11 Thrilling Songs About GUYS

Reading Time: 12 min read

11 Thrilling Songs About GUYS features music courtesy of Benedict Cork, Billie Eilish, Mary Wells, ScHoolboy Q, and Thomas Rhett.

Well, well, well! I present to you a playlist about a popular, beloved topic that we can all get behind: GUYS. Yup, the boys get the love on this colorful, 11-song musical compendium. Of course, context matters in every song on 11 Thrilling Songs About GUYS, so it’s not always a good look for the boys! Regardless, there’s so much to enjoy about this list which features music courtesy of Benedict Cork, Billie Eilish, Mary Wells, ScHoolboy Q, and Thomas Rhett among others. Ready for a heaping dose of musical testosterone? Well, look no further than 11 Thrilling Songs About GUYS!

1. Benedict Cork, “Nice Guy”

Notes on a Hopeless Romance // Benedict Cork // 2024

“Nice Guy” appears as the second track from Notes on a Hopeless Romance, the debut album by British pop singer/songwriter, Benedict Cork. Cork penned this advanced single alongside Jonny Wright and produced it with HOOST. The sound is alluring and quite ear-catching, with the combination of guitar and colorful keys, and anchored by a driving drum groove. Of course, the main reason why “Nice Guy” shines is Benedict Cork.

Cork ‘brings the heat’ from start to finish on “Nice Guy.” Vocally, his tone is pure and while he’s energetic, he never overreaches or over sings. The melodies in the verses and chorus are memorable, while the songwriting earns high marks too. “We’ll stay up all night, if that’s the way that you want it,” he sings in the first verse, continuing, “Set this bed on fire, if that’s the way that you like it.” That’s the nice guy part of Cork, who sings in the same verse he could “Rip your pretty heart out and then tear it in two.” Of course, he doesn’t, as the crème de la crème, the chorus, makes crystal clear:

“But you know, I’ve always been the nice guy

Never hurt you back, tried to treat you right

But, baby, I know I could be the man of your dreams

If I learn to fuck you over just like every other guy that you’ve been with

Or could you love a nice guy like me?

Like me.”

Good guys always finish last, unfortunately. Regardless of whether his nice guy ways pay off in love, they pay off well on “Nice Guy”. Sound all around, Cork excels on this pop cut.

Appears in 🔻:

Bops That Pop: March 2024

2. Billie Eilish, “bad guy”

When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? // Darkroom / Interscope // 2019 

“So, you’re a tough guy / Like it really rough guy / Just can’t get enough guy / Chest always so puffed guy…” The minimalist “Bad Guy” serves as the first full-length record on When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, the compelling debut album by alternative pop artist, Billie Eilish.  On the Grammy-winning “Bad Guy” (Record of the Year and Song of the Year), Eilish sings in an undertone.  She’s calm, cool, and collected, flaunting off her distinct approach and sound. Adding to the intrigue of the listening experience are a unique palette of vocal effects, as well as an air of mysteriousness. “Bad Guy” thrives because of its infectious groove, catchy chorus (partially excerpted above, and continued below), and a fun, if dark, playful style.  It easily nabbed the top spot on the 51 Best Songs of 2019.

“I’m that bad type

Make your mama sad type

Make your girlfriend mad tight

Might seduce your dad type

I’m the bad guy…”

Billie Eilish and her brother, gifted producer and songwriter, Finneas O’Connell, make a formidable team.

Appears in 🔻:

3. ScHoolboy Q, “Funny Guy”

BLUE LIPS // Interscope // 2024

Grammy nominated, West coast rapper, ScHoolboy Q commences his 2024 LP, BLUE LIPS, with the ear-catching, “Funny Guy.” “Funny Guy” features a sweet instrumental, produced by Jairus ‘J-Mo’ Mozee, J.LBS, and Tae Beast. The backdrop gets the assist from a pair of samples: “I Must Be Dreaming” (Checkmates, Ltd.) and “It’s a Me, Mario!” (Charles Martinet). Truly an intro, interlude, and prefacing moment from BLUE LIPS, the most recurrent lyrics from “Funny Guy” are the “Bring the dope, bring the hoes, bring the money bags in.” Woo! These lyrics grace the intro as well as the chorus, which occurs twice. There is a brief verse by Q, which is distinct too. It’s not poetic, but, ear-catching:

“I’ma fall in love this

Y’all niggas suck (On God)

Hangin’ out the roof

I love you but you suck

I’ma get my hoes, they all high

Matter fact, keep it out

Love you, and I try so hard

Nasty slut

You make me smile

Come down, come down, yeah

You love me, fuck me (Woo).”

What more is there to say but… “Bring the dope, bring the hoes, bring the money bags.” # “Funny Guy”.

4. Mary Wells, “My Guy”

Mary Wells Sings My Guy // Motown // 1964 

“Nothing you could say could tear me away from my guy / Nothing you could do, ‘cause I’m stuck like glue to my guy.” Clearly, this woman is in love with her boo something fierce! “My Guy” marks one of four top-10 hits by the late, great Mary Wells (1943 – 1992). Specifically, “My Guy” is the biggest song of the Motown singer’s career, spending two weeks at no. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.  Furthermore, the highlight from her 1964 LP, Mary Wells Sings My Guy, is one of the most renowned songs of the 1960s. It should come as no surprise that it was written by a legend: Smokey Robinson, baby! “My Guy” is groovy from the onset.  The Motown vibes are loud and clear – the tight backing band and fabulous backing vocals.  Of course, Wells is in full-on, tongue-in-cheek mode.  Generally, “My Guy” is cutesy and playful. “No muscle-bound man could take my hand from my guy,” she asserts, adding, “No handsome face could ever take the place of my guy.” Robinson’s songwriting is self-explanatory, with Mary bringing the dedicated lyrics to life sensationally.  One more note. What about those jazz touches that appear at the end? Both string bass and Well’s playful vocals fuel the fire.  “There’s not a man today who take me away from my guy.” Word, Mary Wells, word.  “My Guy” = unforgettable, timeless classic. 

Appears in 🔻:

Mary Wells, My Guy: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 11 (2024)

5. DigBar, “4 BIG GUYS”

DIGBARGAYRAPS THE ALBUM // DigBar // 2021

“4 Big Guys, and they grab on my thighs / Blow up my guts like the Fourth of July.” So, let’s get this straight, DigBar. Four bears are penetrating you? Is this simultaneously because, that’s a lot of… He continues rapping in the NSFW chorus of “4 BIG GUYS”, “If they keep fucking my butt then I might just cry / Poop and semen spraying on my eyes.” TMI, DigBar! As is often the case with the rapper, who isn’t shy rapping from a gay 🏳️‍🌈 perspective, he is brutally honest about matters of the butt, stick, and beyond. On this gem from his album, DIGBARGAYRAPS THE ALBUM, which arrived just in time for Christmas in 2021, he gives us two verses where he doesn’t hold back.

“He lick my dick and the cum start sprayin’ / Chargin’ up my dick, I’ma go Super Saiyan.” That’s some way to kick off the first verse, isn’t it? He’s sensitive when it comes to the D. What’s interesting is after playing a receptive role in the chorus, it seems he also plays the role of ‘the giver’ if you catch my drift.

“I’m fucking a nigga I think his name Steven

Hawking, fuck him till he ain’t walking

Dick stone cold call him BBC Austin

It’s a booty massacre when I visit him in Boston.”

There is more sexing the second verse, where DigBar states, “Fuck on him good until that nigga farted / Planted my seeds in his ass like a garden” and adds, “I eat the boys butt and I chase it with skeet / I charge for booty I promise DigBar isn’t cheap.” “4 BIG GUYS” clocks in under two minutes in duration, but that’s ample time for him to get down and dirty. Don’t play this one at work!

Appears in 🔻:

DigBar, 4 BIG GUYS: Midnight Heat 🕛 🔥 No. 25 (2024)

6. Maisie Peters, “Guy on a Horse”

The Good Witch // Gingerbread Man / Asylum UK / Warner Music UK Limited // 2023

“Cute, your car is sports, like, is that fast? / I hear you talking over me, like, is that smart? ‘Cause I’ve played Wembley Stadium, like, is that hard? Not really, really, oh, really, oh.” Oh, snap, Maisie Peters! “Guy on a Horse” appears as the 19th track on her 2023 album, The Good Witch (Deluxe). She penned this short but potent number alongside Tove Burman, and producer, ELVIRA. The sound is a selling point with the initial, four on the floor beat, driving bass line, and noisy guitars. From the get-go, Maisie is confident, touting her strength over him. In the second verse, she asks him, point blank, “Did someone drop you as a kid or is that coke?” Damn, Maisie! The best moment of the song, unsurprisingly, is the hella energetic chorus:

“Boy, somebody’s gotta say it

It might cut to the core

Got this far but I’m Joan of Arc

And you’re just a guy on a horse.”

The reference to Joan of Arc is epic! Furthermore, Peters extends on the reference at the end of the song: “I think you wanna start a war / I’ve got bigger battles / And you’re just a guy on a horse.”

7. Thomas Rhett, “To the Guys That Date My Girls” 

Country Again (Side A) // Big Machine // 2021

“To the guys that date my girls / Let’s get one thing straight / When you pick ‘em up, show up early / When you bring ‘em home, don’t be late.” Oh, snap, Thomas Rhett! “To the Guys That Date My Girls” marks one of the gems from Country Again (Side A), the 2021 album by the Grammy nominated country musician. On an LP where Rhett takes a more mature approach, he sings about the importance of protecting his daughters on this ballad, exemplified by the excerpted lyrics from the first verse. “But when you pull her close / You save room for Jesus,” Rhett memorably sings in the second verse, adding “‘Cause if you ever cross that line, I swear / Boy, you’re gonna need him.” Guys, take Thomas at his word! Beyond the honest lyrics of the verses, the chorus stands out, with Rhett acknowledging his girls will grow up, and when he must ‘let them go,’ he expects their boyfriends to do right by them.

“And I know that they won’t be young forever

But I’m gonna hold on as long as I can

So, when you take their hand, remember

You’re holdin’ my whole world

Just a friendly reminder to the guys that date my girl.”

Rhett penned this thoughtful song alongside William Bundy, Josh Thompson, and his dad, Rhett Akins while Jesse Frasure and Dan Huff produced it.

8. Superfruit, “GUY.exe”

Future Friends // RCA // 2017

“Oh I, wish I could synthesize / A picture-perfect guy / Oh I, oh I / Six feet tall and super strong / We’d always get along / Alright, alright…” Both members of Superfruit, Mitch Grassi and Scott Hoying – also members of Pentatonix – are openly gay. Notably on “GUY.exe.” (Future Friends, 2017), Mitch and Scott fearlessly lay out what they look for in the perfect MAN.  More and more, pop music has become more open-minded, exploring beyond exclusively heterosexual love scenarios. What stands out about “GUY.exe.” is that essentially, Superfruit looks for some of the same characteristics as the heterosexual crowd.

“…Oh, he’d pick me up at eight
And not a minute late
Cause I don’t like to wait, no
Kind and ain’t afraid to cry
Or treat his momma right
That’s right, that’s what I like.”

Appears in 🔻:

9. The 1975, “Guys”

Notes on a Conditional Form // Dirty Hit / Polydor / Interscope // 2020

“I was missing the guys (I was missing the guys) / In my rented apartment /… Started wetting my eyes (Started wetting my eyes) / ‘Cause I’m soft in the department.” Guys are sensitive beings too, and don’t you let anybody else tell you any differently! Speaking of guys, “Guys” appears as the final track on Notes on a Conditional Form, the fourth studio album by The 1975. “Guys” concludes the 2020 LP thoughtfully, with good intentions and fond memories. Front man Matty Healy is thankful for his bandmates – understandable and worth celebrating. He recollects, in the chorus, “The moment that we started a band / Was the best thing that ever happened.” In the second chorus, he also remembers a trip to Japan – “Oh, the first time we went to Japan / Was the best thing that ever happened.” Repeatedly, Matty makes it clear, “You guys are the best thing that ever happened to me.” 

10. Childish Gambino & Chance the Rapper, “I. The Worst Guys”

Because the Internet // MCDJ Recording / Glassnote // 2013

Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) tapped Chance The Rapper for the assist on “I. The Worst Guys.” “I. The Worst Guys” marks one of the best moments from Glover’s 2013 rap album, Because the Internet. Given the title, one must inquire, how bad are these guys? Chance The Rapper leaves listeners with a cliffhanger on the chorus: “All she needed was some…” It doesn’t require critical thinking to fill in the ellipsis, clearly a placeholder for…🍆. Beyond the chorus, “I. The Worst Guys” is all Childish Gambino. Throughout the song, he alludes to the ‘three-letter word.’ See Exhibit A: “At a Clippers game on the courtside / Watch a nigga shoot like a 4-5 / They mad at me too, I got more fire / When these bitches see you, ‘go home, Roger’.”  Ah, Sister Sister!  He gets rawer in the second verse, bragging about  “… a ménage and murdered the vag’ / But, afterwards, it was awkward as fuck / Cause I’m nervous as fuck and could not get it up… / I couldn’t finish, got the Uber from her place…” 😬 Glover ends up smoking some weed and “listening to the neighbors” post-sexual mishap… read into that however you wish.   

11. Betty Wright, “Girls Can’t Do What the Guys Do”

My First Time Around // Atco // 1968

“The guys are gonna wander / Go out and play sometimes / But girls you must not let it get you down.” Guys are trash for sure, so, yeah, Betty Wright, you have valid point.  Still, it feels so damn unfair to the girls (and I’m a guy)! In her 1968 classic, “Girls Can’t Do What the Guys Do”, Wright continues adds in the first verse, “Just take this advice I give you just like a mother / You try to match your guys two for two / Don’t try to do the things that the guys do, no no.” Well, okay… Wright, again, has a valid point on this throwback gem from My First Time Around.  Of course, it also highlights the double standard women face, ugh! The chorus, the centerpiece of “Girls Can’t Do What the Guys Do,” speaks volumes:   

“‘Cause girls you can’t do what the guys do, no 

And still be a lady 

Girls, you can’t do what the guys do, no 

And still be a lady, no 

No, oh.”  

Basically, women can’t get away with that sugar honey iced tea… lame. BUT, depending on the lens you view “Girls Can’t Do What the Guys Do,” Wright is urging women to be classy –  rise above the dumb stuff guys do.  The messaging is big on this soul classic, which peaked at no. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Also worth mentioning is the music itself.  “Girls Can’t…” features vintage, soul production with horns, keys, and vibes; the orchestration is ‘everything.’ The record commences dynamically and energetically with articulated, biting horns. Wright is both refined and commanding. Besides her epic lead vocals, the backing vocals are terrific too.  Notably, “Girls Can’t Do What the Guys Do,” has been sampled by Beyoncé (“Upgrade U”) and Latto (“Pussy”). Although “Girls Can’t Do What the Guys Do” has a short runtime, it’s incredibly powerful.  The message – the theme – and musicianship are equally important. Still, above all, Betty Wright was a fabulous vocalist.  It’s no wonder why so many rappers sought her out for collaboration in her later years.

Appears in 🔻:

Betty Wright, Girls Can’t Do What the Guys Do: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 63 (2022)

11 Thrilling Songs About GUYS (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Aftermath, Asylum UK, Atco, Atlantic, Benedict Cork, Big Machine, Darkroom, DigBar, Dirty Hit, Gingerbread Man, Glassnote, Interscope, MCDJ Recording, Motown, Polydor, RCA, UMG Recordings Inc., Warner Music UK Limited; Aaron Hairston, András Matesz, Elias Souza, Ivan Ananiev, Kwesi Badu, Mike Jones, MOHAMED eid, Mustafa Bodur, Natan, RDNE Stock project from Pexels]

11 Thrilling Songs About GUYS | Playlist 🎧

Published by the musical hype on April 24, 2024April 24, 2024