11 Songs That Are Driven by Miles

Reading Time: 12 min read

11 Songs That Are Driven by Miles features music courtesy of Cole Blundin, Doechii, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Marshmello, and Vanessa Carlton.

Cutting straight to the chase, distance is crucial on the playlist 11 Songs That Are Driven by Miles, PERIOD! All 11 songs feature the word MILES in their respective titles. There are no exceptions folks! Well… Cole Blundin is more playful with his “Miles” 🥰 😉. 11 Songs That Are Driven by Miles features songs by Cole Blundin, Doechii, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Marshmello, and Vanessa Carlton. So, without prolonging things, let’s gas up so we ‘drive’ into these 11 Songs That Are Driven by Miles.

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1. Cole Blundin, “Miles”

2. Doechii, “MPH”

3. Marshmello & Kane Brown, “Miles On It”

4. Miley Cyrus, “Thousand Miles” (Ft. Brandi Carlile)

5. The Kid LAROI, “Thousand Miles”

6. Vanessa Carlton, “A Thousand Miles”

7. Mk.gee, “How many miles”

8. Montell Fish, “And I’d go a thousand miles”

9. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, “Miles”

10. Logic, “100 Miles and Running”

11. Edwin Starr, “Twenty Five Miles”

1. Cole Blundin, “Miles”

“Miles” // Cole Blundin Music // 2024

“Will you ever be more than a destination baby?” A destination Cole Blundin? That sounds like an ultra-familiar app with a distinct sound effect. In his debut single, “Miles”, the handsome and talented Berklee College of Music grad is falling for this guy. He is seeking more than just hooking up. The fun and refreshing “Miles” was written and produced by Blundin. “Miles” has ample positives. The production is sleek – superbly executed by Blundin. It begins with a danceable, thudding, four-on-the-floor groove which evolves into more. Later, there’s a sickening saxophone solo with jazzy piano comping. The sound palette and arrangement are ear-catching. Besides his work behind the boards, Cole sings fabulously. His tone is beautiful, rich, and robust. He sings with ample expression without overreaching. He serves up some fine vocal ad-libs and delivers colorful vocal effects. That leaves the songwriting, which is a vibe itself. The lyrics are flirty, playful, and sexy but tasteful. My favorite verse is the second where Cole is ‘catching feelings’ for him: “My mom caught on / I smiled too much / Now you’re the subject of 20 questions.” Aww! The best section is the chorus which is catchy as albeit:

“Miles

Why you gotta be miles away?

All I think about

Is ways to make you stay

Hey, Miles

Why you gotta be miles away?

There’s no holdin’ back

Road’s already paved

So, give me the distance

I’ll do the miles.”

Cole Blundin serves up a sickening two-and-a-half-minute bop with “Miles”. Bravo!

Appears in 🔻:

Bops That Pop: July 2024

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2. Doechii, “MPH”

“MPH” // Top Dawg Entertainment / Capitol // 2024

“Yeah, I could give you the conscious shit, but I’m too busy giving you cunt.” Woo! Doechii is that girl! A naughty, unapologetic girl at that! The rapper ALWAYS exudes confidence. “MPH”, a two-minute-long single, is no exception. The excerpted lyrics appear near the end of the cut – capping off her badness by serving C U Next Tuesday! She’s backed by a danceable beat and backdrop produced by Demeanor (Justin Harrington).“MPH” is a flex and Doechii takes her victory lap. “Went from bitches trying to call me out my name, to calling my name in the stands,” she asserts. She sees her fanbase, too: “See you moving to the coven shit singing my lyrics and moving your hands / Whatever it is you’re doing, I don’t really think I would call it a dance.” She gives us sickening, quick-paced rhymes. She also throws a jab or two: “OnlyFans ain’t cutting it, honey / Breaks my heart you gotta fuck for money /… Rich pussy in my panties, bitch, your panties all up in a bunch.” She brings fierceness to “MPH”.

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3. Marshmello & Kane Brown, “Miles On It”

“Miles On It” // Joytime Collective / Sony Music Entertainment // 2024

“New truck, big lift / Old, roads, we’ve been / Tearin’ up since way back when.” Trucks are crucial to country music, PERIOD. Kane Brown ensures his truck gets its ‘just due’ on “Miles On It.” What’s interesting is the pairing that makes “Miles On It” happen: Marshmello and Brown. Dance and country music? Surprisingly, it works out without alienating either world. Marshmello produced alongside Digital Farm Animals, Conor McDonough, and Earwulf. The result is a slick backdrop that combines electronic and country cues superbly. It shouldn’t work but it does. The songwriting is idiomatic of country music. Country musicians love songs about trucks and bring their girls along for the ride. “All night, no brakes / All tail, no gate,” Brown sings in the second verse, adding, “Zero to a hundred fast / My foot ain’t touch the gas / I said, ‘Hey, baby, slow it down, let’s make it last’ / You said, ‘Where’s the fun in that?’” Aww, it’s that country love! Brown delivers clear vocals, singing expressively and flaunting his stellar tone. The section to be should come as no surprise – the chorus. It’s memorable and repetitive – a ‘sing-along’ gem through and through:

“Yeah, let’s go, put some miles on it

Back of the Chevy with the engine runnin’

Just you and me in a truck bed wide like a California King

We could break it in if you know what I mean

Put some miles on it.”

“Miles On It” = country-dance bop!

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4. Miley Cyrus, “Thousand Miles” (Ft. Brandi Carlile)

Endless Summer Vacation // Smiley Miley, Inc. // 2023

“I told myself I closed that door / But I’m right back here again.” Sigh, that’s a total bummer, Miley Cyrus. What isn’t a bummer is “Thousand Miles,” a fine moment from her 2023 pop album, Endless Summer Vacation. Cyrus taps Grammy-winning singer/songwriter, Brandi Carlile for the assist 💪. Carlile plays more of a complimentary role here, with positive results. “Thousand Miles” was written by Cyrus alongside Mike WiLL Made-It, Tobias Jesso Jr., and Bibi Bourelly. Mike WiLL Made-It, Kid Harpoon, and Tyler Johnson produced it. Initially, it’s all Miley. She sings the first verse solo, showcasing a gorgeous tone. The melody is tuneful, which is always a selling point. More notable, however, is the catchy, memorable chorus, which she also performs solo initially:

“I’m not always right, but still, I ain’t got time for what went wrong

Where I end up, I don’t really care

I’m out of my mind, but still, I’m holding on like a rolling stone

A thousand miles from anywhere.”

Beginning with the second verse, Cyrus and Carlile duet. Cyrus remains the predominant voice. Carlile’s vocal harmonies, mixed behind Cyrus, are fabulous, upping the ante on “Thousand Miles.” This is a win for Miley despite returning to a place she unexpectedly: “I look in the rearview, I was talking to you ‘fore I realize it’s madness / Before the sadness.”

Appears in 🔻:

13 Songs That Are Definitely 1000 or More (2023)

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5. The Kid LAROI, “Thousand Miles”

“Thousand Miles” // Columbia // 2022

“Oh, I wish I let it go, you’re better off alone / ‘Cause I’m about to fuck it up with you…” Woo! Lookout! The Kid LAROI (Charlton Howard) returned in 2022 with “Thousand Miles”. It plays to his strengths, sitting somewhere between melodic rap and pop. What makes “Thousand Miles” a #winner? It features slick production work (Andrew Watt and Louis Bell), idiomatic of the 2020s blurring of pop, R&B, and rap. The rhythmic guitars and anchoring drum programming provide a nice canvas for The Kid to do his things. Vocally, Howard has a very distinct instrument. Something is endearing about his coarse tone, grittiness, and the vibrato. Also, worthwhile is the theme, which encompasses love, mistakes, and long distance. “If I was you,” he sings in the memorable chorus, “Then I Would stay a thousand miles away.” The melody is quite tuneful, and the form is easy to follow. “Thousand Miles” is enjoyable. Throw in a fun video where The Kid explores good and evil with evil ultimately winning, and “Thousand Miles” it’s even better.

Appears in 🔻:

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6. Vanessa Carlton, “A Thousand Miles”

Be Not Nobody // A&M // 2002

“Makin’ my way downtown / Walkin’ fast faces pass / And I’m homebound.” Would it be inaccurate to characterize Vanessa Carlton as a one-hit wonder? Yes, but only because of a technicality – she earned another top 40 hit. “A Thousand Miles” was the biggest hit of her career. The famous piano intro/riffs, and tuneful melodies, helped “A Thousand Miles” peak at no. 5 peak on the Billboard Hot 100. It charted for 41 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, helping propel her 2002 album, Be Not Nobody, to platinum status. Sometimes characterized as one of the whitest songs ever (🫢), it was and remains a vibe two decades later. The piano plays a pivotal role. The strings are sweet as well. Carlton sings well. For whatever reason, when “A Thousand Miles” comes to mind, vocal quality seems less important than other aspects of the record.

“If I could fall into the sky

Do you think time would pass me by?

‘Cause you know I’d walk a thousand miles

If I could just see you

Tonight.”

Sure, “A Thousand Miles” is pretty doggone white, but it’s a white classic we love.

Appears in 🔻:

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7. Mk.gee, “How many miles”

Two Star & The Dream Police // R&R Digital // 2024

“If you got something, go hide it / Lady luck, don’t you find that this town will leave you dying?” Oh, my! “How many miles” is the second track from Two Star & The Dream Police, the debut studio album by Mk.gee (Michael Gordon). “How many miles” keeps things short and sweet, mustering up less than two-and-a-half minutes of song. It commences mysteriously, establishing a groove. Fittingly, it feels and sounds ‘alternative’ throughout. It’s giving BIG MOOD, baby! A super cool vibe is captured. There are some killer music touches and sound effects. As for the singing, the vocals are pleasant, performed in an undertone.

“With every light

With every same song

With all of your fire

Is how many miles away (Away)

How many miles away (Away)

With every night I’m wishing you, I know

How many miles away (Away)

(Is how many miles).”

While the instrumental is arguably the most intriguing, the songwriting is no slouch either.

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8. Montell Fish, “And I’d go a thousand miles”

JAMIE // Lord’s Child // 2022

“And I’d go a thousand miles just to find you,” Montell Fish sings in the chorus of “And I’d go a thousand miles.” “And I’d go a thousand miles” is the fourth track from JAMIE. For some context, Jamie is Fish’s ex. In “Jamie”, the opener from the album, he laments their break-up. On “And I’d go a thousand miles,” he’s struggling with letting her go. His vocals are smooth. He sings in an undertone and never breaks a sweat. “And I still can’t find you / Where did you go?” he sings in the verse, adding, “Why can’t I let you go? / A thousand miles beyond / But you’re still in control.” He swears in the bridge, “One day, I’m gonna find you, I’m gonna find / I’m gonna find you” Fish is accompanied by a subtle guitar, with a nice solo appearing at the end of the track. This solo gives this low-key song a bit more punch. Although brief, running under two-and-a-half minutes in duration, “And I’d go a thousand miles” is authentic, honest, and vulnerable.

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9. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, “Miles”

Weathervanes // Southeastern // 2023

“There’s miles between us / But boy, you should’ve seen us when we met,” Jason Isbell sings in the first chorus of “Miles”. He continues, “I loved your anger and / The way you’d catch a stranger in your net.” Hmm, sounds like there was toxicity… “Miles” is the 13^th track on Weathervanes, the 2023 album by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. The seven-minute-plus juggernaut was written and produced by Isbell, one of the most gifted songwriters. Early on, the guitars, bass, and drums are assertive. The organ adds some seasoning – some spice. The instrumental intro runs for more than 45 seconds. In no rush, The 400 Unit lets it ride out, and it’s awesome 👏.

“Coming home early, catching on late / Guess I had too much on my plate,” Isbell sings in the first verse, referencing the fractured relationship with the narrator’s wife. Isbell delivers strong vocals following the extended intro. He brings the melodies to life superbly. In the second verse, he shifts to a changing relationship with his daughter, who is growing up: “As she leaves, I’ll tell her don’t get hurt and don’t get pregnant, but / She won’t acknowledge me at all.” The key change and change of harmonic scheme between the verses and chorus is cool. This speaks to Isbell’s musicianship. A ‘fire’ guitar solo enters and keeps things fresh just before the three-minute mark. There is a change of pace at the three-and-a-half minute mark, yet another engaging moment. The instrumental is stunning during this ‘switch-up’, top-notch. After the four-minute mark, it builds up to what sounds like a ‘brand-new song’. Within the form, it is the bridge that is starkly different from anything else:

“In the name of survival, we get used to this

In the name of forgiveness, we get boarded

For our own entertainment, we ball up our fists

Take it out on the kid at the grocery store.”

Once more, Isbell compels with his vocals, which are authentic, emotional, and sincere. Within the last minute, “Miles” shifts one final time for the third and final chorus: “There’s miles between us… / You didn’t even see the hand that turned the page… ” “Miles” is lengthy, but worth every minute and every second of its duration. The songwriting is realistic and quite relatable. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit rock.

Appears in 🔻:

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Miles: Bangerz N Bopz 🔥 59 (2024)

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10. Logic, “100 Miles and Running” (Ft. Wale & John Lindahl)

YSIV // Def Jam // 2018

“New York to L.A., Hawaii, and Japan / I’m the motherfuckin’ man, ‘least I’m feelin’ like I am / Got the whole wide world in the palm of my hand / But don’t give a goddamn, I’m Sam, I am.” Grammy-nominated rapper Logic enlists Wale and John Lindahl for the grooviest song from his 2018 LP, YSIV, “100 Miles and Running” 💯. Here, both distance (“100 miles”) and tempo (running is a fast action, duh) are a factor. Safe to say, Bobby goes TF off, delivering his most agile rhymes of the LP. Wale doesn’t do too shabby for himself either, eating the beat alive during his guest verse (“Been the talk of the town, nigga, Virginia, Maryland / Did it all for the capital, hope you haven’t forgot”). As for Lindahl? His falsetto is fierce to the nth degree.

“And it’s on now

Everybody know that it’s on now

Get in the zone now

Oh, no, no, no.”

Appears in 🔻:

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11. Edwin Starr, “Twenty Five Miles”

25 Miles // Motown //1969  

“Come on feet, start movin’ / Got to get me there.” From the onset, Edwin Starr is on autopilot on the 1960s soul gem, “Twenty Five Miles”.  “Twenty Five Miles” commences his 1969 album, 25 Miles with a surefire bang.  Honestly, could 25 Miles be named after something else beyond this top-10 pop hit (no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100)? NOPE – it is his second-highest charting single behind his best-known record, “War”.  In this hella funky soul cut, Starr is “Twenty five miles from home,” and has “been walking for three days / And two lonely nights.” Oh, nap!  Ultimately, despite his hurting feet and the time consumption, the fact that Edwin has an awesome woman waiting for him makes the journey worthwhile.  By the second verse, Starr has only fifteen miles, admitting, “I’ll be so glad to see my baby / And hold her in my arms one more time.” By verse three, he counts down from ten, reaching the five-mile mark, asserting, “Although my feet are tired / I can’t lose my stride / I got to get to my baby again.” Clearly, this woman is the sugar honey iced tea! Of course, the crème de la crème, the crowning achievement of “Twenty Five Miles” is the infectious chorus. Also, those authentic, expressive, and high-flying vocals by Mr. Starr do not hurt the cause either, especially backed by lit vintage production work (those horns).   

Appears in 🔻:  

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11 Songs That Are Driven by Miles (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; A&M, Capitol, Cole Blundin Music, Columbia, Def Jam, Lord’s Child, Motown, R&R Digital, Smiley Miley, Inc., Southeastern, Top Dawg Entertainment; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]

11 Songs That Are Driven by Miles | Playlist 🎧

Published by the musical hype on August 12, 2024August 12, 2024