11 Outstanding OTHER Songs

Reading Time: 13 min read

11 Outstanding OTHER Songs features songs by Brent Faiyaz, Christina Aguilera, Ed Sheeran, Fall Out Boy, Orville Peck & Willie Nelson, and Smokey Robinson.

“Ain’t no OTHER man it’s true / Ain’t no OTHER man but you.”

I couldn’t have said that fine shyt any better, Christina Aguilera! According to Brent Faiyaz, “(Girl, you) You must be from the other side (Other side).” Ooh-wee! And what about the legendary Smokey Robinson? What does he have to say that involves our keyword, OTHER? “Tell me, what do we have / If we don’t have each other?” So, with OTHER firmly established, I present to you 11 Outstanding OTHER Songs, which feature songs by Brent Faiyaz, Christina Aguilera, Ed Sheeran, Fall Out Boy, Orville Peck & Willie Nelson, and Smokey Robinson. The criterion is simple: other, in some form or fashion, must be featured in the song title. So, without further ado, let’s embrace the greatness of OTHER in 11 Outstanding OTHER Songs!

~ Table of Contents ~

1. Christina Aguilera, “Ain’t No Other Man”	2. Brent Faiyaz, “Other Side.”	3. Jazmine Sullivan, “The Other Side”
4. Ed Sheeran, “In Other Words”	5. Orville Peck & Willie Nelson, “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other”	6. John Conlin, “Kissing Other Girls”
7. Fall Out Boy, “Love from the Other Side”	8. SZA & Justin Timberlake, “The Other Side”	9. Meek Mill, “Otherside of America”
10. Smokey Robinson, “If We Don’t Have Each Other”	11. A Great Big World, “Hold Each Other” (Ft. Futuristic)

1. Christina Aguilera, “Ain’t No Other Man”

Back To Basics » Sony Music Entertainment » 2006

“I told my mother, my brother / My sister, and my friends / Told the others (Others), my lovers (Lovers) / Both past and present tense (Alright) / That every time I see you, everything starts making sense.”

Ooh-wee! Let the church say, YAAS! “Ain’t No Other Man” is the crown jewel of Back To Basics, the 2006 multiplatinum, fifth studio album by five-time, Grammy-winning pop artist, Christina Aguilera. “Ain’t No Other Man” was one of the five Grammys Aguilera received during her career (Best Female Pop Vocal Performance). The multiplatinum single peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100.

The primary reason “Ain’t No Other Man” is a bop is the high-flying, gritty vocals by Aguilera. That girl sang her ass off on this one. Sure, Christina has been criticized for over-singing a time or two, but the old-school, neo-soul/vintage pop vibes of “Ain’t No Other Man” (and Back To Basics) are tailor-made for powerhouse pipes. The production by DJ Premier is the sugar, honey, iced tea, embracing vintage sounds and sampling “The Cissy Thang” by The Soul Seven. The songwriting marks another selling point, with Aguilera and DJ Premier writing alongside Kara DioGuardi, Charles Martin Roane, and Harold Beatty. Christina brings fierceness with her pitch-perfect delivery and personality. “Somethin’ moved me deep inside, yeah / I don’t know what you did, boy, but you had it / And I’ve been hooked ever since.” Oh, snap! The second verse, as well as the bridge, is electric, but the centerpiece is the chorus. This section alone secured the Grammy for Aguilera:

“Ain’t no other man can stand up next to

Ain’t no other man on the planet does what you do

You’re the kind of guy a girl finds in a blue moon

You got soul, you got class

You got style, you’re badass

Ain’t no other man it’s true

Ain’t no other man but you.”

“Ain’t No Other Man” is one of the best songs in the Christina Aguilera catalog. It is also among the best songs of the 2000s. It’s a BOP-and-a-half!

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2. Brent Faiyaz, “Other Side.”

Icon » ISO Supremacy / UnitedMasters LLC » 2026

“Is you for me? / First thing in the mornin’ or late at night.”

Ooh-la-la, Brent Faiyaz (Christopher Brent Wood)! He continues singing in the first verse of “other side.”, “I move and breathe (Hah) / To make sure you feel special being mine, oh, mine.” “Other side.” is the fifth track from his third studio album, Icon. Faiyaz co-wrote the song with producers benny blanco and Jonah Roy. “Other side.” is groovy from the get-go. This is a well-produced contemporary R&B cut with some neo-soul and alternative R&B vibes. Faiyaz sings fabulously, never under- or over- singing. He brings a mean falsetto to his lead vocals beginning in the second verse. “The perks that come when I’m your man,” he sings, and continues, “You don’t have to deal with nothing on your own, whoa, girl, ooh.” Ooh, indeed! The melodies are tuneful. The falsetto background vocals are everything during the chorus.

“If you really love it here (Love it, baby)

Then won’t you tell me all the time? (All the time, ooh)

Girl, you know I love it here (I love the life)

You’re the only thing I like (Oh)

(Girl, you) You must be from the other side (Other side)

‘Cause I saw you in my dreams last night (You were in my dreams)

You must be from the other side (Girl, I saw you)

‘Cause I saw you in my dreams last night.”

Faiyaz also excels in the ad-libs department. I love the call and response during the bridge (“The other night I saw you…”). All told, Brent Faiyaz does his big one on “other side.”.

Appears in:

Striking Bops from February 2026

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3. Jazmine Sullivan, “The Other Side”

***Heaux Tales, Mo’ Tales*: The Deluxe » RCA » 2022**

According to ‘Precious,’ via “Precious’ Tale”, “Money makes me cum… I’m not about to be seen around being here for no broke nigga when I know it’s niggas out there that’ll cash out on me.” Word. The interlude precedes “The Other Side,” the 12^th track from Jazmine Sullivan’s Grammy-winning R&B album, Heaux Tales. Sullivan, Sam Wishkoski, Joe Gallagher, Matt Wong, and Dan Thomas composed the striking cut.

On “The Other Side,” materialism is at an all-time high. Jazmine Sullivan “can’t wait to be rich” and “live on the other side.” Ooh-wee! Some of her goals include moving to Atlanta, where she’ll “find me a rapper / He gon’ buy me a booty.” You catch the drift. Of course, the best line might appear in the second verse: “I’m hoping these titties can get me out the city.” Hey, at least she’s honest! Heaux Tales is a stacked album. “The Other Side” isn’t the crowning achievement, but it marks another compelling moment.

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4. Ed Sheeran, “In Other Words”

Play » Warner Music UK Limited / Ed Sheeran Limited » 2025

“Give me all your fears / Give me all your dreams / Give me all you’re scared to lose,”

Ed Sheeran sings in the chorus of his song, “In Other Words”. He continues, thoughtfully, “Give me all your future / Give me all your blues / In other words, give me all of you.” Aww 🥰. “In Other Words” is the seventh track from his eighth studio album, Play, released in 2025. Sheeran co-wrote this dedicated, supportive ballad with Blake Slatkin, Johnny McDaid, and Cirkut (Henry Walter). Sheeran, Slatkin, and Cirkut produced it.

“In Other Words” commences with warm, reflective piano. Ed Sheeran keeps the same energy, singing tenderly and expressively without forcing things. His tone is delightful. The songwriting is sincere, while the melodies are tuneful. “Give me your light and give me your shadow,” he sings in the second verse, and affirms, “I’m right by your side.” The chorus (excerpted earlier), one of the best moments of “In Other Words,” picks up steam but remains non troppo with subtle instrumental additions. Strings, arranged by Matthew Sheeran, appear in the second verse. Additionally, there are some harmonized vocals during the second verse as well, which increase the depth of sound. The second chorus is more developed than the first, though it still never overdoes it. A brief bridge distinguishes itself from the verses and choruses (“All of the stars in the moonlit sky / Couldn’t match what you are to me”). The chorus concludes “In Other Words” radiantly. At first restrained, the sound expands, with more dynamic string parts. “In Other Words” is an authentic, enjoyable, and lovely musical performance. The dedication and love that Ed Sheeran feels seem impenetrable.

Appears in 🔻:

Ed Sheeran, In Other Words: Music Lifts No. 12 (2026)

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5. Orville Peck & Willie Nelson, “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other”

Stampede » Orville Peck, LLC / Warner » 2024

In 2024, beloved, gay country artist, Orville Peck, duetted with Willie Nelson on a brand-new cover of the queer, Ned Sublette-penned country gem “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other”. This 2024 rendition from Peck’s album, Stampede, was produced by Beau Bedford. The instrumental is subtle, which is perfect for allowing Peck and Nelson’s voices to shine. Peck starts things off with his expressive, masculine baritone. His tone is EVERYTHING. Gay men are often pigeonholed and stereotyped as being effeminate. Just hearing a ‘manly’ voice, from an openly gay musician, singing lyrics about male/male relationships is intriguing (“No, a small town don’t like it when a cowboy has feelings for men”). Following Peck’s verse, Nelson performs the second, delivering one of the best lyrics of the song: “But the ones [cowboys] who brag loudest are the ones that are most likely queer.” There is truth to the lyrics too, and it doesn’t simply limit itself to cowboys. Peck and Nelson join forces in the choruses, bringing out the cowboy love in, well, all its queerness. Following an instrumental break, Peck takes over the reins in the third verse, once more wowing with his awesome pipes. He manages to drop in the most colorful verse: “So, when you talk to a cowboy, don’t treat him like he was a sister / You can’t fuck with a lady that’s sleepin’ in each cowboy’s head.” Peck and Nelson join forces together on the queer country classic that is “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other”, it’s nothing short of magic!

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6. John Conlin, “Kissing Other Girls”

“Kissing Other Girls” » John Conlin » 2024

“Don’t you know you make me / Cry just a little / Die just a little / Say we’re just DL, noncommittal / So superficial, caught in your middle / It hurts / I know you’re kissing other girls.”

That is a bummer, John Conlin. What isn’t a bummer is the authenticity and sheer excellence that is “Kissing Other Girls”. It was penned by the handsome and talented Toronto pop singer/songwriter. He produced this must-hear gem alongside Jamesfromtheinternet. The sound is ‘to die for.’ The instrumental backdrop includes warm pads and synths that concoct a surefire vibe. Conlin serves up gorgeous vocals, tuneful melodies, and reflective, questioning lyrics. The situation is one where he and his ‘boyfriend’ are on two different pages. John seems comfortable with the relationship while the nameless boyfriend is DL and still partakes in heterosexual experiences. “I’ve been on my knees praying / That I take up space inside your head,” Conlin sings in the first verse, continuing, “Two dimensional, you fuck across the hall, baby.” He’s not fucking other guys, either: “Your rust on the straight blade / It cuts, badly both ways…” Conlin, singing angelically, continues to voice his sadness over the state of their ‘relationship.’ He asks, “Am I just a phase / Just a body you play.” Understanding his partner, he asserts, “And when you, can’t finish [with her, presumably] you picture me.” Ooh-wee! The bridge separates it from the verses and chorus yet continues the theme of John’s boyfriend/partner/FWB struggling with his sexuality. The situation isn’t ideal, yet, common where homophobia – external and internal – runs rampant. “Kissing Other Girls” is the cat’s meow – the sugar honey iced tea! Get it, John!

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7. Fall Out Boy, “Love from the Other Side”

So Much (For) Stardust » Fall Out Boy Inc. » 2023

“Sending my love from the other side of the apocalypse.”

Um, okay, Patrick Stump and Fall Out Boy – we see 👀 you! After a five-year hiatus, the alternative rock collective returned in 2023 with “Love From The Other Side”, the opener and promo single from their eighth studio album, So Much (For) Stardust.  In the extended version, “Love From The Other Side” commences with ethereal keys and strings, establishing quite the aesthetic.  The sound is lush and incredibly warm, before embracing a rock identity. The tide changes with the entrance of guitar, bass, and pummeling drums. The riffs used throughout are a selling point and certainly idiomatic of FOB. Once Stump’s powerful and soulful vocals enter, “Love” sounds like the FOB of old. Additionally, the harmonized vocals are a nice music touch, appearing during the second half of the verses.  The melody is incredibly tuneful and rhythmic. The chorus is catchy:

“Sending my love from the other side of the apocalypse

And I just about snapped, don’t look back

Every lover’s got a little dagger in their hand

Love from the other side of the apocalypse

And I just about snapped, don’t look back

Every lover’s got a little dagger in their hand.”

The verses yield colorful lyrics, which have come to be expected from the collective.  Another selling point is the contrast presented during the bridge section, incorporating strings and the groove. “Love From The Other Side” benefits from great production, a strong performance by Stump, a tuneful melody, and memorable lyrics.

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8. SZA & Justin Timberlake, “The Other Side”

TROLLS World Tour » RCA »  2020

In 2020, SZA and Justin Timberlake joined forces, bringing positive, uplifting vibes on “The Other Side”. “The Other Side” served as the promo single from the Trolls World Tour soundtrack. It is quite a funky, upbeat pop joint. It features production by Justin Timberlake alongside Academy- and Grammy-award-winning producer Ludwig Göransson. Considering it’s intended for a children’s film, it’s not surprising that SZA and Timberlake maintain such positivity. That said, you don’t have to be a child to appreciate those positive vibes!

SZA kicks things off, singing the first verse in uplifting fashion, “You’re preachin’ to the choir, stop hatin’ on yourself,” later adding, “The clouds will open up, blue skies are willing.” As for JT, he handles most of the second verse, singing, “I promise the stars will light the path you walk, don’t give in.” Both join forces on the chorus, clearly the centerpiece of “The Other Side”:

“Back on your feet again, lift your head, hold it high

You wanna run it back, but you can’t turn the time

You start to feel like you’re losing your shine

But the grass ain’t always greener on the other side

The other side…”

Ultimately, SZA and Justin Timberlake make a great team. “The Other Side” is a fun, positive, and well-rounded children’s song. The positive vibes and messaging (“…The grass ain’t always green on the other side”) is sound advice for the young and older alike.

Appears in 🔻:

11 Intriguing Songs Focused on a Side (2020)

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9. Meek Mill, “Otherside of America”

“Otherside of America” » Maybach Music Group LLC / Atlantic Recording Corporation » 2020

“I’ve been tryna run from these caskets / All this pain built in me, nigga…”

Grammy-nominated rapper Meek Mill gets socially conscious on the ferocious “Otherside of America”. The record commences with a sample from an infamous Donald Trump speech, painting a damning picture about urban black life: “58% of your youth is unemployed. What the hell do you have to lose?” From there, Meek ‘goes TF in’ over a banging SHROOM and Butter Beats backdrop. Set in a minor key, the beat is crazy, and the orchestral cues add dramatic flair and intensity.

Mill uses the first verse to share his life story – an arduous, dangerous childhood, and eventually experiencing his come-up through rap. Similarly, on the second, he reflects on rough-and-tumble times, including troubles faced, while also acknowledging his success story. The chorus that paints a portrait of the experience some blacks face that are far too often taken for granted, and that those who have privilege never face or understand. All in all, Meek Mill slaughters, painting an excellent, unsettling portrait of “the other side of America.”

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10. Smokey Robinson, “If We Don’t Have Each Other”

Gasms » Smokey Robinson » 2023

“Wake up in the mornin’ / And there’s love layin’ there / Take up where we left off / Feel like stayin’ there.”

Oh, snap! It’s not often that musicians in their eighties release new albums. Smokey Robinson (b. 1940) is ‘built different.’ After an extended hiatus, the legendary 83-year-old Motown musician brought the Gasms on his 2023 album 🤭. Robinson made it clear that a “‘gasm’ is any good feeling you might have”. On promo single “If We Don’t Have Each Other”, the wheel isn’t reinvented, but Robinson proves he can still S-A-N-G. Amazingly, Robinson’s smooth tenor is still potent. It is not as dynamic as it was in his heyday, but still, the man sounds amazing. The song itself is enjoyable – a respectable, adult contemporary R&B joint. The production is modest and simple but sufficient by all means. Thematically, matters of the heart always equate to a win, so the dedication that Robinson sings about is extraordinarily successful. Without each other, they have nothing – PERIOD.

“Tell me, what do we have

If we don’t have each other?

We don’t have anything

If we don’t have each other.”

“If We Don’t Have Each Other” is a solid comeback by Robinson. It reminds us how special he is as a singer, songwriter, and producer. This old-school-styled contemporary R&B joint is refreshing.

Appears in 🔻:

15 Captivating, Hypothetical If Songs (2025)

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11. A Great Big World, “Hold Each Other” (Ft. Futuristic)

When the Morning Comes » Epic » 2015

“When the days get short and the nights get a little bit colder / We hold each other / We hold each other.”

Aww 🥰! “Hold Each Other” is a fantastic record centered on love from the Grammy-winning pop singer/songwriting duo A Great Big World (Ian Axel and Chad King). They tap rapper Futuristic (Zachary Lewis Beck) for the assist, adding spice to this groovy, XOXO joint (“You give me chills and I can’t imagine you leaving / If I could build a perfect person honestly you would be it”). Long before Futuristic puts his two cents in, Axel and King perform their own verses and choruses. Beginning with Axel, he asserts, “I was trapped inside a dream / I couldn’t see her next to me / I didn’t know she’d set me free…” Oh the feels, the feels, the feels ❤️!

“Hold Each Other” is particularly meaningful for King who is gay. He embraces his sexuality on the second verse, fearlessly using the pronoun he as he describes his lover. “Everything looks different now / All this time my head was down / He came along and show me how to let go…/ Something happens when I hold him / he keeps my heart from getting broken.” Again, I say, aww 🥰. Music has grown much queerer since the release of this song. “Hold Each Other” was notable considering few instances in pop references to male-male relationships at this point.

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11 Outstanding OTHER Songs (2026) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Atlantic Recording Corporation, Ed Sheeran Limited, Fall Out Boy Inc., ISO Supremacy, John Conlin, Maybach Music Group LLC, Orville Peck, LLC, RCA, Smokey Robinson, Sony Music Entertainment, UnitedMasters LLC, Warner, Warner Music UK Limited; Canva AI; Gordon Johnson from Pixabay]

11 Outstanding OTHER Songs | Playlist

Published by the musical hype on April 10, 2026April 10, 2026