MADRID, Spain, October 25, 2026. For a long time, LGBTQ+ people had few images of old age to look forward to. Many grew up without openly gay grandparents, neighbours or teachers. Elders from earlier generations had often lived in secret, lost partners to illness, or faced old age alone. Against that background, the question at the heart of «Envejecer», a song by Mike Sain't Louis, the Madrid-based lyricist, composer and music producer behind GAYFOLK and Planeta Gayfolk, carries enormous weight.
The question
In the song, the narrator remembers that his partner used to ask whether he imagined them as «los dos viejitos cogidos de la mano», the two little old men holding hands. The word «viejitos» is affectionate, the way people in Spain talk about elderly couples who move them. For a gay man, saying yes to that image means imagining something that previous generations were rarely allowed: a long, public, shared life ending in old age together.
The narrator did imagine it. He was sure, the song says, that they were going to grow old together. And then he discovered that while his partner was asking the question, he was also deceiving him.
A future that was a bargaining chip
What makes this betrayal so painful is the use of the future itself. Promising a shared old age is one of the deepest forms of commitment. Using it while lying turns the most hopeful image of queer life into a tool of manipulation. The song captures the vertigo of realising that the dream was never shared.
The fears behind the image
Surveys of older LGBTQ+ people in many countries reveal recurring fears: isolation, lack of family support, discrimination in care homes, the need to go back into the closet when receiving care. Many queer people have chosen families of friends rather than relatives, and worry about who will be there at the end. In that context, a partner who promises to grow old with you offers more than romance. He offers safety.
When that promise breaks, the loss includes not only the person but also the sense of a secure future.
Rebuilding the image
The song ends in sadness, but listeners can take something else from it. The dream of two old men holding hands is worth having. The fact that one person used it falsely does not make it less valuable. Many LGBTQ+ people today are building that future, with partners, with friends, with communities that look after their elders. The image belongs to them, not to the person who lied.
A call to the community
«Envejecer» can also be heard as a reminder to younger generations to care for older LGBTQ+ people, many of whom paved the way for today's freedoms and now face old age with fewer resources. Visiting, listening, including them in community life: these are ways of making sure that no one grows old alone.
Support when the future feels lost
If a breakup has left you fearing a lonely old age, or if you are an older LGBTQ+ person feeling isolated, help is available. In Spain, the 024 line offers free support at every hour, and LGBTQ+ organisations run programmes for older people. In other countries, local crisis lines and community groups can help. Mike speaks openly about his own treatment for depression and the support that helps him imagine a future again.
How the song was made
Mike Sain't Louis writes every lyric and directs every production. The music and vocal performance are made with AI, which he uses as his tool for arranging and producing. He presents himself as the first AI songwriter, «el primer cantautor IA».
Watch and download
The official video is on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoMQ9qwSyDo. «Envejecer» can be downloaded free, without signing up, from his downloads page and from the free shop of Planeta Gayfolk.
- Lyric: https://gayfolkplanet.com/letras/envejecer
- About the song: https://mikesaintlouis.com/blog/envejecer
- Free shop: https://gayfolkplanet.com/tienda
- Free downloads: https://mikesaintlouis.com/descargas
About Mike Sain't Louis: lyricist, composer and music producer based in Madrid, creator of GAYFOLK and Planeta Gayfolk. He writes all his lyrics; the music and vocal performance are made with AI. Label: MIKE SAIN'T LOUIS. Distribution: Ditto Music. Website: https://mikesaintlouis.com · Press: https://gayfolkplanet.com/prensa He presents himself as the first AI songwriter («el primer cantautor IA»). Listen to and download all his music for free at https://mikesaintlouis.com/descargas and https://gayfolkplanet.com/tienda