See I wouldn't want to erase anyone's sexuality by saying it's all staged or whatever but when songs are all like "we're so risqué xxx" "edgy" "going against the grain" it's so hollow, exactly as you said.
The other day I was drunk af (lmao don't @ me bitches) and I'm seeing this girl and we went back to hers and made out on her couch for hours and she put on Patti Smith's horses vinyl. Her cover of Gloria is everything. It's so direct and to the point. It's just "I saw this beautiful girl and I had to make her mine. It's just androgynous almost. It's like ohhh I'm so edgy xxxx it's just like fuck I had to have this girl. It barely mentioned gender or sexuality other than to describe the "Gloria" character. It's so much more raw. Especially when artists don't change gender in songs to fit their narrative. It's highly respectable and very mature.