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“11 MORE Songs About Crying from Beyond 2010” features music courtesy of Ariana Grande, Badflower, Carrie Underwood, Lil Wayne, and Lizzo.

 “You don’t have to say what you did / I already know, I found out from him…”  Ah, that takes me back to 2002… well… that’s when Justin Timberlake released “Cry Me a River,” the crème de la crème of Justified.  “Now it’s your turn, to cry / Cry me a river…” Okay, moving on…

Back in 2018, the tearful playlist, 11 Songs About Crying from Beyond 2010 was published.  The premise was simple – the 11 selected songs on this playlist have some form of the word ‘cry’ in their title from beyond the year 2010.  That’s why the aforementioned Justin Timberlake classic, “Cry Me a River,” from 2002, missed the cut – totally sucks!  The playlist featured music courtesy of August Alsina (“Song Cry”), Demi Lovato (“Cry Baby”), K. Michelle (“Make This Song Cry”), Melanie Martinez (“Cry Baby”), and The Neighbourhood (“Cry Baby”) among others.

Now, we return with a new installment of crying songs, 11 MORE Songs About Crying from Beyond 2010! Hot damn! Musicians contributing to this list include Ariana Grande (“No Tears Left to Cry”), Badflower (“Cry”), Carrie Underwood (“Cry Pretty”), Lil Wayne (“Don’t Cry”), and Lizzo (“Crybaby”) among others.  Without further ado, get your hankies ready for 11 MORE Songs About Crying from Beyond!!!

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1. Lizzo, “Crybaby”

Cuz I Love You • Nice Life / Atlantic • 2019

“Pull this car over, babe / Don’t pretend like you don’t know / A lot of girls have time for this shit / Honestly, I don’t.” Clearly, Lizzo has “No Time For It” (#Fantasia) and is accepting “No Bullshit” (#Chris Brown). Unapologetic and unafraid are two ways you can characterize the hip-hop/pop/R&B artist, who released her proper debut album, Cuz I Love You, in 2019.  The song at hand, “Crybaby,” is a perfect fit for this cry-centric affair.

“I swore you’d never see this side
But it’s hard to say goodbye
I don’t need to apologize
Us big girls gotta cry…”

“Crybaby,” the sixth track off of Cuz I Love You, screams Prince through and through, bringing more of a pop/rock edge compared to the majority of the LP.  If it does nothing else, “Crybaby” showcases Lizzo’s musical versatility to the nth degree.  Lizzo can rap – she’s got bars – but her singing is absolutely sick.

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2. Badflower, “Cry”

OK, I’M SICK • Big Machine • 2019

“And it falls / Like rain / And when it falls / You won’t feel the same / You won’t feel the pain…” Those are the lyrics that Badflower frontman Josh Katz sings on “Cry,” the closing cut from the Los Angeles band’s must-hear, debut LP, OK, I’M SICK.  “Cry” certainly runs long at six-and-a-half-minutes.  While it may not earn the award for the most succinct track of the album or ‘best of the best,’ it’s an intriguing record, nonetheless.

“Cry” thrives in its minor key, beginning enigmatically before eventually picking up steam.  Katz shows incredible poise on the verses and the majority of the song, directly contrasting a more consistently animated performance like the crowning achievement,  “x ANA x”.  Still, Katz lets loose on the key lyric, “You won’t feel the pain.”  The biggest takeaway – the biggest selling point – about “Cry” is the vibe.

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3. Ariana Grande, “No tears left to cry”

Sweetener • Republic • 2018

“Comin’ out, even when it’s rainin’ down / Can’t stop now, can’t stop, so shut your mouth.” “No Tears Left to Cry” marked the first new Ariana Grande single since the Manchester terror attack.  Safe to say, the Grammy-winning pop artist came back strong on the exuberant, uplifting standout from her 2018 album, Sweetener.

 

“Right now, I’m in a state of mind
I wanna be in, like, all the time
Ain’t got no tears left to cry
So, I’m pickin’ it up, pickin’ it up…”

“No Tears Left to Cry” begins moderately slowly, following the dramatic, lush, and smoothly sung intro (the eventual chorus), a danceable groove transforms “No Tears Left to Cry.” Grande shows exuberance, singing playfully in her lower register on the verses.  She gradually ascends, hitting her stride – her commanding upper register – on the chorus.  The chorus is catchy, though its best attribute is how uplifting it is.

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4. Kim Petras, “All I Do Is Cry”

Clarity • BunHead • 2019

“All I do is cry about you / I don’t wanna die without you / Thought that you were the exception / Took a fatal blow to my heart.” Ah, for German transgender pop singer Kim Petras, ‘matters of the heart’ are greatly affecting her on “All I Do Is Cry.” UNDERSTATEMENT! The seventh track from her 2019 debut album, Clarity, finds her suffering from a severe case of broken heartedness.

As sad as Kim Petras is, she manages to deliver a dramatic and energetic vocal performance.  The listener can sense the depth of the pain – that’s how expressive the performance is. Of course, the chorus, excerpted above, is self-explanatory about the state of things.  It continues:

“…I just want for you to need me
You’re just gonna keep me bleeding
I don’t wanna die without you
All I do is cry about you.”

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5. Jesse Saint John, “CRYING”

Don’t stop dancing. Life gets sad. • Jesse saint john • 2019

“Salt in my cut, thorn in my side / The devil that I recognize (Oh) / Loading the gun, closing my eyes / I gotta make it hurt this time (Oh).” Hmm, sounds as if Jesse saint john, or at least the character/persona he portrays on his song “CRYING,” is suicidal.  The morbidity is pronounced, but “CRYING” is ultimately a short and pretty sweet penultimate cut from saint john’s 2019 EP, don’t stop dancing. life gets sad. Wow!

 

 

“I’m running out of fucks to give
… When I’m alone, I’d rather die than be just fine.”

Again, quite suicidal. Regardless, “CRYING” is a groovy, major-key pop cut for the first half of the song… Shocking right? The chorus is depressing but falls within the major-key portion of the record.

“I’m happy when I’m crying, damn, it’s true, ooh
I know, but I don’t know what else to do, oh
I’m happy when I’m crying, damn, it’s true
I feel so much better when I’m crying now.”

An unexpected production switch-up during the second half of the record shifts from major to minor, exhibiting more of a pessimistic sound.  Notably, the synths really stand out the second half of the song.  On the outro, saint john urges, “Hurry up and hurt me right now” repeatedly.

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6. Carrie Underwood, “Cry Pretty”

Cry Pretty • Capitol • 2018

“You can pretty lie and say it’s okay / You can pretty smile and just walk away / Pretty much fake your way through anything / But you can’t cry pretty.” Carrie Underwood exhibited superb musicianship on, “Cry Pretty”, the centerpiece of her 2018 LP, Cry Pretty.  The pulse of “Cry Pretty” is initially carried by guitar, panned to the right.  Drums and bass arrive later, confirming the lilting, compound-duple meter. After showcasing restraint on the first verse, Carrie Underwood reaches a fever pitch on the aforementioned, powerhouse chorus.

 

Complementing her soaring vocals is dynamic, ‘souped-up’ production work.  This is country music (as opposed to country-pop) in the hands of one of its more skilled singers.  Underwood shows off some incredibly sick vocals, incorporating falsetto, grit, runs, and whelps.  By the end, Underwood ‘lets her rip,’ and it’s nothing short of glorious.  You can totally feel the authenticity.

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7. Lady Gaga, “Before I Cry”

A Star is Born (Soundtrack) • Interscope • 2018

“I can’t believe the things you said / Right now, I wish that you would try / Try to stay near me / Try to be near me / Before I cry…” A Star is Born was nothing short of a phenomenon in 2018 – understatement.  Furthermore, the soundtrack wasn’t “kind of a big deal,” but rather DEFINITELY “a big deal.” If we get specific, the big attraction on the Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper fueled soundtrack was “Shallow”, a song nominated for multiple film and music awards.  That said, the soundtrack has more gems beyond “Shallow,” some of which have appeared on other playlists (“Black Eyes” and “Hair Body Face” come to mind).  The song that fits this before-themed playlist is “Before I Cry.”

“‘Cause I’m gonna cry if you say you don’t need me
I’m gonna cry if you act like you don’t care
Promise me, baby, you know I can’t fake it
Why don’t you hold me?
Tell me you love me
Before I cry.” 

“Before I Cry” appears deep in the soundtrack – it’s the 30^th track to be exact! Even so, it’s one of the better moments. A sleek contemporary pop cut, Lady Gaga delivers truly expressive, powerful vocals.  The songwriting is thoughtful, the form straightforward and easy to follow, while the above-mentioned chorus is the crowning achievement.  During the chorus, Lady Gaga reaches the highest of heights with her voice.  That said, she also has great moments on the pre-chorus leading up to the chorus, as well as the transitional bridge.  “Before I Cry” features co-writing and co-production by Lady Gaga, Mark Nilan, Jr., Nick Monson, and Paul “DJWS” Blair aka DJ White Shadow.

“Before I Cry” previously appeared on the playlist, 11 Songs Where the ‘Before’ is Key. 

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8. Lil Wayne, “Don’t Cry”

Ft. XXXTENTACION

Tha Carter V • Young Money • 2018

“Don’t cry, don’t go / Won’t lie, I fuckin’ love you, whoa!” Prior to the 2018 release of Tha Carter V, it had been five years since Grammy-winning, New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne dropped an album (I Am Not a Human Being II, 2013).  Furthermore, it had been seven years since he’d dropped an installment of his Tha Carter series (Tha Carter IV, 2011). Finally, after plenty of legal drama and beef with Birdman, Tha Carter V saw the light of day.  A much better album than expected, one of the more intriguing moments arrives with “Don’t Cry,” which appears as the second track on the 90-minute affair.

 

XXXTENTACION appears posthumously on “Don’t Cry,” handling the aforementioned chorus.  His emo-tinged alternative style is a perfect fit, even if the lyrics are limited.  Weezy doesn’t do too shabby for himself, revisiting difficult situations in past, introspecting on life and fame.  The following excerpt from the second verse is a prime example:

“Talent is God-given, be grateful
Fame is not a given, be humble
And conceit is self-driven, drive carefully
Stay in your own lane, seat buckled…”

One of the wisest lines Lil Wayne serves up is, “I let God control what I cannot control / Can’t control the tears, let ‘em drop and roll.”

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9. Lil Peep, “Cry Alone”

Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 2 • Columbia • 2018

“I don’t wanna cry alone right now / Kissing on Styrofoam right now / I don’t wanna die alone right now / I just did a line of blow right now…” Druggy to say the least. Sadly, emo-tinged rapper Lil Peep passed away at the age of 21 mid-November 2017. Although the heavily tatted, often ‘sad’ rapper is no longer living, his posthumous, full-length album, Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 2 arrived in November 2018.  Among the highlights from the project is “Cry Alone”.  What’s evident is that Lil Peep was indeed ‘sad’: “I wanna burn my old high school into the ground.”

 

While alive, Lil Peep seemed less fixated on traditional song structures and form. “Cry Alone” bucks the trend, somewhat, following a more discernable form with intro, chorus, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, and outro.  Even so, there’s still the sense that “Cry Alone” has a bit of nebulousness, with choruses and verses running into each other with little separation.  This isn’t necessarily a rub however, as it works out pretty sweetly for Peep.  Other things that work out well include the rock-tinged production and of course the youthful, tortured ‘energy’ of the rapper gone far too soon. “Cry Alone” previously appeared on the playlist, 13 Captivating Songs About Being Alone or Lonely.

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10. Noah Cyrus, “Make Me (Cry)”

Ft. Labrinth

Make Me (Cry) [Single] • RECORDS, LLC • 2016

“I never needed you like I do right now / I never hated you like I do right now.  Noah Cyrus struck gold with her single, “Make Me (Cry)” in 2016.  It’s notable considering that only occasionally does the sibling of a famous musician (Miley Cyrus) land a hit of their own.  Sure, “Make Me (Cry)” is not on the same level as “We Can’t Stop” or “Wrecking Ball” (BANGERZ), but the Labrinth-assisted number is noteworthy. If nothing else, it’s a perfect addition to this list of crying songs.

 

The aforementioned chorus makes it pretty evident that “Make Me (Cry)” is deeply immersed in matters of the heart.  Noah Cyrus is quite dramatic (“Couldn’t hear the thunder… Couldn’t see the rain…”) but to her credit, love is hard – a bitch actually.  Still, was she so blinded by love that as Labrinth sings, “We’re too busy makin’ hurricanes?” Whatever! Both her and Labrinth may be ‘pushing it’ when they assert “Lov-lovin’ you could make Jesus cry.” Jesus Wept, but it’s doubtful it was about this particular situation…

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11. Eric Benét, “Sometimes I Cry”

Lost in Time • Reprise • 2010

“Two years since you walked away from me / Since all of our scattered dreams / Were just thrown away…” Matters of the heart, y’all! Far too seldom are listeners blessed with a dramatic, totally expressive, big-voiced R&B performance.  Thankfully, the highly-underrated Eric Benét gave the world just that with his 2010 gem, “Sometimes I Cry.” The five-minute number is the crème de la crème – the undoubted crowning achievement – from his 2010 album, Lost in Time.

 

So, what exactly makes “Sometimes I Cry” ‘the cat’s meow.’ It’s the falsetto! Eric Benét blesses the listener with a heaping dose of falsetto that truly reaches the highest of heights.  Sure, “Sometimes I Cry” is old-school compared to what ‘modern R&B’ sounds like, but the classicism and soulfulness is quite refreshing.  The chorus is where it’s at:

“But sometimes I cry, babe
Baby I been hurtin’
For a long, long time
Sometimes I cry, babe
Ain’t nothin’ workin’
For this pain of mine.” 

That said, we also get another feature of the R&B of old – a key change! What’s for sure regarding “Sometimes I Cry” is that the tears are real.

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“11 MORE Songs About Crying Beyond 2010” [Photo Credits: Atlantic, BunHead, Big Machine, Capitol, Columbia, Interscope, jesse saint john, Nice Life, Pexels, Pixabay, RECORDS LLC, Reprise, Republic, Young Money]

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