The iconic track marked the solar eclipse soundtrack. (Getty)
Those in the US were able to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse, but not without the celestial soundtrack to end all soundtracks: Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart”.
The astronomical phenomenon, where the Moon moves between the Earth and the Sun, took place on 8 April and saw the British singer, 72, topping the charts all over again. Following the complete eclipse of the sun — which was visible across 13 states in the US, Canada, and Mexico — the dramatic ballad shot to number one on iTunes during the lunar event in real-time, which is pretty iconic, if you ask us.
Tyler’s 1983 hit single was bubbling up on the streaming platform all day ahead of the event, but it wasn’t until the eclipse actually took place over the US that it claimed the top spot. The song marked the biggest hit of her career, reaching number one on the Hot 100 during the year of its release.
Of course, plenty of queer astrology-lovers were excited about the rare celestial event. Astrology has become a distinctly queer topic in recent decades, with many LGBTQ+ people embracing the power of star signs: and the upcoming solar eclipse is illuminating this connection.
Star-gazing queers have intensely prepared for this eclipse, and many were sharing memes about the event.
“Today is the day! Today is the day! The total solar eclipse is upon us!” one user posted on X (Twitter). The attached image was captioned “Mama, kudos for saying that. For eclipsing.” — a reference to a recent Drag Race meme.
In case you’ve been hiding under a rock: when one contestant, Q, revealed she was HIV-positive, fellow contestant Plane Jane replied to Q’s heartrending honesty with the relatively unserious response: “Mama, kudos for saying that. For spilling.”
Plus, it makes sense to equate the moon with a drag queen. After all, the moon is officially a gay icon.
Another post read: “How gay you gotta be to recognize Miss Anthropocene rave edition in a photo of a solar eclipse.” Grimes‘ ‘Miss Anthropocene (rave edition)’ cover art is an eclipse graphic.
With the eclipse in full swing, someone else made a T-shirt that states: “I saw the solar eclipse and now I’m gay.” We’re so here for it!