11 Thrilling ARE Songs, Part 1

Reading Time: 11 min read

11 Thrilling ARE Songs, Part 1 features songs by Nick Rich, Orville Peck & Willie Nelson, Patti LaBelle, Sister Sledge, and Taylor Swift.

Are you prepared for the power of ARE??? Hopefully, you – wait for it – A-R-E, are! 11 Thrilling ARE Songs, Part 1 is exactly what the title suggests – a playlist of songs that feature the word are in their title. There are no other criteria other than featuring the often-used three-letter word. 11 Thrilling ARE Songs, Part 1 features songs by Nick Rich, Orville Peck & Willie Nelson, Patti LaBelle, Sister Sledge, and Taylor Swift. So, without extending the introductory paragraph needlessly, to quote Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, “Don’t you fucking know what you ARE?”!

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1. Queen, “We Are The Champions”

2. Taylor Swift, “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together”

3. Nick Rich, “I Know You Are (But What Am I)”

4. Sister Sledge, “We Are Family”

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

6. Shawn Mendes, “What The Hell Are We Dying For”

7. Muse, “We Are Fucking Fucked”

8. Freddie Jackson, “You Are My Lady”

9. Patti LaBelle, “You Are My Friend”

10. James Blake, “Are You Even Real”

11. Snoop Dogg, “Words Are Few” (Ft. B Slade)

1. Queen, “We Are the Champions”

News of the World // Hollywood // 1977

“I’ve paid my dues / Time after time / I’ve done my sentence / But committed no crime,” Freddie Mercury, the iconic frontman of Queen sings spiritedly in “We Are the Champions”. He continues on the gem from the band’s 1977 album, News of the World, “And bad mistakes / I’ve made a few / I’ve had my share of sand kicked in my face / But I’ve come through / (And I need to go on and on, and on, and on).” “We Are the Champions” ranks among the all-time great songs by the iconic rock band as well as the greatest songs of all time. The championship aspirations are legit on “We Are the Champions,” specifically the beloved chorus:

“We are the champions, my friends

And we’ll keep on fighting, ‘til the end

We are the champions, we are the champions!”

Truly, there is “No time for losers” because EVERYBODY embraces that championship-winning spirit listening to Mercury’s epic, high-flying vocals on this certified masterpiece. The awesomeness of “We Are the Champions” speaks for itself. Timeless!

Appears in 🔻:

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2. Taylor Swift, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”

Red // Big Machine //  2012

Before Taylor Swift declared that she was leaving country music in favor of pop (1989), she’d already begun the transition on her 2012 album, Red. Red still had country music flowing through her veins but the pop was much more pronounced. One such pop record is “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” Swift states that she and her ex are “never ever, ever getting back together.” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” was co-written by Swift and producers Max Martin and Shellback.  Naturally, the production encompasses ‘pop’ cues, including a pounding beat, and rhythm guitar.  Swift’s vocal performance is catchy, cutesy, and playful, while the chorus is incredibly catchy:

“We are never, ever, ever, ever, getting back together

…You go talk to your friends talk

To my friends talk to me/but we are never, ever, ever, getting back together.”

Pop has worked out for Taylor Swift.

Appears in 🔻:

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3. Nick Rich, “I Know You Are (But What Am I)”

“I Know You Are (But What Am I)” // Big Red // 2023

Who is Nick Rich – that is the question! The answer is that he is an American artist who patterns himself after British soul musicians. And let me tell you, folks, he patterns himself after them like a boss! “I Know You Are (But What Am I)” marked his first single of 2024. The guitar is the first sound heard in the intro, establishing a minor key (D minor to be precise). Rich offers up playful vocals during the intro, which draws the listener in and prefaces impending excellence. Soon enough, “I Know You Are” adds keys, and a light, soulful groove in the British soul/ pop-soul style. Beyond his fabulous vocals during the intro, Rich gives us gorgeous and refined vocals. He never over sings yet is potent with his emotional delivery. He has tuneful melodies to work with, particularly the chorus. I love how background vocals are used throughout, upping the ante, notably during that epic chorus. The bridge also deserves a shoutout, providing terrific contrast to the verses/chorus. Post-bridge, the instrumentation gets a slight tweak – subtle, mind you – bridging the retro-sound and the present. The talented Nick Rich nails it on “I Know You Are (But What Am I)”. Bravo – bravissimo!

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4. Sister Sledge, “We Are Family”

We Are Family // Rhino // 1979

“Let me just state for the record / We’re giving love in a family dose.” Sister Sledge comprises Debbie Sledge, Kathy Sledge, Kim Sledge, and the late Joni Sledge (1956 – 2017). Kathy performs lead vocals on the collective’s most successful single, “We Are Family”, the fifth track on the platinum-certified, 1979 album, We Are Family. “We Are Family” peaked at no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was certified gold by the RIAA. Also, it earned a Grammy nomination.

“We Are Family” features exuberant-sounding production. What makes it so awesome? It’s the marvelous string arrangement, the active, robust bass line, the epic rhythm guitar riffs, and those glorious keys. Beyond the instrumental, what about the utterly sublime singing from the collective? It’s perfect in every way. Kathy delivers a compelling lead, with superb backup singing from her sisters. “We Are Family” features one of the catchiest, most infectious choruses:

“We are family

I got all my sisters with me

We are family

Get up everybody and sing.”

Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers put their foot into the songwriting and production. No extensive analysis is necessary to validate the iconic nature and sheer excellence of “We Are Family” – it speaks for itself!

Appears in 🔻:

Sister Sledge, We Are Family: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 181 (2023)

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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. Shawn Mendes, “What The Hell Are We Dying For”

“What The Hell Are We Dying For?” // Island // 2023

“Smoke’s in the air, the city’s burnin’ down.” Well, yes, Shawn Mendes, there were gnarly forest fires in Canada that created bad air quality and pollution in the US, particularly in New York in early June 2023. Early in “What The Hell Are We Dying For?”, the Grammy-nominated Canadian heartthrob commits to a ‘call to action’ regarding climate change.  However, in this song, written and produced with friends while experiencing that horrid air, Shawn’s love life also creeps in. “I wanna save us, but I don’t know how,” Mendes sings vulnerably at the close of the first verse. It leads into the chorus, which might have dashes of the population’s indifference to climate change but embraces the end of a relationship. “If we don’t love like we used to / If we don’t care like we used to / What the hell are we dying for?” he asks, continuing, “If it doesn’t cut like it used to / If you’re not mine and I’m not yours / What the hell are we dying for?” Mendes is in his feelings, particularly in the bridge (“Livin’ without you / Is not livin’ at all”), as well as the expressive, ultra-nuanced ad-libs and powered vocals towards the end.  There is a raw nature, amplified not only by the brief time “What The Hell Are We Dying For?” was conceived, recorded, and released but also the pop/rock aesthetic. The enjoyable “What The Hell Are We Dying For?” gives some mixed messages – the climate change message goes out the door early on – but hopefully, Mendes has escaped love funk.

Appears in 🔻:

Awesome Songs: June 2023

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7. Muse, “We Are Fucking Fucked”

Will Of The People // Warner UK // 2022

“You really believe / We can survive all of this?” Well… “The black vacuum of the universe, it was designed / To swallow us whole / It’s a losing game.” Um…okay… It is official – we’re fucked! Actually, per Matthew Bellamy and Muse, we’re not merely fucked, “We Are Fucking Fucked”! It is the Will Of The People, baby – track 10, specifically. What has Matthew Bellamy hurting our virgin ears with double f-bombs? On this outlandish closer from Will Of The People, the world is in a horrible state. Some examples arrive in the pre-chorus as Bellamy highlights, “Another world war,” “wildfires,” and “a life in crisis, a deadly virus.” Also, in the second verse, the pessimism continues as Bellamy informs us, “But you’re living a lie / The game is rigged.” Ah!!! Indeed, “We are getting fucking fucked!” Notably, Bellamy says some form of fuck at least 20 times! A lot of fucks are given by the Grammy-winning collective!

Appears in 🔻:

Muse, We Are Fucking Fucked: Outlandish Rock 🎸🤘 27 (2022)

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8. Freddie Jackson, “You Are My Lady”

Rock Me Tonight // Capitol // 1985

“There’s nothing that I’d rather do / Than spend every moment with you / I guess you should know, I love you so.” “You Are My Lady” is one of the best R&B songs of the 1980s and ALL TIME. Freddie Jackson ‘put in work’ on this 1985 Rock Me Tonight gem which peaked at no. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. The fourth track, written and produced by Barry Eastmond is truly special – timeless. So, what makes “You Are My Lady” so epic? Foremost, it’s refined, buttery, smooth vocals by Jackson. He sings with ease, never forcing things, executing flawlessly. His tone is heaven-sent, tailor-made for a dedicated love song like the one at hand. In the chorus, he sounds incredibly authentic on the simple but meaningful lyrics:

“You are my lady

You’re everything I need and more

You are my lady

You’re all I’m living for.”

Jackson’s ad-libs are superb – highly effective yet non troppo. Adding to the excellence is silky smooth, 80s adult contemporary R&B production. Even as “You Are My Lady” approaches 40, it remains sweet to the n^th degree.

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9. Patti LaBelle, “You Are My Friend”

Patti LaBelle // Epic // 1977

“You are my friend / I never knew it ‘til then / My friend, my friend.” Word. The great Patti LaBelle ‘brings the heat’ on the ‘friendly’ “You Are My Friend”. “You Are My Friend” is the fifth track on her 1977 album, Patti LaBelle. LaBelle, James Budd Ellison, and L. Armstead Edwards penned the classic. David Rubinson & Friends, Inc. produced the cut. While “You Are My Friend” didn’t impact the pop charts, it performed modestly on the R&B charts (no. 61). LaBelle sings angelically. Her voice is anointed! Her performance is dynamic, expressive, and nuanced. She brings the tuneful melodies to life superbly. Her ad-libs and high-flying vocals are everything, specifically on the bridge where the choir sings, “I’ve been looking around, and you were here all the time…” The lyrics aren’t complicated but solidly convey ‘friendship’ – a special relationship. “You hold my hand, you might not say a word,” she sings in the first verse, continuing, “But I see your tears when I show my pain.” Powerful. In the second, LaBelle asserts, “Your love has made me realize / My future looks bright to me all because…” – yup, you guessed it – “You are my friend!” Besides top-notch vocals and thoughtful lyricism, the instrumental accompaniment is marvelous. We’d expect nothing but the crème de la crème supporting a Philly gal like Patti! “You Are My Friend” is epic!

Appears in 🔻:

Patti LaBelle, You Are My Friend: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 173 (2024)

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10. James Blake, “Are You Even Real”

“Are You Even Real?” // Republic // 2020

“Are You Even Real?” marks one of the most gorgeous James Blake songs to date. What makes “Are You Even Real?” so awesome? First and foremost, it is the production. Blake is known for his skill in the producer’s seat and as usual, he shows it off alongside Josh Stradlen. He serves up great keyboard work and programming that comes together superbly. Additionally, throw strings into the mix, and there’s additional color providing an emotional effect. Violin enhances the overall soundscape. Besides stellar production, Blake delivers lovely, tender vocals, perfectly complementing the emotional backdrop. He also has solid songwriting, thanks to a team comprised of himself, Ali Tamposi, Brittany “Starrah” Hazzard, and Peter Lee Johnson. This dreamy sounding record deals with love. The centerpiece is the gorgeous chorus:

“Cracking seals, guilty, no appeal

Trip down the hill, strawberry fields

Are you even real?

She said, ‘Tell me how you feel’

Are you even real?

Are you even real?”

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11. Snoop Dogg, “Words Are Few” (Ft. B Slade)

Bible of Love // RCA Inspiration // 2018

“I know god is calling me / I’m not where I’m supposed to be / Sitting here smoking trees / When I should be on my knees / When my words are few.” In 2018, Snoop Dogg released Bible of Love, a gospel album 🤯! On “Words Are Few”, a highlight and single, he’s assisted by B Slade. The pace of the double album’s closing cut is slow. Sleekly produced, the vibe blends R&B, the laid-back West Coast sound, and contemporary black gospel. The lush production and lethargic tempo are enough to make “Words Are Few” shine. A more melodic Snoop Dogg delivers an emotional, well-rounded performance. Things grow more soulful, reaching an emotional fever pitch upon B. Slade’s arrival (“I know that I chose to backslide / But now I know the way /I was born and raised in this thing”). His vocals are heaven-sent, particularly his growl in his upper register. The spirit is ‘turned up.’ Ultimately, “Words Are Few” is pleasant. Snoop Dogg offers a compelling, ‘clean’ performance, while B. Slade wows with mad runs and unbelievable range. Although lengthy, it’s a jam.

~ Table of Contents ~ // ~ intro ~

11 Thrilling ARE Songs, Part 1 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Big Machine, Big Red, Capitol, Epic, Hollywood, Island, Orville Peck, LLC, RCA Inspiration, Rhino, Warner, Warner UK; Liviu Gorincioi from Pexels]

11 Thrilling ARE Songs, Part 1 | Playlist 🎧

Published by the musical hype on November 29, 2024November 29, 2024