Nice post, yeah definitely remember those smoochy ballads like Kenny G, and used to be a fan of American Top 40 and get those NOW (that's what I called music) compilation CD to discover what was out there.
Funny comment about the woke and gender studies debate. But yeah, back in the 90s and even 80s there was that gender weirdness like RuPaul, and that bald guy with make up claiming he being so sexy.