11 Intriguing Songs Associated with Chains ⛓ | Playlist 🎧

11 Intriguing Songs Associated with Chains 🎧 features Aretha Franklin, Fleetwood Mac, Jacob Banks, Nick Jonas & Pink Sweat$. 

Cutting straight to the chase – none of that cutesy stuff – this playlist is all about CHAINS.  Yes, as the title, 🎧 11 Intriguing Songs Associated with Chains ⛓, makes crystal clear, the word CHAIN is used explicitly or minimally implied thematically within each song.  Most songs feature some form of the word, but there are a pair of exceptions – read and find out on your own, of course!

🎧 11 INTRIGUING SONGS ASSOCIATED WITH CHAINS ⛓ features music courtesy of 🎙 Aretha Franklin, 🎙 Fleetwood Mac, 🎙 Jacob Banks, 🎙 Nick Jonas, and 🎙 Pink Sweat$ among others.  So, basically, on the 28^th playlist of 2021, we’ve got some classics and some more contemporary records lined up for you. Grab a drink, grab a snack, and grab your headphones and get totally ‘chained ⛓ TF up with us!’

1. Fleetwood Mac, “The Chain”

💿 Rumours • 🏷 Warner • 📅 1977 

“And if you don’t love me now / You will never love me again / I can still hear you saying / You would never break the chain.” Ah, 🎵 “The Chain”! It graces the biggest album of 🎙 Fleetwood Mac’s illustrious career, 💿 Rumours.  Of course, not only is Rumours the biggest album of the iconic band’s career, it’s also among the biggest albums of all time. Rumours won the highly coveted 🏆 Grammy for Album of the Year.  “The Chain” is just part of the glory – the magic!

“The Chain” is four-and-a-half minutes of greatness – “kick-ass-ery” if you will! It begins with the thudding kick and awesome guitars the listener is introduced from the start.  Of course, soon enough, we get compelling vocals from 🎙 Lindsey Buckingham with 🎙 Christine McVie and 🎙 Stevie Nicks backing him.  Besides tremendous musicianship exhibited vocally, there’s great musicianship instrumentally – looking at you guitar/bass solo section! Of course, there’s also the fine production overall (McVie, 🎛 Ken Caillat, and 🎛 Richard Dashut).  Last but not least the songwriting is absolutely, positively incredible.  Perhaps lines like “Damn your love, damn your lies” aren’t considered to be elite poetry per se but definitely get the job done!

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2. Pink Sweat$, “Chains”

💿 PINK PLANET • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 2021

“‘Cause baby, I’m a slave for you / You got me wrapped up in your chains…” Love’ll do that to you 🎙 Pink Sweat$ (David Bowden).  🎵 “Chains” appears on the Philly R&B artist’s 2021 debut album, 💿 PINK PLANET.  As the lyrics, excerpted from the chorus suggest, Bowden is ‘head over heels’ for this particular lady.

Pink Sweat$ wrote and produced “Chains” with 🎼 ✍ 🎛 Dernst Emile II and John Hill.  Sure, it’s only two-and-a-half minutes long, but it’s an impressive two-and-a-half minutes for sure.  First and foremost, we get beautiful, silky smooth vocals by Bowden – gotta love his upper register.  Furthermore, he has a beautiful, tuneful melody on his hands, particularly the chorus.  Highlighting the backdrop, it’s lovely, commencing with chill guitar accompaniment and eventually growing lusher with keys, drum groove, and strings.  It’s a vibe you’ll definitely find yourself chained to… well… something like that.

3. Aretha Franklin, “Chain of Fools”

💿 Lady Soul • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 1967

“Chain, chain, chain / Chain, chain, chain / Chain, chain, chain / Chain of fools.” 🎙 Aretha Franklin.  🎵 “Chain of Fools.” 💿 Lady Soul (1967).  Enough said, right? This is one of the best, most iconic gems from the late soul singer’s collection.  The 🏆 Grammy-winning icon brings attitude, sassiness, and powerhouse vocals.

So, what, exactly fuels Franklin’s sassiness?  What’s got her so riled up? Well, how about a no good, totally trifling M-A-N? Yeah, Aretha, you should’ve left that fool alone! What a bum!

“You told me to leave you alone
My father said, ‘come on home’
My doctor said, ‘take it easy’
Oh, but your loving is much too strong.” 

Of course, the heart wants what it wants but so many times it totally fucks messes you up.

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Appears in 🔻:

• Chains ⛓… 5ive Songs No. 20 (2020)

4. Nick Jonas, “Chains”

💿 Nick Jonas X2 • 🏷 Island • 📅 2015

“You got me in chains, you got me in chains for your love / But I wouldn’t change, no I wouldn’t change this love.” Years before he pulled out the chainsaw, young 🎙 Nick Jonas was already chained up on his self-titled album released in 2014 (expanded in 2015 as 💿 Nick Jonas X2). The seductive 🎵 “Chains” marks a grown and sexy, more mature Jonas than we’d seen previously.

Jonas’ voice, particularly his falsetto, is incredibly ripe.  The R&B-infused pop vibe is perfect.  And the lyrics are sexy as hell! Case in point:

“With her wine-stained lips, yeah she’s nothing but trouble
Cold to the touch but she’s warm as a devil
I gave all my heart, but she won’t heal my soul.”

“Chains” was written by 🎼✍ Jason Evigan (who also produces 🎛), Ammar Malik, and Daniel Parker.  Bloody brilliant job fellas!

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Appears in 🔻:

• Chains ⛓… 5ive Songs No. 20 (2020)

5. Katy Perry, “Chained to the Rhythm” (Ft. Skip Marley)

💿 Witness • 🏷 Capitol • 📅 2017

“Are we crazy? / Living our lives through a lens / Trapped in our white picket fence / Like ornaments.” 🎵 “Chained to the Rhythm” ranks among the elite moments from 💿 Witness – it’s the crème de la crème.  🏆 Grammy-nominated pop singer 🎙 Katy Perry needed this moment obviously, given the meh nature of the album overall. The groove is infectious, while the production (🎛 Max Martin and Ali Payami) successfully blends urban- and tropical-pop.

Lyrically, “Chained to the Rhythm” is catchy and thought-provoking.  The verses are socially and politically relevant. 🎙 Skip Marley (grandson of the legendary reggae icon, 🎙 Bob Marley, btw) only plays a small role, never overshadowing Perry. The chorus propels “Chained to the Rhythm” to the next level.

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Appears in 🔻:

• Chains ⛓… 5ive Songs No. 20 (2020)

6. Jacob Banks, “Chainsmoking”

💿 Village • 🏷 Interscope • 📅 2018

“It’s getting harder to breathe / Chainsmoking your love / Can’t be good for my sanity / Can’t be good for my longs.” I concur with all of those assertions. 🎵 “Chainsmoking,” the highlight at hand, appears as the opener on 💿 Village. Village, of course, is the 2018 studio album by Nigerian-born, British singer/songwriter, 🎙 Jacob Banks. Banks wrote “Chainsmoking” alongside 🎼✍ Ajay Bhattacharya, and 🏆 Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter, JP Saxe, who’s definitely seen his profile elevated in the time since writing this.  The colorful, dynamic production work, blending cues from pop, soul, electronic, old-, and new-school, comes courtesy of 🎛 Stint.  With all of “Chainsmoking” being a vibe-and-a-half, nothing shines brighter than Banks himself.  Following the soulful hums on the intro, the listener is blessed with incredibly expressive, nuanced, and gritty vocals by Banks. His tone is breathtaking.  His assertiveness and overall command of the record are also highly impressive.  His vocal runs sound effortless.  Add great songwriting, fueled by love and capped off with the aforementioned catchy, memorable chorus, and you’ve got one truly electrifying record.

7. Zach Williams, “Chain Breaker”

💿 Chain Breaker • 🏷 Provident / Sony Music Entertainment • 📅 2017

Sometimes, we all need inspiration – a pick me up.  What better than a little J-E-S-U-S? No, not a little J-E-S-U-S, but a great big, awesome, omniscient JESUS! No false idols here, but a legitimate 🎵 “Chain Breaker.”  That’s what Christian rock singer 🎙 Zach Williams gives us on the title track from his 2017 album, 💿 Chain Breaker.   

“If you’ve got pain, He’s a pain taker
If you feel lost, He’s a way maker
If you need freedom or saving, He’s a prison-shaking Savior
If you got chains, He’s a chain breaker.”

Zach Williams offers encouragement on this rousing, well-put-together CCM joint.  He wrote “Chain Breaker” with 🎼✍ Jonathan Smith and 🎼✍ Mia Fieldes.  Lyrically, the team does a fine job of leading those discouraged or lost to ‘The Great I Am.’  Musically, the dynamic, exuberant sounds don’t hurt either – piano, organ, guitar, drums, choral backing vocals.  Even if you’re not a believer, or more casual when it comes to spiritual matters, you might dig this one 😜.

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Appears in 🔻:

• Zach Williams, “Chain Breaker”: Sunday Refresh 🙏 No. 3 (2021) 

8. Diana Ross, “Chain Reaction”

💿 Eaten Alive • 🏷 RCA • 📅 1985

“Get in the middle of a chain reaction / You get a medal when you’re lost in action / I wanna get your love all ready for the sweet sensation / Instant radiation.”  Now that is just absolutely sexy to the nth degree.  The song, 🎵 “Chain Reaction,” was written by 🎼 ✍ Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, and Robin Gibb, otherwise known as 🎙 Bee Gees.  While they do provide backing vocals, it is 🎙 Diana Ross who serves as the lead artist.  “Chain Reaction” appears on her 1985 album, 💿 Eaten Alive.

Like so many musicians, Ross’ sound when through its own fair share of evolution. A record by 🎙 The Supremes sounds very different than what she served up when she went solo in the 70s, compared to a mid-80s record like this one.  Ross is still true to self, vocally, but “Chain Reaction” does a nice job of fusing the R&B, disco, soul, and funk she’s known for with the pop of the day.  A lot of that is owed to the production, again courtesy of Robin Gibb along with 🎛 Karl Richardson, and 🎛 Albhy Galuten.  Considering the time, “Chain Reaction” was quite sleek in sound, particularly those boxy-sounding drums that dominated the 80s.  As the kids say today, ‘it’s a vibe.’

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9. Wale, “Golden Salvation (Jesus Piece)”

💿 The Gifted • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 2013

“Jesus piece Jesus piece Jesus piece / But don’t nobody want know Jesus’ peace.”  At this point, we take a slight detour from matters of the chain – sort of.  🎙 Wale delivers some clever wordplay on 🎵 “Golden Salvation (Jesus Piece),” a surefire gem from his under-appreciated 2013 album, 💿 The Gifted.  Yes, plenty of us remember the album’s strip club anthem, 🎵 “Clappers” (“Shawty got a big ol’ butt”), but “Golden Salvation” is the more noteworthy, thoughtful record.

What makes “Golden Salvation (Jesus Piece)” intriguing is the fact that it explores material versus spiritual.  The play on words that’s compelling is “piece” versus “peace.”  The piece is a Jesus piece which is usually a golden chain. Of course, the peace itself is “Jesus peace,” true “golden salvation” if you will. 

Appears in 🔻:

• Chains ⛓… 5ive Songs No. 20 (2020)

10. Nick Jonas “Chainsaw”

💿 Last Year Was Complicated • 🏷 Island • 📅 2016

“Maybe I’ll just take a chainsaw to the sofa / Where I held your body close for so long, so long.” Woo! 🎵 “Chainsaw” appears as the fourth track from 💿 Last Year Was Complicated. Last Year Was Complicated, of course, marks the second ‘mature’ solo album from 🎙 Nick Jonas.  As the aforementioned lyrical excerpt suggests, things aren’t bright in Jonas’ life at this time.  This, my friends, is a breakup song that finds NJ clearly U-N-H-A-P-P-Y.

Continuing the centerpiece of the record, the memorable chorus, Jonas sings, “I’m gonna break the fucking china / Cause it’s just one more reminder you’re gone, you’re gone.” Da-yum! Nick is a scorned man who feels the need to destroy everything that reminds him of his former love.  Anytime the f-word comes into the mix, you know the emotions are running deep.  Of course, the song is named “chainsaw” and that doesn’t exactly have the most positive connotation to begin with.  Though, I must ask, why in the hell she wouldn’t want this right here ⬇:

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Appears in 🔻:

• Chains ⛓… 5ive Songs No. 20 (2020)

11. Mary Mary, “Shackles (Praise You)”

💿 Thankful • 🏷 Sony BMG Entertainment • 📅 2000 

What better way to end a ⛓ chained-up list than by breaking free of such chains? It’s only fitting that we enlist the services of 🏆 Grammy-winning contemporary gospel duo 🎙 Mary Mary to sing us out and enrich us spiritually. We need that spiritual food Mary Mary! We need to feel those encouraging vibes ala 2000 when y’all were incredibly 💿 Thankful unleashing 🎵 “Shackles (Praise You).”

“Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance
I just wanna praise you
(What you wanna do?)
I just wanna praise you
You broke the chains now I can lift my hands
(Feel me?)
And I’m gonna praise You
(What you gonna do?)
I’m gonna praise You.”

Honestly, the chorus – the most memorable part of the record – sums things up perfectly.  God has been merciful and allowed 🎙 Erica Campbell and 🎙Tina Campbell to break free from various things, so therefore, they want to give thanks and praise him.  Yes, “Shackles (Praise You)” will likely mean more to believers (like 🎵 “Chain Breaker” by 🎙 Zach Williams), but even those who don’t ascribe to religion should be able dig the positive vibes.

11 Intriguing Songs Associated with Chains ⛓ [📷: Atlantic, Brent Faulkner, Capitol, Island, The Musical Hype, RCA, Sony, Warner, calicadoo on Unsplash, Eyasu Etsub on Unsplash, Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash, Paolo Nicolello on Unsplash, Some Tale on Unsplash, Thomas Biasetto on Unsplash, Tony Rojas on Unsplash, Zulmaury Saavedra on Unsplash]