11 Compelling Bye Songs | Playlist 🎧

1. The Kid LAROI, “F*ck You, Goodbye”

Ft. Machine Gun Kelly

💿 F*CK LOVE (SAVAGE) • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 2020

“Fuck you, goodbye / You hurt me, for the last time.” At this point, it should come as no surprise that 🎙 The Kid LAROI is partial to the f-bomb.  I mean, there’s 💿 F*CK LOVE (SAVAGE) as a whole, and then there’s the song at hand, 🎵 “F*ck You, Goodbye,” where the first line of the song begins with a lyrical middle finger.  While parents everywhere may cringe at Charlton’s potty mouth, he perfectly captures teen angst and matters of the heart superbly.

“It’s the last time I let you hurt me,” The Kid Laroi asserts on the first verse, continuing, “Fuck you, goodbye, I did not deserve it / None of this bullshit was ever really worth it.” Woo! The Kid gets reinforced by Machine Gun Kelly, who contrasts Howard’s more youthful delivery with an older, more experienced take on pain (“Red in the eyes, lately I’ve been on a cocaine diet / I’ve been tryin’ to feed my high”).

Also appears on 🔽:

🔗 🎧 Goodbye: 5ive Songs No. 60

2. Mariah Carey, “Bye Bye”

💿 E=MC² • 🏷 Def Jam • 📅 2008

“This is for my peoples who just lost somebody / You best friend, your baby, your man or your lady / Put your hand way up high / We will never say bye (No, no, no).” During the mid-aughts, 🏆 Grammy winning R&B artist 🎙 Mariah Carey experienced a big-time resurgence.  Her biggest album of the decade, of course, was 💿 The Emancipation of Mimi, which earned her three of her five Grammy wins (a shame she doesn’t have more).  Even though her 2008 album 💿 E=MC² wasn’t quite as big, it still earned her another platinum plaque.  Furthermore, single 🎵 “Bye Bye” gave her another platinum-certified single. Pretty sweet.

“Bye Bye” is a ballad, which is where Carey’s bread is buttered.  Vocally, she sounds incredibly polished and refined.  Even so, as the song progresses, Mariah ‘rises to the occasion,’ wowing with those prodigious vocal skills.  Helping to make “Bye Bye” such an elite record is songwriting from a team comprised of 🎼✍ Johnta Austin, 🎼✍ Mikkel S. Eriksen, 🎼✍ Tor Erik Hermansen.  On the production end of things, Eriksen and Hermansen (🎛 StarGate) give Carey a terrific backdrop to pain her vocals upon.  On “Bye Bye,” Carey remembers those she’s lost in her life, asserting “Still, I’d give the world to see your face / And be right her next to you.”

3. Masego, “Bye Felicia”

💿 Studying Abroad • 🏷 UMG Recordings • 📅 2020

“I think you’ll miss this lovin’ / Nobody gon’ fit your body, like me / Nobody gonna fit your body, like me.” 🎵 “Bye Felicia” concludes 💿 Studying Abroad, the 2020 EP by talented Jamaican American singer and saxophonist 🎷 🎙 Masego. “Bye Felicia” features the sleek production work courtesy of 🎛 D’Mile.  Honestly, doesn’t it seem like D’Mile always stitches together a marvelous track? A couple of unique sounds help make this record quite ear catching.  First, there’s a great 112 sample. 112 actually deliver the song’s chorus, via their gem, 🎵 “Anywhere”, of course. There’s also Masego’s 🎷 saxophone playing – you betta play that horn!

The sax playing is on, but so are Masego’s vocals.  Honestly, his smooth, soulful pipes are equally impressive – perfect for tackling matters of the heart. One of the best moments of the song is the outro, with the popular catch phrase:

“Let me hear you say, ‘Bye Felicia’
Bye Felicia
Let me hear you say, ‘Bye Felicia’
Bye Felicia.”

4. Madison Beer, “Good in Goodbye”

🎵 “Good in Goodbye” • 🏷 Epic • 📅 2020

“You’re killing my vibe / In ways words cannot describe / But I’ll try, I’ll try.” Word! 🎵 “Good in Goodbye” marked 🎙 Madison Beer’s first single of 2020. The first thing that stands out are her vocals; her pipes are quite husky.  The sound of her lower register, on the verse in particular, is quite sultry. She also shows off her upper register, particularly when the vocal harmonies come into play.  In addition to her lead vocals, she also has attitude, exhibiting personality; there’s confidence, sass, and fun songwriting.

The chorus is a prime example, further amplified by sleek, colorful production work by Beer, 🎛 Leroy Clampitt, and 🎛 One Love:

“You put the ‘over’ in ‘lover,’ put the ‘ex’ in ‘next’
Ain’t no ‘I’ in ‘trouble,’ just the ‘U’ since we met
‘Cause you’re toxic, boy, I ain’t even gotta try to find the
G-O-O-D in goodbye.”

“Good in Goodbye” is a certified bop – a pop song you definitely need to add to your listening rotation.

Also appears on 🔽:

• Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: February 2020
• 11 More Really ‘Good’ Songs… It’s That Simple
• Goodbye: 5ive Songs No. 60

5. Post Malone, “Goodbyes” (Ft. Young Thug)

💿 Hollywood’s Bleeding • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2019

“Me and Kurt [Cobain] feel the same, too much pleasure is pain…” 🏆 Grammy-nominated hip-hop sensation 🎙 Post Malone has stepped up his artistry as he’s progressed in his career. Many of his singles from his third studio album, 💿 Hollywood’s Bleeding,  have been certified bops, including 🎵 “Goodbyes”. “Goodbyes” is awesomeness exemplified.  Post excels at pop-rap, taking it to another level with his melodic prowess.

Post’s expressiveness shines over the course of two verses, as well as a fantastic chorus:

“I want you out of my head
I want you out of my bedroom tonight
There’s no way I could save you
‘Cause I need to be saved, too
I’m no good at goodbyes.”

Further amplifying the goodness of “Goodbyes” is brilliant, dramatic production work.  Also boding well in Malone’s favor is a respectable narrative, songwriting, and theme. 🎙 Young Thug should be commended for a sensational collaboration; He’s perfectly suited here, given his melodic sensibilities and how he contrasts Post.  All in all, this is a surefire hit that checks off all boxes.

Also appears on 🔽:

🔗 🎧 51 Best Songs of 2019: Year in Review

🔗 🎧 Goodbye: 5ive Songs No. 60

6. BROCKHAMPTON, “Boy Bye”

💿 GINGER • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 2019

🎵 “Boy Bye” ranks among the standouts from 💿 GINGER, the fifth studio album by 🎙 BROCKHAMPTON. “Boy Bye” begins with production work that certainly doesn’t exemplify hip-hop.  Regardless, following the brief 🎙 Merlyn Wood intro, the rest of BROCKHAMPTON get to work, spitting capably over the backdrop.  🎙 Dom McLennon is the first to ‘shoot his shot,’ referencing weed (“Breaking up botanical to ease my stressing”), Johnnie Cochran (“I go Johnnie Cochran when I’m raising my defenses”), and Michael Keaton via 🎥 Birdman (“Man, I feel like Michael Keaton when a nigga start ascending”).  🎙 Matt Champion takes the reins on the second verse with his own share of colorful lines including “My shit bump like a belly when it’s pregnant,” as well as referencing Elmer Fudd and 🎥 Mean Girls.

A third verse by 🎙 Kevin Abstract, arrives prior to the chorus.  He references trauma, 🎥 The Lion King, and sobriety.  The chorus that follows is random, but intriguing. 🎙 Bearface, like Abstract, references trauma on the fourth verse: “Trauma the price of patience / Character shaped like an arc.” The outro, courtesy of 🎙 Joba and Wood, includes the titular lyric, “Boy, bye.”

Also appears on 🔽:

🔗 🎧 20 Amazing Songs About Boys

🔗 🎧 50 Awesome Boy & Girl Songs

🔗 🎧 13 B Songs Selected with No Rhyme or Reason

7. Sam Smith, “Too Good at Goodbyes”

💿 The Thrill of It All • 🏷 Capitol • 📅 2017

🏆 Academy- and Grammy-award winning pop singer/songwriter 🎙 Sam Smith made a big-time return in 2017 with 🎵 “Too Good at Goodbyes”, the promo single for his sophomore album, The Thrill of it All. Smith sounds absolutely gorgeous, showing off their unique vocal tone and brilliant falsetto.  Like their best work, “Too Good at Goodbyes” is (1) a ballad and (2) centered around love. The verses are distinct of one another yet written in similar fashion.  A refrain follows both verses, in advance of the pre-chorus.

The pre-chorus, a key section, begins to intensify the emotions:

“And every time you hurt me, the less that I cry
And every time you leave me, the quicker these tears dry
And every time you walk out, the less I love you
Baby, we don’t stand a chance, it’s sad but it’s true.”

The production (🎛 Jimmy Napes, 🎛 Steve Fitzmaurice, and 🎛 StarGate) expands beginning on the chorus.  Here, Smith has backing vocals supporting him. By the return of the chorus towards the end, Smith loosens up more, delivering some awesome vocal runs. Smith may be “too good at goodbyes” but they’re also good at singing, songwriting, and the whole pop artist thing.

Also appears on 🔽:

🔗 🎧 15 Really ‘Good’ Songs… It’s That Simple!

🔗 🎧 Goodbye: 5ive Songs No. 60

8. Brandy, “Bye Bipolar”

💿 b7 • 🏷 Brand Nu, Inc. / Entertainment One U.S., LP • 📅 2020 

“And I cried and cried … / Died and died and died and died alive / … And now, I’m high as a kite.” Whew – sounds rough for sure! 🏆 Grammy winning R&B artist 🎙 Brandy concludes her comeback album, 💿 b7, with the fine 🎵 “Bye Bipolar.” Here, Brandy looks toward self-improvement and expunging the mess that has brought her down.

“Bye, bye, bye bipolar
I don’t need no more disorder
Conditional love got me hungover
‘Cause you strung me like thread, I was damn near dead
And you fucked with my head like led, Russian roulette.”

Give her ample credit for addressing mental health, a topic that thankfully has become a more prevalent theme in popular music.  Honestly, Brandy keeps it 💯 throughout the course of b7. Kudos!  Of course, her instrument – those rich, smoky vocals – are L-I-T 🔥.  Vocal layering has always been Brandy’s best friend! 

9. Taron Egerton & Jamie Bell, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”

💿 Rocketman (Music from the Motion Picture) • 🏷 Paramount / Universal Music • 📅 2019

Musical biopic 📽 Rocketman was one of the most talked about films of 2019.  Notably, Welsh actor 🎭 Taron Egerton stars as the iconic 🎙 Elton John.  Egerton also sings some of the classic songs by John, including 🎵 “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” which appears on the 💿 Rocketman Soundtrack. He’s joined by English actor 🎭 Jamie Bell, who plays legendary lyricist, 🎼✍ Bernie Taupin.

While this performance of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” contrasts the original, the theatrical approach by Egerton and Bell is both alluring and successful.  Egerton sings the first verse and chorus, relatively playfully and with a slackened pace.  Bell’s second verse arrives in similar fashion, before the joint chorus favors the more bombastic, energetic sound of the original.  Some fantastic orchestration – brass and strings – makes “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” truly come to life in the hands of the actors.

Also appears on 🔽:

🔗 🎧 11 Songs with Eyes Fixed on the Road

🔗 🎧 Goodbye: 5ive Songs No. 60

10. Bruno Mars, “Too Good to Say Goodbye”

💿 24K Magic • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 2016

“Tell me you remember when / Ooh, when I was your man and you were my girl / It was you and me against the world.” 🎙 Bruno Mars released three albums during he 2010s.  Third time was definitely charm for the 🏆 Grammy-winner, who took home the coveted Album of the Year for his third studio album, 💿 24K Magic.  An incredibly short pop/R&B album, it was jam-packed with hits, even if I’m still a bit salty it beat out 💿 DAMN. by 🎙 Kendrick Lamar, which would go on to win the Pulitzer Prize for music.  Of course, his isn’t about Grammys but rather a specific song on the Grammy-winning album, 🎵 “Too Good to Say Goodbye.”

“Too Good to Say Goodbye,” a big-time concludes 24K Magic exceptionally.  This is thanks to a masterful vocal performance from Mars.  Furthermore, credit should be given to the songwriting (Mars, 🎼✍ Jeff Bhasker, 🎼✍ Babyface, 🎼✍ Christopher Brody Brown, and 🎼✍ Philip Lawrence) and production team (🎛 Shampoo Press & Curl).  This record is unapologetically old school, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.  Bruno Mars absolutely nails it.

“Baby, ain’t nobody gonna love me like the way you do
And you ain’t never gonna find a love like mine
Tell me what can I do to make it up to you?
‘Cause what we got’s too good to say goodbye, goodbye.”

11. *NSYNC, “Bye Bye Bye”

💿 No Strings Attached • 🏷 Zomba • 📅 2000

“Don’t wanna be a fool for you / Just another player in your game for two / You may hate me but it ain’t no lie / Baby, bye bye bye.” What better way to say bye than a corny, bubblegum, boy band classic? That’s right, we conclude this bye-driven list with the talents of 🎙 *NSYNC, via 🎵 “Bye Bye Bye.” “Bye Bye Bye” commences the boy band’s diamond-certified 2000 LP, 💿 No Strings Attached.

“Bye Bye Bye” definitely sounds like the pop of 2000.  That said, even with a sound that might be considered to be ‘dated’ by today’s standards, it’s hard to deny the timelessness, particularly if you grew up with 🎙 Justin Timberlake and company (I never told my friends about that *NSYNC poster I had 😉). For the particular time, the production by 🎛 Kristian Lundin and 🎛 Jake was sleek by all means – quite ear catching.  From a songwriting perspective, the lyrics are schmaltzy, but also incredibly infectious.  I mean, listening today, and even if its corny, you can’t help but get those lyrics stuck in your head.  Vocally, Timberlake and 🎙 J.C. Chasez handle the lead well, addressing those matters of the teenage heart – shocker, right?