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11 Incredible JUST Songs, Vol. 3 (2025) [๐Ÿ“ท: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; David Wilson from Pexels; AcatXIo from Pixabay]11 Incredible JUST Songs, Vol. 3 features songs by Doris Troy, Jack Harlow, Lil Uzi Vert, Morgan Wallen, and Ryan Gosling. 

Quoting myself, in September 2022, I asserted, โ€œEven with two volumes under our belt, there are more just songs where that came from, so, volume 3 is in the realm of possibility!โ€ Well, folks, the time has come to get  J-U-S-T again! Every song title in 11 Incredible JUST Songs, Vol. 3 must feature the word just.  Simple and uncomplicated, right? Right! This third volume arrives two and a half years after 11 Incredible JUST Songs, Vol. 1 (2022) and 11 Incredible JUST Songs, Vol. 2 (2022). 11 Incredible JUST Songs, Vol. 3 features songs by Doris Troy, Jack Harlow, Lil Uzi Vert, Morgan Wallen, and Ryan Gosling. This JUST list encompasses country, gospel, pop, R&B, and rap.  Thereโ€™s a little bit of everything! So, without further ado, letโ€™s dive right into these incredible JUST songs!


~ Table of Contents ~

1. Morgan Wallen, โ€œJust In Caseโ€ 2. Jack Harlow, โ€œJust Usโ€ (Ft. Doja Cat) 3. Lil Uzi Vert, โ€œJust Wanna Rockโ€ 4. The Main Ingredient, โ€œJust Donโ€™t Want To Be Lonelyโ€
5. Ryan Gosling, โ€œIโ€™m Just Kenโ€ 6. John Conlin, โ€œLove Me Just a Littleโ€ 7. Jerry Butler, โ€œJust Because I Really Love Youโ€ 8. The Kid LAROI, โ€œWhat Just Happenedโ€
9. Montell Fish, โ€œI Just Wanna Feel Your Love Againโ€ 10. Doris Troy, โ€œJust One Lookโ€ 11. Willie Neal Johnson & The Keynotes, โ€œJust a Rehearsalโ€  

 


1. Morgan Wallen, โ€œJust In Caseโ€

Iโ€™m The Problem // Big Loud / Mercury // 2025 

Morgan Wallen, Iโ€™m The Problem [๐Ÿ“ท: Big Loud / Mercury]โ€œI always take it to the edge, then I back it up / They donโ€™t know I got a reason for actinโ€™ up.โ€ Morgan Wallen is nothing short of polarizing for many reasons.  Yet, the Grammy-nominated country musician is extremely successful. Mr. East Tennessee is making bank, period. โ€œJust In Caseโ€ appears as the fifth track on his fourth studio album, Iโ€™m The Problem. โ€œI ainโ€™t felt a damn thing, baby, after us,โ€ he continues singing in the second verse, โ€œYeah, Iโ€™m just hopinโ€™ youโ€™ll come back to us.โ€ โ€œJust In Caseโ€ is NOT your grandfatherโ€™s (or fatherโ€™s, if he is of a certain age) country music.  Eight songwriters are credited, including Wallen.  Another songwriter, Charlie Handsome (Ryan Vojtesak), and Joey Moi produced this smooth, soulful country-pop cut.

One constant regarding Morgan Wallen is the voice.  He delivers smooth vocals with his signature, East Tennessee twang. As the excerpted lyrics suggest, matters of the heart are firmly in play.  Backtracking to the first verse, Wallen states, after leaving with someone who he doesnโ€™t know, hypothetically, โ€œI could forget you, girl, for good / Even though I should.โ€ But does he? Of course not.  The chorus says it all, and beautifully, I might add:

โ€œI never let my heart go all the way

Every time I try, I just hit the brakes

And thereโ€™s always a couple tryna take your place

But I never fall in love, baby, just in case.โ€

In the bridge, he also backs up his reservations: โ€œYeah, I could have three words on my tongue, But I wonโ€™t ever say โ€˜em.โ€ Perhaps Morgan Wallen is the problem, but there is nothing problematic about the enjoyable and relatable โ€œJust In Caseโ€.  No, itโ€™s not the country of old but many will still enjoy it, nonetheless.

Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:

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2. Jack Harlow, โ€œJust Usโ€ (Ft. Doja Cat)

โ€œJust Usโ€ // Generation Now / Atlantic Recording Corporation // 2025

Jack Harlow, Just Us (Ft. Doja Cat)[๐Ÿ“ท: Generation Now / Atlantic Recording Corporation]โ€œI wish it was just us in this bitch / but they canโ€™t trust us in this bitch / โ€˜Cause Iโ€™m tryna bust nuts in this, huh.โ€ It does not take long for Grammy-nominated rapper Jack Harlow to โ€˜reveal his cardsโ€™ on โ€œJust Usโ€. He gets โ€˜nastyโ€™ early on in the chorus. Sometimes, his sexually charged lines feel, um, clumsy โ€“ would not be the first time. He collaborates with Grammy-winning rapper/singer Doja CatHollywood Cole, Tay Keith, Angel Lopez, Ojivolta, and Dylan Graham produced โ€œJust Us.โ€ The musical backdrop is warm on this sexy, hip-hop song. Notably, it samples the 2021 song โ€œNOTE TO THE CITY. (INTERLUDE)โ€ by Boslen featuring Rascals. 

Busting nuts is the only ear-catching, slightly WTF moment from Harlow.  He censors their rendezvous in the chorus, where โ€œclutchinโ€™โ€ and โ€œadjustingโ€ happen, comments on her huskiness, and admits, โ€œI know it sounds like Zack and Cody / This lifeโ€™s sweet, I mean high key.โ€ That is all before the first verse, where Jack admits, โ€œIโ€™m all on you, falling out my seat.โ€ I enjoy Doja Catโ€™s aggressive tone, whether or not all of the rhymes land. She delivers some memorable, eyebrow-raising lyrics, regarding sex, of course. โ€œTwo hands on my โ€˜fro, starinโ€™ into my soul / Leg up on the chair, hand on that arm, tongue in that throat,โ€ she spits early in the second verse, adding, the likes of โ€œInsatiable, Iโ€™m like Pac-Man / We go back further than Backgammon,โ€ and โ€œYou mad cute, I wanโ€™ fuck / Donโ€™t ice box me, letโ€™s touch.โ€  In the outro, Harlow makes numerous music/song references to Musiq Soulchild (โ€œJust Friendsโ€), Bobby V. (โ€œSlow Downโ€), and The Temptations.  While โ€œJust Usโ€ is enjoyable enough, it is not game-changing, groundbreaking, or innovative.  It is what it is.

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3. Lil Uzi Vert, โ€œJust Wanna Rockโ€

Pink Tape //  Generation Now / Atlantic // 2023 

Lil Uzi Vert, Pink Tape [๐Ÿ“ท: Generation Now / Atlantic]โ€œDamn / Damn / (MC, make another hit) Whoa / This ainโ€™t what you want (Project-Project X) / This ainโ€™t what you want / This ainโ€™t what you want.โ€ WOOโ€ฆ methinksโ€ฆ Anyways, Grammy-nominated rapper Lil Uzi Vert is truly one of a kind.  They do their own thing on โ€œJust Wanna Rock,โ€ the promo single from their 2023 LP, Pink Tape. Best described as an experimental trap cut with club elements (this is one you just have to hear), โ€œJust Wanna Rockโ€ runs just two minutes in change.  The energy from Lil Uzi Vert is turned up as they spit over malicious synths, minor key production (McVertt and Synthetic), and a hard-hitting beat.  Do they say much in their rhymes? Absolutely not! โ€œI just wanna rock, body-ody, yeah (Shake it down) / Shawty got that body-ody, ah, ah, ah (Shake it down),โ€ they rap in the sole verse, adding, โ€œHit it once, no ties (Shake it-shake it) / How the fuck you gonโ€™ kill my vibe?โ€ Perhaps the most colorful moment of his performance is the repeated, โ€œBuh, buh, buh, buh(s)โ€ in the outro. โ€œJust Wanna Rockโ€ is, um, interesting! 

  

Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป: 

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4. The Main Ingredient, โ€œJust Donโ€™t Want To Be Lonelyโ€

Euphrates River // RCA // 1974

The Main Ingredient, Euphrates River [๐Ÿ“ท: RCA]โ€œI donโ€™t mind when you say / That youโ€™re going away / I just donโ€™t wanna be lonely.โ€ Indeed, The Main Ingredient. Later, โ€œLet the stairs find you there / Waiting at the end of the room / I just donโ€™t wanna be lonely.โ€ Noted! โ€œJust Donโ€™t Want To Be Lonelyโ€ is one of the soul collectiveโ€™s most popular songs. Itโ€™s the eighth track from the soul collectiveโ€™s sixth album, Euphrates River, released in 1974. A pop hit, it peaked at no. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. John C. Freeman, Bobby Eli, and Vinnie Barrett penned the oldie, originally recorded by Ronnie Dawson. A big bass line is one of the best features of the song. There are also terrific guitar riffs and a mean groove established by the drums and percussion.  The rhythm section is tight. In addition to the rhythm section, the orchestra sounds sweet โ€“ the strings soar. From a music theory perspective, the harmonic scheme is sweet, with some distinct moments that catch the ear.  Beyond the instrumental and technical aspects, Cuba Gooding Sr. excels as a frontman.  His vocals are buttery smooth. Even before singing one note, he exhibits plenty of personality in the intro (โ€œHey, say, wait a minute / Where you going with that suitcaseโ€).  Besides bringing the melodies to life, Gooding Sr. also drops some great vocal ad-libs.  He gets epic support from The Main Ingredient, who lock into celestial vocal harmonies.  The songwriting is electrifying too, as the emphasis is on love and avoiding loneliness.  The chorus is the centerpiece:

โ€œIโ€™d rather be loved and needed
Depended on to give a love
I canโ€™t give when youโ€™re gone
When youโ€™re gone
I just donโ€™t want to be lonely
Iโ€™d rather be loved.โ€

Word. โ€œJust Donโ€™t Want To Be Lonelyโ€ is The Main Ingredient at its best.

Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:

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5. Ryan Gosling, โ€œIโ€™m Just Kenโ€

Barbie The Album // Atlantic / Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. // 2023โ€ฏ

Barbie The Album [๐Ÿ“ท: Atlantic / Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.]โ€œCan you feel the Ken-ergy?โ€ One of the best (if not the best) moments of Barbie The Album arrives courtesy of Ryan Gosling on โ€œIโ€™m Just Kenโ€. Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt pen and produce a bop where the actor, embracing his full-on Ken-ness, is in reflective mode.โ€ฏ It is interesting because we donโ€™t associate Ken dolls (himbos) with having the self-awareness to be introspective โ€“ transcend beyond the six-pack abs and perfect body most of us wonโ€™t have. But Ryan, aka Ken, does just thatโ€ฆ in his own way, mind you. โ€œI have feelings that I canโ€™t explain / Drivinโ€™ me insane,โ€ he sings, adding, โ€œAll my life, been so polite / But Iโ€™ll sleep alone tonight.โ€ Interesting, isnโ€™t it? In the second verse, he admits to wanting love, asking, โ€œAnd is my moment finally here, or am I dreaming?โ€ Of course, the chorus is a big deal, where Ken admits, โ€œAnywhere else Iโ€™d be a ten / Is it my destiny to live and die a life of blonde fragility? /โ€ฆ What will it take for her to see the man behind the tan and fight for me.โ€ Aww ๐Ÿฅฐ!โ€ฏ Basically, โ€œIโ€™m Just Kenโ€ is that fierce pop joint you didnโ€™t know you needed in your life!

Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:โ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏโ€ฏ 

~ Table of Contents ~

6. John Conlin, โ€œLove Me Just a Littleโ€

โ€œLove Me Just a Littleโ€ // John Conlin // 2024 

John Conlin, Love Me Just a Little [๐Ÿ“ท: John Conlin]โ€œOnly asking you for one thing / I just want it to mean something, oh.โ€ Honestly, that doesnโ€™t seem like too much to ask, John Conlin. Unfortunately, love is often NOT that simple.  The Toronto musician delivers a relatable, well-rounded pop song with โ€œLove Me Just a Littleโ€ penned with Suzie Buist. The talented Canadian produced it alongside Olle Romo. The sound is a huge selling point.  The groove shoโ€™ nuff grooves early on, while those picturesque keys are everything. Conlin has a fantastic backdrop to sing over and sing he does! His vocals are strong and characterized by an authentic and expressive performance. โ€œLove Me Just a Littleโ€ is relatable, thanks to not only Conlinโ€™s vocal performance but also, the love-driven lyrics.  โ€œAlways telling me how Iโ€™m so fine, say anything to get that invite / Know youโ€™re gonna waste my time,โ€ he sings in the first verse, adding in the second, โ€œLonely nights, I wanna give in / Someone touching my skin / But I been there, and it doesnโ€™t make sense, link up just to have it all end / Never hear from them again.โ€ Nobody likes a ghost ๐Ÿ‘ป! The melodies are tuneful throughout, especially in the chorus:

โ€œOh my god, Iโ€™m bleeding every single feeling out

Love me just a little

No one wants to slow dance, what happened to romance?

Love me just a little, just a little right now.โ€

The ending of the record is particularly grand, given Conlinโ€™s ad-libs and vocal riffs, as well as the level of energy. All told, John Conlin brings the heat on โ€œLove Me Just a Littleโ€. 

Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:

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7. Jerry Butler, โ€œJust Because I Really Love Youโ€

The Ice Man Cometh // UMG Recordings, Inc. // 1968

Jerry Butler, The Ice Man Cometh [๐Ÿ“ท: UMG Recordings, Inc.]โ€œJust because I really love you / I let you treat me bad, let you make me sad.โ€ Love will make you do crazy things or allow yourself to be mistreated.  Thatโ€™s what Jerry Butler (1939 โ€“ ) asserts in his classic, โ€œJust Because I Really Love Youโ€. โ€œJust Because I Really Love Youโ€ is the fifth track from his 1968 album, The Ice Man Cometh.  Butler penned โ€œJust Becauseโ€ฆโ€ alongside Kenneth Gamble, Mikki Farrow, and Thomas Randolph Bell.  Notably, it was produced by the iconic duo Gamble & Huff (Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff).  The instrumental arrangement and production are superb: articulated, biting horns, robust bass, sweet rhythm guitar, and glorious keys. As epic as the musical accompaniment is, the โ€˜star of the showโ€™ is Jerry!

โ€œOh, little girl, I donโ€™t think you mean / To hurt me the way you do,โ€ Butler sings, adding, โ€œSo, I let you take a whole lot of liberties / A man in love should never do.โ€ Word.  He questions his decision to give her free reign, singing, โ€œTell me, isnโ€™t a beautiful illusion / Holding a man in the palm of your little hand?โ€ Food for thought.  The lyrics are memorable throughout, brought to life masterfully by Butler.  He gives his all from a vocal perspective. There is no shortage of authenticity and personality from the legendary musician. His ad-libs towards the end of the song are among his best, showing just how much he loves this woman.  A non-single from The Ice Man Cometh, that doesnโ€™t hold โ€œJust Because I Really Love Youโ€ back from being the crรจme de la crรจme of the Jerry Butler catalog.

Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:

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8. The Kid LAROI, โ€œWhat Just Happenedโ€

THE FIRST TIME // Columbia // 2023

The Kid LAROI, The First Time (Deluxe Version)[๐Ÿ“ท: Columbia]โ€œWhat Just Happenedโ€ prefaced THE FIRST TIME, the debut album by Grammy-nominated Australian rapper/singer, The Kid LAROI (Charlton Howard). Blake Slatkin, Omer Fedi, and Shellback produced the single that begins with Howard singing abruptly, accompanied by rhythmic electric guitar.  He sings the chorus, setting the tone of the record. โ€œWhat Just Happenedโ€ features its fair share of fine, melodic moments.  After initially being accompanied by guitar, the addition of drums and bass ups the ante. Also, upping the ante is the attitude and swagger of The Kid, who drops a couple of f-bombs (โ€œYeah, we both know you donโ€™t give a fuck / Friends with my girl, but you wanna fuckโ€). Howardโ€™s second verse is even more rhythmic than the first. The contrast keeps the song engaging.  The pre-chorus marks another tuneful moment (โ€œStop it, but you wonโ€™t, wonโ€™t wonโ€™t / Love it, โ€˜cause youโ€™re co-coldโ€ฆโ€), while the chorus marks one of the best moments of the song:

โ€œI donโ€™t know if we just crossed the line

โ€˜Cause I donโ€™t even know what just happened

Everything I said last night was lies

โ€˜Cause I donโ€™t even know what just happened.โ€

The Kid LAROI doesnโ€™t reinvent the wheel or pop with โ€œWhat Just Happenedโ€, but this is an enjoyable, memorable, and well-rounded song.

~ Table of Contents ~

9. Montell Fish, โ€œI Just Wanna Feel Your Love Againโ€

โ€œI Just Wanna Feel Your Love Againโ€ // Lordโ€™s Child // 2023

Montell Fish, I Just Wanna Feel Your Love Again [๐Ÿ“ท: Lord's Child]A slow tempo complements a song that possesses a theme of being brokenhearted, right? Right. Alternative musician Montell Fish keeps the BPMs low on โ€œI Just Wanna Feel Your Love Againโ€.  In this four-minute-long record, Fish handles the production.  The backdrop is lovely, with lush strings featured in the intro, supplanted by guitar accompaniment.  The first vocal section of โ€œI Just Wanna Feel Your Love Againโ€ we hear is the chorus:  

โ€œI just wanna feel your love again 

I just wanna feel your touch again 

But, deep down, I know youโ€™ll leave me every time 

But, if thatโ€™s the price, I might just turn my eyesโ€

Ultimately, the chorus is tender and beautiful. In the verse, Fish laments being without herโ€ฆ This is relatable, though nothing brand-new thematically. The verse is followed by a bridge, where Fish sings in an undertone.  The rub is that sometimes it sounds as if he mumbles or doesnโ€™t properly annunciate.  This seems to be intentional. Yes, the lyrics are important, but the vibe โ€“ this feeling of desiring a lost love โ€“ is also important to convey.  Following the final chorus, there is an outro that sounds raw and separates itself from everything else. Still, it is firmly entrenched in the narrative. All told, Fish delivers an interesting track. 

~ Table of Contents ~

10. Doris Troy, โ€œJust One Lookโ€

Sings Just One Look And Other Memorable Selections // Atlantic // 1963

Doris Troy, Sings Just One Look & Other Memorable Selections [๐Ÿ“ท: Atlantic]โ€œJust one look, and I feel so hard / In love with you, oh-oh, oh-oh.โ€ โ€˜Oh-ohโ€™ indeed, Doris Troy (1937 โ€“ 2004).  The late soul musician had one claim to fame: โ€œJust One Lookโ€, the third track from her 1963 debut album, Sings Just One Look And Other Memorable Selections. She and Gregory Carroll penned it.  Artie Ripp produced.  Notably, โ€œJust One Lookโ€ marked her sole entry on the pop charts. It peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The good news is this sole hit by Troy is the bomb! She sings with incredible passion and soul.  The melodies are memorable from an initial listen and pleasing to the ears. The lyrics are simple and uncomplicated, yet relatable and unforgettable. Matters of the heart drive the narrative: โ€œSay you will, will be mine / Forever and always, oh-oh-oh-oh.โ€ The bridge keeps โ€œJust One Lookโ€ engaging, providing contrast to the verses. She sings, โ€œI thought I was dreaminโ€™ / but I was wrong, yeah, yeah, yeah / Oh, but Iโ€™m gonna keep on scheminโ€™ / โ€˜Til I can make you, make you my own.โ€ Oh, snap! Besides superb vocals and ear-catching lyrics from Taylor, the accompaniment is awesome, too.  Groovy and oozing with the vintage soul aesthetic, Doris has ample fuel for her fire.  Ultimately, โ€œJust One Lookโ€ speaks for itself.  Yes, it sucks that Troy never earned another hit, but, when your sole hit is the caliber of this one, you count your blessings.  She says it best herself in the chorus/outro: โ€œJust one look, thatโ€™s all it took.โ€

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11. Willie Neal Johnson & The Keynotes, โ€œJust a Rehearsalโ€

Just A Rehearsal // Malaco // 1985

Willie Neal Johnson and the Gospel Keynotes, Just A Rehearsal [๐Ÿ“ท: Malaco]โ€œThis is just a rehearsal, when we get to heaven, yโ€™all / Weโ€™re gonna really sing.โ€ Think about that key line from the Willie Neal Johnson and the Gospel Keynotes classic, โ€œJust a Rehearsalโ€.  For those who believe, our life on Earth is the rehearsal for what is to come โ€“ eternity โ€“ ideally in heaven as opposed to hell.  Willie Neal Johnson and the Gospel Keynotes already sounded amazing when they recorded this song, which appeared on their 1985 album, Just a Rehearsal.

Willie Neal asserts in the first verse, โ€œI like to sing each and every night / Sometimes this old voice, it just wonโ€™t act right.โ€  I have no true doubt; we are mere mortals! Johnson and company go on to add, however, โ€œGonna keep on singing so the world will see / When we make it to heaven, weโ€™ll sing in perfect harmony.โ€ Hallelujah ๐Ÿ™Œ! Backed by a spirited groove, and a bright major key backdrop, it is hard not to feel uplifted and optimistic about eternal life in heaven.  Even if you donโ€™t believe, youโ€™ve got to appreciate the faith exuded by Willie Neal Johnson and the Gospel Keynotes.  The authenticity is lit ๐Ÿ”ฅ! Also, worth checking out is Paul Porter performing this beloved black gospel classic.

Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:

~ Table of Contents ~ // ~ intro ~

11 Incredible JUST Songs, Vol. 3 (2025) [๐Ÿ“ท: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Atlantic Recording Corporation, Big Loud, Columbia, Generation Now, John Conlin, Lordโ€™s Child, Mercury, RCA, UMG Recordings, Inc., Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.; David Wilson from Pexels; AcatXIo from Pixabay]

 

Categories: EvergreenLGBTQMusicPlaylistsPop Culture

the musical hype

the musical hype (Brent Faulkner) has earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music (music education, music theory/composition respectively). A multi-instrumentalist, he plays piano, trombone, and organ among numerous other instruments. He's a certified music educator, composer, and freelance music blogger. Faulkner cites music and writing as two of the most important parts of his life. Notably, he's blessed with a great ear, possessing perfect pitch.

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