11 Compelling Songs Focused on HERE | Playlist 🎧

11 Compelling Songs Focused on HERE features music courtesy of Al Green, Alessia Cara, Jennifer Hudson, Sam Smith, and The Weeknd.  

And HERE we are! Yup, it is just that simple. This musical compendium – uncomplicated to the nth degree – explores the power of HERE. Well, all 11 songs that comprise 🎧 11 Compelling Songs Focused on HERE feature the word here. Sounds boring, right? Well, not so fast! When you enlists the likes of 🎙 Al Green, 🎙 Alessia Cara, 🎙 Jennifer Hudson, 🎙 Sam Smith, and 🎙 The Weeknd,  there is nothing boring about the HERE-ness! HERE ye, HERE ye for this compelling playlist, comprised of soul, pop, country, R&B, alternative, and even – wait for it – BROADWAY! Without further ado, are you HERE for these 🎧 11 Compelling Songs Focused on HERE!!! 

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1. Sam Smith, “I’m Not Here To Make Friends” (Ft. Calvin Harris & Jessie Reyez) 

💿 Gloria • 🏷 Capitol • 📅 2023  

On their fourth studio album, 💿 Gloria, 🏆 Academy- and Grammy-award winning, nonbinary and genderqueer musician 🎙 Sam Smith keeps things brief. Despite the brevity, there are no shortage of hits, including the contemporary disco smash, 🎵 “I’m Not Here To Make Friends.” “…Friends” features 🎙 Calvin Harris and 🎙 Jessie Reyez.  The groove is electrifying, thanks to work behind the boards by Smith, Napes, and the key ingredient, Harris, of course! Of course, the grandeur comes down to more besides the beat – those strings make this “the whole damn meal”, to quote the goddess better known as Lizzo! Even though Reyez contributes, Smith is the star on “I’m Not Here To Make Friends.”  “Put your aura into mine / Don’t be scared if you like it,” they assert in the pre-chorus, dropping the titular lyric in the chorus (“I’m not here to make friends / I need a lover”).  I love how commanding Smith sounds, delivering some incredible runs.  

Appears in 🔻:  

• 13 Utterly Friend-tastic Friend Songs (2023) 

2. Alessia Cara, “Here” 

💿 Know-It-All • 🏷 Def Jam • 📅 2015

Question: What is the song that gave 🎙 Alessia Cara her breakthrough? It is 🎵 “Here,” period. “Here,” furthermore, is likely why her debut album, 💿 Know-It-All scored a top-ten debut.  Combined with additional hits from the LP, it propelled Cara to her sole 🏆 Grammy win – the highly coveted (though often cursed) Best New Artist.  Notably, the late, great 🎙 Isaac Hayes is sampled on “Here,” specifically the moody, soulful 🎵 “Ike’s Rap II”. The magic of that soul record shines through “Here,” an honest, confessional anthem about feeling out of place socially, specifically at a party. “Excuse me if I seem a little unimpressed with this,” Cara sings in the second verse, continuing, “An antisocial pessimist, but usually I don’t mess with this…but honestly I’d rather be/ Somewhere with my people / We can kick it and just listen to / Some music with a message…” Ultimately, she does NOT want to be HERE, as exemplified by the chorus:  

“Oh-oh-oh here, oh-oh-oh here 

Oh-oh-oh, I ask myself, what am I doin’ here?
Oh-oh-oh here, oh-oh-oh here
And I can’t wait ‘til we can break up out of here.” 

“Here,” a multiplatinum single, spent 34 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at no. 5. Furthermore, Know-It-All was certified platinum.   

3. The Weeknd, “Here We Go…Again” (Ft. Tyler, The Creator) 

💿 Dawn FM • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2022  

On 🎵 “Here We Go…Again,” 🎙 The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) enlists his fellow 🏆 Grammy winner, 🎙 Tyler, The Creator, for the assist.  In the context of his underrated, 2022 LP, 💿 Dawn FM, Tesfaye continues to excel. He sings about his come-up during the first verse, asserting, “We still celebratin’ Super Bowl / Catalog lookin’ legendary / Ring froze like it’s February / XO, that’s a mercenary.” WOO! He also speaks about his ex and his new girlfriend.  As for TTC, he’s skeptical regarding love but if it does happen, he asserts, “You gon’ sign this prenup.” Damnnn! Worth noting, the radio vibes that characterize Dawn FM appear once more with Tesfaye singing, “The number one station to free your soul (Free your soul) / Dawn 103.5.”  

4. HARDY, “here lies country music”

💿 the mockingbird & THE CROW • 🏷 Big Loud / Big Loud Rock • 📅 2023  

“Well, here lies country music, had a damn good run / It took its last Nashville lap around a ‘Ring of Fire’ sun.” On 🎵 “here lies country music” (💿 the mockingbird & THE CROW), 🎙 HARDY eulogizes country music. He remembers some of its biggest triumphs, and how therapeutic it is.  “Helped people through some hard times, more times than you can count,” he sings in the second verse, continuing, “So you hate to see three chords and the truth six feet in the ground.” Showing his devotion to the genre, in the bridge, he asserts, “And I pray that I leave this world before country music does.” Give him credit for the songwriting and the authenticity of his performance.  That said, is country music really dead? Furthermore, is his brand of country music preserving the genre? Food for thought.  

5. Luther Vandross, “Here and Now”   

💿 The Essential Luther Vandross • 🏷 Sony Music Entertainment • 📅 2015  

“Here in my heart / I believe / Your love is all I ever need.” Oh, the feels, the feels, the feels.  It is a bit hard to believe that 🎵 “Here and Now”, one of the biggest hits from the late, great 🎙 Luther Vandross, did NOT appear on one of his studio albums 🤯. Instead, this silky-smooth ballad, penned by 🎼 ✍ Terry Steele and David Elliott, appeared on Vandross’ 1989 compilation album, 💿 The Best of Luther Vandross… The Best of Love. “Here and Now” peaked at no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990.  Vandross produced this adult contemporary R&B alongside 🎛 Marcus Miller (an amazing musician in his own right).     

What makes “Here and Now” so awesome, first and foremost, are the incredible sophisticated vocals by Luther.  Few could concoct such buttery smooth performances like Vandross, who never sounded like he broke a sweat (he did sweat, of course).  The way that Vandross executes the melodies, as well as the ad-libs – the nuances and the runs – is stunning.  Of course, the theme of love never grows old.  “I look in your eyes / And there I see / What happiness really means…” Aww 🥰, its lyrics like that that make you appreciate the beauty and power of love.  Of course, the crème de la crème – the crowning achievement – is the chorus: “Here and now / I promise to love faithfully / You’re all I need / Here and now / I vow to be one with thee / Your love is all I need.” The perfect wedding song more than three decades later, Luther Vandross delivered something truly special with 🎵 “Here and Now”.  It should come as no surprise he won the 🏆 Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male 💪.   

Appears in 🔻:  

• Luther Vandross, “Here and Now”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 77 (2023) 

6. Deborah Cox, “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here”  

💿 One Wish • 🏷 Arista • 🗓 1998 

“How did you get here? Nobody’s supposed to be here / I tried that love thing for the last time.” Those iconic lyrics grace one of my favorite R&B records from the 1990s, 🎵 “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here”.  This mid-tempo ballad marks the biggest hit by Canadian R&B singer, 🎙 Deborah Cox. Not only did it top the R&B charts but “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here” just missed the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at no. 2.  Of course, the centerpiece of this 1998 gem from 💿 One Wish is the epic chorus. Excerpted above, it continues as follows, in all its glory: “My heart says, ‘No, no,’ nobody’s supposed to be here / But you came along and changed my mind.”  

Basically, Deborah Cox was D-O-N-E with love on this 🎼 ✍ Montell Jordan and Anthony “Shep” Crawford co-write.  Despite nearly throwing in the towel, a chance for love has reared its head again, and she can’t refuse it:  

“But when I turn around, again, love has knocked me down 

My heart got broken, oh it hurts so bad 

I’m sad to say love wins again.”  

It’s a similar situation in the second verse, where Cox asserts, “Knowing these tears I cry, this lovely black butterfly / Must take a chance, and spread my wings.” Oh, that damn love!  Cox’s pleasure and pain are our listening pleasure – no pain whatsoever for us – particularly her authentic, soulful ad-libs and nuances.  She has a magnificent instrument, which soars over Shep’s production and nails that key change!  

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 Appears in 🔻:  

• Deborah Cox, “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 32 (2022) 
• Nobody: 5ive Songs No. 80 (2022) 
• 13 Notable Nobody, No One Songs (2022) 

7. Years & Years, “Here”  

💿 Palo Santo • 🏷 Polydor • 📅 2018 

“You take a week / All the time that you need / Shattering glass, and a lover, or three…” Uh-oh – sounds like those pesky matters of the heart are in play, and it’s NOT positive! 🎵 “Here” concludes the standard edition of 💿 Palo Santo, the sophomore LP by British synthpop collective, 🎙 Years & Years. On this brief, sub-two-minute ballad, 🎙 Olly Alexander is heartbroken: “Turn it up louder, spit on that cut / Oh, I won’t keep you out of trouble.” Alexander goes on to tell his ex-boyfriend to “Take back the life that you gave to me / ‘Cause I’m not here.”  So, Olly tells him to forget he even exists… sort of… The question is, is this what Olly really wants, or does he wish things worked out? Regardless of the love pain that plagues “Here,” it is sweet music to our ears.   

8. Florence + The Machine, “Heaven is Here” 

💿 Dance Fever • 🏷 Universal Music Operations Limited • 🗓 2022 

🎙 Florence + The Machine suffers from a case of 💿 Dance Fever on their fifth studio album. Oh no!  Maybe that’s a bummer, especially considering 🎙 Florence Welch shares about her 🎵 “Choreomania” (dancing yourself to death). While that may be disturbing, much of what Welch does is use imagery, allusions, and an assortment of references to other things to illustrate her own personal thoughts and situations.  This top-notch songwriting, high-flying vocals, and generally awesome production make Dance Fever a superb Flo + The Machine LP.  Flo keeps it short and sweet on 🎵 “Heaven is Here,” which clocks in at just under two minutes.   

“Oh, bring your salt, bring your cigarette / Draw me a circle and I’ll protect / Heaven is here if you want it.” Woo! So, why is “Heaven is Here” so intriguing, you ask? Well, it’s the sound effects, energetic vibe, and of course, Welch’s high-flying vocals.  Also, the lyrics play a sizable role too! Of “Heaven is Here,” Welch asserts on IG:   

Heaven is Here was the first song I wrote in lockdown after an extended period of not being able to get to the studio. I wanted to make something monstrous. And this clamour of joy, fury and grief was the first thing that came out. 

Florence + The Machine achieves the desired effect without question! “And every song I wrote became an escape rope / Tied around my neck to pull me up to Heaven.” Amen?  

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Appears in 🔻:  

• 13 Utterly Celestial Heaven Gems (2022) 

9. Andrew Lloyd Webber, Emily Rossum, “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again”  

💿 The Phantom of The Opera (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) • 🏷 Polydor Ltd. • 📅 2004 

Is there anything more heavenly than an expressive, gorgeous ballad from a musical? No, there isn’t! Furthermore, when that musical is one of the greatest of all time, 🎦 The Phantom of The Opera, there is no debate whatsoever! The Phantom of the Opera, which closed on Broadway in 2023, has its fair share of BOPS, haha. Among the crème de la crème is the somber 🎵 “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again”, which finds protagonist Christine Daae memorializing her father.  In the 2004 film adaptation, 🎭 🎙️ Emily Rossum portrays Christine.  The original Christine was 🎭 🎙️ Sarah Brightman.  

“You were once my one companion / You were all that mattered,” Christine sings at the beginning of the ballad, initially set in G minor.  She continues singing, “You were once a friend and father / Then my world was shattered.” Later, stricken with the grief of his passing, Daae asserts in the poetic text, “Passing bells and sculpted angels / Cold and monumental / Seem for you the wrong companions.” Of course, the centerpiece is the chorus, varied slightly each time it occurs, where the minor key shifts to the parallel major.  It is incredibly tuneful, accompanied by more enthusiastic orchestration:   

“Wishing I could hear your voice again
Knowing that I never would
Dreaming of you won’t help me to do
All that you dreamed I could.”  

Also, the outro is worth highlighting, as Christine has closure regarding the loss. She knows that she can’t wallow in grief.  🎼 ✍ Andrew Lloyd Webber, you are truly legendary and brilliant for this one!   

Appears in 🔻: 

• Andrew Lloyd Webber, “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again”: FIERCE Pop + Rock 🔥🤘 No. 23 (2023) 

10. Jennifer Hudson, “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” 

💿 RESPECT (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) • 🏷 Epic • 📅 2021

It’s been far too long since 🏆 Academy Award/Grammy winner 🎙 Jennifer Hudson released new music. Thankfully, that wait has come to an end! Hudson plays the late, great 🎙 Aretha Franklin in the biopic, 🎦 RESPECT. The anointed, robust-voiced diva isn’t only blessing us with her acting chops, but also, her singing on the 💿 RESPECT (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).  In addition to covering Franklin, she shines on a brand-new original, penned in the style of Franklin, 🎵 “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)”. 

“Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” was written by 🎼 ✍ Carole King, Jamie Hartman, and Hudson.  🎛 Will.i.am and Johnny Goldstein produces the gospel-infused, neo-/retro-soul record.  With thoughtful lyrics and an old-school backdrop, Hudson has elite material to work with.  You know what she possesses that elite? That voice, and as you’d expected, she sounds angelic, nuanced, and soulful on “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home).”  It begins with a dramatic, free intro, something that Aretha was known for and comes directly from black church/gospel music.  Soon enough, “Here I Am” settles in with more flow, and J Hud delivers the goods. Upping the ante are backing choral vocals – gotta love a supporting gospel choir! “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” has the spirit of Aretha Franklin written all over it. Hudson SLAYS.   

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Appears in 🔻:  

• Awesome Songs: July 2021 
• 12 H Songs: No Rhyme or Reason, Vol. 2 (2022) 

11. Al Green, “Here I Am (Come and Take Me)”  

💿 Call Me • 🏷 Hi Records / Fat Possum • 🗓 1973

“I can’t believe that it’s real / The way that you make me feel / A burning deep down inside / A love that I cannot hide.” Ooh wee 🎙 Al Green! Green is always good for a heaping dose of that Memphis soul. 🎵 “Here I Am (Come and Take Me)” is one of eight top-ten hits by the legendary soul musician. “Here I Am (Come and Take Me)” spent 15 weeks on the charts in 1973, peaking at no. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Not too shabby! “And if keeping you and loving you means / Laying all my troubles down,” Green sings in the pre-chorus, then, “Here I am, baby, come and take me!” “Here I Am (Come and Take Me)” is one of many standouts from Green’s 1973 album, 💿 Call Me.  

The star of the show is Al Green, PERIOD.  While Rolling Stone botched their updated, 2023 200 Greatest Singers of All Time, they showed Green the respect he deserves (10th).  His vocals are once-in-a-lifetime good, ranging from his highly effective middle register, an incredibly ripe falsetto, and of course, those signature howls. In addition to the voice and the love-oriented songwriting (“All this love’s inside of me / I believe there’s going to be an explosion, yeah”), the production (the late, great 🎛 Willie Mitchell) and the arrangements are stunning.  On “Here I Am,” the listener is spoiled by organ, electric piano, guitar, soulful drum groove, epic, and punchy horns. The horns complement Green superbly, particularly during the chorus section, the centerpiece. There is incredible sophistication and grit exhibited by the backdrop simultaneously. All told, 🎵 “Here I Am (Come and Take Me)” is equivalent to four-and-a-quarter minutes of sheer heaven 😇.  

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Appears in 🔻: 

• Al Green, “Here I Am (Come and Take Me)”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 74 (2023) 

11 Compelling Songs Focused on HERE [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Arista, Big Loud / Big Loud Rock, Capitol, Def Jam, Epic, Hi Records / Fat Possum, Polydor, Republic, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Operations Limited; Aleksandar Pasaric via Pexels; 建鹏 邵 from Pixabay]