11 Intriguing Songs With A Story to Tell | Playlist 🎧

11 Intriguing Songs With A Story to Tell features music courtesy of Carrie Underwood, Cheryl Lynn, Conan Gray, JORDY, and Rod Wave.

Who doesn’t love a song that tells a STORY? A narrative approach to songwriting is often a winning formula.  You know what else is a winning formula? A musical compendium that features songs that are explicit in their STORY or STORIES.  By explicit, we’re not necessarily referencing that parental advisory label [Note: 🎙 BUTCHERS HAREM’s entry on this playlist is definitely explicit, though] but rather, we’re referencing the use of the word STORY or STORIES in the song titles. 🎧 11 Intriguing Songs With A Story to Tell features music courtesy of 🎙 Carrie Underwood, 🎙 Cheryl Lynn, 🎙 Conan Gray, 🎙 JORDY, and 🎙 Rod Wave among others. Within the list of six artists referenced, there’s a mix of country, R&B, pop, and rap.  So, without further ado, let’s explore these intriguing musical stories!

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1. JORDY, “Story of a Boy”

💿 Boy • 🏷 300 Entertainment • 🗓 2023

“This is the story of a boy / I’d adore him if I had a choice,” 🎙 JORDY asserts on 🎵 “Story of a Boy” (💿 Boy, 2023) covering the 1990s 🎙 Nine Days classic, 🎵 “Absolutely (Story of a Girl)”. According to MTV, the openly gay pop musician is the first person to be granted permission to cover the song!  With the blessing of Nine Days front man, 🎙 John Hampson,  JORDY transforms the “Absolutely (Story of a Girl)” to fit who he is (“He doesn’t know my name / But I could give much more”). “Story of a Boy” is another awesome addition to the ever expanding queer music catalog.  In his hands, the record is both reflective and longing. “Moved here from a small town / Fell in with the wrong crowd,” he sings in the first verse, adding, “I don’t blame him ‘cause most people suck / And leave you crushed.”  In the second, he frets about Hollywood and says of this guy, “And I watch him on the internet / Trying to be happy / He wouldn’t have to if he knew that he could have me.” JORDY keeps it queer, and who would have it any other way (“And he looks so good / Walking through that door / Oh, I wish I could / Be the ending that he’s looking for”)? It’s incredibly cool he took a 00s hit and reintroduced it to a new generation from a gay perspective. 

Appears in 🔻:

• JORDY, “Story of a Boy”: LGBTQ Bopz 🌈🎶 6 (2023)
• Story: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 16 (2023)

2. Kehlani, “little story”

💿 blue water road • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 2022 

“Oh yeah, I want you to do it again.” Do what again, 🎙 Kehlani? “I want you to pick up the pen / And write me into your story / You know I love the story.” Noted, Kehlani.  On 🎵 “little story” (💿 blue water road, 2022),  the 🏆 Grammy-nominated R&B artist seeks a reconnection with an ex. Oh, those matters of the heart! This reconnection isn’t short-term either, as Kehlani goes on to assert, “Tryna meet you at the altar.” Woo! In the second verse, she expresses her regrets and the problems that ultimately ended the relationship.  She takes responsibility, and despite them no longer being an item, she believes there is a future (“Heartbreak targets in my shotgun / But you’re not one, ooh”). Ultimately, “We got one hell of a story,” and Kehlani hopes she’ll take her back.  Besides a great narrative – the expectation given the title – Kehlani sings beautifully with great authenticity and expression, while 🎛 Daoud and Pop Wansel support her musical endeavors with a lush, truly satisfying backdrop.

Appears in 🔻:

• Story: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 16 (2023)

3. Rae Sremmurd, “Bedtime Stories” (Ft. The Weeknd)

💿 SR3MM • 🏷 Interscope • 📅 2018

“I’m not tryna tell you bedtime stories / I’m not like those other niggas talkin’ to you,” Grammy-winner 🎙 The Weekend asserts on 🎵 “Bedtime Stories”. He adds, “I’m not lookin’ at you, I’m lookin’ right through you / Said I’m not like those other niggas that pursue you.” The five-minute long, illustrious record appears as the third track on disc one of 💿 SR3MM. SR3MM, of course, is the ambitious triple album by brother rap duo, 🎙 Rae Sremmurd – 🎙 Swae Lee (in all his mellowness) and 🎙 Slim Jxmmi (more hard-nosed).  The central theme of “Bedtime Stories” is all about a relationship or a lack thereof.  At the end of the first verse, Swae Lee claims, “She love a different nigga every day.” As for Slim Jxmmi, he’s into her, but ultimately can’t fall for her: “But ayy, girl, you can stop right there / Fallin’ in love is my worst nightmare.” Apparently, no bedtime stories!

Appears in 🔻:

• 15 Songs Associated with the Bed (2018)

4. Carrie Underwood, “Ghost Story”

💿 Denim & Rhinestones • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 📅 2022

“You’re gonna see a shadow / Midnight playing tricks with your head,” 🎙 Carrie Underwood asserts in the first verse of 🎵 “Ghost Story”.  The country artist continues singing, “A silhouette float down the hallway / And you’ll reach for the light by your bed.” 👻 Boo – it’s a ghost! Who’s the ghost on this 💿 Demin & Rhinestones standout? Why, the 🏆 Grammy-winning country musician herself! In the crowning achievement, the chorus, she proclaims, “I’m gonna be your ghost story / That keeping you up all night memory / I’ll be haunting you, you’ll be wanting me.” Ooh wee, ain’t that some sugar honey iced tea! Basically, Underwood is a woman scorned, and she makes it crystal clear, BOY, “Oh, you’ll wish you never said goodbye.” With powerful vocals, entertaining and haunting lyrics, and a well-rounded backdrop produced by Underwood and 🎛 David Garcia, “Ghost Story” is hauntingly good!

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Appears in 🔻:

• 13 Utterly Ghostly Ghost Songs (2023)

5. Rod Wave, “MJ Story”

💿 Jupiter’s Diary: 7 Day Theory • 🏷 Alamo / Sony Music Entertainment • 📅 2022 

On 🎵 “MJ Story”, 🎙 Rod Wave is serving up the come up, sigh.  The come up is a prevalent theme in rap music and Rod delivers it as good as anybody. Admittedly, on the sixth track of 💿 Jupiter’s Diary: 7 Day Theory, he asserts, “I was such a teenage dirtbag, I’d break in your shit / Young wild nigga on a rush to get rich.” Woo! The first step is admitting you have a problem… or admitting you were wrong.  Despite being desperate and making bad choices, Rod goes on to say, “Mama, look at your son, never knew it’d come to this / From juvenile detention, send us to the Forbes list.” It is an impressive turnaround by all means.  Where does the MJ story actually come into the picture, and who is Rod Wave referencing. Well, apparently, it’s both 🏀 Michael Jordan and 🎙️ Michael Jackson: “I know I say I’m Michael Jordan, but I might be / I might be Michael Jackson after all.”

6. Taylor Swift, “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)”

💿 Fearless (Taylor’s Version) • 🏷 Taylor Swift • 📅 2021

“That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles / And my daddy said, ‘Stay away from Juliet.’” The minute you hear 🎵 “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)”, it’s definitely nostalgic, period.  It is a prime example of old 🎙 Taylor Swift, a firmly planted country artist with some pop leanings.  Sure, the 🏆 Grammy winner has long moved on from her Nashville roots (2014 marked the total break), but, hearing her reminisce definitely ‘feels right.’ Hearing “Love Story” 13 years later gives listeners the sentiment that she could release a new country album IF SHE WANTED TO.  The biggest question rerecorded version was how an adult Swift would sound on music originally recorded when she was late teen?  The answer is, fantastic.  While Swift is in a different place compared to 2008, her voice sounds great and more seasoned.  As far as the sound and production of the record, 🎛 Christopher Rowe and Swift do a nice job recreating as well. The original from 💿 Fearless (2008) remains the one to beat, but the 💿 Fearless (Taylor’s Version) definitely recaptures the magic of one of her biggest hits.

“Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone

I’ll be waiting, all there’s left to do is run

You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess

It’s a love story, baby, just say, ‘Yes.’”

Appears in 🔻:

• Story: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 16 (2023)

7. Conan Gray, “The Story”

💿 Kid Krow • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2020

“And the movie’s always runnin’ in my head / All the people, all the lovers, all my friends / And I hope that they all get their happy end / In the end.” 🎵 “The Story” is an absolutely stunning record – a truly awesome moment from 💿 Kid Krow, the debut studio album from 🎙 Conan Gray. What makes “The Story” so stunning? It starts with Gray’s angelic voice. He sings with incredible control and expression. Besides his spectacular performance, “The Story” is accomplished when it comes to production and songwriting. 🎛 Dan Nigro handles the production, which begins very restrained and minimalist, placing the emphasis on Gray’s illustrious vocals.  With such adept pacing, the production percolates at the perfect moment, with Conan’s pipes following suit. The songwriting is even more magical.  Written solely by Gray, his ‘story’ encompasses unfortunate suicide and unrealized romance. The ‘sequel’ encompasses two friends trying to make a better life for themselves beyond their evil parents. All boxes are checked off on this totally must-hear, narrative gem, among the best songs from 2020.

via GIPHY

Appears in 🔻:

• Awesome Songs: January 2020
• 15 S Songs Selected with No Rhyme or Reason (2020)
• 51 Best Songs of 2020 (So Far)
• 100 BEST SONGS OF 2020: 50 – 26
• 100 BEST SONGS OF 2020
• Story: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 16 (2023)

8. BUTCHERS HAREM, “EROTIC STORES WRITTEN IN BLOOD”

💿 EROTIC STORES WRITTEN IN BLOOD • 🏷 BUTCHERS HAREM PRODUCTIONS • 📅 2017

“Tears of crap mixed with morsels of semen from bleeding butt, their rear ends bashed to fuck dumb sluts left battered in fear struck.” Say what? 🎵 “EROTIC STORES WRITTEN IN BLOOD” – now that is a fierce, eyebrow raising song title right there!  The thing is “EROTIC STORES WRITTEN IN BLOOD” lives up to its title, coming off incredibly unapologetic.  Appearing as the unlucky 13^th track on – wait for it – 💿 EROTIC STORES WRITTEN IN BLOOD, this joint isn’t the least bit safe for work.  To quote 🎙 Sam Smith and 🎙 Kim Petras, 🎙 BUTCHERS HAREM are doing DEFINITELY “Doing something unholy”!

“We get aroused when we’re murdering and play with the guts / Take our display of disturbing shit like a blade raping ya c–ts.” Wow 😬! It doesn’t get any more family friendly for the Australian rap collective as they mention “Tourist bitches corpses dismantled, then left abandoned / Rottin’ bodies hidden in the bushes under piles of sandstone / Vaginal chasms full of warm juices from my testicular sanctum,” as well as asserting, “Nailing the mammaries upon adolescent fruition, vaginal splattering with the stench of attrition, make every victim, adsorb my fuck.” What more is there to say? These erotic stories are, pardon my French, totally f#¢ked up.

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Appears in 🔻:

• BUTCHERS HAREM, “EROTIC STORES WRITTEN IN BLOOD”: Midnight Heat 🕛 🔥 23 (2023)

9. Jay-Z, “The Story of O.J.”

💿 4:44 • 🏷 Roc Nation • 📅 2017

🎵 “The Story of O.J.” is one of many standouts hailing from the critically acclaimed 🎙 Jay-Z album, 💿 4:44. Somehow, Jay-Z went home empty handed at the 🏆 Grammys despite eight nominations! “The Story of O.J.” accounted for three of those nominations including Record Of The Year, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video.  Despite not winning, I would consider this one of the very best songs from his illustrious catalog.

“The Story of O.J.” incorporates samples from 🎙 Nina Simone (🎵 “Four Women”) and 🎙 Funk Inc. (🎵 “Kool Is Back”). The Simone sample gives “O.J.” a jazzy quality.  The hook emphasizes that black is black, regardless of status or shade: “Light nigga, dark nigga, faux nigga, real nigga / Rich nigga, poor nigga, house nigga, field nigga / Still nigga, still nigga.” Woo! Naturally, the record is controversial, most notably thanks to stereotypical Jewish references (“You ever wonder why Jewish people own all the property in American? This how they did it”). One of the best songs of 2017, to reiterate, it is also one of the best from the Jay-Z collection. 

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Appears in 🔻:

• 27 Contemporary Songs That Capture the Black Experience (2017)
• Story: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 16 (2023)

10. Trevor Daniel, “Story”

🎵 “Story” • 🏷 Alamo • 📅 2022

“I wonder which story you tell / The one when we’re in heaven 😇 or you put me through hell 🤬 😈.” Ah, those matters of the heart have 🎙 Trevor Daniel feeling some type of way on 🎵 “Story,” a single released in 2022.  Daniel wrote “Story” alongside 🎼 ✍ CAPPA, Carl Falk (who also produces), and Kidcalledkoda. Here, he’s pressed about what story – what narrative – his ex-girlfriend has conveyed.  In the first verse, he recollects happiness but now recollects “It kinda feels like a bad dream.” In the second verse, he asks, “Do you paint me as the bad guy? / Like I’m some sort of villain, baby.” Clearly, perception plays a sizable role for Daniel. He’s definitely NOT happy with his ex.  Even so, Daniel doesn’t sound so perturbed vocally, singing with his signature airy, and light sound. Still, there are two stories here, PERIOD (or exclamation)!

11. Cheryl Lynn, “Daybreak (Storybook Children)”

💿 Cheryl Lynn • 🏷 Sony Music Entertainment • 📅 1978

“Daybreak / How can I ever leave this place beside you? / You were the only one I ever cried to / The night is through.” The lush ballad, 🎵 “Daybreak (Storybook Children)” appears as the ninth track on 💿 Cheryl Lynn, the 1978, gold-certified debut album by 🎙 Cheryl Lynn. Lynn is best known for the platinum crossover hit, 🎵 “Got To Be Real” from the same album. Even so, “Daybreak (Storybook Children)” is a marvelous record in its own right. While this gem sounds like it could be an original by Lynn, it was 🎙 Randy Bishop who originally recorded it in 1977 (a recording is hard to come by these days). Furthermore, 🎙 Bette Midler covered it later that same year (💿 Broken Blossom) before Lynn delivered her stirring rendition.  “Daybreak” was penned by 🎼 ✍ David Pomeranz and Spencer Proffer.

Focusing on Cheryl Lynn, she sings with incredible expression; she sounds utterly sublime. In addition to her tone, something that shines about Lynn’s voice is the range – she possesses elite talent. Beyond the voice, the arrangement and production are incredibly sophisticated – idiomatic of 1970s soul through and through.  The strings soar, the winds – specifically French horn – are warm, and the overall aesthetic is breathtaking.  Lynn does a superb job of bringing the fairytale lyrics alive: “And now it’s daybreak / We were like storybook children / Hey, but, like all good fairytales / This one must end.” The good news for all music lovers is that the legacy of 🎵 “Daybreak (Storybook Children)” endures forever and ever.

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Appears in 🔻:

• Cheryl Lynn, “Daybreak (Storybook Children)”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 47 (2023)

11 Intriguing Songs With A Story to Tell [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; 300 Entertainment, Alamo, Atlantic, BUTCHERS HAREM PRODUCTIONS, Interscope, Republic, Roc Nation, Sony Music Entertainment, Taylor Swift, UMG Recordings, Inc.; Mystic Art Design via Pixabay]