10 Intriguing Songs That Reference Change | Playlist 🎧

1. Lauv, “Changes”

~how I’m feeling~ • AWAL • 2020

“I’m getting rid of all my clothes I don’t wear / I think I’m gonna cut my hair…” On “Changes”, Lauv (Ari Leff) decides to make various changes in his life.  “Changes” marked the eighth record to appear on his 2020 album, ~how I’m feeling~.  The arrival of the single feels totally right, given the turn of a new year and new decade – 2020! The results are pretty sweet as well, as he’s quite persuasive promoting making – you guessed it – CHANGES.

Ridding of clothes and cutting his hair are just a couple of changes Lauv makes on this enjoyable, honest pop single.  He continues his changes by taking “a break from alcohol,” but admits, “Probably won’t last long.”  On the second verse, the big change is altering mental health (“Take some pills to fix my brain”).  Basically, these changes are straightforward but totally relatable.  Expectedly, the chorus is the centerpiece:

“Changes (Changes), they might drive you half-insane 
But it’s killing you to stay the same
But it’s all gonna work out, it’s all gonna work out someday
Moments (Moments), livin’ with your eyes half-open
You’ve been thinking ‘bout these changes
It’s all gonna work out, it’s all gonna work out someday.”

Just like the simplistic nature of the verses, the lyrics on the chorus need little to no further explanation.  People are frightened by change but can’t improve if they don’t strive to change.  Yep, that’s the gist of it. All in all, it’s a brief but winning record that’s well produced, well-performed, and features a great, relatable message.

2. Céline Dion, “Change My Mind”

Courage • Sony Music Entertainment • 2019 

In 2019, something incredible happened: the return of multi-Grammy winning pop icon, Céline Dion.  After a six-year hiatus between English-exclusive albums, Dion had the ‘courage’ to return with Courage.  Good thing she was brave – she reaped the benefits of her first no. 1 album in more than 17 years.  While I personally missed reviewing Courage, 10 INTRIGUING SONGS THAT REFERENCE CHANGE provides the perfect opportunity to highlight a song that meets the criteria – “Change My Mind.”

“We were bold, we were dust, we were energy / We were more in the light than we’d ever be…” Hmm, matters of the heart seem to be firmly affecting Céline Dion. Need another example? “And it’s all I can do as an optimist / To look out on the shore for our lonely ship.” My, my, my! “Change My Mind” arrives as lucky track number seven on Courage.  This ‘contemporary’ adult contemporary pop cut finds Dion showing a fair amount of restraint on the verses.  Fair to say, she shows excellent vocal control while simultaneously singing expressively. No worries, the massive, powerhouse vocals arrive in all their glory on the simple but effective chorus where she sings:

“Change my mind
Make me drunk on you again
Turn back time
Don’t you wonder where I’ve been?
Are you ever gonna change my mind?
Change my mind
I’ve been waiting for you, change my mind
Change my mind.”

3. Danny Brown, “Change Up”

uknowhatimsayin¿ • Warp • 2019

“They thought I was gone, back from the grave / Mind of a master, blood of a slave / Heart of a king, stuck in between / The devil and an angel on my should when I speak…” Danny Brown is one of rap’s more idiosyncratic artists.  His brutal honesty and left of center approach are the reason why he’s so alluring.  At the same time, he’s quite underrated (“I’m the underdog but I’m never over it…”), having delivered a number of incredible albums, particularly Old (2013) and Atrocity Exhibition (2016).  In 2019, Brown quietly released a new project, uknowhatimsayin¿, the source of the third song on this change-oriented list, “Change Up.”

“Gotta stay at work, things change in a blink / Gotta stay woke, they all in a deep sleep…” “Change Up” features soulful production, with a hint of old-school rock and soul.  The drum groove truly makes the backdrop successful on this gem. Danny Blow delivers an agile, confident flow.  Interestingly, he doesn’t sound as outlandish and raucous as he does at times – could that be part of the ‘change up’?  Possibly, but despite ‘reigning it in,’ Brown is just as effective as he always is.  He full of resolve to say the least, and certainly doesn’t plan on changing. Beyond the verses, Brown drops a catchy chorus in the process.

“I’ma keep goin’, you cannot blame us
Never look back, I would never change up.”

4. Kristin Bell, Idina Menzel & Jonathan Groff, “Some Things Never Change”

Frozen II (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) • Disney Enterprises, Inc. • 2019

“Like an old stone wall that’ll never fall / Some things are always true / Some things never change / Like how I’m holding on tight to you.”  Sigh, rarely does a children’s song appear on The Musical Hype. That said, this playlist is all about change, so, why not ‘change it up’ by including a children’s song? “Some Things Never Change” arrives as the second song from the Frozen II original motion picture soundtrack.  Who specifically is responsible for performing here? Why, that would be Kristin Bell (Anna), Idina Menzel (Elsa), and Jonathan Groff (Kristoff).

“Some Things Never Change” is certainly a pleasant, positive, and uplifting record – you read the aforementioned lyrics courtesy of Anna, right? Furthermore, the production and orchestration are strong suits.  It features a blend of pop musical cues (drums, rhythmic guitar) as well as classical, theatric instrumentation (strings).  As is the case with a soundtrack cut, the actors/singers exhibit excellent chemistry – they sell it sensationally. Bell, Menzel, and Groff also get some excellent choral support. The performance is tongue in cheek, but that’s the expectation of musicals in general, particularly Disney musicals.

“Some things never change
Turn around and time has flown
Some things stay the same
Though the future remains unknown
May our good luck last
May our past be past
Time’s moving fast, it’s true
Some things never change.”

5. XXXTENTACION, “I Changed Her Life”

Ft. Rick Ross

Bad Vibes Forever • Bad Vibes Forever / EMPIRE • 2019

“Whip with the peanut butter insides, yeah / Dip if you tryna kill a nigga vibe, yeah / Slid to the crib, I’m in her insides, yeah.” “I Changed Her Life” appears as the sixth track off of the 2019 posthumous XXXTENTACION project, Bad Vibes Forever. Bad Vibes Forever has received ‘the devil’ from a critical standpoint.  The album received a modest, ‘mixed’ metascore of 55 on Metacritic. A brief number, “I Changed Her Life” doesn’t even reach the two-minute-mark in terms of duration.  This short song length was characteristic of much of XXX’s music while he was alive.  Many of his songs lacked conventional structures (form) and tended to be short as opposed to full-length and developed.

“I Changed Her Life” features confident, unapologetic sung vocals by XXXTENTACION: “She said, ‘Oh my God,’ I changed her fuckin’ life, yeah.” The quality of these vocals by XXX are sketchy, but the vibe is indisputable.  Featured guest Rick Ross drops a characteristic verse over the relatively simple, but respectable backdrop (produced by John Cunningham).  One might question if Ross would’ve ended up collaborating with XXX had he lived.  Ross wasn’t part of the original demo, of course.

6. Tori Kelly, “Change Your Mind”

Inspired by True Events • Capitol /Schoolboy • 2019

After compelling on her 2018 CCM/gospel album, Hiding Place, Grammy-winning singer Tori Kelly quietly released a new pop album, Inspired by True Events.  There’s emphasis on the ‘quiet’ part considering it went virtually unnoticed.  That’s a shame because Kelly is a terrific singer.  Inspired by True Events also got off to an ‘inspiring’ start with the thoughtful single, “Change Your Mind”.

The biggest selling point from “Change Your Mind” are the elite vocals.  Tori Kelly can literally sing anything.  Here, accompanied by guitars, piano, a subtle groove, and backing vocals, Kelly makes nothing short of magic.  On the chorus, she’s turned up, in a refined and soulful way:

“No one ever said it was easy
And I love him, you gotta believe me
No, it don’t seem right
But I’ll change your mind, mind
Trust in me, I’ma need your blessing
Oh, I love him, I’m confessing
If it takes my life, I’ma change your mind.”

Thematically, “Change Your Mind” encompasses true love and skepticism. The skepticism seems to come from a father, who typically gives the blessing for a daughter to be married.  Tori essentially tells her father, she’ll prove that he’s wrong about her husband, that she loves with all her heart.

7. Blackbear, “Changes”

ANONYMOUS • Interscope • 2019

R&B singer, songwriter, and producer blackbear returned in 2019 with his fifth studio album, ANONYMOUS. The 18-track LP marked his first new project since 2017 (mansionz, digital druglord, and cybersex).  Of the three projects he was part of in 2017, digital druglord garnered the most attention, thanks to the solfège driven hit, “do re mi”.  But “do re mi” doesn’t fit the criteria for this list, so, we look to the seventh track from ANONYMOUS, “Changes”.

“But I been going through changes / Going through changes without you / … And I worry one day, you’ll wake up and you won’t know me anymore.” “Changes” continues with the relatively basic and simple script of Anonymous.  Blackbear, admittedly, made mistakes in the ended relationship, but he’s been changing without her.

“I told lies, could have tried just a little
Could have tried, didn’t fight for you
My side girl got right in the middle…”

Does blackbear cover new territory? No, but at least he realizes he was a douchebag and he’s attempting to change.

8. NF, “Change”

The Search • Capitol • 2019

NF experienced a huge come-up in 2017.  His third studio album, Perception, debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard 200.  Furthermore, the platinum-certified album spawned the biggest hit of the Michigan rapper’s career with “Let You Down”. It’s no surprise that The Search debuted launched at no. 1 on the Billboard 200.  Apparently, even given his breakout success, as he depicts throughout The Search, Nate Feuerstein himself was depressed.  His pain, quite relatable, is our listening pleasure, particularly on the pertinent “Change.”

“I don’t do drugs, I’m addicted to the pain though
Yeah, I been on it for a while, dunno how to put it down
Gotta have it, it’s a habit I’m a break though.”

The sleek “Change” finds NF reflecting on bettering himself, being open to changing.  He’s completely open and honest about his issues, stating on the third verse, “Last year, I felt suicidal / This year, I might do somethin’ different like talkin’ to God more.”  While you can argue much of NF’s music isn’t so much explicitly ‘Christian’ as it is devoid of profanity, his reference to strengthening his relationship with God is a prime example where the ‘Christian’ rap label is warranted.

9. Kesha, “Here Comes the Change”

“Here Comes the Change” (from the motion picture, On the Basis of Sex) • Kemosabe • 2018

Kesha showed a different side of herself previously unseen on her 2017 album, Rainbow.  The biggest and brightest moment from the Grammy-nominated LP was “Praying”, where the pop singer/songwriter was both authentic and personal. Perhaps had we not heard a new level of maturity from Kesha, a mature, socially conscious number like “Here Comes the Change” would sound totally uncharacteristic. “Here Comes the Change” hails from the motion picture, On the Basis of Sex.

“Here Comes the Change” is clocks in at a respectable length, about three-and-a-half-minutes.  The sound can be described as a folk-pop, singer/songwriter record. Some key features include acoustic guitars, thudding kick drum, harmonica, and of course, powerhouse vocals. On the first verse, Kesha sings about eventual death, and hoping that when it happens, she’ll leave with the world being a better place. On the second verse, she hopes that equality isn’t disputed when she brings children into the world. Notably, harmonized vocals appear on the second verse.  Backtracking a bit, the pre-chorus serves as a pre-cursor to change, foreshadowing the central theme and message:

“Oh, it’s hard, I know it’s hard
To be the lightning in the dark
Hold on tight you’ll be alright
You know it’s time.”

The chorus ushers in the change:

“Here comes the change
We’re comin’ of age
This is not a phase
Here comes, here comes, the change.”

Later, the bridge is patterned similarly to the two verses that precede. All in all, “Here Comes Change” is a thoughtful, well-rounded performance and song.

10. XXXTENTACION, “Changes”

? • Bad Vibes Forever / EMPIRE • 2018

The first XXXTENTACION record that appears on INTRIGUING SONGS THAT REFERENCE CHANGE arrived posthumously.  That would be the aforementioned “I Changed Her Life” from Bad Vibes Forever.  The song “Changes”, which appears on the 2018 album, ?, is NOT a posthumous release.  XXX was fully alive when this particular song arrived in advance of the album.

 “Changes” opens with moody, minimal piano. XXXTENTACION serves up reflective singing on the chorus, the major section of this record.

“Mmm, baby, I don’t understand this
You’re changing, I can’t stand it
My heart can’t take this damage
And the way I feel, can’t stand it…”

A bridge follows, performed by PnB Rock, that’s even simpler than the chorus (“Girl, you’re making it hard for me”). Other notable elements of “Changes” are the addition of vocal harmony, as well as strings. It’s quite minimal but exemplifies the direction that XXX was heading in before his premature death.