Some songs are good to listen to for the beat, some for the voice, and others for the message. I normally like to listen to the lyrics of songs because I feel like it just makes the song that much better if the words have meaning. I have compiled a list of five songs that I think everyone needs to not only hear, but listen to.
5. “NICE” by The Carter’s
This song is by Beyoncé and Jay Z on their collaboration album—“EVERYTHING IS LOVE”. This song is basically about the married couple boasting about their success and how it positively affects them. Some of my favorite lyrics are:
“Patiently waiting for my demise cause my success can’t be quantified”
“What would you do, you knew you couldn’t fail?
I have no fear of anything, do everything well
I have no fear of jail, I was born in the trap
I have no fear of death, we all born to do that.”
The song has an exceptional beat and was co-written by Pharrell and, as if everyone doesn’t know, Pharrell knows how to make a song whether that be writing or producing. After doing further research, I discovered that the lyrics of the chorus directly correlates with being Black in America. We are told that ‘anything is possible,’ but things like inequality and racism prevent complete individual success from happening. However, this song still gets me hype and wakes me up in the morning!
4. “100” by The Game featuring Drake
Just like the song before, this song has a great beat.The main idea of this song is how the rap game can both be advantageous and disadvantageous at times because despite the success it brings, it hurts relationships between people. Some of my favorite lyrics:
“Dawg, fame is a m**********r,
Do a n**** four favors when you can’t do the fifth how soon they forget?”
“I would have so many friends
If I didn’t have money, respect and accomplishments
I would have so many friends
If I held back the truth and I just gave out compliments
I would have all of your fans
If I didn’t go pop and I stayed on some conscious sh*t
I would have so many more friends
If I lost my success and my confidence”
After listening to this song and reading the lyrics, it really recognizes the many rap disputes that could have been averted if there wasn’t such a communication barrier. Because of this, there is little trust between musical artists, especially in the genre of rap. If you know me, you know that Drake is one of my all time favorite artists and–I say this wholeheartedly with little bias–whenever he does a feature it always turns out to be a banger. His voice parallels with the voice of The Game so well and they both ride the beat very artistically.
3. “Lay Me Down” by Sam Smith
I remember first hearing this song and thinking, “Wow, Sam Smith can really sing.” The beginning of the song is him singing acapella with one note of the piano playing in the background and his voice seriously sounds angelic. Some of my favorite lyrics are:
“Yes I do, I believe
That one day I will be, where I was
Right there, right next to you
And it’s hard, the days just seem so dark
The moon, and the stars, are nothing without you
Your touch, your skin, where do I begin?
No words can explain, the way i’m missing you
Deny this emptiness, this hole that i’m inside
These tears, they tell their own story”
The entire song is about how difficult it is to miss someone you love and how it feels like not to be loved back. I listen to this song when I know I want to be in my feels and cry it out. I think the simple piano and beat is perfect for this song and anything else would have been too overbearing. Towards the end of the song, the music builds up and he really outshines the music itself because he hits some beautiful notes and it collaborates all too well. This is just one of his amazing hits.
2. “What Now” by Rihanna
This is another song that puts you in your feels, what can I say? I just like being sad. However, this song differs from the last because it is not about love, it’s about life. The foundation of this song lies on not knowing where to go next in life, what happens when you push everyone away, and how it feels to be empty on the inside. We all know how well Rihanna sings with piano (i.e. “Stay”) and this is no different. This song starts with piano and a beat, then the chorus comes along and there is an amazing guitar that blares in addition to the sound of crashing drums and it sort of gives of this rock vibe that reminds me of another one of her songs “Rockstar 101”. Some of my favorite lyrics:
“I been ignoring this big lump in my throat
I shouldn’t be crying, tears were for the weak
The days I’m stronger, know what, so I say
That’s something missing”
“There’s no one to call cause I’m just playing games with them all
The more I swear I’m happy, the more that I’m feeling alone
‘Cause I spent every hour just going through the motions
I can’t even get the emotions to come out
Dry as a bone, but I just wanna shout”
I feel like whenever Rihanna sings about love, heartbreak, etc., she has lyrics that hit so close to home that it can literally resonate with anyone, and this goes for any of her R&B songs. She says exactly what needs to be said with such a hurt but passionate voice, and with that power she is able to give her listeners the impression that she is going or have gone through exactly what she is singing about. I’m just waiting for her to drop another album.
1. “Ye Yo” by Erykah Badu
I saved this song for last because it is my personal favorite. If you are an Erykah Badu fan, you know that she has endless songs that are good to bop your head to from time to time, but this song is different. It has a certain intensity because she sung it live and you are able to hear her vocals undoubtedly clear. Some of my favorite lyrics are:
“Sometimes I get so lonely, lonely, lonely
I feel all by myself up here
That’s when I take a minute
To re-evaluate things all of the things I think
Are special, yeah”
There is no ‘real’ music playing in this song, only a drum, and that was definitely a smart decision on her end because her voice is so soothing that it literally puts me to ease. Because it is live, you can distinctly hear the vibrations of her voice and it will echo into your soul. Ye yo means mother in Swahili, and this song feels like Erykah is my mother and she’s talking to me telling me everything is going to be okay, I can depend on her, and to rest. Every note she hits pulsates your ears, especially when wearing headphones. Listen to this song when you want to vibe and relax.
If you have heard any of these songs on this list, well congratulations. You have excellent music taste! I hope you listen to these songs and have a similar experience as I do when listening.