11 He, Him & His Songs | Playlist 🎧

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11 He, Him & His Songs feature songs by Camila Cabello, Gunna, Kehlani, Luke Combs, and Megan Thee Stallion.

Believe it or not, some folks are scared of pronouns ! Here at The Musical Hype, we embrace them. First and foremost, they’re not the least bit scary – it takes very little to respect someone’s pronouns! For the intents and purposes of a music entertainment blog, pronouns fuel the fire for some compelling playlists. Some of the gems that precede our musical compendium at hand, 11 He, Him & His Songs, include 14 He, She, Her, or Him Songs (2018), 13 Songs Where HIM is the Pronoun (2023), and HE is the Focus on These 11 Songs (2024).

11 He, Him & His Songs, as the title suggests, feature songs that include the pronouns he, him, or his in their titles. These pronouns are used in many different contexts. 11 He, Him & His Songs feature songs by Camila Cabello, Gunna, Kehlani, Luke Combs, and Megan Thee Stallion. There is no need to be frightened, folks! Embrace the he, him, and his pronouns with us on this colorful playlist!

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1. Gunna, “HIM ALL ALONG”

2. Kehlani, “When He’s Not There” (Ft. Lucky Daye)

3. Benedict Cork, “I Know He’ll Be Gone in a Little While”

4. Camila Cabello, “HE KNOWS” (Ft. Lil Nas X)

5. Luke Combs, “The Man He Sees In Me”

6. Megan Thee Stallion, “He Think I Love Him”

7. Katy Perry, “I’M HIS, HE’S MINE” (Ft. Doechii)

8. Binoy, “Him”

9. Baby Tate, “Slut Him Out Again”

10. ETHAN, “he’s all I wanna be” – Tate McRae Cover

11. The Pointer Sisters, “He’s So Shy”

1. Gunna, “HIM ALL ALONG”

“HIM ALL ALONG” // Young Stoner Life / 300 Entertainment // 2024

“Scrooge McDuck, got one of my rooms all flooded with gold (Gold) / I done bought two, four, five, six, seven, eight karats in stones (In stones).” Mentioning Scrooge McDuck in the opening line of the first verse of “HIM ALL ALONG” is badass, Gunna! Scrooge McDuck helps the melodic rapper illustrate his point flawlessly. The banger features a sleek, ‘cool energy’ backdrop produced by Turbo and Yung Bleu. A sickening beat anchors it. As electrifying as the accompaniment is, it is ‘HIM,’ Gunna who ‘kicks ass and takes names’ on “HIM ALL ALONG.” Consistently melodic and rhythmic, his cadence and flow are intriguing – on-point! “Hold my team, now I plant the seed, give it water to grow… / Half a million euros in a third-world country, I travel the coast…,” he raps in the first verse, adding, “Always said that I wanted, young Wunna done done it, I do what they don’t.” The second begins with a swallowing reference . He also informs us that he’s “really a martian / Excusin’ me through like a pardon, and I’m protected by carbons.” EXTRATERRESTRIAL! The chorus is a flex:

“They was tryna stunt my growth, I was steady chasin’ my goals
Nigga, why you watchin’? I’m grown, nigga can’t take my throne
Goin’ through the motions, stay strong, he done been him all along (Him)
Look at all this money we done grown, lot of different places I done flown.”

Although “HIM ALL ALONG” is relatively brief, it’s potent AF. Gunna has no shortage of confidence and personality.

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2. Kehlani, “When He’s Not There” (Ft. Lucky Daye)

While We Wait 2 // Atlantic // 2024

“I come over when he’s not there / He don’t even know that I here.” Grammy-nominated R&B singer/songwriter Kehlani shines on “When He’s Not There”, from her mixtape, While We Wait 2. “When He’s Not There” features Grammy-winning R&B singer/songwriter, Lucky Daye. With numerous songwriters in addition to Kehlani and Lucky Day, it was produced by Ambezza, Dillon, and Nik D. The sound of the record is resplendent. It is bright, lush, soulful, and warm. While “When He’s Not There” is idiomatic of contemporary R&B, it also hearkens back to the past. Both Kehlani and Daye sing beautifully. Both lyrics and melodies are memorable. “Girl, does he know you’re yearning, yearning for me?” Kehlani asks in the first verse, adding “Don’t tell none of your homegirls ‘cause nobody needs to know, no.” Context: Kehlani and this girl (who has a boyfriend) are hooking up and nobody needs to know! Hence, why in the chorus, “I come over when he’s not there.” Oh, snap! She expounds on their relationship in the second verse, admitting, “Lord knows I won’t end a happy home, but I’ll leave a condo broken.” Ooh wee! Daye enters the mix in the third verse, playing a similar role to Kehlani and the girl she’s cheating with: “Well, damn, guess, he won’t know what he had until it’s gone / Guess he can’t read between the lines / While he ignore and I explore /… We’re having hour fun and they ain’t gotta know.” All told, “When He’s Not There” is a steamy, irresistibly delicious song about cheating. Kehlani and Lucky Daye put their foot into this one!

Appears in :

Bops That Pop: September 2024

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3. Benedict Cork, “I Know He’ll Be Gone in a Little While”

Notes On A Hopeless Romance // Benedict Cork // 2024

“He comes at midnight / He promises the world and all that / But he can leave his shoes on.” Why, Benedict Cork? “‘Cause I know he’ll be gone in a little while.” Oh, snap! The English singer/songwriter shines on “I Know He’ll Be Gone in a Little While”, the 10^th and final track from his 2024 debut album, Notes On A Hopeless Romance. But, he’s pessimistic regarding the relationship. Bummer! Cork penned and produced the record alongside Hoost. The second verse is similar to the first. “He says he’ll call me / When he’s flying through my city,” Cork sings, adding “But I let the promise die.” Word. It’s not happening. In the chorus, Benedict had high hopes, but, it’s a case of ‘same shit, different day,’ or ‘another boy, same result’: “I thought things might be different / But Lord knows I’ve been through this one too many times.” The situation is relatable regardless of how you identify sexually. Love and relationships are hard. In the LGBTQ+ community, they can be far more challenging. Despite another failure for Benedict, he sings angelically, barely breaking a sweat. His falsetto is ripe, and the overall vibe of the performance is cool. The accompaniment is delightful too, despite that “I Know He’ll Be Gone in a Little While”. It is a bloody brilliant way to conclude Notes On A Hopeless Romance!

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4. Camila Cabello, “HE KNOWS” (Ft. Lil Nas X)

C, XOXO // Camila Cabello / Geffen / Interscope // 2024

“This is not a show.” WOO! In the intro, Camila Cabello sets the tone for “HE KNOWS”, the bold second single from her fourth studio album, C, XOXO. Cabello gets an assist from Grammy winner Lil Nas X (Montero Hill). The track was written by Cabello, Hill, Ojerime Smith, and producers Daniel Aged, El Guincho (Pablo Diaz-Reixa), and Jasper Harris. Sleekly produced, this pop banger runs a respectable three minutes in duration. Following the intro, Cabello follows up with a simple but infectious chorus:

“I think he knows

When I play with him like that

When I say it to him like that

Have my way with him like that…”

Following the chorus, she sings the bold first verse. “She’s a provocateur,” she asserts, adding, “Give him hell, yeah / Give these boys hell, yeah / She does it well…” In the pre-chorus, she “Tease(s) him and get(s) him off me.” Oh, snap! The ever-polarizing Lil Nas X is sexed TF up in the second verse. The freakiness commences with “He drippin’ down on my bustier like ice cream,” continuing with “He fuckin’ up my headboard, so I’m on my knees like, ‘Dear Lord, please pray for me.’” It doesn’t end there. “Brrt, baow, shoot in my mouth / Shoot in my shit like uh, and one,” he encourages, adding, “I’ma take him from his hoes / On the real, I think he knows.” And for good measure, in the bridge, Camilla asserts, “He’s wrapped around my pinky finger.” “HE KNOWS” is an edgy, hella fun pop banger.

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5. Luke Combs, “The Man He Sees In Me”

Fathers & Sons // Seven Ridges / Sony Music Entertainment // 2024

“He waves that blanket like the checkered flag pullin’ offa the interstate / With a Happy Meal cup held high like I won the big race.” Luke Combs sings about his sons on “The Man He Sees in Me”, the promo single and seventh track from his album, Fathers & Sons. He and Josh Phillips penned this reflective and thoughtful song. He produced it with Chip Matthews and Jonathan Singleton. “The Man He Sees in Me” gives all the feels. Combs sings with a beautiful tone idiomatic of country music. Accentuating his dynamic lead more are stunning vocal harmonies arriving during the chorus. The chorus is the crowning achievement, where Luke hopes he can be the man his sons view him as:

“Well, I hope he never finds out that I didn’t hang the moon

And I’ve never scared a monster out the closet of his room

Some day between him leavin’ home and drivin’ on my knee

But maybe I’ll finally be, the man he sees in me.”

“The Man He Sees in Me” is a well-rounded, sincerely penned, and performed song about fatherhood. Luke’s sons think the world of him. He wants to be the greatest father that he can be. Furthermore, he wants them to grow up to be great men.

Appears in :

Bops That Pop: June 2024

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6. Megan Thee Stallion, “He Think I Love Him”

MEGAN: ACT II // Hot Girl Productions LLC // 2024

“Show a new bitch that Megan ain’t coded / Show a beat I was on and ain’t rode it / If she think she the shit, I’m the colon / My pen gets gutter, I’m bowlin’.” Oh, snap! Good things come in small packages. The size I’m referencing on “He Think I Love Him” is duration. Megan Thee Stallion delivers a mean, kick-ass punch on this minute-and-a-half cut from her 2024 album, MEGAN: ACT II. Thee Stallion gets a lift from a rock-oriented, hip-hop backdrop produced by Drumma Boy. Expectedly, the beat bangs, while the menacing guitar riffs are a pleasant surprise. What is unsurprising is the signature, aggressive, hard-nosed rhymes from the Grammy-winner. As usual, Megan paints herself as the shit, talking ample trash and ending one of her phrases with the assertion, “Niggas ain’t had no taste before COVID.” Woo! She adds, “I got grown-ass men actin’ fetal / I do not spin the block, nigga, I reroute / Number one, give a fuck what a chart say / Number one, I can’t beef with no fan page.” Damn, Meg! Her cadence and flow are electrifying, particularly riding the rock-infused backdrop. Thee Stallion offers her fair share more highlights whether its “Bitches bubblin’ under, no Chardonnay / Bitches throwin’ salt, fuckin’ my old bae,” “These niggas just mad ‘cause I treat ‘em like sluts,” or “Wagyu my beef, I ain’t tryna act tough / My name hold weight like I walk around buff, ah.” “He Think I Love Him” is bold and unapologetic Megan through and through.

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7. Katy Perry, “I’M HIS, HE’S MINE” (Ft. Doechii)

143 // Capitol // 2024

“I’m his queen, I’m his freak / I’m every woman he wants and needs / I’m his dream, I’m his drug / I’m every woman he wants, so what?” Oh, snap! Katy Perry tapped Florida rapper Doechii (Jaylah Hickmon) for the assist on “I’M HIS, HE’S MINE”, the fourth track from her ‘floptastic’ 2024 album, 143. “I’M HIS, HE’S MINE” samples the 1991 Crystal Waters song, “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)”. The sample is overt, which bodes well for Perry. “I’M HIS, HE’S MINE” is groovy from the onset. Doechii brings fierceness, adding some much-needed spice. That fierceness begins in the second half of the infectious chorus, where she asserts, “I’m his boss, I’m that bitch / I’m every woman he knows exists.” Doechii also performs the second verse: “Hoes so pressed when I step in the spot / I’m so possessive and up-echelon.” Perry drops the first verse (“You’re creepin’ in his DMs / I’m sleepin’ in his sweatpants”) and the irresistible post-chorus (“La-da-dee, la-da-da / I’m his, he’s mine”). “I’M HIS, HE’S MINE” has lots of writers: Waters, Perry, Hickmon, Ferras Alqaisi, Gamal “Lunchmoney” Lewis, Neal Conway, Ryan Ogren, and Theron Thomas. The track’s two producers, Rocco Did It Again! (Rocco Valdes) and Dr. Luke (Łukasz Gottwald) () are also credited as writers. With its fierce attitude and sweet melodic touches, “I’M HIS, HE’S MINE” is a better moment from a subpar LP.

Appears in :

Eye This List of Must-Hear “I” Songs, Vol. 2 (2024)

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8. Binoy, “Him”

“Him” // Binoy Zachariah // 2024

“I’m the prettiest peach / On the tree / In a goddamn jungle / Nobody does it like me.” The handsome and talented Binoy (Binoy Zachariah) makes sickening music. Kenya-bred, and embracing his Indian roots, his brand of pop is adventurous. “Him” is another intriguing addition to his catalog. It was produced with Arthur Besna with colorful, highly successful results. Despite his confidence as a prized peach, it goes ‘unacknowledged.’ “I build towers / In his honor / With My bare hands,” he sings, adding, “On them he stands / At the center of the room / Right there next to you / I’ll never be him.” Ugh, that’s buzzkill, ego death, all of it! On Instagram, he states:

I wrote this song about my struggles with envy and how lonely of a place it can make the world feel One of my favorites I’ve released so far, and I hope you love it as much as I do

Binoy can’t win, even if he feels worthy of winning. He wants to be H-I-M. After all, “I’m the deepest green / You want a blue.” Two different colors. Unless he loses a yellow, he’ll never become blue. He talks about ego: “I’m made of gold / He’s coated in ivory / Why don’t you like me? / Why don’t they like me?” A debate can be made about the value of gold vs. ivory, however, the big takeaway is the loneliness that results from envy. He closes this captivating record with stellar lyrics.

“Jealousy still hits me

With a pang

In my chest

A canyon unfolds

The size of

The Great Alone.”

Binoy is Kenya’s best-kept secret! “Him” = BOP!

Appears in :

Binoy, Him: Beaming with Pride ️‍ 24 (2024)

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9. Baby Tate, “Slut Him Out Again”

Mani **/ Pedi // Sekoya Spectrum / Warner // 2022**

Per Baby Tate, “I’m finna slut this nigga out.” Oh, snap! “Slut Him Out Again” appears in the rapper’s 2022 album, Mani / Pedi. As the title of the song suggests, Baby Tate is feeling freaky! “He say, ‘You nasty,’ I said, ‘What’s the problem?’ / Don’t you want a bitch to throw that dick back like a shot?” Unapologetic to the nth degree. She offers more sluttiness in the third verse, ‘spitting,’ “Spittin’ on it make it look like glass, up and down my neck, my back / Just like that, lick my pussy and my crack.” Tate is also responsible for the centerpiece, the crème de la crème, the chorus:

“I’m just tryna slut this nigga out (Slut him out)

Gargle on his kids, then spit ‘em in his mouth (In his mouth)

I told him slurp me up like spaghetti

He thought he was a freak ‘til he met me (Yeah)

And now I’m finna show him what it’s ‘bout (Yeah).”

Besides Tate’s bars about Kama Sutra and nut facials, she gets an assist from Kaliii in the second verse. Like Baby Tate, Kaliii is nasty! “I’m finna slut this bitch out,” she asserts, adding, “Heard she got a nigga, but my pussy in her mouth / I can take your nigga or your bitch, fuck that house.” Word. When it comes to men, she has expectations: “I’m a real freak bitch, I don’t want no weak dick / Gotta eat this ass, like, seven days a week, sis.” If there was any doubt, “Slut Him Out Again” is NSFW – don’t try it! Baby Tate and Kaliii don’t play, backed by the mean, seedy-sounding production of Hitkidd.

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10. ETHAN, “he’s all I wanna be” – Tate McRae Cover

“he’s all I wanna be” // ETHAN // 2022

“He’ll wear his tight black singlet / With all his friends around.” Oh, snap! Hmm, funny, ETHAN, I don’t recall that lyric appearing in “She’s all I wanna be” by Tate McRae. That’s because that lyric appears in the Australia-based (New Zealand-bred) musician’s 2022 cover, “he’s all I wanna be”. ETHAN changes the pronouns to ‘he’ throughout “he’s all I wanna be” providing a refreshing, queerer perspective. The handsome and talented musician is openly gay, contributing ample bops to the queer music collection.

Changing pronouns and making male-specific lyrical adjustments is a big draw on “he’s all I wanna be.” ETHAN envies the boy with the boy who is the object of his affection, or something like that… The chorus, the most tuneful section of the original and the cover, sums up the love pain:

“Stupid boy making me so sad

Didn’t think you could change this fast

He’s got everything that I don’t have

How could I ever compete with that?

I know you’ll go and change your mind

Oen day wake up and be bored with mine

He’s got everything that I don’t have

And he’s all I wanna be, all I wanna be so bad…”

Despite his feelings for this “Stupid boy,” ETHAN doesn’t let it stop him from kicking ass and taking names. How does he do that? He serves up brilliant vocals. His runs are lovely, while his falsetto is ripe and warm. He’s at his best on the centerpiece, the pop/rock-infused chorus, crying foul about that ole boy! “He’s all I wanna be” is the sugar honey iced tea.

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11. The Pointer Sisters, “He’s So Shy”

Special Things // Sony Music Entertainment // 1980

“When I first saw him standing there / I longed to speak but did not dare.” Aww, the shyness! However, it was NOT June Pointer (1953 – 2006) or the rest of The Pointer Sisters (Ruth Pointer and the late Anita Pointer) who were the shyest! Adding in the first verse of “He’s So Shy”, June asserts, “And then he smiled and turned away / That told me all he could not say / That’s when I knew he wanted me too / But I had to do some breaking through.” “He’s So Shy” is the second track from the Grammy-winning collective’s seventh album, Special Things. One of seven top 10 hits by The Pointer Sisters, “He’s So Shy” peaked at no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Cynthia Weil and Tom Snow wrote the gold-certified single. Richard Perry produced. It was nominated for a Grammy at the 23^rd Annual GRAMMY Awards for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal.

The sound is to die for. The musical accompaniment is sleek. The keys and synths are warm, the riffs are tight, and the groove is S-T-R-O-N-G . The sound is idiomatic of 1980s pop and R&B. The melodies are tuneful in the verses, as evidenced by the first verse, particularly the chorus. The chorus is infectious melodically and lyrically:

“He’s so shy

He’s so shy

That sweet little boy who caught my eye

He’s so shy

He’s so shy

And he’s much too good to let get by.”

There are lyrical variations with the chorus, as well as some ad-libs. The Pointer Sisters paints a picture of how special and sweet this man is. Yes, he’s shy, and it took some work (“And I’m glad I took the time / That I had to take to make him mine”), but it was well worth it. Not only is the dedication sweet on “He’s So Shy”, but the song is utterly sweet. ICONIC!

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