Utah Band The Aces Embrace Disco Roots for New Album 'Gold Star Baby'

In November 2025, the all-girl band The Aces from Orem, Utah are preparing to release their highly anticipated album 'Gold Star Baby'. The record marks a shift from the band's previous "more somber and angsty" 2023 album, which was born out of the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This time around, the Ramirez sisters - lead singer Cristal, 29, and drummer Alisa, 28 - really wanted to create something that celebrated their identities and queerness. It was Alisa who knew "early on" that the band needed to write a disco record, inspired by the artists their parents raised them on like Earth, Wind and Fire, Whitney Houston, and the Bee Gees.

Cristal initially resisted Alisa's vision, but eventually came around. The band spent 2024 writing and recording the album in guitarist Katie Henderson's apartment, emerging with a "hot, sexy and sapphic" disco-infused record that explores different forms of sexual expression.

The new single "Square One", which PEOPLE is exclusively premiering, was born out of heartbreak but still fits perfectly into the album's celebratory disco sound. As Alisa explains, the song is about "finally accepting" that even though she wanted to be "moved on" from a past relationship, her heart just wasn't there yet.

With 'Gold Star Baby', The Aces are making a statement, showcasing how queer artists are expanding the boundaries of sexual expression in pop music. As Cristal puts it, "You're seeing more and more androgynous or masculine women expressing themselves sexually. And I think that that's really kind of new."