10 More Intriguing Songs All About the Baby | Playlist 🎧

“10 More Intriguing Songs About the Baby” features music by Ari Lennox, DaBaby, Hozier, Lil Uzi Vert & Meek Mill.

“Baby come back to me / Give me one more chance / One more chance to be, to be a better man.” That’s what Kane Brown sung on “Baby Come Back,” which appeared on his 2018 hit album, Experiment.  On “Baby Daddy” (Lil Boat 2), Lil Yachty asserts, “Your baby daddy a sucka, ayy, your baby daddy a busta, ayy / Your baby daddy so broke, he hit the plug for a free line of coke.” Okay – one more for good measure! Sam Smith informed us “‘Baby, You Make Me Crazy’ / Why’d you have to fill my heart with sorrow” (The Thrill of it All, 2017).  All three of these songs appeared on the 2018 playlist, 13 Intriguing Songs All About the Baby.

Now, it’s 2020, and we’re back with a slightly shorter sequel to 13 Intriguing Songs All About the Baby entitled 10 MORE INTRIGUING SONGS ABOUT THE BABY.  Just like the previous list, the keyword in each of the song titles is some form of the word BABY.  Simple enough, right? Right as rain! 10 MORE INTRIGUING SONGS ABOUT THE BABY features songs courtesy of Ari Lennox, DaBaby, Hozier, Lil Uzi Vert & Meek Mill among others.  Without further ado, here are 10 songs about BABIES!!!

1. Lil Uzi Vert, “Baby Pluto”

Eternal Atake (Deluxe) – LUV vs. the World 2 • Atlantic • 2020

“I turned to an addict, I bought me a Patek / I bought her a baby one / Yeah, I bought me a Maybach, it came with two doors / Yeah, that’s the Mercedes one (for sure).” Drippy to say the least! After more than a two-year hiatus, Lil Uzi Vert returned in a big way with Eternal Atake. No one knew exactly when the new album would be released, ultimately arriving March 6^th (Eternal Atake (Deluxe) – LUV vs. The World 2 arrived one week later). Eternal Atake commences Eternal Atake epically with “Baby Pluto.”

“Baby Pluto” is named after the rapper’s first alter ego of the project. Here, Pluto goes off, rapping with incredible agility over dope, hard-hitting production courtesy of Brandon Finessin, Bugz Ronin, Cousin Vinny, and IKE Beatz.  As to be expected, the chorus, excerpted above, is where Vert’s bread is buttered – the drip is real. It continues a little something like this:

“I say with the baddest, I’m countin’ the cabbage
While makin’ my lady cum
I bought a G-Wagen, that shit was the BRABUS
That’s why I be racin’ em...”

You get the picture.  As for the rest of the song, well Lil Uzi continues in dripped out fashion.  He’s also quite sexed-up.  That said, he raises eyebrows when he asserts, “I ain’t fuck a bitch in so long, I’d do it in a Honda Accord.” Ok “Baby Pluto.”

2. DaBaby, “Blame it On Baby”

Blame it on Baby • Interscope • 2020

When there is a wave to ride, you ride it! That seems to be the philosophy of “SUGE” hitmaker DaBaby (Jonathan Kirk) who has been quite prolific since 2019.  In 2019, he released two hit albums: Baby on Baby and KIRK.  Before the abrupt release of his third studio album, Blame it on Baby in 2020, he farted on us with “SHUT UP” (which didn’t make the album), and the brief “Find My Way”, which ends up on the 34 minute project. While Blame it on Baby isn’t a game changing LP in the least, it has some notable, truly entertaining moments.  Among the most entertaining and at least quasi-innovative moments arrives courtesy of “Blame it On Baby.”

“Okay K.i.D, drop the beat and watch me take it home, baby!” “Blame it On Baby” is totally unforgettable, regardless whether you particularly like the song or not.  Why? DaBaby is more creative here, delivering one of the true WTF moments of Blame it on Baby.  What makes “Blame it on Baby” so interesting is the fact that the beat switches and he, likewise, switches up flows.  Maybe this two-minute-plus joint works and maybe it doesn’t in the big scheme of things, but this represents one of the moments where minimally you appreciate Kirk thinking forward.  Perhaps his most notable lines:

“They be like ‘Why you switched the beat?’ Because my flow neat, nigga
‘I thought he couldn’t switch the flow, how the hell he switchin’ the beat up?’
They don’t know who they fuckin’ with, do this shit with my feet up
Yawning on these niggas, sit back, go to sleep.”

BOOM!

3. Hozier, “Wasteland, Baby!”

Wasteland, Baby! • Sony • 2019

“All the fear and the fire of the end of the world / Happens each time a boy falls in love with a girl.” Wow, such beautiful, thoughtful, and poetic lyrics from Irish alternative, singer/songwriter, Hozier. Hozier, of course, is best known for his Grammy-nominated hit “Take Me to Church”.  He returned in 2019 with his long-awaited, highly-anticipated sophomore album, Wasteland, Baby!, which features standouts such as “Nina Cried Power”, “Movement” and “Almost (Sweet Music)”. Interestingly, the song at hand, where those stunning lyrics hail, “Wasteland, Baby!” doesn’t arrive until the very end.

“Wasteland, baby / I’m in love, I’m in love with you / And I love too, that love soon might end…” On “Wasteland, Baby!” Hozier ‘pulls back’ vocally, singing about the subject that dominates the LP – love.  Musically, the backdrop has an organic, Irish folky sensibility; he’s accompanied by guitar, with additional color provided by keyboards. The stunning chorus, excerpted above, continues as follows:

“Be known in its aching
Shown in the shaking
Lately of my wasteland, baby
Be still, my indelible friend, you are unbreaking
Though quaking, though crazy
That’s just wasteland, baby.”

4. Ari Lennox, “Shea Butter Baby”

Ft. J. Cole

Shea Butter Baby • Dreamville / Interscope • 2019

“Shea butter baby, fuckin’ up your pillow / Shea butter baby. fuckin’ up your sheets…” “Shea Butter Baby” made its original appearance on Creed II: The Album, which corresponded with the release of the film in 2018.  The Ari Lennox and J. Cole collaboration reappeared on Lennox’s quietly released, full-length debut LP, Shea Butter Baby, in 2019.

The M.O. of “Shea Butter Baby” is crystal clear from the onset – sex.  Following the intro, which lifts one of the key lines of the aforementioned chorus, Ari Lennox sings about what she wants from her man: “Touch me, take me, kiss me /…Wishing, you could meet me, see me, freak me.” The infatuation, the yearning, and the horniness is real – “Lost in an alley, make love by a trash can.” As for Cole, besides adding some “oh(s)” on the pre-chorus and chorus, he appears on the second verse, speaking about genuine love, meaningful sex, and being regretful about the empty sex he’s had in the past:

“I ain’t know then, but I know now
Apologies due, to one of the few
The ones I ran through, but never loved you
I pray you found peace and you whole now
I’m doin’ better, I got me a chocolate bar...”

“Shea Butter Baby” is a fine, sexy R&B record. Ari Lennox sounds fantastic and J. Cole is as consistent and insightful as ever.  Furthermore, Elite and Shroom ‘put it work’ from a production standpoint, crafting a fresh, soulful backdrop for both artists to work their magic.  The guitar is one of the best touches.

5. Arcade Fire, “Baby Mine”

Dumbo (Soundtrack) • Walt Disney • 2019

“Baby mine, don’t you cry / Baby mine, dry your eyes / Rest your head close to my heart / Never to part, baby of mine.” Grammy-winning Canadian alt-rock band Arcade Fire delivers a terrific reinterpretation of “Baby Mine”, the end title from Disney’s 2019 live action version of Dumbo.  This performance thrives off of awesome vocals from Régine Chassagne and Win Butler, as well as superb production work.

“Baby Mine” totally works – totally.  Following a lovely, lush intro (choral vocals, some rocking guitar, a brief drum groove), Chassagne delivers haunting, warm vocals on the first verse, excerpted above.  She maintains the lullaby sensibility of the record, while still bringing some of the left-of-center charm that makes Arcade Fire cool. Some of that ‘charm’ includes “old guitars, harp, Theremin, and triangle” apparently. Her hubby, Win Butler, arrives for the second verse, and the remainder of the song, accompanied by a smooth, alternative/retro-rock-tinged backdrop. Even incorporating the indie-rock vibes into the mix, “Baby Mine” stays idiomatic of a theatrical, authentic Disney soundtrack. Perhaps it’s the strings?  “Baby Mine” was previously featured on the playlist, 11 Awesome Songs that Tickled My Fancy in March 2019.

6. Roddy Ricch, “War Baby”

Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial • Atlantic • 2019

Roddy Ricch experienced ample success with his debut album, Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial, which was released in December 2019. Sometimes, albums released in the final month of the year can get overlooked and do perform to their potential.  That certainly wasn’t the case with Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial.  With “The Box” becoming such a dominant hit on the Billboard Hot 100, it ensured the album’s staying power.  That said, Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial has more notable songs than “The Box,” even if it’s quite the juggernaut.  For this intriguing song all about the baby, Ricch serves up “War Baby,” which concludes the album.

“War Baby” is the perfectly suited closing cut, finding Roddy Ricch reflecting on an arduous past.  On the first verse, he asserts, “I’m from the bottom of the bottom, check your sources baby / I’m a war baby, but I can’t divorce the pavement.” He goes on to say, “It was hell in the projects, I survived the storm / Got brothers in the sky, they die ‘fore they born.” Essentially, Ricch makes it clear he’s been through a lot, he’s rough-n-tumble, but he’s made it – he’s a success story.  The centerpiece, of course, is the chorus:

“We was hoppin’ out in broad day
Serving fiends in the hallway
Promethazine ‘til the mornin’
Hope I don’t wake up tomorrow
We was the type of niggas that would rob the robbers
I’ma make the choppa sing like la-di-da-da-da (La-da, la-da)
...Survived in the trenches, I’m a war baby
Had to slide on the sliders, that ain’t normal, baby.”

Call “War Baby” the ‘hood gospel.’ Sonic stitches up gorgeous production for Roddy Ricch to spit over, led by lush piano and anchored by robust bass and a hella rhythmic beat.  Another lovely touch? The choral vocals, straight out of the black church.  I particularly love the “Whoa” outro.

7. Lil Baby, “Baby”

Ft. DaBaby

Quality Control: Control the Streets Volume 2 • Quality Control Music • 2019 

Well, there are lots of babies… in the rap game that is! Fittingly, rappers Lil Baby and DaBaby join forces for – you guessed it – “Baby”. Literally, you can’t make this shit up.  Of course, DaBaby has already made an appearance on this list (“Blame it on Baby”). Anyways, “Baby” appears on the Quality Control compilation Quality Control: Control the Streets Volume 2, released in 2019. probably isn’t the right characterization.

Don’t call “Baby” scintillating – it’s basic. Neither Lil Baby or DaBaby can be characterized as transcendent artists, despite their population.  The production by Wheezy is respectable, but nothing game changing. Lil Baby raps the first verse, focusing on himself: “Baby really a problem, somebody gotta stop him.” There’s drip, street smarts, and sex.  He follows up with the chorus, which features ‘Baby’ 12 times! Notably, he concludes the chorus with “Baby like a preacher, Baby prolly still sell reefer.”

DaBaby does much of the same the second verse. “I tell my bitch I’m faithful, but I still got the hoes.” Typical.  There’s plenty of sexual references throughout to complement the drip, many of which are incredibly cocky.  A prime example:

“I barely wanna hit her, got her beggin’, ‘Baby, please’
I tell a bitch to shut up, you ‘bout to fuck my nut up…”

Perhaps the best attribute of this particular ‘baby’ song – it’s brief.

8. Meek Mill, “Oodles O’ Noodles Babies”

Championships • Atlantic • 2018

“This shit right here for my Oodles o’ Noodles babies / His ma’ smoked the crack while she was pregnant so he can’t even help that he crazy /He goin’ to jail, it’s inevitable, for real.” Grammy-nominated rapper Meek Mill commences “Oodles O’ Noodles Babies” (Championships, 2018) off with the aforementioned honest, personal, spoken word intro. This intro foreshadows the ‘real talk’ that Meek Mill offers throughout the course of the single.  His flow is agile on both verses, particularly the fiery first verse where he focuses on the lack of belief and lack of hope bestowed upon him, as well as his lot in life.

“I used to act up when I went to school
Thought it was cool, but I really was hurt
Wanted my family to come to my games
My mama couldn’t make it ‘cause she was at work
Lived with my grandma, she took me to church...
Got a black judge tryna tear me down
All this jail time probably wear me down.”

Between the two verses on “Oodles O’ Noodles Babies,” there’s an interlude as opposed to a chorus. The interlude is written similarly to the introduction.  Beyond the interlude, Meek ends the record with an outro, once more patterned after the intro and interlude sections.  Besides the personal nature of the lyrics, the soulful production work is worth mentioning, helping to fuel his honesty and openness. It’s rewarding to hear him drop bars about his life and emotions.

9. Action Bronson, “Baby Blue”

Ft. Chance the Rapper

Mr. Wonderful • Atlantic • 2015

Former XXL Magazine freshman Action Bronson released his majordebut album, Mr. Wonderful in 2015. Throughout Mr. Wonderful, Bronson showcased plenty of potential, with a number of memorable songs.  Among the best records from the album is “Baby Blue,” featuring  Grammy-winning rapper Chance The Rapper.

“Heartbreak drowned sorrows in a large steak.” O…K… Anyways, on “Baby Blue,” Action Bronson pours out his emotions, beginning on the memorable, pained, sung hook:

“Why you always all on my back?
Why you gotta do me like that?
Why you gotta act like a bitch when I’m with you?
Baby girl I’m blue.”

He continues to address his issues with this girl, which he already characterized as a bitch.  At one point he asserts, “Girl, we grown, stop playing on my phone / All your childish attempts to make me angry fall short …” Regardless, she’s the one missing out because, well, he’s, well, pretty awesome.  What you’ve got to love is his confidence, particularly throughout the course of the second verse:

“Some [women] would say that I’m the symbol for sex and uh
Others would hate, but I don’t give ‘em no breath…
I gotta go, you’ll never know how good it feels to lay in bed with king
I’m not exactly flawless, but I’m gorgeous, just like a horse is...”

Big dick energy? Seems like it. Chance The Rapper ups the ante on his verse, which includes the lyrics, “I hope you get a paper cut on your tongue / From a razor in a paper cut / I hope every soda you drink already shaken up…”  Also, worth mentioning, Mark Ronson handles the production duties on this soulful, hip-hop cut.

10. Lana Del Rey, “Brooklyn Baby”

Ultraviolence • Interscope • 2014

“Brooklyn Baby” arrives as the fourth track from Ultraviolence, the 2014 studio album by Lana Del Rey.  Ultraviolence as a whole marked a big step forward for Del Rey artistically.  Amazingly, in 2019, she’d take the biggest step forward in career with her Grammy-nominated tour de force, Norman Fucking Rockwell!.  Of course this isn’t about NFR!, or the majority of Ultraviolence, but rather, “Brooklyn Baby.”

“Brooklyn Baby” proves to be the perfect for record for hipsters.  She references artistic things popular in the 1970s.  This includes Lou Reed, Beat poetry, and a “rare jazz collection.”  Hmm, wonder what the dates are on the records from that “rare jazz collection?”:

“Well my boyfriend’s in the band
He plays guitar while I sing Lou Reed
I’ve got feathers in my hair
I get down to Beat poetry
And my jazz collection’s rare…”

If you are a hipster, this is a cut right up your alley. Perhaps she’s a bit indulgent at times, and really loved her boyfriend (at the time), but all in all, this ‘baby’ song is one that’s worthwhile.  Vocally, Lana Del Rey is simply hypnotic.  Furthermore, the dreamy production by Dan Auerbach only amplifies the hypnotic quality.  Also, worth mentioning are the drug references, whether it’s “Churning out novels like / Beat poetry on Amphetamines” or “I’ve got feathers in my hair / I get high on hydroponic weed.”

10 More Intriguing Songs All About the Baby 🎧 [📷: Atlantic, Brent Faulkner, Dreamville, Interscope, The Musical Hype, Pexels, Pixabay, Quality Control Music, Sony, Walt Disney]