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“11 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy in October 2019” features songs by Fantasia, Harry Styles, Quadeca & Moxas, Summer Walker, and SuperM.  

Ah, we continue to be ‘tickled’ monthly on The Musical Hype.  In August, I selected 11 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy in September 2019, including standouts from Brittany Howard (“Georgia”), Melanie Martinez (“The Principal”), Raphael Saadiq (“Rikers Island”), and Sam Fender (“White Privilege”).  Now, post-October 2019, we do the same with “11 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy in October 2019.” All of the songs on 11 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy in October 2019 were released as singles or as an album track in October 2019, or whereabouts (there are a few late-September cuts). Musicians that made our ears perk up in the month of October include Fantasia (“Fighting”), Harry Styles (“Lights Up”), Quadeca & Moxas (“Schoenberg”), Summer Walker (“Playing Games (Extended Version)”), and SuperM (“Jopping”) among others. Without further ado, here are 11 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy in October 2019.

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1. Summer Walker, “Playing Games (Extended Version)”

Ft. Bryson Tiller

Over It • Interscope • 2019

Summer Walker delivers a fantastic debut album with Over It.  She delivers terrific vocals, never over-singing, yet packing the right amount of punch.  She’s profane throughout the course of the album, yet her silky-smooth vocals atone, adding a sense of refinement to her bluntness.  The productions (many of which come courtesy of London On Da Track), get the best out of Walker, integrating 90s samples, slow tempi, and a lush sound palette with some hip-hop elements.  While the plight of love can be a bit much at times on Over It, more often than not, Walker makes her point loud and clear.  One of the best songs from the album, that certainly tickled my fancy in October 2019, is “Playing Games (Extended Version).”

“Playing Games (Extended Version)” marks the first collaboration from Over It, courtesy of Bryson Tiller.  In the context of the album, the nostalgic vibes continue, thanks to an interpolation of the 90s Destiny’s Child classic, “Say My Name”.  Summer Walker sounds truly awesome, bringing a smooth delivery where it sounds as if she’s never forced to break a sweat. Love dominates thematically, an ideal match for R&B.  Basically, Walker just wants the attention that she deserves – her man to treat her like a queen, and not with materialism. The chorus is a huge selling point, while Tiller provides a welcome contrast to Walker on the third and final verse.

2. Harry Styles, “Lights Up”

Lights Up [Single] • Columbia • 2019

Did Harry Styles come out when he released single “Lights Up” on October 11, 2019 (National Coming Out Day)? That is the question surrounding the single. Regardless of how Styles identifies sexually, “Lights Up,” is quite the intriguing record. Rather than give us a single like his hit “Sign of the Times”, or something more straightforward, the British heartthrob went against the grain, and it boded well for him.

“Lights Up” contrasts most of the songs that appeared on Harry Styles’ debut album, self-titled solo debut album. “Lights Up” has elements of vintage and retro, led by the robust bass line and the keyboards.  Still, there are also some modern cues, including the sleekness of the vocal production and some programming as well.  The record possesses a great groove, and fine production work courtesy of Tyler Johnson. Vocally, Styles remains a force, sounding absolutely marvelous, as he makes it clear he will “Shine, step into the light” and notably, ‘never go back.’

Honestly, it’s the lyrics, the accompanying music video, and the significance of October 11, 2019 that add to the speculation regarding Styles’ sexuality.  Does he care? Probably not.  There does seem to be elements of bisexuality implied in the music video, while the lyrics seem to be ‘open-minded’ without specifically addressing sexuality.  But the chorus seems to ‘open the door’:

“All the lights couldn’t put out the dark
Runnin’ through my heart
Lights up and they know who you are
Know who you are
Do you know who you are? (Oh).”

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3. SuperM, “Jopping”

The 1^st Mini Album • SM Entertainment / UMG Recordings, Inc. • 2019

K-pop supergroup SuperM is comprised of seven members from various other K-pop groups: Taemin (SHINee), Baekhyun and Kai (Exo), and Taeyong, Ten, Mark, and Lucas (NCT).  On October 4, 2019, the collective released its debut EP, SuperM – The 1^st Mini Album. Despite the fact that The 1^st Mini Album is comprised of only five tracks, running a mere 18 minutes in duration, the effort debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard 200. Arguably the crowning achievement of the EP is the energetic opener, “Jopping.” 

Most of “Jopping” is in English.  There are still some select moments with some Korean words and phrases, which adds even more character to this certified bop.  Where does the energy of come from? The name itself suggests energy, combining the words ‘jumping’ and ‘popping’ in totally swag-a-licious fashion.  Furthermore, the production is sleek to the nth degree, set in a minor key.  “Jopping” is well-rounded, incorporating rapping and singing soundly.  It’s also incredibly catchy, particularly the spirited pre-chorus and chorus – “You know how we get down (Jopping).”

4. Fantasia, “Fighting”

Sketchbook • Rock Soul / BMG Rights Management • 2019

After releasing multiple albums issued on a major label, Grammy-winning R&B standout Fantasia released her entertaining sixth studio album, Sketchbook, independently.  The resulting project easily outpaced her disappointing 2016 album, The Definition of…. “Fighting,” the 10^th track from Sketchbook, marks one of the best, not to mention an awesome song that tickled my fancy, and made my ears perk up in October 2019.

As aforementioned, “Fighting” has an argument for the crowning achievement of Sketchbook.  At worst, “Fighting” ranks among the crème de la crème.  The expected checkboxes – voice and production– are checked off for Fantasia.  Making “Fighting” even more thrilling is the theme of love and dedication, which is explored magnificently through the verses and summed up perfectly on the awesome chorus:

“As long as you’re here by my side
There’s no storm that we couldn’t survive
I never stopped fighting, fighting for us
There’s no mountain that we couldn’t climb
There’s no ocean, no river too wide
For me to stop fighting, fighting for us.”

The outro of “Fighting” is quite interesting, once more finding Fantasia embracing the sound of now with an uncredited rapper (who sounds like Future) agilely spitting some prudent, socially conscious vibes:

“Why fight with one another?
When we can fight with each other
Women fight for your brother
Cold world, they don’t love us.”

5. Sturgill Simpson, “Remember to Breathe”

SOUND & FURY • Elektra • 2019

Prior to the release of his 2019 album, Sound & Fury (September 27, 2019), Sturgill Simpson could never be boxed in as merely a country artist.  His Grammy-winning country album, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, notably included a cover of the 1991 Nirvana classic, “In Bloom.” How many country artists are tapping into rock? Only a select few, of course.  Sound & Fury found the Kentucky-born artist fully embracing rock, captured perfectly on the remembering song at hand, “Remember to Breathe.” “Remember to Breathe” first appeared on the playlist 11 Memorable Songs You Are Sure to Remember, and since it is memorable, why not include it on this list?

“So, peel it off, pull ‘em down / Let me see it, turn around / Just lay back, let it happen / And remember to breathe.” Ah, “Remember to Breathe” appears as the second song off of Sound & Fury.  Set in a minor key, “Remember to Breathe” features a superb, rocking groove. Sturgill Simpson gives a balanced vocal performance.  His vocals pack a respectable punch, yet at the same time, he never over sings. Of course, the best moment of “Remember to Breathe” is the aforementioned chorus.

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6. Kanye West, “Use This Gospel”

Ft. Clipse & Kenny G

JESUS IS KING • Getting Out Our Dreams, II / Def Jam • 2019

“Use This Gospel,” the penultimate track from the critically mixed, 2019 Kanye West album, JESUS IS KING, ranks among the best of the LP.  While most of JESUS IS KING approaches ‘gospel’ and religion at a surface level, “Use This Gospel” packs a much more respectable punch overall. The production shines thanks to repurposing – sampling and interpolation.  Here, West notably samples Two Door Cinema Club (“Costume Party”).

Singing the chorus, he sounds respectable, striking gold with one of the more memorable hooks:

“Use this gospel for protection
It’s a hard road to Heaven
We call on your blessings
In the Father, we put our faith
King of the kingdom
Our demons are tremblin’
Holy angels defendin’
In the father, we put our faith.”

West is joined by Clipse, with Pusha T rapping the first verse, while No Malice takes the second.  Maybe most surprising is a saxophone solo by the one and only Kenny G, which follows No Malice’s verse.  Go figure! Following G’s solo, the groove kicks back in – pretty sick.

7. Lizzo, “Good as Hell (Remix)”

Ft. Ariana Grande

Good as Hell (Remix) [Single] • Nice Life / Atlantic • 2019

“So, girl, if he don’t love you anymore / Then walk your fine ass out the door.” Attitude! Lizzo, who has had a tremendous year in 2019, has been getting buzz from songs recorded in years prior.  This includes her number one hit, “Truth Hurts,” as well as a song from a previous EP, “Good as Hell.” “Good as Hell” originally appeared on Lizzo’s 2016 EP, Coconut Oil.  Much like the two-year-old “Truth Hurts” (which appears on the deluxe version of Cuz I Love You), “Good as Hell” is a hot commodity, made hotter via a remix featuring Ariana Grande.

The deal is, the original “Good as Hell” is indeed, good as hell.  The vocals from Lizzo are on-point, filled with energy.  The personality she infuses into her performance, coupled with brilliant production work by Ricky Reed makes this a totally infectious, can’t-miss, sub-three-minute gem.  But, adding Ariana Grande, particularly with a degree of control and subtlety, works out well.  Lizzo remains the star, but Grande provides a nice contrast, as she sneaks in on the second half of the second verse.  From there on, the two trade lines or sing together with remarkable results.  By the final chorus, the duet is quite ripe, giving listeners some epic ear candy – or something like that.  Even if you’re a dude, who can resist:

“And do your hair toss, check my nails
Baby, how you feelin’ (Feelin’ good as hell).”

8. Quadeca & Moxas, “Schoenberg”

Schoenberg [Single] • Quadeca • 2019

“I’m like oh shit / Call me Schoenberg, lil bitch, I’m own my own shit / I can’t fuck ‘round with you cause you a broke bitch…” Rap and classical music only co-exist with one another ever so often.  That said, when the two totally different genres merge, it’s often quite an intriguing result.  Quadeca managed to pique my interest with his September 27, 2019 single, “Schoenberg” (really playing up the exceptions on this edition of awesome songs that tickled my fancy).  Less than two-and-a-half minutes in duration, alongside rapper Moxas, these two youngsters kill it on this classical/hip-hop joint.

Quadeca samples Arnold Schoenberg, a famous Austrian-American composer. Schoenberg is famously noted as the leader of the Second Viennese School, and specifically for his masterwork, Verklärte Nacht. The lush, expressionistic strings of Verklärte Nacht set the tone, before a turned-up Quadeca drops confident rhymes that definitely go hard. A string loop is anchored by a sick hip-hop beat that anchors things down. Q drops the chorus, excerpted above, before dropping an entertaining, drippy verse, commencing with, “Diamonds on my hip, I need some more drip / I got all these bitches on my own dick.”

As for Moxas, he has his fair share of fire.  That fire includes referencing Folgers (“I eat souls, I be scolding them all, wake ‘em up like Folgers then”), haiku (“Got a five stack on top, haiku”), and Breaking Bad (“I feel like Walt White, I’m cooking up this dope shit”).  Of course, Q provides the final chorus, and an outro, accompanied by those marvelous Schoenberg strings of Verklärte Nacht.

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9.Myylo, “Sad Boys”

Sad Boys [Single] • Myylo • 2019

“Hug all the sad boys / Chilling in their Gucci sweaters / Shrug off the sad boy / You won’t feel this way forever.” Talented LGBTQ pop singer/songwriter Myylo highlights the often-neglected topic of male sadness on his succinct but thoughtful, must-hear single, “Sad Boys”. The lo-fi record not only tackles depression, but explores the way that masculinity allows or doesn’t allow men to deal with sadness.

Compared to some of Myylo’s previous singles (bop “Jonesing” from I’m a Nice Boy comes to mind), “Sad Boys” is more low-key when it comes to sound, with more emphasis on the lyrical content, mood, and theme.  That’s a pro, because Myylo has so much to say, beginning with the chromosomal reference of the first verse, to expressing sadness as men, something society so often frowns upon:

“But all my friends never get to say
We’re blue with grief
We’re thinking deep thoughts
We’re thinking deep thoughts like you woulda woulda not
Believe oo-ee believe me.”

Myylo offers solutions as well as more of the mindset on the second verse (or section if you will) of “Sad Boys.” The pop singer seems to mention about the importance of support for males going through a variety of issues that cause depression.  Adding to the characterization of “Sad Boys,” it’s also a counterpoint to dads who tell their kids to “man up” and a culture that frequently proclaims that “crying is for girls.”  Myylo offer some specific insight about the single, which makes the messaging even more potent:

“I remember being in literal shambles over getting bullied as a kid. Intuitively, I pushed those feelings down or hid my tears and never told my parents about what I was going through. Looking back, I think that was a gut response to all the ways society teaches boys not to feel. ‘Sad Boys’ is me trying to carve out a little space for boys to be sad or cry if they need to. Tears are tight. Emotions are lit. And, guess what, boys need to make space for themselves to feel them.” 

“Sad Boys” is a deep, must-hear single that does a superb job of tackling a topic that seems to be ‘swept under the rug.’ Society needs to progress, particularly when it comes to masculinity.  Myylo provides ‘food for thought’ for the world, and we all seriously need to devour it. “Sad Boys” previously appeared on the October 2019 playlist, 11 Songs Where the Sadness is Legit.

10. Anti-Flag, “Christian Nationalist”

Christian Nationalist [Single] • Spinefarm • 2019

“You’re no better than the rest / White neo Christian Nationalist / Religious law, your litmus test / White neo fascist supremist.” Alternative rock/punk band Anti-Flag, led by Justin Sane, dropped a timely single, “Christian Nationalist”, on October 4, 2019. “Christian Nationalist” points fingers at the hypocrites who always serve up their fair share of judgement.  Safe to say, my fancy was totally tickled by this song that is characterized by ‘real talk.’

The aforementioned chorus sums up Anti-Flag’s point.  Some Christians elevate themselves on a higher plane, giving off the sense that they are ‘holier than thou.’ At the same time that they project this, they are being judgmental and going against some of the moral principles of the beliefs they tout, hence making them hypocrites and certainly “no better than the rest.” On this energetic, major key punk bop, Justin Sane offers up plenty of ammo.  “History is rife with the likes of you,” he sings on the first verse, later adding, “We’ll never back down in the face of the likes of you.” In other words, he won’t be persecuted by judgmental, religious folk and will always stand up for what he believes in.  The second verse, my personal favorite, offers more specifics of what the band is asserting:

“Off on crusade of a century
With a vengeance in your veins for your enemies
Hate in your heart and division in your eye
You got queers to convert, you've got lies to entice
And I can show you a compassionate authoritarian
Corrupted patriotism sold as nationalism
Your theocratic beliefs are a moral weapon
Full of venom, Armageddon.”

A lot to unpack, but totally brilliant to the nth degree.  Sane and company speaks to the anger that Christians show towards non-believers, particularly the LGBTQ+ population (“You’ve got queers to convert…”).  And if you were missing that shot at ‘45,’ well, it arrives here as more hypocrisy and false prophesy is unveiled.  With the guitars cranked up and the angst at an all-time, Anti-Flag don’t stop there.  On the post-chorus, they reject theocracy (!!!), while on the bridge and outro, they emphasize, “We all know who you are.”

11. Travis Scott, “Highest in the Room”

Highest in the Room [Single] • Epic • 2019 

Grammy-nominated rapper Travis Scott returned on October 4, 2019 with the vibe-filled single, “Highest in the Room”. The record opens with an enigmatic intro, while the entirety of the record sports those signature vibes associated with the rapper. “Highest in the Room” was produced by OZ and Nik D, featuring chill, sleek production work overall, including rhythmic drum programming.  The record can be described as possessing a ‘calm energy’ of sorts.

“When I’m with you, I feel alive / You say you love me, don’t you lie / Won’t cross my heart, don’t wanna die / Keep the pistol on my side…” Travis Scott delivers easy-going, low-key rhymes. He doesn’t necessarily say much ‘explicitly,’ but reading into his lyrics, such as the aforementioned excerpt from the first verse, you can trace some of the personal elements. Those personal elements seemed to be tied to his relationship (now a breakup) with Kylie Jenner.  Sure, “We ain’t stressin’ ‘bout the loot…” on the second verse could be referring to his crew, but Kylie Jenner is off the charts financially, just like her ex. Then there’s also the double entendre of the following lyrics:

“Gorgeous, baby, keep me hard as steel
… We gon’ stay on top and break the rules
Uh, I fill my mind up with ideas…”

Additionally, Scott also references the vices of fame, including literally being high, etc. The chorus, which first appears at the beginning, slightly altered, is simple, but effective given the weight of ‘vibes’ when it comes to Travis’ music:

“Case it’s fumes (Smoke)
She fill my mind up with ideas (Straight up)
I’m the highest in the room (It’s lit)
Hope I make it outta here (Let’s go, yeah).”

Shifting back to the production, there are some additional cues during the final minute of the record. These keeps things fresh and also elevate the energy and intensity level up a notch.  That said, “Highest in the Room” is pretty hypnotic throughout.

“11 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy in October 2019” [Photo Credits: Atlantic, BMG Rights Management, Brent Faulkner, Columbia, Def Jam, Elektra, Epic, Getting Out Our Dreams, II, Interscope, The Musical Hype, Myylo, Nice Life, Pexels, Pixabay, Quadeca, Rock Soul, SM Entertainment, Spinefarm, UMG Recordings, Inc.]

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