10 Songs Perfect for the Morningâ features morning-centric songs courtesy of Beck, Big Sean, Chris Stapleton, Kehlani, and Shawn Mendes.
âWhen Iâm drunk in the morning, Iâm calling you / You might be lonely, lonely.â Thank you, Lukas Graham, â Iâll remember that đ. âGood morning, on this day we become legendary / Everything we dreamed ofâŠâ Didnât know it was that deep Kanye West, but okay đ . Then thereâs a personal favorite, courtesy of Maroon 5 dating back to 2002: âCome and rest your bones with me / Driving slow on Sunday morning / And I never want to leave.â So, whatâs the point of all these random lyrical quotes? All of them reference âmorning,â which is the central idea of this playlist, 10 Songs Perfect for the Morning.Â
Of course, the buzzkill for Lukas Graham (âDrunk in the Morningâ), Kanye West (âGood Morningâ) and Maroon 5 (âSunday Morningâ) is the fact that none of songs get their own blurb on this particular list. Hey, a shout out is worth something thought, right? Right. Enough rambling. 10 Songs Perfect for the Morning features morning-centric songs courtesy of Beck (âMorningâ), Big Sean (âSunday Morning Jetpackâ), Chris Stapleton (âLast Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morningâ), Kehlani (âMorning Gloryâ), and Shawn Mendes (âWhere Were You in the Morning?â).
1. Kehlani, âMorning Gloryâ
While We Wait âą Atlantic âą 2019
âI wanna take my wig off / I wanna lay it on the nightstand / I wanna take my make-up off / I wanna rip these nails off my handsâŠâ Okay! Grammy-nominated urban contemporary singer Kehlani returned in 2019 after a two-year hiatus with a respectable, well-rounded, nine-track mixtape, While We Wait.  The 31-minute mixtape has its fair share of satisfying moments. Perfectly suited for the morning theme of this playlist is âMorning Glory,â which thrives off a throwback, old-school, soulful groove.
Furthermore, âMorning Gloryâ features killer vocals by Kehlani, and in the context of While We Wait, another awesome chorus.
âAnd if you donât want me at my goodnight
Then you canât have me at my morning glory
At my morning glory
And if you donât want me at my goodnight
Then itâs gonâ be goodbye (Gonna be, gonna be)
Gonâ be goodbye.â
2. Shawn Mendes, âWhere Were You in the Morning?â
Shawn Mendes âą Island âą 2018
âWhere were you in the morning baby? / You didnât leave your number for me / Left me without a warning, baby / I said where were you in the morning, baby?â Grammy-nominated pop musician Shawn Mendes entered more mature territory on âWhere Were You in the Morning?â, a highlight from his self-titled, third studio album. Clearly, Mendes isnât a kid anymore. He, and/or the protagonist, has experienced a one-night stand. He doesnât get sexual lyrically, but boy and girl had âsomethingâ that turned out to be temporary as she was gone the next morning.
In regard to the performance, Mendes remains a force to be reckoned with vocally, flaunting his beautiful, distinct tone. Once more, he shows off some sick falsetto. Heâs backed by guitar-driven, soulful-pop production, a backdrop he excels at. While the sexually-tinged subject matter is another step into his musical maturation, Mendes still understands the audience where his bread is buttered, hence while he avoids going into depth about specifically what went down.
3. Rich the Kid, âEarly Morning Trappinâ
Ft. Trippie Redd
The World is Yours âą Interscope âą 2018
Rich the Kid enlists Trippie Redd for âEarly Morning Trappinâ, the third single from his debut album, The World is Yours. âEarly Morning Trappinâ commences with mysterious minor-key production ultimately setting the tone for the record overall. Once the production settles in following the enigmatic start, itâs solid, embodying the trap sound. As for the rapping itself, it is âall over the placeâ initially.
Rich the Kid kicks things off with the hook:
âWas up trappinâ early (early)
She bad and boujee but whippinâ a birdie
My cup is so dirty (what)
Your diamonds don’t shine, my pinky a 30
Pour up the pint, that’s so clean (so clean)
The rims of the Bentley cost 14
Ain’t doinâ no talkinâ, the red beam (red beam)
My bitches perplexinâ, young nigga, we flexinââ
Trippie Redd follows it up with his own melodic approach on the so dubbed post-chorus. His verse is drenched in autotuned, not mention lacking much substance. Moving beyond Trippie, Rich the Kid continues to exhibit a unique sound as a rapper. This sound is of a polarizing nature, best showcased on the second verse. As far as the rhymes, thereâs clichĂ© after clichĂ©. âEarly Morning Trappinâ is a bit of a mixed bag, yet, at the same time, itâs among the better songs from The World is Yours.
4. Doja Cat, âMorning Lightâ
Amala âą Kemosabe / RCA âąÂ 2018
âDonât wanna waste your time / Go âhead, live your life / I could be yours tonight / We will be up âtil the morning.â Rapper/singer Doja Cat has already proved herself to be a bold, risquĂ© addition to pop music. The sensual âMorning Lightâ serves as the seventh track on her debut album, Amala. Like many other songs on the album (âGo to Townâ and âBody Languageâ come to mind), thereâs an element of âplayâ involved, and weâre not talking about childâs play either.
âSomething, baby. your loving keep me up
Got me up until God knows in the morning
Fun times watching the sunrise with you
Be up until the morning light, yeah.â
5. Justin Timberlake, âMorning Lightâ
Ft. Alicia Keys
Man of the Woods âą RCA âą 2018Â
Justin Timberlake provides a notable contribution to 11 Songs Perfect for the Morning with âMorning Light,â an underrated cut from his 2018 album, Man of the Woods. In the context of Man of the Woods, âMorning Lightâ is the first of only two collaborations, tapping Alicia Keys. This slick urban contemporary cut has a dash of country and tropical flavor, and features Chris Stapleton as a co-writer. Although âMorning Lightâ is low-key, itâs definitely alluring, arguably more than the album as a whole.
Whatâs the premise of âMorning Lightâ? Love, plain and simple. On the first verse, Justin Timberlake sings, âLoom, every time thereâs a new sunrise / I open up my eyes / And I say to myself, âIn the whole wide world of guys / I must be the luckiest alive.ââ Alicia Keys is in a similar position from the female perspective on the second verse: âLook, I canât even get out of bed / With the thoughts you putting in my head / So I say to myself, âI donât even want to tryâ / Here, every part of me paralyzed. The chorus summarizes the depth of the love and infatuation.
âBecause Iâm in love with you
Laying here, in the morning light
And all I want to do is hold you tight, just one more night.â
6. Ezra Furman, âPeel My Orange Every Morningâ
Transangelic Exodus âąÂ Bella Union âąÂ 2018
âIâm in love with an angel, and a government is after us, and we have to leave home because angels are illegal, as is harboring angels.â In 2018, gender-fluid rock musician Ezra Furman delivered one of the best albums that very few people heard with his self-described, âQueer Outlaw Saga,â Transangelic Exodus. Just how good was Transangelic Exodus? Well, it ended up as The Musical Hypeâs pick as the sixth best album of 2018. Transangelic Exodus is among the most ambitious concept albums youâll ever come across, encompassing transangelicism, as well as topics including spirituality, body transformation, and a number of issues affecting the LGBTQ community. âPeel My Orange Every Morning,â which fits the parameter of the  colorful 14 Songs Characterized by Colors, is also a perfect match for 10 Songs Perfect for the Morning.
âI eat an orange every morning / And I take my time with the peel / Itâs my beginnerâs meditation / To start my little journey on an even keel.â âPeel My Orange Every Morningâ keeps things incredibly short â under two-minutes and closer to one-minute-and-a-half short. Despite its brevity, âPeel My Orange Every Morningâ is punchy, incorporating bombastic, noisy sounds, and ideas into the mix.  According to Furman, âPeel My Orange Every Morningâ âis a short song about fruit and coping mechanisms.â Honestly, the âcoping mechanismsâ seem most important, though he does go on to sing at the end of the song, âI am citrus: peel back my skin / Open me and expose the soft wet inside.â
7. Chris Stapleton, âLast Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morningâ
From a Room: Vol. 1 âą Mercury âą 2017
âOh, the last thing I needed, the first thing this morning / Was to have you walk out on me.â Sigh. Grammy-winning country musician Chris Stapleton remains consistent on his throwback, sophomore album, From a Room: Volume 1. From A Room is a brief affair, but superbly executed â understatement. Stapleton gets into some lengthy song title action with the eight-word-titled, country classic, âLast Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning.â Â
âAnd I laid down beside you, and I wanted your loving / âCause your love makes my life complete.â âLast Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morningâ takes the vintage country sound to the next level, sounding anachronistic in 2017. It should be noted, âLast Thing I NeededâŠâ is a Willie Nelson cover, as opposed to a contemporary country record. Anachronistic is meant as no disrespect here. This record is chocked-full of character, led by Stapletonâs expressive, signature vocals, much âgrittierâ than Nelsonâs take.
8. Big Sean, âSunday Morning Jetpackâ (Ft. The-Dream)
I Decided. âą Def Jam âąÂ 2017
âThank you, God, for all my setbacks / âCause he the reason Iâm able to give back / This feels like my Sunday morning jetpack / Feel like I sent prayers up and got blessed backâŠâ âSunday Morning Jetpackâ featuring The-Dream is among the most mellow songs on I Decided., the fourth studio album by Big Sean. Furthermore, âSunday Morning Jetpackâ is one of the most beautiful songs. Here, Big Sean thrives in reflective mode, as exhibited by the aforementioned hook.
The-Dream is used limitedly, on the bridge, but even so, he sounds exceptional. His tenor remains glorious, with the bridge section bringing welcome contrast to the record.
âPraise, so many times I prayed for you
I put up prayers for you
Praise, for all the times that you prayed for me
All the nights you stayed by me
All the nights that you cried and all the days I coulda died
Because of you I survived, because of you Iâm still alive.â
9. Beck, âMorningâ
Morning Phase âą Capitol âą 2014
âMorningâ is the electrifying full-length opener for Morning Phase, the album that earned alternative darling Beck the coveted Grammy for Album of the Year. âDespite lacking tempo and opting for balladry, âMorningâ is an extremely beautiful record that perfectly suits Beckâs unique voice. Beck breaks away enough with the âacoustic resolveâ here adding some synthesizer color. The âcolorâ element is something found throughout Morning Phase, even if it is subtle.
âWoke up this morning / Found a love light in the storm / Looked up this morning / Saw the roses full of thorns.â Clocking in at over five minutes, âMorningâ is no drag by any means â this is a solid, well-rounded record, period. Lyrically, the entire song is thoughtfully and poetically penned.  The chorus represents the crĂšme de la crĂšme â the crowning achievement.
âThis morning
I let down my defenses
This morning
It was just you and me
This morning
Iâve run all out of guesses
This morning
Wonât you show me the way
It couldâve been?â
11. Melanie Fiona, âMonday Morningâ
The Bridge âą Universal âąÂ 2009
âMy darling baby, this is a warning / Said that Iâm leaving on Monday morning / Youâll get no answer, no use in calling / Because Iâm leaving on Monday morning.â The Bridge, the debut album by Canadian R&B singer Melanie Fiona, is remembered for one specific song â âIf It Kills Me.â Admittedly, itâs an excellent song that oozes with soul and shows why this under-appreciated, highly underrated singer is a terrific, well-rounded musician. But The Bridge had more goods than âIf It Kills Me,â including âTeach Him,â âWalk on By,â and the morning song at hand, âMonday Morning.â What makes âMonday Morningâ worth listening to, especially on a terrible day such as Monday is the fact that itâs groovy and thrives off its retro-, throwback soul vibes. Need a pick-me-up on Mondays? Fiona gives it to you with this surefire, soulful gem. The aforementioned chorus is the centerpiece.