11 Blue Songs That Won’t Leave You Blue

Reading Time: 15 min read

11 Blue Songs That Won’t Leave You Blue features songs by Billie Eilish, Cigarettes After Sex, Cybertrash, Kendrick Lamar, and Zach Bryan.

“You were born bluer than a butterfly ,” Billie Eilish asserts in “BLUE”, the 10^th and final track from her third studio album, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT. Greg Gonzalez of Cigarettes After Sex is quite blue: “And when you drag me on the floor and blue tejano’s on / You keep your eyes on me.” And then there’s Zach Bryan and his self-described ‘half song’ where he asserts, “There’s a barely lit cigarette burnin’ a hole / In your blue jeans .” The keyword of those three songs and this music compendium is BLUE. The 11 songs that appear on 11 Blue Songs That Won’t Leave You Blue are as blue as they come. This playlist is a follow-up to 11 Riveting Blue Songs (2023). 11 Blue Songs That Won’t Leave You Blue features songs by Billie Eilish, Cigarettes After Sex (twice), Cybertrash, Kendrick Lamar, and Zach Bryan. So, without further ado, let us embrace the beauty of the blue without being blue on 11 Blue Songs That Won’t Leave You Blue!

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1. Billie Eilish, “BLUE”	2. Kendrick Lamar, “dodger blue” (Ft. Wallie the Sensei, Siete7x & Roddy Ricch)	3. Zach Bryan, “Blue Jean Baby”	4. ScHoolboy Q, “Blueslides”
5. Cybertrash, “BLUE”	6. Cigarettes After Sex, “Baby Blue Movie”	7. Cigarettes After Sex, “Tejano Blue”	8. Quadeca & Kevin Abstract, “TEXAS BLUE”
9. Toby Keith, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)”	10. Linda Ronstadt, “Blue Bayou”	11. The Dave Brubeck Quartet, “Blue Rondo à la Turk”

1. Billie Eilish, “BLUE”

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT // Darkroom / Interscope // 2024

“I try to live in black and white, but I’m so blue.” Noted. “BLUE” is the 10^th and final track from HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, the Grammy-nominated third album by Academy and Grammy-winning alternative pop singer/songwriter Billie Eilish. A two-part song, the concluding cut from HIT ME HARD AND SOFT runs nearly six minutes long. Eilish does what she does best: serve up cool, calm, and collected vocals. She sounds stunning. Eilish composed “BLUE” alongside her talented brother, FINNEAS, who also produced it.

“I thought we were the same / Birds of a feather, now I’m ashamed,” Eilish sings in the verse of part one of “BLUE,” ‘True Blue.’ ‘True Blue’ benefits from tuneful melodies, gorgeous background vocals, and ear-catching production cues. ‘Sound’ highlights include the groove, as well as the bass. A change of pace occurs before the two-minute mark, signaling part two, ‘Born Blue.’ “You were born bluer than a butterfly / Beautiful and so deprived of oxygen,” Billie sings in the first verse, continuing, “Colder than your father’s eyes / He never learned to sympathize with anyone.” During ‘Born Blue,’ the tempo is slower. Her performance is hypnotic as she paints a vivid portrait of the blueness of this nameless person, seemingly an ex. Around the three-and-a-half-minute mark, a thudding kick enters the mix, as well as distinct, low vocals. Just before the four-minute mark, the full-fledged drum groove reveals itself. The section to beat is the chorus:

“I don’t blame you

But I can’t change you

Don’t hate you (Don’t hate you)

But we can’t save you (But we can’t save you).”

The songwriting is on-point and marvelously incorporates blueness throughout, including the bridge (“Just a baby born blue now, now”). Another musical touch stands out: strings. Those dramatic, lush, and picturesque strings conclude “BLUE” which is one of the best songs from HIT ME HARD AND SOFT.

Appears in :

Billie Eilish, BLUE: Bangerz N Bopz 22 (2025)

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2. Kendrick Lamar, “dodger blue” (Ft. Wallie the Sensei, Siete7x & Roddy Ricch)

GNX // pgLang / Interscope // 2024

“My neck on Tarantino, Alejandro, Spike Lee / Just know you took a scenic route if you stand by me.” Ooh-wee! Grammy and Pulitzer-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar never ceases to impress with his rhymes. At the end of the first verse of “Dodger blue”, the eighth track from his 2024 album, GNX, he cleverly shouts out three visionary, Academy Award-winning directors/filmmakers (Quentin Tarantino, Alejandro González Iñárritu, and Spike Lee). While all three filmmakers had roots elsewhere, they have been big in Hollywood and have connections to Los Angeles. “Dodger blue” (which references the Los Angeles Dodgers), despite its brevity, is jam-packed – the expectation of any Kendrick Lamar song.

Kendrick enlists the services of Wallie the Sensei, Siete7x, and Roddy Ricch on “dodger blue.” All three artists appear in the melodic chorus, which only occurs once:

“So fly in this bitch

Fifty on me, don’t die tryin’ and shit (Ooh-ooh)

You know I’m up and down when I slide in this bitch

Dreamers and the Jets outside in this bitch

Westside, get the money, yeah, that’s fo’ sho’

Streets don’t love you, better respect the code

Ain’t no sleepin’ in on Sunday

If it’s ’bout the money, then my niggas on go.”

From an instrumental perspective, the production (Sounwave, Terrace Martin, Jack Antonoff, Tane Runo, and Tim Maxey) is sleek. The groove is infectious as hell, while the overall vibe is smooth… like butter, of course! Lamar shines with his sharp melodic bars. He is confident: “When I walk in, oh yeah, bring that / It’s unanimous, how I pop shit.” Word. Sure, “Dodger blue” is shy of two-and-a-quarter-minutes of song, but it’s fab, nonetheless.

Appears in :

Kendrick Lamar, dodger blue: Bangerz N Bopz 23 (2025)

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3. Zach Bryan, “Blue Jean Baby”

“Blue Jean Baby” // Belting Bronco / Warner // 2025

“I don’t know if it’s just me / But I find peace in these evenings,” Grammy-winning country singer/songwriter Zach Bryan sings in “Blue Jean Baby,” continuing, “There’s a barely lit cigarette burnin’ a hole / In your blue jeans.” “Blue Jean Baby” was released after the Philadelphia Eagles won the NFC East Championship game in January (they would go on to win Super Bowl LIX on February 9, 2025). Bryan described the brief number in an IG story (via Stereogum) as “a demo turned into a half song that people have been asking for a long time. Praying no one expects anything more than that out of it.” He sells himself short, as “Blue Jean Baby” is more than worthwhile. He composed and produced the track, which has an organic, raw sound. The tone of the drums stands out. As for Bryan, his vocals are authentic, honest, and sincere. The vocals are raw, even a bit pitchy, yet that is part of the charm. His performance is assertive, bringing his songwriting and tuneful melodies to life sufficiently. The chorus is the section to beat:

“American girls love goodbyes

And I’ve been gettin’ by on pinin’ for it

I need to rest my eyes

It’s a long way home, and it’s 4 in the mornin’

It’s a long way home, and it’s 4 in the mornin’.”

Check out the subreddit, and fans of Bryan have interesting perspectives regarding Bryan’s self-described ‘half song.’ The bedroom and substance use are part of the colorful script.

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4. ScHoolboy Q, “Blueslides”

BLUE LIPS // Interscope / Top Dawg Entertainment // 2024

“Blue slides, I’ve been slidin’ through your whole shit, yeah / Presidential Rollies, I took big risks.” Surprisingly, Grammy-nominated rapper ScHoolboy Q was not nominated for a Grammy for his sixth studio album, BLUE LIPS, released in 2024. I say that to say that some of the nominees for Best Rap album at the 2025 GRAMMY Awards were weak – look at you, J. Cole, Might Delete Later, and Eminem, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce). Anyways, “Blueslides” is the intriguing fourth track from BLUE LIPS – a tribute of sorts to the late Mac Miller (“Lost a homeboy to the drugs, man, I ain’t tryna go backwards”). Produced by J.LBS, Jason Wool, Mario Luciano, and Tae Beast, “Blue Slides” features classy, jazzy-sounding production. I love the buttery smooth vocals, muted trumpet, piano, and string bass. Upping the ante are classy, ultra-lush strings. Q raps with ease over the ultra-refined backdrop. Don’t get it twisted, though – ScHoolboy Q still keeps it ‘all the way real!’ “Better climb out of that hole before you fuck your blessings,” Q raps in the first verse, continuing, “‘Fore you realize that it’s over with and start to get desperate.” He also references his house arrest, mental health, and giving back. There is an eyebrow-raising, memorable lyric related to former Vice President Kamala Harris in the second verse (“Got me a little money, now we best friends / If Kamala freed the homies we’d all be lit”). Notably, the democratic presidential candidate was criticized for her criminal justice policies as a prosecutor.

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5. Cybertrash, “BLUE”

HEAVEN IS BLUE // PRYOR / Cybertrash // 2024

“Guess what you said rings true / I know you better than I know myself / Remember you told me you love me and cared / I’m not someone to help.” Noted, Cybertrash (Daniel Fortuna). “BLUE” is the fifth track from HEAVEN IS BLUE, the 2024 debut album by the Gen-Z, Georgia-based musician. “BLUE” was penned and produced by Fortuna alongside Jonah Roy, Michael Davie, and Patrick O’Neill. Cybertrash brings fabulous vocals: soulful, expressive, and nuanced. You buy what he sells, beginning with the chorus (excerpted above) and continuing throughout the song. “I know things just won’t change, but I understand,” he sings in the first verse, continuing, “I’m not the same saint that I was / You could rest easy knowing I won’t ever change.” Besides great vocals and honest songwriting (“I’ve been chasing dotted lines, I guess”), a robust-sounding musical backdrop catches the ears. This backdrop features assertive, distorted guitars and heavy drums – rock on ! Other selling points from the gem include the harmonic progression. Cybertrash thrives on “BLUE,” period.

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6. Cigarettes After Sex, “Baby Blue Movie”

X’s // Spanish Prayers / Partisan // 2024

“Baby blue movie with always4tuesdays / And her love, Sarah, at Brooklyn House Hotel.” Greg Gonzalez and Cigarettes After Sex… where are you going with “Baby Blue Movie”? “Don’t you understand / Don’t you know the love that you wants all the love that you needed…” Hmm, thought-provoking. The third single and seventh track from X’s is unique. Not straightforward, Gonzalez commented to The Line of Best Fit that the song’s story “is intentionally meant to be more cryptic storytelling-wise than the lyrics I usually write.” I concur. First things first, a baby blue movie is softcore porn. There are two brief verses written similarly. Notably, the pre-chorus and chorus feature more lyrics than the verses, which speaks to the nontraditional structure of “Baby Blue Movie.” Both the pre-chorus and chorus are memorable and tuneful. Gonzalez sings superbly from start to finish. His cool, calm, and collected voice remains tried and true. Also, the instrumental – the sound of the record – is marvelous. Clocking in at over four minutes, “Baby Blue Movie” is so hypnotic and mesmerizing that it’s finished before you know it. Even if it takes some decoding and deciphering, Cigarettes After Sex released another intriguing, worthwhile song.

Appears in :

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7. Cigarettes After Sex, “Tejano Blue”

X’s // Spanish Prayers / Partisan // 2024

“And when you drag me on the floor and blue tejano’s on / You keep your eyes on me.” Alternative and ambient pop collective Cigarettes After Sex returned with their third studio, X’s, in 2024. Leading the charge is the marvelous “Tejano Blue”. Greg Gonzalez ‘puts his foot’ into this gorgeous cut, which he penned and produced. “Blue Tejano” features a lovely, dreamy instrumental led by its warm guitars. Greg serves up a calm, cool, and collected brand of vocals, even with those dirty, profane lyrics that appear in the first verse. “We wanted to fuck with real love / We wanted it sweet, so pure and warm,” he sings, adding, “Never only sleeping over / We wanted to fuck like all the time…” Ooh-la-la! His tone is beautiful, f-bombs and all, while the melodies in the first and second verses, as well as the chorus, are memorable. In the chorus, he sings:

“So, get in the waves, swim in your leather

I always will make it feel like you were the last one

Get in the waves like it was the first time

Bless your heart, make you part of my life forever.”

Stunning! Gonzalez eschews profanity in the second verse, still delivering a delightful, potent performance. All in all, “Tejano Blue” is stupendous thanks to a strong pen game, sensational vocals, and utterly sublime production.

Appears in :

Bops That Pop: March 2024

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8. Quadeca & Kevin Abstract, “TEXAS BLUE”

SCRAPYARD // deadAir // 2024

“Waking up to you / Colder than TEXAS BLUE…” Yikes ! So, what happens when Quadeca and Kevin Abstract join forces? Sheer magic, my friends. Quadeca concludes his 2024 album, SCRAPYARD with a gorgeous, thoughtful collab with Abstract entitled “TEXAS BLUE”. Quadeca and Abstract penned this Texas song with Quadeca also producing. The vibe commences with rhythmic piano lines, which serve as stellar accompaniment for Abstract. Later, as “TEXAS BLUE” progresses, there is ample ear candy, led by strings courtesy of johan lenox and YAS. “TEXAS BLUE” is more of a pop/singer-songwriter-oriented track – unique, unique, unique!

Speaking of unique, Kevin Abstract serves up a unique flow in the first verse. “Wakin’ up next to you, am I complex to you? / Scratches on your back, the sun peeking through,” he spits, continuing, “Sagging baggy jeans, X-rated preview / Feel the wind coming in, are you gonna let it take you too?” Oh, those matters of the heart – they always hit different. The lyric about the wind signals issues… After embracing less pitch initially, Abstract unveils the pitch in the following chorus, which is varied throughout. Quadeca also contributes to the choruses, to the tune of:

“I’ll be honest (I’ll be)

It hurts so much more than I knew (I’ll be)

But who asked you? (Who asked?)

Who asked you?”

Abstract, throughout “TEXAS BLUE,” opens up about his concerns and feelings, fearing they could have devastating results – the end of his relationship. Quadeca, like Abstract, fears honesty, having suppressed his feelings. “If I could tell you the truth / You hold ‘til it splits into two,” he sings, fearing the end of the relationship. The good news is, honesty pays off, and both artists vow to be – wait for it – HONEST! Over the course of this nearly five-and-a-half-minute song, Quadeca and Kevin Abstract artfully go deep. “TEXAS BLUE” serves as an epic coda on SCRAPYARD.

Appears in :

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9. Toby Keith, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)”

Unleashed // SKG Music Nashville LLC / Dreamworks Nashville // 2002

“And you’ll be sorry that you messed with the U.S. of A / ‘Cause we’ll put a boot in your ass, it’s the American way.” ‘Merica! The late great Toby Keith (1961 – 2024) equally unified and courted controversy with “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)”. Why was Toby an angry American back in 2002? The horrific September 11 attacks by terrorists. After the attacks, there was a strong sense of unity for Americans. This included strong job approval for then-President George W. Bush and ensuring retribution on the terrorists who killed nearly 3,000 people. “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” commences his 2002 album, Unleashed.

The musicality of “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” is impressive. Toby Keith sounds fantastic, singing authentically and patriotically, with tremendous sincerity. Tempo changes help make “Red, White, and Blue” engaging. It begins with a slow, dramatic introduction which sets the tone (“When we see Old Glory flyin’, there’s a lot of men dead / So, we can sleep in peace at night when we lay down our head”). Keith becomes assertive during the first verse, remembering his daddy’s service in the army, and his sacrifice. In the second verse, he mentions the infamous terrorist attacks:

“Now this nation that I love has fallen under attack

A mighty sucker punch came flyin’ in from somewhere in the back

Soon as we could see it clearly through our big black eye

Man, we lit up your world like the Fourth of July.”

The chorus roars, with “The Statue of Liberty… shakin’ her fist / And the eagle will fly and it’s gonna be hell.” Hell yeah! Beyond the dynamic chorus, the bridge, excerpted earlier, earns plenty of attention, particularly that “boot in your ass.” The violence touted by Keith contributed to the controversy of the song. Keith could be described as a Bush bootlicker. During the 00s and his lifetime, his right-wing politics drew ire. Keith criticized Natalie Maines of The Chicks for her comments regarding President Bush. “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)” speaks to the fight and resilience of the U.S.A. following adversity. Sure, it’s the “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” mentality, but Keith’s heart was coming from the right place. Admittedly, that “Boot in your ass” lyric kicks ass!

Appears in :

Toby Keith, Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American): Controversial Songs No. 9 (2025)

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10. Linda Ronstadt, “Blue Bayou”

Simple Dreams // Rhino Entertainment // 1977

“Looking forward to happier times / On Blue Bayou.” Word. Versatile, 11-time Grammy winner Linda Ronstadt (1946 – ) has cemented herself in music history as one of the best. Among her greatest songs is “Blue Bayou”, the sixth track from her 1977 multiplatinum album, Simple Dreams. Joe Melson and Roy Orbison (1936 – 1988) penned “Blue Bayou.” Peter Asher produced it. Going back to Orbison, well, he originally recorded it. Ronstadt’s incredibly successful cover peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Ronstadt earned two Grammy nominations: Record Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.

It should come as no surprise why “Blue Bayou” was a big hit. It begins with an awesome, anchoring bass line. The groove is simple but rock solid – just right! The musical accompaniment is tasteful, with electric piano and the distinct sound of a mandolin. “Blue Bayou” gives off country, pop, and rock vibes with a dash of tropical. Ronstadt’s vocals are initially subtle. She gives a cool, calm, and collected performance: “I feel so bad, I got a worried mind / I’m so lonesome all the time / Since I left my baby behind / On Blue Bayou.” She ups the ante as the song progresses, specifically in the centerpiece, the chorus:

“I’m going back someday

Come what may to Blue Bayou

Where the folks are fun

And the world is mine on Blue Bayou…”

Her upper register is incredibly potent, dramatically contrasting her cooler performance early on. The melody is marvelous – simply beautiful! Linda Ronstadt ‘ate’ on the platinum-certified “Blue Bayou”.

Appears in :

Linda Ronstadt, Blue Bayou: Throwback Vibez 18 (2025)

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11. The Dave Brubeck Quartet, “Blue Rondo à la Turk”

Time Out // Sony BMG Music Entertainment // 1959

1-2, 1-2, 1-2, 1-2-3… 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3… Say What?! Why am I counting, you ask?! I am counting because, in The Dave Brubeck Quartet classic, “Blue Rondo à la Turk”, counting is imperative. Not to bombard or bore you with music theory, but the most common meter in music is common time, aka 4/4 – beats are grouped in sets of four: 1-2-3-4. The prevalence of common time applies to jazz music too. However, The Dave Brubeck Quartet went against the grain throughout the multiplatinum, innovative 1959 masterpiece, Time Out. The time – rather, the time signatures – are all over the map. That’s part of the charm and brilliance of the historically important LP. Focusing on the opener from the cool jazz tour de force, penned by pianist Dave Brubeck (1920 – 2012), the head is set in 9/8 meter. In phrases comprised of four measures, which each containing nine beats, three measures have an unusual grouping of beats (2+2+2+3) with the final measure featuring the standard grouping within the time signature (3+3+3). That is mind-blowing, particularly if you are not a music theory nerd like me.

The oddness of the time is not limited to the four-measure phrase of the head described above (I’ll refrain from expounding on the duplet rhythms, but they are hella cool). “Blue Rondo à la Turk” swings too, shifting to common time as well. During the improvisatory sections – an alto saxophone solo by Paul Desmond (1924 – 1977), and a piano solo by Brubeck – the common time remains tried and true. However, leading into the solos, the quartet ‘plays around,’ offering a four-measure phrase composed of two measures of four (1-2-3-4) and two measures of nine (2+2+2+3) using the signature riff from the head. As complex and nerdy as “Blue Rondo à la Turk” sounds from a musical perspective, it is much easier on the ears. Desmond masterfully and nimbly carries the melody, save for one unforgettable cracked note that adds to the charm of the recording. Brubeck impresses with his skillful piano skills, with chordal and rhythmic, individual lines. His solo is equally bluesy and sophisticated. Joe Morello (1928 – 2011) ‘holds it all together’ on the drums, which is a tall task considering the many groove changes. Similarly, Eugene Wright (1923 – 2020) provides a sensational bass line, with ample pedal point, as well as a standard walking bass line during the swinging, common time section. Both difficult and exciting to analyze and describe the nearly seven-minute masterpiece that is “Blue Rondo à la Turk” is best experienced and enjoyed by simply listening.

Appears in :

The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Blue Rondo à la Turk: Wacky Wednesday No. 1 (2025)

~ Table of Contents ~ // ~ intro ~

11 Blue Songs That Won’t Leave You Blue (2025) [: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Belting Bronco, Cybertrash, Darkroom, deadAir, Dreamworks Nashville, Interscope, Partisan, pgLang, PRYOR, SKG Music Nashville LLC, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Spanish Prayers, Top Dawg Entertainment, Warner; AcatXIo elitedigitalpereira, KoldFlame, Raman Spirydonau, Vanessa SG from Pixabay]

11 Blue Songs That Won’t Leave You Blue | Playlist

Published by the musical hype on March 26, 2025March 26, 2025