10 Utterly Sweet & Sour Lemon 🍋 Songs | Playlist 🎧

10 Utterly Sweet & Sour Lemon 🍋 Songs features Drake, Led Zeppelin, Muni Long, Post Malone & Tyler, The Creator.  

As the underground rapper 🎙 Atmosphere once said, 💿 When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold. I wholeheartedly agree! This musical compendium, 🎧 10 Utterly Sweet & Sour Lemon 🍋 Songs, is chocked-full of those bitter, sour LEMONS 🍋.  The good news is, the musicians featured on this list do an awesome job of painting that shit gold, or, rather, turning the utterly sour into something utterly sweet!

🎧 10 Utterly Sweet & Sour Lemon 🍋 Songs features music courtesy of 🎙 Drake, 🎙 Led Zeppelin, 🎙 Muni Long, 🎙 Post Malone, and 🎙 Tyler, The Creator among others.  We’ve got some rap, rock, R&B, pop, and even some anti-pop (looking at you, LoveLeo, you handsome fella) in this lemony playlist.  So, without further ado, grab the lemonade of your choice and join us for 🎧 10 Utterly Sweet & Sour Lemon 🍋 Songs!

1. Muni Long, “Lemons”

💿 Public Displays of Affection: The Album • 🏷 Supergiant / Def Jam • 📅 2022 

“I’ve got a story I wanna tell you / There’s a happy ending but in the beginning / We were penny pinchin’, down in the trenches,” 🎙 Muni Long sings on 🎵 “Lemons.”  “Lemon” appears as the fourth track on her full-length, debut album, 💿 Public Displays of Affection: The Album, released in 2022.  In the first verse of the highlight, Long adds, “With these lemons we made / The sweetest lemonade.” That’s the best thing to do with lemons, right?

In the pre-chorus, Muni Long continues to depict the adversity but also mentions the sweet, asserting, “In the heat of it all, we were like the leaves in the Fall / Me on top of you on the ground, it’s magic.” Woo! And of course, in the chorus, it’s all sweet because, again, she repeats the lyric, “With these lemons we made / The sweetest lemonade.” The story develops more in the second verse and following pre-chorus, with the sweetness being touted from there until the conclusion of the record.  Long sings gorgeously, matching the sweetness of that sugar-filled lemonade.  “Lemons” was produced by 🎛 Pop & Oak, who give Long a – wait for it – a sweet backdrop to sing over.

2. Tyler, The Creator, “LEMONHEAD” (Ft. 42 Dugg)

💿 CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 2021 

“I was too hot TLC ‘Waterfalls’ on my chest, help me cool out.” Woo! On 🎵 “Lemonhead,” the epic second track from 💿 CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, 🎙 Tyler, The Creator brings in 🎙 42 Dugg for the assist.  The 🏆 Grammy-winning rapper, who also produces the record, delivers a stupendous backdrop on “Lemonhead” which includes malicious brass and a banging, pummeling beat.

“I don’t lean but my house do

Off the hill with the mean view (Yeah)

Nice house, if you look out

You can see some eagles and a few yachts

Got a roommate, he won’t move out

If you want smoke, he the cool aunt

And he drill shit, got the tool out.”

Both Tyler, The Creator, and 42 Dugg go H.A.M. understandably, given that ferocious, inspired backdrop.  In addition to Tyler’s TLC ode, 42 Dugg comes in ‘turnt’: “A young turnt nigga, I be fuckin’ these hoes.” Oh, $hi†! 42 Dugg is also drippy AF, spitting about owning a “Two-tone Patek in this bitch goddammit.” All told, “Lemonhead” marks one of the best moments from CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, which deservingly won Tyler’s second 🏆 Grammy for Best Rap Album.

3. N.E.R.D, “Lemon” (Ft. Rihanna)

💿 NO ONE EVER REALLY DIES • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 2017 

“The truth will set you free / But first, it’ll piss you off.” Following the introductory statement, 🎙 Pharrell Williams then proceeds to go crazy, pop-rapping over the up-tempo, frantic backdrop of 🎵 “Lemon”, the second lemon song from this totally fruity segment of the playlist! “Lemon,” of course, is the crowning achievement of 💿 No One Ever Really Dies.  If you haven’t heard No One Every Really Dies, let me tell you – it’s legitimately wacky AF.  It’s definitely an album that is an outlet for Pharrell to go crazy experimental. Unfortunately, the comeback of 🎙 N.E.R.D didn’t exactly ignite the charts on fire, and that’s keeping it “1000”.

Anyways, following the unapologetic verse, he drops the refrain, for lack of a better description. It’s incredibly catchy and as bizarre as everything else. Following another high-flying verse, Pharrell steps aside for the real star of the show, 🎙 Rihanna, who delivers the feisty chorus over a beat /production switch. Although bizarre, there’s nothing the least bit sour about “Lemon.” Worth noting, 🎙 Drake appears on the 🎵 remixed version.

Appears in 🔻:

• 10 Fruitastic, Fruity Songs About Fruit
• 15 Nutritious Songs About Fruit
• Time to Eat – Dinner is Served!

4. Post Malone, “Lemon Tree”

💿 Twelve Carat Toothache • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2022

“Could you be? / A little less sour / We’re rotting by the hour / And my heart’s rotten too.” Ooh, wee! 🎙 Post Malone possesses an incredibly distinct instrument that suits a heart-on-sleeve, melodic style. 🎵 “Lemon Tree” marks one of the best moments from the 🏆 Grammy nominee’s 2022 album, 💿 Twelve Carat Toothache. Here, Post’s vibrato is in full effect as he depicts the utter sourness he’s experiencing. 

“Some people got an apple / Some people got a tangerine / Looking around and all I see is people happy with what they’re given,” he sings in the memorable, well-penned chorus. He continues, speaking of his personal plight: “Life is pretty sweet I’m told / I guess I’m just shit outta luck growing a lemon tree / I’m gonna burn it down / And grow me something better.”  It’s true, lemons often receive a negative connotation, and a lemon tree would be even worse because of the number of lemons, sigh.  While the pessimism is loud and clear in “Lemon Tree,” there is an ounce of resilience when Post asserts he’s going to burn down the lemon tree and essentially, start over, growing something more fruitful.  Awesome track!

5. Drake, “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” (Ft. Rick Ross)

🎵 Scary Hours 2 – Single • 🏷 OVO / Republic • 📅 2021 

Perhaps the most-talked-about song from 🎵 Scary Hours 2, the 2021, three-song single by 🎙 Drake, is the longest (six-and-a-half-minutes) and final track, 🎵 “Lemon Pepper Freestyle.” Like the other two records that precede it, the production is a big-time selling point.  It’s worth noting that “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” is fueled prominently by a sample, 🎵 “Pressure (Live)” courtesy of 🎙 Quadron. It’s also, worth noting that “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” marks Drake’s umpteenth collaboration with 🎙 Rick Ross.

As usual, Ross drops his usual brand of bars, referencing his wealth, his weight, and his status. Been there done that, but hey, it feels right, particularly on this type of record.  Drake is the star of his lengthy, colorful verse.  Here, he raps about a little of everything, though it’s probably the bars about his son (Adonis) that draw the most attention including referencing dropping him off at school, parent-teacher conferences, and child support.

“Yeah, dropped him off at school, big day for my lil’ man

Recess hits, daddy prolly made another M

School bell rings and I’m out there to get him again

(I been tryin’, tryin’, tryin’, tryin’)

Yeah, teacher-parent meetings, wives get googly-eyed

Regardless of what they husbands do to provide…”

6. James Bay, “Pink Lemonade”

💿 Electric Light • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2018

“‘Do you wanna talk? Do you wanna talk it through?’ / Swear I ain’t got anything on my mind / I don’t wanna talk to you.” 🎵 “Pink Lemonade” marks one of the truly elite moments from 💿 Electric Light, the 2018 sophomore album from 🏆 Grammy-nominated British artist 🎙 James Bay.  Bay focuses on the highly consumed beverage, pink lemonade, or does he?

Honestly, Bay DOES NOT spend the majority of “Pink Lemonade” singing about the beverage.  The first and only mention of pink lemonade occurs on the bridge, near the end of the song! He sings:

“Let me wake up heavy head

Lying in my bed with you naked

Go put that song on, that you love

On repeat, until we can’t fake it

I wanna drink pink lemonade

Watching movie trailers ‘til it’s late

And let’s remember all the words

That we think are gonna make our hearts break.”

“Pink Lemonade” has little to do with fruit juice or any beverage.  Bay stated in the behind-the-scenes video that the song is about “this massive urge and desire to escape.”  Interesting! So are the lyrics throughout the verses, especially the brilliant, ‘pink lemonade-less’ chorus (“‘Do you wanna talk? Do you wanna talk it through?’/ Swear I ain’t got anything on my mind / I don’t wanna talk to you”). “Pink Lemonade” is an aggressive, thrilling rock joint. The guitars are robust, choked-full of massive ‘stank,’ while Bay opts against vocal finesse in favor of unapologetic grit.

Appears in 🔻:

• 11 Songs Where the Juice is Totally Potent
• Time to Eat – Dinner is Served!
• Pink: 5ive Songs No. 17 (2020)
• 13 Songs About All Things Pink

7. LoveLeo, “LEMONS”

💿 LOOK AT THIS MESS IVE MADE (EP) • 🏷 GODMODE / Republic • 📅 2020

🎵 “LEMONS” is a totally rad single by 🎙 LoveLeo (Leo Reilly), who earned a breakout, viral hit in 2019 with 🎵 “BOYFREN”. “LEMONS” graces Reilly’s 2020 EP, 💿 LOOK AT THIS MESS IVE MADE. The record kicks off with an incredibly catchy chorus, which plays on a metaphor that is based on those sour fruits. “Life just gives me lemons / And I don’t like lemonade,” Reilly sings, continuing, “Sticky situation / Look at this mess I’ve made.” Despite getting lemons, and disliking lemonade, Reilly brings ample energy to this alternative pop cut.

The lyrics are filled with lemonade aka pessimism, yet, for all the unfortunate situations captured, the music is sick.  The second verse, in particular, might be my favorite, including a clever reference or two:

“So, I play it cool

If a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine, go down

Then a bathtub full of Splenda

Will turn your whole life around.”

Splenda, huh? “LEMONS” is a prime example of how creative Reilly is.

Appears in 🔻:

• Bitter, Sour, Lemon: 5ive Songs No. 2 (2020)
• Time to Eat – Dinner is Served!

8. Internet Money, Gunna & Don Toliver, “Lemonade”

💿 B4 The Storm • 🏷 Internet Money / TenThousand Projects • 📅 2020 

“Xanny bars, suicide door, brand new bag / College girls, give a nigga head in my Rafs.” Woo, 🎙 Don Toliver.  Those are the opening lines of the popular 🎙 Internet Money hit, 🎵 “Lemonade.” Toliver continues, in the pre-chorus, “Rockstar life, so much money it’ll make you laugh, hey / These bitches, they hate, and you can’t miss what you never had, hey, hey.” He has a point, right? Anyways, besides Toliver – arguably the star of the show –  “Lemonade” features rhymes courtesy of 🎙 NAV and 🎙 Gunna.

Before Don Toliver ever opens his mouth, the listener is blessed with the incredibly smooth production work (🎛 Nick Mira, 🎛 Alec Wigdahl, 🎛 E Trou, 🎛 Pharaoh Vice, and 🎛 Taz Taylor). Following the pre-chorus, Toliver gives listeners the centerpiece – the chorus – in all its glory:

“Off the juice (Juice), codeine got me trippin’ (Juice)

Copped the coupe (Coupe), woke up, roof is missin’ (Yeah)

Ice (Ice), lemonade, my neck was drippin’

Ice (Ice), lemonade, my neck was drippin’.”

Toliver serves up nothing deep, mind you, but it’s a vibe.  From there, we get the first verse by NAV, who indulges in his melodic rap style.  He brags, “In my earlobe, got two karats, VVS (Bling) / Got a penthouse near Rodeo off of stress (Stress).” As for Gunna, he drops the second verse, in his unique, rhythmic, melodic style: “I won’t ever love a bitch more than my mother / And that’s on my government name (Nah).” NO CAP!

9. Gucci Mane, “Lemonade”

💿 The State vs. Radric Davis • 🏷 Warner • 📅 2009

“Lemons on the chain with the V-cuts / Lemons and shade with my feet up /… Lemon pepper wings and freeze cup / …Lemons in their face, watch ‘em freeze up.” Woo! 🎙 Gucci Mane has been in the rap game for a minute – an understatement.  Among his best and most notable songs is none other than the sour yet incredibly sweet single, 🎵 “Lemonade”. “Lemonade” appeared on Gucci’s 2009 album, 💿 The State vs. Radric Davis.  “Lemonade” earned the mush-mouthed rapper some moderate pop success, peaking at no. 53 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was ultimately certified platinum by the RIAA. As for The State vs. Radric Davis, it debuted at no. 10 on the Billboard 200, eventually being certified gold.

What makes “Lemonade” so delicious? Well, the chorus, performed by a choir (of sorts),  with the colorful ad-libs by Gucci is a huge selling point.  Beyond that, the verses by Gucci are colorful as well, with plenty of memorable one-liners.  “I like them Georgia peaches, but you look more like a lemon (Lemon),” he spits in the first verse adding, “These sour-apple bitter bitches, I’m not fucking with them (Lemon).” Lol! Of course, he also goes on, in the same verse to rap, “I’m moving slow cause codeine syrup’s in my lemonade / I’m standing in the shade and I’m selling lemonade…” Oh, Gucci, never change! Read and listen to the rest of the lyrics, and we get a mix of all sorts of lemon/lemonade-related things, whether it’s a “Lemonade-complexion East Australian girl” or a “Canary yellow lemon watch (Brr), big bird, yellow top (nyoom).” Brr 🔥!

10. Led Zeppelin, “The Lemon Song”

💿 Led Zeppelin II • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 1969

“I should have quit you long time ago / Oh, yeah, long time ago.” Woo! Now that’s a mic-drop moment, 🎙 Robert Plant! In all honesty, isn’t any and everything that 🎙 Led Zeppelin do – among the greatest bands of all time – a mic-drop moment? In their 1969 album, 💿 Led Zeppelin II, they absolutely kill it on the epic, six-minute-plus 🎵 “The Lemon Song”. In addition to Plant’s autopilot vocals, it’s hard not to be wowed by the incredibly robust bass line of 🎙 John Paul Jones.  It’s lit 🔥! But, of course, 🎙 Jimmy Page is electrifying on guitar, and 🎙 John Bonham’s pummeling drums provide a serious anchor to this blues rock gem, like BOOM, BOOM, POW!!!

Plant’s regret to quit her ranks among the most memorable lines.  That said, the second verse might yield an even more memorable moment: “I should’ve listened, baby, to my second mind.” Oh, snap, is Plant talking about what I think he’s talking about? Thinking with his… thinking within the wrong head? It’s been happening for generations, people! Of course, later, in the fifth verse, there’s no possible way that “Squeeze me, baby, till the juice runs down my leg” is innocent, right? His vocal performance is wildly entertaining and incredibly refreshing north of 50 years after the fact. Besides the energetic, fun lyrics and assertive vocals, the instrumental break/chorus, with an increase in tempo is utterly sublime.  The musicianship exhibited is absolutely awesome.  “The Lemon Song” is one of those one-in-a-lifetime songs.  Of course, Led Zeppelin is a once-in-a-lifetime band, too 🤘.

Appears in 🔻:

• Led Zeppelin, “The Lemon Song”: Outlandish Rock 🎸🤘 14 (2022)

10 Utterly Sweet & Sour Lemon 🍋 Songs [📷: Atlantic, Brent Faulkner, Columbia, Def Jam, GODMODE, Internet Money, The Musical Hype, OVO, Supergiant, TenThousand Projects, Republic, Warner, Clker-Free-Vector-Images, cottonbro, OpenClipart-Vectors, Pexels, Pixabay, Quintin Gellar, Ryan McGuire, Stefan Schweihofer]