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“11 Songs That Totally Blow (In the Most Awesome Way Possible)” features songs courtesy of Behemoth, Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa & Kim Petras. 

As the iconic, The Freewheelin’… Bob Dylan would say, “The answer, my friend, is ‘blowing’ in the wind.” Sigh, that 1963 song is nothing short of a classic. As for the Grammy-nominated pop star Kesha, she uses the world ‘blow’ in a different context on her 2010 song, fittingly titled “Blow”: “This place about to blow (oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh).” Damn, there’s a lot of “oh(s)” in the chorus of the highlight from Cannibal (Note: the title track is something else too, with some ‘Dahmer-isms’ going down).  That same year, Grammy-nominated rapper Rick Ross was totally “… Gettin’ money from the fuckin’ start” on “B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast)”.

Anyways, two years later, Grammy-winning country superstar Carrie Underwood has us all totally “Blown Away” on the title track from her 2012 LP: “Shatter every window ‘til it’s all blown away / Every brick, every board, every slamming door blown away / …Every tear-soaked whiskey memory blown away.” That same year, P!nk had totally had it, asserting, “I think I’ve had enough of this / Blow me one last kiss.”

The ‘key cog’ between all five songs is the word blow.  This playlist, which seemingly comes out of nowhere, features songs that use the four-letter word, in some form, within their respective song titles.  So, despite the fact that this playlist is titled 11 Songs That Totally ‘Blow’ …, well, none of the songs are bad – they don’t ‘blow’ in that regard.  That’s why, we felt it necessary to parenthesize, adding … (In the Most Awesome Way Possible).  Now that’s clarification! “11 Songs That Totally Blow (In the Most Awesome Way Possible)” features songs courtesy of Behemoth (“Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel”), Beyoncé (“Blow”), Ed Sheeran (“Blow”), Dua Lipa (“Blow Your Mind (Mwah)”), and Kim Petras (“Blow It All”) among others.

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1. Ed Sheeran, “Blow”

Ft. Chris Stapleton & Bruno Mars

No. 6 Collaborations Project • Atlantic • 2019 

“Locked, loaded, shoot my shot tonight / … Pull my trigger, let me blow your mind.” Wow, that’s some sexual innuendo to the max there.  Grammy-winning pop singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran dropped single “Blow” a week in advance of the release of his collaborations album, No. 6 Collaborations Project. “Blow,” an uncharacteristic rock record, pairs Sheeran with some unlikely collaborators – Chris Stapleton and Bruno Mars – with generally positive results. In terms of “Blow” being the rock song that it is, it arguably most closely fits/suits Chris Stapleton. Still, this is not something we’d expect from any of the three.  The intrigue alone is part of the charm.

There are plenty of pros.  It’s nice to hear Sheeran exhibit vocal grit on the first verse.  Stapleton is turned up as always on the second verse, segueing directly from Sheeran’s.  On Mars’ third verse, there are some sweet vocal harmonies, which actually play to the urban-pop style he’s generally known for. Also, the chorus, partially excerpted above, is energetic, fun, and certainly unforgettable. There are still rubs, specifically the songwriting which isn’t the least bit deep and definitely sounds potentially ‘overstimulated’. Furthermore, the chorus, as memorable and energetic as it is, feels cliché – certainly not transcendent. But, all in all, this is an attention-grabbing joint that’s a crowd-pleaser worthy of spins.  It certainly doesn’t ‘blow.’

2. Kim Petras, “Blow It All”

Clarity • BunHead • 2019

“Tonight, we got this, we gon’ be alright / Yeah, we live like we’re never gonna die / Never die, yeah.” For German transgender pop singer Kim Petras, ‘the drip is real’ is on “Blow It All.” How so? The penultimate track from her 2019 debut album, Clarity, finds Petras living it up, enjoying her youth, and spending all of her money.

“Blow It All” is bright (major key baby), carefree, and fun to the nth degree.  From the jump, Kim Petras reveals her cards, and that’s perfectly fine to be honest.  The chorus is the first section we hear, summing up the party that’s going down:

“Feel like I made it, waited all my life

Everybody rollin’, tryna feel alive

Can’t take it with ya, blow it all tonight

All tonight, blow it all tonight

Cup full of liquor, got the key to life

Came from the bottom, now my money right

Can’t take it with ya, blow it all tonight

All tonight, blow it all tonight.”

The excess and extravagance of “Blow It All” is best exhibited on the verses, such as the beginning of the first verse (“Shorty in the bathroom and she asking where the coke at / I spent 20 thousand just to leave it on a coat rock”) or the gem at the beginning of the second (“You got money on your mind (You should go and make it) / Got a big ol’ ass behind (You should go and shake it)”).  “Blow It All” is pretty straightforward, but it’s also quite the treat.

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3. NCT 127, “Blow My Mind”

Awaken • avex entertainment inc. / S.M.Entertainment Japan • 2019

“Blow my mind, blow my mind, blow my mind.” Okay… sure… It’s no secret that K-pop has become ‘kind of a big deal’ in the United States, particularly in the mid-10s and beyond.  NCT 127 is another Asian boy group (K-pop and J-pop) that’s earned a fair share of attention, though not to the same degree as BTS.  While most of the song that graces this list, “Blow My Mind” is sung in Japanese, it has its moments that are exclusively in English, such as the aforementioned excerpt, as well as the following: “I’m running and running and running… / I’m wondering, wondering, wondering…”

“A dazzling lighthouse with eyes / Lighting up tomorrow, blow my mind / Wind hole in the back of the chest / The wind blows through, blow my mind.” The sound of “Blow My Mind” essentially rivals the urban-pop that’s popular in the United States.  The record is of high quality, sleekly produced, and set in a minor key.  While translation can be imperfect, lyrically, “Blow My Mind” has its fair share of poetic moments.  If nothing else, the MIND has definitely been BLOWN… corny, but true! #Facts

4. Dua Lipa, “Blow Your Mind (Mwah)”

Dua Lipa • Warner Bros. • 2017

“New Rules” hit-maker Dua Lipa was able to add ‘Grammy Award winner’ to her résumé following two wins at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. She didn’t win specifically for “New Rules,” but her Best New Artist victory definitely seems like a product of the excellence of that single as well as her 2017, self-titled album.  Basically, anytime that we get to feature Dua Lipa is a pretty great occasion. In this case, we’re able to reprise an entry from the mind-boggling playlist 11 Songs Where the Mind is the Focal Point, “Blow Your Mind (Mwah).”

Providing some context, “IDGAF” precedes “Blow Your Mind (Mwah)” in the context of Dua Lipa.  On the infectious “Blow Your Mind (Mwah),” Dua Lipa retains a badass, I.D.G.A.F. attitude. On the chorus, she ‘matter of fact’ as she sings:

“If you don’t like the way I talk, then why am I on your mind?

If you don’t like the way I rock, then finish your glass of wine

We fight and we argue, you’ll still love me blind

If we don’t fuck this whole thing up

Guaranteed, I can blow your mind

Mwah!”

Honestly, what more is there to say? She may be a lot to handle (“Tell me I’m too crazy / You can’t tame me…”), but given the chance, beautiful things can happen. Hey, the sex is already on-point (“Biting your lip / Loving ‘til late in the night”).  The relationship perspective, with its innuendo considered, via her own Genius verifications, she also references her pursuit of a music career.

5. A$AP Mob, “Blowin’ Minds (Skateboard)”

Ft. A$AP Rocky, A$AP Nast, A$AP ANT, Chief Keef & Playboi Carti

Cozy Tapes, Vol. 2 • RCA • 2017

“All new watch, that bitch blows minds (Beep) / When we show up, you know it’s showtime (What?) …” Despite the fact that ‘skateboard’ is parenthesized in the song title “Blowin’ Minds (Skateboard),” the A$AP Mob record isn’t literally about skateboarding.  How do we know this? Well, the rest of the above-mentioned chorus, performed by featured guests Chief Keef and Playboi Carti tells us so: “…I don’t skateboard, but I’m on my grind (Beep) / Hundred thousand, all hundreds, it’ll blow a bitch mind.”

As you might expect, the drip is ‘turned all the way up’ throughout the course of “Blow Your Mind.” So is the sex for that matter – the title should make that clear! Following his contributions on the chorus and post-chorus, Chief Keef drops a hella confident verse, which includes the cocky lyrics, “When we in the field, it’s a touchdown / And you know your bitch is a ‘bust-down’.” A$AP Rocky picks up where Chief Keef leaves off, bragging, “R.I.P. the pussy, leave it face down.” He also has more clever moments, referencing karma in the process (“When she come around, better not fuck around”).  Playboi Carti drips on the third verse, while A$AP Nast is all about ‘getting some’ on the fourth (“Give that pussy up, and if it’s wet, I’ll buy a purse”).

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6. Bryson Tiller, “Blowing Smoke”

True to Self • RCA • 2017

“You a fraud, you a fake, nigga / Can’t keep up with the pace, nigga / Get the fuck up out the race, nigga.” Wow – that’s some tough talk right there! Bryson Tiller uses plenty of repetition on “Blowing Smoke,” the fourth song from his 2017 sophomore album, True to Self.  True to Self arrived with high expectations given the breakout hit, “Exchange” from the Louisville, Kentucky rapper/singer’s 2015 debut album, TRAPSOUL.  While True to Self debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard 200, and had some great moments, it didn’t quite live up to the expectations ultimately.  That said, that’s a discussion for another time, not this blow-driven playlist.

“Blowing Smoke” finds Bryson Tiller tackling fakes and frauds, hence the ‘tough talk’ of the aforementioned lyrics from the first verse.  In the context of True to Self, and perhaps hip-hop in general, the theme is cliché. That said, from one Kentucky boy to another, give Tiller credit for representing the 502 (Louisville) with his lyric about the Gene Snyder Freeway.  He also references the Cleveland Cavaliers, thoroughbreds, and Jay Z for good measure.

7. DNCE, “Blown”

Ft. Kent Jones

DNCE • Republic • 2016

“The less you show, the more you get / It doesn’t matter if you’re feelin’ it / Put down your phone, don’t send that pic / They won’t come back unless they’re missin’ it.” Alright then Joe Jonas and DNCE.  DNCE proved on their self-titled, 2016 debut album that catchy pop songs and sexual innuendo (“Cake by the Ocean” and “Body Moves” in particular) were their calling cards.  Once more, as suggested by the aforementioned lyrical excerpt from “Blown”, the pop collective, with the assistance of Kent Jones, keep things sexy.

Notably, “Blown” features old-school, retro production, giving the song some character.  Beyond its production, however, things ‘go south.’ “Blown” is tongue-n-cheek – schmaltzy to the nth degree.  It begins ‘inspired’ with the lyrics, “I stare at you for so long.” cleary eye-roll worthy shit. Of course, Joe Jonas thinks with his pants, singing, “But now that I got ya / It keeps gettin’ hard to / I don’t wanna watch, uh…,” ‘arriving’ on the chorus: “My mind’s blown…/ Down to my toes / My mind’s blown.” As for Kent Jones, he handles the third verse, which includes a reference to a sexual act and, of course, dropping the bomb:

“Leavin’ Memphis, on my way to Nash

Head while I’m drivin’, almost made me crash

I hate smart mouth girls that fuck the vibe up

She jumped out the window and hit the Stacey Dash.”

8. Future, “Blow a Bag”

DS2 • Epic • 2015

“I blow a bag today, I don’t do nothin’ fugazi / I blow a bag today, I walk in the mall and go crazy.” In 2015, Future arguably released his best album, DS2.  DS2, which stands for ‘Dirty Sprite 2’ is a project that is druggy AF but thrives because of its excess.  Chocked-full of hits, among the bright spots is “Blow a Bag.”

Safe to say, Future flexes like a boss on “Blow a Bag.” Essentially, Future is proud of the success he’s had in the rap game and has the ability to ‘blow’ – spend and ultimately waste – lots of money. “If my granddad was livin’, I know he’d sure be proud of me,” he asserts on the first verse.  As proud as he is, on the second verse, he doesn’t want to forget from whence he came:

“I ran it up with the same niggas

Get that money and stay with the same niggas

I know that money can change niggas

They don’t look at you like you the same nigga

I just hope I can remain humble…”

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9. Tyler, the Creator, “Blow My Load”

Ft. Wanya Morris, Dâm-Funk, Austin Feinstein & Sydney Bennett

Cherry Bomb • Odd Future • 2015

“The holy grail of your body, when you be kissin’ /…You are the kitchen / I come quicker than pitches from Sammy Sosa.” OMFG! Before Tyler the Creator exhibited more maturity on masterpieces like Flower Boy and IGOR, there was Cherry Bomb from 2015.  Notably, on Cherry Bomb, the unapologetic rapper decided to tackle ejaculation, masturbation, and sex on “Blow My Load,” a song that previously appeared on the Mad Innuendo and Sex, 2015 and Beyond playlist.  What a charming title and what charming subject matter, said NO ONE ever.

Yeah, songs about human plumbing are rarely lyrical masterpieces, let alone, safe for work. Tyler, the Creator totally skips the innuendo part in favor of sex to the nth degree.

“Your pussy tighter than door hinges

I munch you like sandwiches… Face Time your clit, I will jack off my dick

I go hard, shit

I might need an ice pack on my wrist…”

Again, OMFG! Despite repulsing with his ‘masturbatory’ practices – that’s a private matter Tyler – there’s lot to like that has nothing to do with sex. The production is sensual-sounding, while Wanya Morris (Boyz II Men) provides a lift with his soulful vocals and ad-libs.

10. Behemoth, “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel”

The Satanist • Metal Blade • 2014

“I saw the virgin’s cunt spawning forth the snake / …I watched disciples twelve, dissolved by flame / Looked down on Son ov God, snuffed in vain…” Wow, Behemoth, wow! It should come as no surprise that “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel” is quite… um… atheistic, better yet, satanic. “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel” serves as the loud, totally unsettling, hellish opener to the metal collective’s 2014 album, The Satanist. 

“Blow your trumpets Gabriel! /… Break the bread, and crumb by crumb into the Leviathan’s den…” The Leviathan, a sea monster, appears in numerous instances in the Bible, in a negative context.  Basically, Behemoth, known for their blasphemy and reversal of all things Christian and spiritual, show an example of reversal in this lyrical excerpt.  In 2018, Nergal and company would drop  a totally superb, though twisted LP where the blasphemy was at an all-time high (I Loved You at Your Darkest). “Havohej Pantocrator,” featured on the playlist 13 Disturbing Songs About the Antichrist, is another prime example of reversal, opting for the satanic so far as to spell ‘Jehovah’ backwards (Havohej). The Biblical references continue to run rampant on “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel,” but there’s nothing ‘redeeming,’ particularly when Nergal sings:

“Hosanna! (hosanna)

Let wine ov Sodom fill our mouths

Hosanna! (hosanna)

May Sin ov Gomorrah grace our hearts.”

11. Beyoncé, “Blow”

Beyoncé • Sony • 2013

“Can you eat my skittles? / It’s the sweetest in the middle (Yeah) / Pink is the flavor / Solve the riddle…” Hmm, what’s to solve? Don’t we all know what Beyoncé is getting at here? Not that she ever had any problem with being fierce, but Queen Bey was hella fierce on her 2013 visual album, Beyoncé. How did that urban contemporary gem fail to win a Grammy? SMH. Anyways, if she’d managed to be sexy without crossing the lines on previous albums, she didn’t hold back on her first project that featured the ‘parental advisory explicit lyrics.’ In the context of Beyoncé, Bey keeps the sensuality going full-force on “Blow”, an irresistibly groovy, naughty joint to say the least.

The aforementioned excerpted lyrics from the chorus rank among the most suggestive lines.  Even so, “Blow” gets more lascivious as Beyoncé asserts, “I can’t wait ‘til I get home so you can turn that cherry out, turn that cherry out, turn that cherry out…” If you haven’t managed to solve the riddle, um, I dunno what to tell you.  She practically spells it out, and the pre-chorus is a big-time hint:

“Keep me coming, keep me going, keep me coming, keep me going

Keep me humming, keep me moaning, keep me humming, keep me moaning

Don’t stop loving ‘til the morning, don’t stop loving ‘til the morning

Don’t stop screaming, freaking, blowing.”

Yeah, she’s definitely “No Angel.”

[Photo Credits: Atlantic, avex entertainment inc., BunHead, Epic, Metal Blade, Odd Future, Pexels, Pixabay, RCA, Republic, S.M.Entertainment Japan, Sony, Warner Bros.]

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