11 Extremely Careful Songs | Playlist 🎧

11 Extremely Careful Songs features songs by Bad Omens, Cardi B, NF, Omar Apollo, and Xiuhtezcatl.

Enter this musical compendium with care – carefully! Being careful is the modus operandi on 11 Extremely Careful Songs. Carelessness is not permitted! 10 of 11 songs on the playlist feature the word careful in the song title.  The exception, by BigXthaPlug, uses the phrase, take care. Besides BigXthaPlug, 11 Extremely Careful Songs feature songs by Bad Omens, Cardi B, NF, Omar Apollo, and Xiuhtezcatl. So, without prolonging this intro needlessly, let’s carefully dive into these 11 Extremely Careful Songs!

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~ Table of Contents ~

1. Omar Apollo, “Be Careful With Me”	2. Snoh Aalegra, “Be Careful”	3. Gunna, “time reveals, be careful what you wish for”	4. Xiuhtezcatl, “Careful”
5. Jack Harris, “Careful What You Wish For (the doctor said to)”	6. NF, “CAREFUL” (Ft. Cordae)	7. BigXthaPlug, “Take Care”	8. Demi Lovato, “Carefully”
9. Bad Omens, “Careful What You Wish For”	10. Ben Platt, “carefully”	11. Cardi B, “Be Careful”

 

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1. Omar Apollo, “Be Careful With Me”

God Said No // Omar Apollo / Warner // 2024

“A fire burns between my eyes / Can’t always read between the lines / I tried to be someone you liked / But it’s just too much compromise.” Oh, snap, Omar Apollo (Omar Velasco).  God Said No found the Grammy-nominated Mexican American pop singer/songwriter more open, transparent, and vulnerable.  On “Be Careful With Me,” the opening track from his far underrated sophomore album, he reflects on a past relationship. Omar sings beautifully with a ‘plucked’ production (including guitar and synthesizer). He’s more restrained in the first verse.  In the second, he’s more overt, asserting, “You’re thinking ‘bout the last time I undressed ya, ooh,” adding, “I just know that it ain’t often you come across  this / It’s hard to let it go, it’s hard to let you go.” The chorus is ultra-repetitive, but Velasco makes his point ‘loud and clear’: “Be careful with me / Me, me, me, me, me me, me me.” “Be Careful With Me” was penned by Apollo, Billy Walsh, and producers Teo Halm, Carter Lang, and Blake Slatkin.  The resulting track is a sweet album opener.

Appears in 🔻:

• 13 Songs Driven by the Power of BE (2024)

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2. Snoh Aalegra, “Be Careful”

– Ugh, those feels again // Artium Recordings, LLC / AWAL Recordings America, Inc. // 2019

“There are people to blame for people in pain / I hurt somebody, too, I’m so ashamed, I’m so ashamed.” Grammy-nominated R&B singer/songwriter Snoh Aalegra is a whole vibe, PERIOD.  “Be Careful” is the eighth track from her 2019 album, – Ugh, those feels again.  She and Malik Yusef composed “Be Careful” while Maneesh produced it. The interlude (it clocks in under two minutes) features enigmatic, nebulous, and wavy musical accompaniment. Eventually, the backdrop grows even more adventurous and rhythmic. The percussive touches are ear-catching like the keys, pads, and synths. Snoh Aalegra serves up beautiful and refined singing.  She perfectly conveys the theme of hurt people hurt people. In the chorus, she urges us to be careful: “Try to be careful in a land full of mines / Try to be careful, these are the, these are the bad times.” “Be Careful,” albeit short, is incredibly sweet! 

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3. Gunna, “time reveals, be careful what you wish for”

One of Wun // Young Stoner Life / 300 Entertainment Inc. // 2024

“Should have been done by now / But you better go your way, go your way.” “Time reveals, be careful what you wish for” concludes One of Wun, the 2024 album by Gunna. The two-part song is lengthy, clocking in north of six-and-a-half minutes. It commences with a warm, reflective piano. I love the vocals that are mixed in the background as part of the musical accompaniment. The production is top-notch, featuring eight producers: Turbo, Aviator Keyyz, Omar Grand, Kristian Rosendal, LukasBL, Gray Toomey, Gabe Lucas, and Segrate Martell Price. As always, Gunna is true to self, delivering a melodic, rhythmic rap performance.

“You ain’t gon’ really see me comin’ like a comet

I’m one of one, I’m rich and humble, they payin’ homage

She like and watch how I’m on time right when it’s clutchin’

I’m in her spine, shootin’ cum inside her stomach.”

Word. Following “time reveals,” “be careful what you wish for” begins before the four-minute mark. Expectedly, there is a change of pace. With the production switch / second part of the song, the vibes continue to be smooth, if slightly more overt. Notably, there is no percussion during “be careful what you wish for.”

“Life is special, gotta be careful what you wish for, yeah

It ain’t much left, but you still got breath, ain’t gon’ always be fair

It ain’t take me long way before I got on, Wunna always would share

Get rich so I could take care of my fam, it’s what I wished for, yeah.”

“Time reveals, be careful what you wish for” is an intriguing listen.

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4. Xiuhtezcatl, “Careful”

“Careful” // Pirates Blend // 2024

“Are you community-made? Are you claimed by who you claim? / If you ain’t from or for the land / See what that says about you.” Word. Xiuhtezcatl (Xiuhtezcatl Martinez) is incredibly unique (“Yo no soy artista común”). The activist and hip-hop musician delivered an awesome song with “Careful”. Xiuhtezcatl composed “Careful” with producers Adrian Quesada (of Black Pumas fame) and Sweetsound.  The musical accompaniment is colorful, with the organ, an anchoring, banging beat, and marvelous guitar chords.

Xiuhtezcatl, who is bilingual, excels in English and Spanish throughout “Careful.”  He showcases his Spanish in the first verse: “Mis primas, mi pueblo, mi pelo sin liga / Flow Popocatepetl / Nimitztlamachtia / Yo no soy artista común.” He ‘bites’ in a later verse, asserting, in English, “Cast a fake to the sidelines, playing activist for the timeline / Are you really down for the cause that you claim / Clout got you like a moth to a flame.” Woo!  The tuneful, sung chorus, is the centerpiece:

“I’ve been under pressure

Hechándo le ganas hustle on what I was sent for

Barely working hard enough for y’all to say I’m special

The water high, baby, be careful.”

The handsome and talented Xiuhtezcatl delivers a surefire, must-hear banger with “Careful”.  This is a gem from 2024 that deserves to be brought into 2025 and beyond.

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Appears in 🔻:

• Xiuhtezcatl, Careful: Bangerz N Bopz 🔥 2 (2025)

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5. Jack Harris, “Careful What You Wish For (the doctor said to)”

“Careful What You Wish For (the doctor said to)” // Columbia // 2024

“I’m going through the motions / I’d sell my soul to make me sad.” Hmm, really, Jack Harris? Harris appears to have some mental health issues in his minor-key, 2024 single, “Careful What You Wish For (the doctor said to).” In the second verse, he asserts, “Something is missing, there’s predisposition / I feel like I’m living inside of my head.” Yikes! Before that, in the pre-chorus, he makes it known he needs something, clarified in the centerpiece, the chorus by the doctor:

“Take this pill, you’ll feel much better

When you wake up numb and your brain’s been severed

And your heartbeat won’t be based on the weather

When you sell yourself to me

Took your peace, your pain, your pleasure

And I left you with one face forever

You won’t hurt anymore, be careful what you wish for.”

Ooh-wee, Jack! He penned this emotional, honest alternative-pop record while Nate Saggio produced it. Harris sings beautifully (even with the dark vibes), while the colorful instrumental is sublime.  “Careful What You Wish For (the doctor said to)” is dynamic by the end, with roaring guitars and some sickening electronic cues.

Appears in 🔻:

• Entertaining, if Medically Sus Doctor Songs, Vol. 1 (2024)

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6. NF, “CAREFUL” (Ft. Cordae)

HOPE // NF Real Music, LLC // 2023

“Stuntin’ on me, you get exposed (Woo) / I don’t wanna pick, then I buy both (Buy both) / Doesn’t go plat’, it’ll go gold (Go gold) / Keep it upfront, I don’t tiptoe (Ayy).” NF (Nathan Feuerstein) kicks off “CAREFUL” with ample fire.  He’s confident to the nth degree.  He’s also thankful and notes at the end of the chorus, the centerpiece and opening section of the song, “Didn’t get here bein’ careful, oh.” Word.  NF collaborates with Cordae (Cordae Dunston) on the third track from his 2023 album, HOPE. Feuerstein, Dunston, and David Garcia penned “CAREFUL.”  Feuerstein and Garcia produced it.  The musical accompaniment is lit with its gorgeous, gospel vocals, and hard-hitting, trap-sounding drums. Set in a minor key, NF and Cordae go off with their awesome respective flows.  After NF sets the tone in the chorus, Cordae ‘brings the heat’ in the first verse dropping numerous lyrical gems: “Lost souls at a crossroads / Money comin’ in in large loads / I’ve been crossed, so my heart cold / That’s all we know, yeah.” As always, NF is hyped up. He’s filled with energy in the second verse, asserting, “Sharin’ the wealth, ain’t no point in me keepin’ this all to myself / I ain’t takin’ this money with me to my grave (Ayy, ayy).”  Before that highlight, he consults with God: “Called up to God and I asked Him, ‘You watchin’ my back?’, He ain’t say nothin’ back, but I heard what He said.” “CAREFUL” is a ‘Christian’ rap banger!

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7. BigXthaPlug, “Take Care”

TAKE CARE // BigXthaPlug / UnitedMastersLLC // 2024

“Ayy, all this shit off the muscle, that struggle / Was tough than a bitch like a knuckle / Got to that bag, needed chips like a Ruffle, it double / Now I can take care of my mother.” With “Take Care,” we make a slight exception to 11 Extremely Careful Songs courtesy of BigXthaPlug (Xavier Landum). Taking care is synonymous with being careful… in some contexts.  Anyways, “Take Care” is the opener from his 2024 album, also titled, TAKE CARE. Tony Coles produced the fine track, which brilliantly samples a Willie Hutch oldie, “Tell Me Why Has Our Love Turned Cold”. BigXthaPlug delivers a kick-ass cadence and flow. His rhymes are tough and hard-nosed 💯.

“I used to sell dope to the fiends had ‘em shaking, but I switched it up when shit started to get shaky

Half the niggas who were solid turned out they were fakin’, and hatin’

They really just wantin’ my placement

I really came up from the bottom, the basement

Went from takin’ to givin’, that’s crazy.”

Notably, it features an outro by Wallo267, who delivers some wise words: “But you ain’t looking at the side effects of success / One thing about success when it hit, man, everybody got they hand out.” FACTS!  BigXthaPlug ‘keeps it a buck’ on “Take Care.”

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8. Demi Lovato, “Carefully”

Dancing with the Devil… The Art of Starting Over // Island // 2021

“Approach with caution, I can get overwhelming / But, in the best way / So babe, if you think you can handle me / Please handle me carefully.”  Oh, snap! You heard Demi Lovato! On “Carefully,” the 11^th track from their 2021 album, Dancing with the Devil… The Art of Starting Over, the Grammy-nominated, nonbinary singer (they/them/she/her) urges carefulness. Why? “‘Cause I’m strong in a way / That I know how to show you my fragile, oh.” Lovato is confident and sees the possibilities in this relationship. It takes a bit for “Carefully” to ‘warm up,’ but it ends up being another welcome addition to the album. The harmonic progression, particularly in the pre-chorus, is #winning. The tone of the drums shines in the chorus, as does the wall of sound. During the chorus, they sing, “I could be your favorite dream / Baby, nobody can love you like I do.” There is an adult alternative sound about this track that contrasts most of the other songs from Dancing with the Devil. “Carefully” isn’t the top of the Lovato catalog but it is easily worth spinning.  Lauren Aquilina, Caroline Pennell, and Marcus Andersson penned this careful joint while Andersson and Aquilina produced it.

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9. Bad Omens, “Careful What You Wish For”

Finding God Before God Finds Me // Sumerian // 2019

“Be careful what you wish for ‘cause you don’t know / The guilt I carried this far all on my own / It’s nothing you wanna feel (So let it go).” Word. Rock/alt-metal/metalcore band Bad Omens implores us to be “Careful What You Wish For.” “Careful What You Wish For” is the third track from the band’s 2019 album, Finding God Before God Finds Me. The four-and-a-half-minute-long song commences enigmatically. At first, musically, I’m unsure where the band is going.  Soon enough, it settles in and percolates instrumentally. When Noah Sebastian’s vocals enter,  they are clean – sung with an undertone. It doesn’t take too long for the angst and grit to unveil itself in the pre-chorus.  The chorus is tuneful, and dynamic:

“Don’t wait for the dust to settle, don’t wait ’til it’s not enough

Don’t wait for the world to let go of the both of us

Don’t wait for the dust to settle, don’t wait ’til you’ve had enough

Don’t wait for the world to let go or to give you up.”

The second verse, like the first, is cooler, calmer, and more restrained. The lyrics are unsettling. Once more, the song gains steam in the pre-chorus. A brief, enigmatic instrumental interlude follows the second chorus, prefacing the bridge. The second half of the bridge is driving. “So, let it go,” which appears at the end of the bridge, signals a brief instrumental interlude before the final chorus and outro.  “Careful What You Wish For” is captivating.

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10. Ben Platt, “carefully”

Reverie // Atlantic // 2021

“If coming apart and breaking my heart is what you need / Break it carefully, break it carefully.” Ah, those pesky matters of the heart are at work! Pesky is a keyword: “I guess I’m kinda lucky / That we got so close to the real thing / When so many never even get a chance.” Counting those blessings, Ben Platt? “Carefully” marks a ‘return to form’ of sorts for the talented actor, singer, and songwriter.  After electronic instrumentation and sounds dominate much of his 2021 sophomore album, Reverie, he returns to more of an acoustic palette. Ah, the beauty of rhythmic acoustic guitar and piano! Also, the addition of the strings is a marvelous touch, perfectly complementing Platt’s sublime vocals.  Does Ben get closure post-relationship? He wants it, but in the bridge, he sings, “I could leave all this behind me / If I could remember you kindly.” IF… “Carefully” evolves towards the end (the bridge), achieving a gargantuan climax before bringing things back down.  If you break his heart, break it carefully. Platt, Michael Pollack, and producer Alex Hope penned this careful gem.

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11. Cardi B, “Be Careful”

Invasion of Privacy // Atlantic // 2018 

“Be careful with me / Do you know what you doin’ / Whose feelings that you’re hurtin’ and bruisin’? / You gon’ gain the whole world / But is it worth the girl that you losin’?” Cardi B had a gargantuan year in 2018.  Her Grammy-winning, multiplatinum debut album, Invasion of Privacy, spawned five top 40 hits including “Be Careful”.  “Be Careful” secured at top 15 spot on the pop charts, peaking at no. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. That’s impressive! Also impressive, “Be Careful” is a multiplatinum single. Initially, I found “Be Careful” to be a bit underwhelming when it was released as a single.  Since then, “Be Careful” has grown on me as one of many songs that make Invasion of Privacy a special rap album. Cardi B exhibits ferociousness with her rhymes and edgy, ‘in-your-face’ vocal tone. 

“I coulda did what you did to me to you a few times

But if I did decide to slide, find a nigga

Fuck him, suck his dick, you would’ve been pissed

But that’s not my M.O., I’m not that type of bitch.”

Damn! Her cadence and flow are on point, no cap! She keeps it a buck: “Between a rock and a hard place, the mud and the dirt / It’s gon’ hurt me to hate you, but lovin’ you’s worse.”  Ooh-wee! Boi-1da, Frank Dukes, and Vinylz ‘cook up’ a compelling backdrop that features colorful synths and glorious, bass-heavy moments. “Be Careful” is a winner.

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11 Extremely Careful Songs (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; 300 Entertainment Inc., Artium Recordings, LLC, Atlantic, AWAL Recordings America, Inc., BigXthaPlug, Columbia, Island, NF Real Music, LLC, Omar Apollo, Pirates Blend, Sumerian, UnitedMastersLLC, Warner, Young Stoner Life; Anna Pachenko, Berkant Akyüz, indol.ly house, Katya Wolf, Stephan Louis, Tim Mossholder from Pexels; Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay]

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