Ra7ael’s “Handbag” Is a Blade-Wielding, Genre-Smashing Anthem of Survival

Most pop songs don’t come with a switchblade. But Ra7ael isn’t most pop artists.

The Brazilian-born, LA-based artist is done with playing safe. On his latest track “Handbag,” he fuses pop, alt, and hip-hop into a gritty, glam, and unapologetically political statement. It is cheeky, dangerous, and defiant, and it refuses to make the listener comfortable.

Inspired by stories of queer and trans resistance, especially from Brazil’s LGBTQIA+ community, “Handbag” functions as both protest and anthem. Ra7ael wrote it during a period when he carried a blade in his bag for protection. While many artists chase algorithm clout, he turns survival into sonic art.

The handbag in this song is not just an accessory. It is a weapon, a shield, and a symbol of everything queer people carry simply to exist. With cutting lyrics and a beat that struts, Ra7ael balances camp and confrontation like a runway performance with teeth.

This is not trauma on display for pity. It is power reclaimed. Equal parts satire and strategy, the track bites back while looking spectacular. It embodies the type of energy 2025 feels built for.

“I want people to know they’re not minorities just because society says so,” Ra7ael explains. That sentiment drives the song. “Handbag” reminds us that queerness has always been political, long before rainbow capitalism and long after fleeting social media trends fade.

Blast it in your headphones, march to it in the streets, or strut with it blasting like the world is already yours. Ra7ael has made a track that doesn’t just speak to survival, it commands celebration.

What was the moment that pushed you to turn real-life fear into a track like "Handbag"?

I remember walking around the downtown area of my hometown when a group of boys started picking on me. One of them slapped my shoulder as he walked by. It could have been worse—I know people who've been beaten up just for being queer and existing, but I had just graduated from high school, and going through something I used to experience back then really bothered me.

I was never physically assaulted or had my life threatened, but there were moments when I wished people would see me as more than some pathetic label. I think it's weird—I wouldn't be wasting my time treating someone like that. So, I decided to put those feelings on paper and into the recording studio.

You mix satire with serious themes. How do you strike that balance without diluting the message?

I make it sour and rough, but still keep a balance so it doesn't come off as too aggressive. The listeners will understand that there's nothing funny about it, but sometimes, using unusual language is the only way to capture their interest and make them pay attention to the lyrics. When they ask me personally, I feel like it helps create a connection between us.

How has your Brazilian background shaped your view of queerness, both in life and in music?

The community taught me that not everyone is your friend, even if they come from the same background. As an artist, it's very risky to come out as something people often make fun of—or are afraid to admit they even like. After living in another country, I realized that most queer artists who are successful either had to act a certain way to be accepted or had to work twice as hard to pop the bubble.

What do you hope queer listeners feel when they hear "Handbag"?

I hope they realize there are many people out there who feel the same: afraid and disconnected. Handbag is about the loneliness of being a feminine boy and having your family, society, and even your community against you. Sometimes, creating a persona or a defense mechanism is the only way to survive what the world throws at us.

I want my songs to remind people that, yes, we can wear suits and ties and work in corporations to get ahead, but ultimately, no one gets to define who we are.

If "Handbag" were turned into a short film, what would it look like, and who's playing the villain?

If there were a short film based on the lyrics and inspiration behind Handbag, the main character would be a trans woman working as an escort on the streets. The antagonist would be a fake client planning to hurt her as part of some sick agenda—or maybe a disguised police officer set on ruining her life. In real life, that story could have ended in tragedy, but in my "perfect" version, she turns the tables.