11 Thrilling Songs Where It’s Going DOWN ⬇️ | Playlist 🎧

11 Thrilling Songs Where It’s Going DOWN ⬇️ features music courtesy of Aitch, Kelly Clarkson, Lil Nas X, Lost Frequencies,  and Nicki Minaj. 

“We’re goin’ DOWN, DOWN in an earlier round / And sugar, we’re going DOWN swingin’!” WOO! Fall Out Boy said it best on their iconic, 2005 song! They’re not the only ones who mentioned going down ⬇️ in some form or fashion. The-Dream certainly “Put It Down” in the bedroom, encouraging her to share about his skills in the bedroom: “And when they ask about me, you say / He put it DOWN, put it DOWN, put it DOWN, put it DOWN, put it DOWN.” Ooh-wee! More than 30 years before “Put It Down” was born, the late, great Bobby Womack informed, “Nobody Wants You When You’re DOWN and Out”. If you didn’t catch my drift, this musical compendium, 11 Thrilling Songs Where It’s Going DOWN ⬇️, a sequel to the 2019 playlist, 13 Awesome Songs That Reference Going Down (2019), is all about the word DOWN ⬇️. 11 Thrilling Songs Where It’s Going DOWN ⬇️ features music courtesy of Aitch, Kelly Clarkson, Lil Nas X, Lost Frequencies, and Nicki Minaj among others.  So, without any further ado, Yung Joc, “meet me in the club, it’s goin’ down” OR, just check out this entertaining playlist! 

1. Lost Frequencies & Bastille, Head Down 

🎵 “Head Down” • 🏷 Lost & Cie Music SPRL / Epic • 🗓 2023 

“Don’t hang your head down.” That’s the key lyrical takeaway from “Head Down”, a groovy collaborative single from Belgian DJ/record producer, Lost Frequencies (Felix de Laet), and British indie-pop band, Bastille.  In the chorus, Dan Smith repeats the titular lyrics over and over, ensuring that the uplifting message and vibes don’t fall on deaf ears.  As always, Smith’s British accent is pronounced, part of the charm of his performance.  Notably, he highlights the happenings forcing him to keep his head down.  But, of course, he gets the advice and inspiration he needs to bring him up:  

“And you said 

‘Hearts break, life can knock you to the ground 

Don’t hang your head down, head down 

You’re still young, but know the best is yet to come 

Don’t hang your head down, head down.’”

Word. As for Lost Frequencies, he puts in work on the instrumental.  To reiterate, the groove is lit – arguably the biggest selling point of the instrumental.  But also, the backdrop is colorful, thanks to the keys, synths, and the rhythm.  “Head Down” was produced by Lost Frequencies and Johan Lindbrandt. Furthermore, Smith, de Laet, and Lindbrant compose the record alongside Dag Lundberg and Nicklas Lif.  All told, “Head Down” is a winner – an electrifying dance joint to spin well into 2024.   

2. Nicki Minaj, “Let Me Calm Down” (Ft. J. Cole) 

💿 Pink Friday 2 • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2023

“Hold, hold you  / Let me hold you.” “Let Me Calm Down” appears as the sixth track on Pink Friday 2, the long-awaited, fifth studio album by Nicki Minaj. Does Nicki need to calm down? Judging by lyric, “Just did a detox, now I wanna spar,” the answer is a resounding yes. “Let Me Calm Down” commences lushly with enigmatic, ear-catching production. ATL Jacob, Hendrix Smoke, and Kuji put in work behind the boards, stitching up sound production for Nicki. The mix of synths and lush, sung vocals by Minaj is sweet. After the extended intro, which never gets hurried, Minaj begins rapping.  Her flow is electric, riding the instrumental like a champ. “Yeah, it was love at first sight, but I ain’t never sweat him,” she spits, adding, “I knew if it was meant to be that one day I would let him.” In the chorus, we get sung vocals by Minaj, who’s on her lovey dovey ish.  Notably, Minaj is joined by a big-time guest: J. Cole. Cole matches Nicki’s fab flow on the second verse.  His assertive, hard sound is #WINNING. Among his most memorable bars:   

“Word to Willy Smith, these silly niggas heckle and shun 

As if they life is somehow perfect, and they never plunged  

Into a dark place, so I can’t respect whent it’s done 

It’s family first through the worst, comin’ second to none, for real.” 

Word. “Let Me Calm Down” is worth getting excited over!

3. Aitch, “Buss Down”  

💿 AitcH2O • 🏷 Since 93 • 🗓 2019 

“Buss down, yeah she get the buss down / 10/10, man I hit a touchdown.” Woo! That’s lit, ZieZie! ZieZie handles the chorus on “Buss Down” (AitcH2O, 2019), a surefire rap banger for British rapper, Aitch. The chorus, which is incredibly catchy, sets the tone for the record, which encompasses drip, sex, and smoking.  ZieZie goes on to spit, in melodic fashion, “Nobody couldn’t take a shot now / We busy makin’ love and smokin’ kush now.” “Buss Down” was produced by Mojam.  While ZieZie is ‘on’ during the chorus, the main attraction is Aitch. The Manchester rapper talks his shit with his charming accent.  “Big dough, big girls, ‘nuff pounds / Me, I take the love in, and I spread the love out.” He’s confident AF, while his flow is agile and easygoing.  He’s got game. 

“Sippin’ by the bottle, gotta go because I’m slumped out  

Takin’ home a baddie and the pussy getting’ buss down  

… Got the ‘ussy drippin’, goin’ swimming then I’m dippin’.”  

Beyond Aitch’s lit verses, ZieZie drops his own verse – melodic in fashion – also spitting serious game. Aitch is on autopilot on “Buss Down” which is quite the rap BANGER.

Appears in 🔻:  

• Aitch, Buss Down: Rap BNGRZ 🔥 No. 25 (2022) 

4. Kelly Clarkson, “Down to You”  

💿 chemistry • 🏷 Kelly Clarkson / Atlantic • 📅 2023

“A little birdie told me you’re nobody’s friend / And the jokes on me / Well, baby, who are you to underestimate me?” MIC DROP! Ladies (gents too), prepared to be empowered! Grammy-winning pop superstar Kelly Clarkson refuses to engage with anyone who is going to bring her down. “Down to you”, the fifth track from her tenth album, chemistry, is all about empowerment. Clarkson penned “Down to you” alongside MoZella and producer, Jesse Shatkin. “I can’t dance with the devil on my back,” she asserts in the pre-chorus, addsing, “Need somebody who can meet me where I’m at.” That’s the truth!  We can do bad all by ourselves without adding someone toxic or devilish to the mix.  Clarkson brings out the empowerment in the tuneful chorus.  Here, she proclaims, “These dark days are knockin’ on my door / You ain’t welcome ‘round here no more / On a different level than I was before / You can’t bring me down to you.” Clarkson, like we all have, made mistakes becoming entangled in mess with him (most likely ex-hubby Brandon Blackstock) before. She will no longer allow it, hence, why she curbed him! In the bridge, we understand why separation, a clean break, was the only viable solution:    

“It must be cold in your veins  

And now I know you’ll never change  

I don’t wanna be your friend  

Can’t do that again.”   

Ladies and gentlemen don’t settle for less than you’re worth! 🎵 “Down to you” speaks to cutting the cord when something is bringing you down. You don’t need subtraction when it comes to love, you need addition! In this case, it was addition by subtraction!

Appears in 🔻:  

• Kelly Clarkson, Down to you: Music Lifts 🎶 🏋 No. 37 (2023) 

5. Pharrell Williams & Travis Scott, “Down in Atlanta”  

“Down In Atlanta” • 🏷 Columbia • 🗓 2022

“Watch ‘em fly from the sky, while we line up the wall / Like confetti, how it falls, let ‘em leave with it all…” Woo! Pharrell Williams is at it again! He enlists the services of Travis Scott for another intriguing 2022 single, “Down In Atlanta”. “Down In Atlanta” commences with that signature Pharrell Williams intro – the four-count! Notably, the listener only hears three out of four beats accented with the kick drum. Following the intro, the record establishes itself in a 6/8 (possibly 12/8) meter.  Travis Scott rides the beat and backdrop well, dropping his melodic rap flow drenched in vocal effects. Beyond the vibe Scott serves up, what about Pharrell on the production end of things? Williams puts in work with the beat as well as the synths. Even so many years into the game, Williams still manages to concoct forward-thinking bops. “Down In Atlanta” isn’t the second coming, but Scott and Williams make a formidable team.  It’s a vibe!   

Appears in 🔻:   

• Places 📍: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 19 (2023)  
• ‘Oh, The PLACES You’ll Go’ on These 15 Songs (2023)  

6. Lil Nas X, “Sun Goes Down”  

💿 MONTERO  • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 2021     

“I wanna run away / Don’t wanna lie, I don’t want a life / Send me a gun and I’ll see the sun.”  Wow, those lyrics from “Sun Goes Down” are definitely troubling, capturing the suicidal thoughts of a younger Lil Nas X, apparently.  Beyond the chorus, the Grammy winner goes on to expound about his younger life, coping with bullying, colorism, and homosexuality.  While there’s ample sadness as to be expected, Nas X arrives at a happier place later, asserting, “And I’m happy by the way / That I made that jump, that leap of faith / I’m happy that it all worked out for me…” The production is a big selling point on “Sun Goes Down.” A team comprised of Take A Daytrip, Omer Fedi, and Roy Lenzo do a marvelous job, with some of the best features being the warm sound, created by guitars and later, strings.  This is perfect fuel for Lil Nas X, who also has a well written, tuneful melody to work with. He gives a fine vocal performance, showing off his lower register.  The effect is a masculine sound that is sweet music to the ears.  

Appears in 🔻:   

• Awesome Songs: May 2021  
• Best Songs of 2021: Top 20  
• 13 Sunny Songs About the Sun & Sunshine (2023)  

7. St. Vincent, “Down” 

💿 Daddy’s Home • 🏷 Loma Vista • 📅 2021  

“Tell me who hurt you / No, wait, I don’t care to / Hear an excuse why you think you can be cruel.” Ah, just when you ask the question, if Daddy’s Home, the superb, 2021 album by Grammy-winner St. Vincent (Annie Clark) can get any better, then comes a surefire gem, “Down.” “Down” marks one of the most aggressive, entertaining songs of the album.  It encompasses the vicious cycle of abuse as well as revenge. “Get off your own shit, get off of my tit,” Clark bites on the bridge, continuing, “Go face your demons, check into treatment / Go flee the country, go blame your daddy.” All the while these awesome lyrics are being unveiled, the music is killer with rhythmic Wurlitzer, assertive guitar, and an utterly infectious groove.  That doesn’t even account for compelling lead and backing vocals by Clark herself.    

Appears in 🔻:   

• Best Songs of 2021: 35-21  

8. Drake, “Pipe Down”  

💿 Certified Lover Boy • 🏷 OVO / Republic • 🗓 2021 

“And when you see Chanel, I wish that’s how you saw me.”  Sigh, those matters of the heart – they’ll mess you up every time! “Pipe Down” is one of the lusher, ear catching songs from Certified Lover Boy, the 2021 album by Grammy-winning rapper/singer, Drake. The sample that fuels the fire is “She Belongs to the Streets” courtesy of Future and Young Thug. Drizzy, as usual, has a woman on his mind, and he can’t stop thinking about her even though they’re no longer together.  “Don’t know how many pens it’s going to take to get over you,” he sings on the reflective, memorable chorus continuing, “How much I gotta pen for you to pipe down?” Certified Lover Boy was an average album at best, but “Pipe Down” marked one of its better moments. 

9. SWV, “Downtown” 

💿 It’s About Time • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 1992  

“Your discovery will take us to another place.” Hmm, another place, huh? Well, that’s an interesting way to put it SWV! Let’s just be clear about this thing.  ‘Another place’ certainly isn’t a different store on  “Downtown”, which appears as the sixth track on their 1992 album, It’s About Time.  Need further evidence this isn’t about literally going downtown? “I’ve been waiting for the special moment / Anticipating all the things you’ll do to me,” Coko sings, continuing, “Make this first step to release my emotions / To take the road to ecstasy.” The keywords, ladies, and gents are release and ecstasy. Of course, those Sisters with Voices go on to expound in the chorus, in all its naughty passion: 

“You gotta go downtown  

That’s the way to my love  

Take it round and round  

Ooh, you can’t stop ‘til you find my love  

Go downtown, to taste the sweetness   

Will be enough  

That’s the love that you’ve been dreaming of.” 

Holy sugar honey iced tea! This song is about oral! Notably, in the second verse, Coko offers advice to her man: “My desire is begging for the healing / Let me guide you down to the place to be.” What more can you say? No, SWV never explicitly mentions the act, but they ALL BUT MENTION IT.  The sexual innuendo is lit to the nth degree on this 90s contemporary R&B cut.  It’s an enjoyable, sexy cut – not the main attraction from It’s About Time – but what makes it intriguing is referencing oral sex, period. 

Appears in 🔻:  

• SWV, Downtown: After Dark 🕛 🌃 No. 20 (2022)  
• 13 NSFW Songs Involving Mouth & Tongue (2022)  

10. Trey Lewis, “Dicked Down in Dallas” 

🎵 “Dicked Down in Dallas” • 🏷 Trey Lewis • 📅 2020

“She’s gettin’ dicked down in Dallas, railed out in Raleigh / Tag teamed up in Tennessee / Analed in Austin, butt-fucked in Boston / Givin’ neck down in New Orleans.” When country music goes explicit, it’s a sight to behold, rather hear and analyze.  🎵 “Dicked Down in Dallas” breaks the unsaid rule that country music must be moderately family friendly.  Obviously, 🎙 Trey Lewis missed the message with NSFW sex references. I mean, you can’t talk about being “butt-fucked” in a country song! I guess it’s good he at least kept the references to anal ‘straight’ – can you imagine the outcry if he went gay? Phew! “Dicked Down in Dallas” should be ‘taken with a grain of salt,’ period.  It’s tongue-n-cheek, not meant to be taken seriously.  Furthermore, even if it is taken literally, isn’t the woman’s sex life her business?  Anyways, the sexual references and profanity bring sheer raunch that’s entertaining AF. Sorry kids and old people who don’t enjoy or condone f-bombs! “Puttin’ me through hell, fuckin’ someone else / Now I’m the one on my knees,” Lewis sings, continuing, “Prayin’ she’ll come back, gimme that sweet ass / But I already know that she’s gettin’ dicked down in Dallas.” Holy Fuck – “Dicked Down in Dallas” is something else! Worth noting, it accomplishes its task to shock people. Blunt sex in country music, let alone dare mentioning anal? Wow! If nothing else, this controversial after dark joint provides filthy entertainment.

Appears in 🔻:  

• Awesome Songs: December 2020 

11. The Jackson Southernaires, “Don’t Look Down on a Man” 

💿 Greatest Hits • 🏷 Malaco • 📅 1985   

“Don’t look down on a man / Don’t look down on a man / Don’t look down on a man / Oh no!” The Jackson Southernaires has a legitimate, prudent point on “Don’t Look Down on a Man”,  one of their most renowned songs.  This highlight from Greatest Hits (1985) shows tremendous musicianship from the high-flying vocals (including harmonies), the radiant production, and the thoughtful songwriting.  “Don’t Look Down on a Man” is a gospel record penned by Frank Williams, Huey Williams, and Luther Jennings.  Worth noting, the record doesn’t focus on Christ explicitly, but rather, living Christ-like. The Jackson Southernaires emphasizes living humbly and helping your fellow man. “The only time that you / Should look down on a man,” they sing in key instance, “is when you’re picking him up.”  True, because so many times, those of us who have more than someone else are quick to judge, and that’s messed up.  The group makes a stellar point when they reference how things change on a dime: “One day your life may be filled with happiness / And the next day with so much sorrow.”  That, my friends, is life.  One of the most moving lyrics occurs on the bridge, where self-examination is rightfully promoted: 

“You should go to the mirror  

And take a good look at yourself  

And then, you will see that  

You are no, better than nobody else.”   

“Don’t Look Down on a Man” is a prime example of a spiritual refresh song that should appeal to any and everyone.  This is about doing the right thing.  For Christians, that’s exemplifying the lifestyles.  For non-Christians, the message this gospel collective presents is about morality and being the best, caring, and empathetic person, you can be.  Powerful, soul stirring message.  

Appears in 🔻:  

• The Jackson Southernaires, Don’t Look Down on a Man: Sunday Refresh 🙏 No. 20 (2021)  
• 20 Great Songs All About Men! (2022)  

11 Thrilling Songs Where It’s Going DOWN ⬇️ (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Atlantic, Columbia, Epic, Kelly Clarkson, Loma Vista, Lost & Cie Music SPRL, Malaco, OVO, RCA, Republic, Since 93; Mohamed Hassan, OpenClipart-Vectors, Pexels from Pixabay]