] first album on vinyl on my 6th birthday, and she’s been part of the family ever since.”

After relocating to New York in 2007, Smith began establishing himself as a stalwart of Manhattan’s nightlife scene with a repertoire that includes both modern pop as well as standards sung in German and French. His debut live album, “Kim David Smith Live at Joe’s Pub,” was released in 2020, and he’s routinely taken his act on the road, performing across the U.S. as well as his native Australia.

The release of “Mostly Marlene” seems auspiciously timed. Dietrich rose to global fame during Germany’s Weimar Republic era, a period defined by civil unrest and economic challenges that some media outlets have compared to America’s current sociopolitical climate.

"My album is proof of life for happy, queer spaces, full of happy queer folk and allied others," Kim David Smith told HuffPost. — “My album is proof of life for happy, queer spaces, full of happy queer folk and allied others,” Kim David Smith told HuffPost.

Enjoy HuffPost Entertainment — Ad Free

We’re bringing you the exclusives, scoops and hot takes on the news all your friends are talking about. Join our loyalty program to support our work and go ad-free.

You’ve supported HuffPost before, and we’ll be honest — we could use your help again. We won’t back down from our mission of providing free, fair news during this critical moment. But we can’t do it without you.

For the first time, we’re offering an ad-free experience to qualifying contributors who support our fearless journalism. We hope you’ll join us.

Support HuffPost

Acknowledging it’s a “ghastly time,” particularly for members of the LGBTQ+ community, Smith is hopeful audiences will see his work as a testament to queer empowerment.

“Music is part of the protest, part of the galvanizing of hearts, part of retaining your culture in the face of fascist erasure,” he said. “We’ll still be singing our songs, whether at the Kennedy Center or not.”