11 Songs About Castles, Kingdoms, Palaces & Such | Playlist 🎧

1. Linkin Park, “Keys to the Kingdom”

The Hunting Party • Warner • 2014

“Keys to the Kingdom” opens The Hunting Party, the 2014 album by Linkin Park, with ample angst and testosterone – understatement. The late, great Chester Bennington is fully invested, screaming.  “No control, no surprise / Tossed the keys to the kingdom…I’m my own casualty / I fuck up everything I see…” Woo!

Like his friend Chester, Mike Shinoda ‘keeps the same energy’:

“I can still bring the pain so
Y’all stuck in that same flow
I got that insane flow...”

“Keys to the Kingdom” is undoubtedly one of the best moments from The Hunting Party.  It’s definitely the blueprint of how to properly kick off an album.  And honestly, what better way to commence this particular list?

2. Hopsin, “Covid Mansion”

“Covid Mansion” • Undercover Prodigy • 2020

“Get back (Hey) / Move back, step back / Y’all better not touch me, ayy / … I done been told y’all n***as, back up (Move) / You don’t wanna see me call backup (no).” Well, you might say, everyone has a different approach to rapping or singing about the effects of COVID-19.  There are artists who tend to take a more thoughtful, uplifting approach, and then there are those who remain true to their unapologetic self like Hopsin does on his pandemic song, “Covid Mansion”.

As the chorus suggests, Hopsin doesn’t want you up in his grille.  Fair enough.  Social distancing is encouraged to prevent the spread of the coronavirus so it’s a reasonable if an aggressive take.  Undeniable is how catchy the chorus is, even if you question the seriousness and perhaps the sincerity of the rapper. Where the real juice comes into play is during the verses, where he gives his honest opinions on his experience being quarantined in Thailand.  Expectedly, he’s not a happy camper:

“Now there just ain’t many plans I can move on
All because someone ate bat soup in Wuhan (What?)
Well, shit, that’s what I heard
I don’t know what it was mixed with (I don’t know)
But for someone to jeopardize everyone’s life
Man, it must have been fucking delicious (for real) This shit is fucking ridiculous
Can’t be with my son or my siblings, the government trippin’
My pussy appointments with dozens of bitches are cancelled
Now guess what I’m tuggin’ my dick with? (What?)
‘My right hand,’ (Ooh).”

Wow… that’s Hopsin for you.  There are plenty more lyrical ‘gems’ – well – perhaps ‘gems’ isn’t the correct word.  While you can argue with the rapper’s presentation and sensitivity spitting atop a malicious, yet playful minor-key backdrop, you can’t knock the emotions. “Covid Mansion” previously appeared on 10 Songs That Capture & Embody the Pandemic and Quarantine Sucks, But At Least We Have Bops!.

3. Father John Misty, “The Palace”

God’s Favorite Customer • Sub Pop • 2018

Father John Misty (Josh Tillman) gets real about mental health throughout the course of his 2018 LP, God’s Favorite Customer. Among the most haunting songs from the album is the piano-driven “The Palace”. The incredible slow “The Palace,” as aforementioned, explores Tillman’s mental health as well as marital issues. Whether “The Palace” where Tillman has made his home for a period of time is actually a truly glorious, luxurious hotel is beside the point.

Father John Misty paints ‘the palace’ as his ‘safe place’ from the outside world, yet he remains dysfunctional and lost. At the end, he comes to the realization, “…I think I’m ready to come home / I’m in over my head.” In addition to the embedded link write-up, “The Palace” also appears on the playlist, 15 Songs That Center Around Sadness & Depression as well as Castles… Palaces…5ive Songs.

4. Tiwa Savage & Mr. Eazi, “Keys to the Kingdom”

The Lion King: The Gift (Deluxe) • Sony • 2020 

“Keys to the Kingdom” appears on The Lion King: The Gift (Deluxe), the album released by Beyoncé in 2019 following the live-action remake of The Lion King.  In 2020, with the release of her Disney+ film, Black is King, Bey would reissue The Lion King: The Gift in its deluxe form. The song at hand, “Keys to the Kingdom,” appears on the original and deluxe album.

Beyoncé isn’t actually credited as a performer on “Keys to the Kingdom.” That said, she is credited as a songwriter (one of many) and a producer alongside Northboi Oracle. “Keys” is actually performed by Tiwa Savage and Mr. Eazi.  Tiwa and Mr. Eazi expand upon the importance of Simba ‘righting the ship’ within the context of The Lion King. Does this need that storyline to be relevant? No, but as stated while reviewing the album originally, it’s mighty cool that such a tie-in is there.

5. Backstreet Boys, “Chateau”

DNA • RCA • 2019

“Would you meet me at the chateau? / At a table, I’d get your favorite chardonnay, yeah / ‘Cause babe, you know, a bottle is a little bit too much to drink alone.” Backstreet Boys have consistently continued to record past their prime. Even with the odds stacked against them with ‘old-school’ boy bands diminished, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, Howie Dorough and AJ McLean all returned with DNA, the eighth studio album by the “Quit Playing Games with My Heart” collective.  The song highlighted here is “Chateau.”

“Chateau,” which appears as the first song on the closing quartet of DNA, features slick pop production that incorporates electronic and urban cues.  The premise of the song? Five words” “BABY I WANT YOU BACK.” Yep, the boys want their respective girls back. The chorus, which houses those five words, is the crowning achievement. Here, the vocal harmonies and vocal production also shine.  I mean, it is a boy band, so vocal harmonies are a must, and the same must be said of a catchy chorus, right? Right!

“Baby, I want you back
There's a space in my bed
In the shape of your head
I said it, what if I said it?
Baby, I want you back
Would you come back around?
'Cause I need you right now
I said it, there, I said it
Baby, I want you back.”

6. Jake Shears, “Palace in the Sky”

Jake Shears • Freida Jean • 2018

“Promise to steal the fortune / Love is a cruel extortion of life / What the hell might as well get away / Pleading to have your grey cut.” Hmm, quite poetic lyrics to say the least. “Palace in the Sky” serves as the penultimate track from Jake Shears’ underrated, self-titled, 2018 debut album.  Shears is best known as the flamboyant, openly gay frontman of alternative pop collective Scissor Sisters. And yes, if you were curious, the band is named after the lesbian sex position…  But this isn’t about sex positions or Shears’ band, but rather the record at hand.

“Palace in the Sky” is a ballad, one in which Jake Shears sings both beautifully and sincerely.  As aforementioned, there are some truly poetic lyrics that helps to make this record a success.  Furthermore, the backdrop stands out, with its prominent piano, electric guitar, and heavy drums.  The sound reminisces back to the 70s, yet also fits the current times.  Going back to the lyrics, the centerpiece is the chorus, which occurs a total of three times on “Palace in the Sky.”

“And the stars align
But the world’s aflame
Your palace in the sky
Is burning blue tonight
Your palace in the sky
Is burning through the night
Your palace in the sky.”

7. Lil Skies, “Mansion”

Shelby • 2019

“Only bad hoes in my mansion, huh, my diamonds dancin’ / Catch a body like Charles Manson, huh, watch them all panic…” Perhaps Lil Skies’ opening lyric line from the chorus of “Mansion” won’t necessarily raise eyebrows, but Charles Manson references always do.  “Mansion” appears on Skies’ debut album, Shelby.

Lil Skies keeps things brief on “Mansion,” clocking in at merely two-and-a-half minutes. This is not a deep record in the least.  Skies flexes with the typical rap script, which includes material things, bad bitches, and all things ‘ballin’ hard.’ Even if there’s nothing transcendent, Skies showcases a compelling flow throughout. Again, the chorus, partially excerpted above, is cocky, but irresistible – catchy AF.

8. Ed Sheeran, “Castle on the Hill”

÷ (Divide) • Atlantic • 2017

“And I miss the way you make me feel, and it’s real / We watched the sunset over the castle on the hill.” “Castle on the Hill” is one of the best songs from Divide, the third studio album by Ed Sheeran. The record embraces a singer-songwriter, pop/rock sound.

Sheeran superbly constructs a narrative and autobiographical approach, particularly on the verses:

“When I was six years old, I broke my leg
I was running from my brother and his friends
And taste the sweet perfume of the mountain grass I rolled down
I was younger then, take me back to when I...”

The chorus – excerpted at the top – is the selling point, as he delivers enthusiastic, energetic vocals.  Beyond thoughtfully composed verses and chorus, the bridge is also incredibly strong.

“One friend left to sell clothes
One works down by the coast
One had two kids but lives alone
One’s brother overdosed
One’s already on his second wife
One’s just barely getting by
But these people raised me
And I can’t wait to go home.”

9. Sam Smith, “Palace”

The Thrill of it All • Capitol • 2017

“I’m gonna miss you / I’m still there / Sometimes I wish we never built this palace / But real love is never a waste of time, mmm.” On “Palace,” the ninth track from The Thrill of it All (2017), Grammy-winning pop musician Sam Smith is chocked full of emotion over lost love.  Shocking, right? Nah – of course not!

“My head is filled with ruins / Most of them, I built with you / Now the dust no longer moves / Don’t disturb the ghost of you.” “Palace” features a familiar script, particularly regarding Smith’s music.  Lost love is definitely his thing. Even so, like numerous songs about broken love, it’s quite authentic and totally worthwhile. The lyrics are definitely poetic and beautifully penned, particularly the likes of a simple, but telling line such as “They will love the better you / But I still own the ghost of you.”

10. Father John Misty, “Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins)”

I Love You, Honeybear • Sub Pop • 2016

“I’ve never done this, baby, be gentle / It’s my first time, I’ve got you inside.”  The lyrics, excerpted from the first chorus of “Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins),” depicts two virgins who have yet to have sex. Throughout the song, Father John Misty (Josh Tillman) references sexual awakening, but the actual sex is secondary.

In the context of the album, I Love You, Honeybear, it’s clear that Tillman is expressing his love for his wife, as opposed to the loss of virginity itself.

“I wanna take you in the kitchen
Lift up your wedding dress someone was probably murdered in [...]
First time, you let me stay the night despite your own rules
You took off early to go cheat your way through film school
You left a note in your perfect script:
‘Stay as long as you want,’ and I haven’t left your bed since.”

“Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins)” previously appeared on the playlist, Songs Where Musicians Were Sexually Awakened.

11. The Flaming Lips, “The Castle”

Oczy Mlody • Warner • 2017

“And the castle gets mistaken for a ship that’s floating in the clouds / And the castle is brighter than a thousand Christmas trees / And the castle can never be rebuilt again / No way.” Whatever you say Wayne Coyne/The Flaming Lips – whatever you say! A great overall soundscape, led by a sick groove, characterizes the final castle/palace cut on this list. “The Castle” features excellent vocal production; the use of reverb and supporting vocals establishes the chill vibe.

“And the castle oscillates to the beating heart of her mind
And the castle is taller than the Northern Lights
And the castle can never be rebuilt again
No way.”

As always, vibe is everything. “The Castle” is approached narratively, with each verse adding something different.  Furthermore, each chorus is varied. “The Castle” marks one of the better songwriting moments on the band’s 2017 album, Oczy Mlody.