10 Absolutely Alluring Songs About Cars | Playlist 🎧

1. MORGENSHTERN & Eldzhey, “Cadillac” 🚗

“Cadillac” • Zhara Distribution • 2020

Russian rappers MORGENSHTERN (Alisher Tagirovich Morgenshtern) and Eldzhey bring cockiness, confidence, and ample drip to their banger, “Cadillac”. “Cadillac” is quite the intriguing listen, even if you can’t understand a lick of the Russian.  The production is stellar, giving both MORGENSTHERN and fellow rapper Eldzhey an energetic backdrop to deliver their rhymes.  Starting with the chorus, performed by MORGENSTHERN, the lyrics (translated) are definitely similar to American rap.  He raps about his drip (a chain, money, and a brand-new Cadillac) and, shockingly, “bitches.” He goes on to take the first verse, which is equally rich and sexed-up, where he “Got two shawties” on him.  You know, you’ve always got to ‘double up’ apparently.

Anyways, Eldzhey arrives on the second verse, commencing with the news flash, “I am busy, don’t give a fuck about crisis, I’ve grown up on it.”  He also asserts, “This feat will kill you faster than coronavirus” – pretty woke, though questionable given how viral COVID-19 has been.  And in case the cockiness and confidence were ever in question, apparently, “Your girlfriend’s jerking off to / My sports car stayin’ near club.” Okay then… The big takeaway from “Cadillac” from MORGENSHTERN and Eldzhey is that they can throw down with anyone – when it comes to cockiness, confidence, and heavy drip.

2. BRELAND, “My Truck”

BRELAND (EP) • Bad Realm / Atlantic • 2020

Country and rap can coexist, believe it or not.  The best example, of course, has been Lil Nas X and “Old Town Road”.  Other instances are lauded by some, while lambasted by others.  BRELAND willingly takes a risk, entering into the hella divisive realm with “My Truck.” “My Truck” is a novel country trap number, which is certainly distinct if nothing else.

“You can drink my liquor, you can call my lady / You can take my money, you can smoke my blunt / … Don’t touch my truck.” Yeah – that’s a country cliché to the core.  That truck is everything, though to be fair, sometimes it’s a tractor.  As you can expect, BRELAND characterizes his baby which includes “V8 engine with the windows tinted” and – wait for it – “Woodgrain dash with the matte black finish.” Yeah, seems appropriate for me to scream WOO to the top of my lungs…or maybe yeehaw?  Also, as rappers and country artists do alike, he mentions his girl’s “big ol’ butt” and of course a “Red cup full of Henny.” Hate it or love it, “My Truck” is definitely worth discussing.

3. Lil Pump, “Butterfly Doors” 🏎️

Harverd Dropout • Warner • 2019

There are some pros for rapper Lil Pump regarding “Butterfly Doors”, a single appearing on Harverd Dropout (2019).  First and foremost, it’s brief.  Another “W” for Pump is the minor-key, minimalist production work.  The beat is sleek, while the synth is sketchy and seedy sounding.  His flow is appealing overall, while his agile, quick-paced rhymes are basic AF with nothing transcendent to be found.

Cutting straight to the chase, “Butterfly Doors” receives placement on this list because it references butterfly doors, which sometimes appear on lux, high-performance sports cars, specifically Lamborghinis. Additionally, Lil Pump references hustling, guns, and money. Of course, the polarizing “Gucci Gang” rapper goes beyond those doors and gets controversial, thanks to a tasteless reference to Asians on the chorus: “They call me Yao [Ming] ‘cause my eyes real low.”  WTF was he thinking?

4. Carrie Underwood, “Two Black Cadillacs” 🚗

Blown Away • 19 Recordings Limited / Sony • 2012

“And the preacher said he was a good man / And his brother said he was a good friend / But the women in the two black veils didn’t bother to cry…” Carrie Underwood is at her best when she’s able to exhibit ‘that attitude.’ While the song at hand, “Two Black Cadillacs” doesn’t get the same love of the likes of “Jesus Take the Wheel”, “Before He Cheats”, or “Last Name,” in my personal opinion, it ranks among the crème de la crème of her catalog.  The narrative-driven number appears as the third track on her excellent fourth studio album, Blown Away (2012).

From the onset, “Two Black Cadillacs” sounds magical, instantly engaging the listener. There is a mysteriousness and sketchiness about the production, which sets the tone before Carrie Underwood sings a note. There is a clearly defined rhythmic groove, but it’s understated which bodes well. Of course, the narrative of the song is utterly superb with Underwood setting things up perfectly the first verse:

“Two black Cadillacs driving in a slow parade...
One is for his wife
The other for the woman who loved him at night
Two black Cadillacs meeting for the first time.”

Later, the second verse expounds upon what went down – “His wife called the number on his phone / Turns out he’d been lying to the both of them for oh so long…” Of course, on the bridge, it’s clear the women secretly conspired, “Shared a crimson smile and just walked away / And left the secret at the grave.” Regardless, the centerpiece is the chorus, excerpted at the beginning of the blurb. It continues, depicting the feelings of the two women:

“...Yeah, they took turns laying a rose down
Threw a handful of dirt into the deep ground
He’s not the only one who had a secret to hide
Bye bye, bye bye, bye bye.”

“Two Black Cadillacs” previously appeared on the playlist, 11 Incredibly Intriguing, Totally Black Songs.

5. DJ Snake & Sheck Wes, “Enzo” 🏎️

Ft. Offset, 21 Savage & Gucci Mane

Carte Blanche • DJ Snake Music Productions Limited / Interscope • 2019

DJ Snake assembles a star-studded cast of rappers (Sheck Wes, Offset, 21 Savage and Gucci Mane) for a good old-fashioned trap banger, “Enzo”. With Snake being the main attraction, the production is on-point – sleek synths, drum programming idiomatic of hip-hop, and a heaping dose of swagger. Besides the DJ, “Enzo” is produced by Yung Lunchbox and Sickdrumz.

Sheck Wes is responsible for the simple but infectious chorus: “I need a Benzo, a Benzo / I need a Rari, not Lambo / I need a Rari, not Lambo / I need a Rari, an Enzo…” Sure, the words aren’t profound, but they definitely help ‘fuel the fire’ if nothing else. Offset raps the first verse, focusing on his drip which includes a Lambo, Rolls Royce, Porsche, and of course, money. Notably, he does reference his 2019 album, Father of 4: “Gotta feed ya family the first.”

21 Savage arrives for the second verse, joining in on the flex fest.  Among his more notable lyrics are “6 karats hanging out my motherfuckin’ earlobe / Shining like the glove on Michael (Jackson),” “Left a wet dream on a Barbie…,” and “I’m dunkin’ on your bitch like Tim bro (Free throw) / I let the block hit her, she Mutombo.” Arguably, 21 has some of the best lyrics.  As for Gucci Mane, he takes the third and final verse, showing off a bit more aggressiveness than usual.  One of his more memorable lines: “Copped two Maybach trucks, yeah / I go any-fucking-where, icy like a polar bear.” #Gucci. Ultimately, the best way to describe “Enzo” is merely a good, old-fashioned, trap banger.  It’s not transcendent, nor does it aspire to be.

6. Thomas Rhett, “That Old Truck”

Center Point Road • Big Machine • 2019

“She heard me laugh, heard me cry / Heard me pray sometimes.” If you are wondering who heard Grammy-nominated country singer Thomas Rhett cry, it was “That Old Truck”, a highlight from his 2019 album, Center Point Road. Country musicians are no strangers to singing and reminiscing about their vehicles (“She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” comes to mind).  The old truck Rhett references represents a rite of passage for him.

Many of the lyrics of “That Old Truck” are familiar, given the fact that singing about cars, trucks, and apparently, tractors have been done a countless number of times.  On the first verse, Rhett describes the experience with ‘her’ – “Up and down the streets of a no-name town / Me and her with the windows down / 35s rolling on the ground / Loving every minute.” By the end of the second verse, he sings about “Cussing out all that grass I mowed / Just saving up to fix her.” The centerpiece of the record is the sentimental chorus.

7. EBEN, “Lambo” 🏎️

“Lambo” • Signature Entertainment, III LLC • 2018

Pop artist Eben Franckewitz (EBEN being his stage name) famously appeared on American Idol season 11 but failed to advance to the top 12 – shame on them! Franckewitz dropped an incredibly cool, car-centric, infectious single back in 2018 called “Lambo”. He keeps things ‘short and sweet’ as “Lambo” runs under three minutes. The production is sleek but balanced, anchored by a hard beat, and driving synths, which appear during the pre-chorus and chorus sections.  On the pre-chorus, he references an old saying central to “Lambo”: “They say money can’t buy you happiness…”

Despite the wisdom exhibited on the pre-chorus, he contradicts himself on the chorus:

“I’d rather cry in a Lambo
Be depressed at the chateau
Live out my parents’ back road
I’d rather cry, rather cry, rather cry, rather cry in a Lambo.”

Throughout “Lambo,” EBEN delivers great vocals.  On the bridge, he provides vocal contrast, employing more of a pop-rap approach, asserting, “Don’t want to cry in my Honda, cry in the closet / Or in the back of my shitty apartment…” Ultimately, Franckewitz has got it going TF on.  “Lambo” is catchy, features honest songwriting, solid vocals, and excellent production.

8. DJ Khaled, “Top Off” 🚗

Ft. Jay-Z, Future & Beyoncé

Father of Asahd • We the Best / Epic • 2019

“Top Off”, released in March 2018, marked one of the best moments from Father of Asahd, the 2019 album by DJ Khaled.  On this ‘convertible’ gem, the WE THE BEST hype man secures the services off Jay-Z, Future, and Beyoncé.  That’s some hip-hop royalty right there – FACTS!

“Top Off” is set in a minor key and features dramatic production work including malicious synths. At the top, the listener is served up with a silly intro by Jay-Z, as well as shout-outs from DJ Khaled. The intro is followed by a repetitive, autotune heavy hook by Future.  The lack of profundity by Future is real: “I took the top off the Maybach.” Okay… Eventually, Hov delivers agile, hard-nosed, and tough-minded rhymes. Beyoncé ends up being the biggest surprise. After dropping somewhat warm vocals, she changes course with tougher, more explicit, pop-rap styled vocals. Arguably, she outperforms her hubby and Future.  Honestly, I don’t think it’s even arguable. Bow down!

9. Lana Del Rey, “White Mustang” 🏎️

Lust for Life • Interscope • 2017

Lana Del Rey is quite the character – understatement. That said, what’s undeniable is her voice, which is ‘one of a kind.’  Throughout her fourth full-length album Lust for Life, Del Rey showcases her best attribute over the course of 16 tracks. Lust for Life ranks among her best work, though she’d top that accomplishment with NFR!. Anyways, “White Mustang” definitely fits perfectly on 10 ABSOLUTELY ALLURING SONGS ABOUT CARS.

In the context of Lust for Life, “White Mustang” is connected to two forthcoming songs – “Summer Bummer” and “Groupie Love”. On the first verse, Del Rey paints the picture that she’s a groupie in love with a musician, even if she has reservations.  Such reservations are more pronounced on the second verse, where she admits, “I was such a fool for believing that you / Could change all the ways you’ve been living.” Lyrically, one of the best moments occurs when she sings:

“You’ve been revving and revving and revving it up
And the sound, it was frightening.”

“White Mustang” previously appeared on 12 Songs That Are Either Black or White.

10.Zack Villere, “Minivan” 🚐

Ft. J’von

Little World • aritech • 2017

“We’re riding in my minivan / And I don’t have any plans / And nobody can tell us what / To do or where to go.” We conclude 10 ABSOLUTELY ALLURING SONGS ABOUT CARS with a tune from Zack Villere, quite the eclectic pop musician – if that’s the correct genre characterization.  “Minivan,” from his 2017 album, Little World, sounds like nothing else on this list. Perhaps more so than BRELAND’s “My Truck”, that’s a positive thing. Villere doesn’t do it all by himself, enlisting the services of rapper J’von.

Villere has made two appearances on The Musical Hype playlists prior to this list.  The first appearance was for the song “Cool” (11 Incredibly ‘Cool’ Songs That Aren’t the Least Bit Cold), which also appears on Little World.  I bring that up to introduce or refresh regarding some musical cues and traits that are similar on “Minivan.” Like “Cool,” “Minivan” also features intentional, deadpan, monotone-styled vocals, jazzy harmonies, and overall embracement of left-of-centered-ness.  That said, the aforementioned lyrics are all the Zack we get, ha-ha. J’von carries the majority of the vocals with his rap verse, which is chocked-full of lyrics, yet the overall effect of the performance is the vibe.

10 ABSOLUTELY ALLURING SONGS ABOUT CARS is officially over!