12 Intriguing Hole or Whole Songs | Playlist

1. DaBaby, “PEEP HOLE”

BLAME IT ON BABY [Deluxe] • Interscope • 2020

First, let’s preface “PEEP HOLE,” the song selected for this hole-driven list, with some background and context.  How will we do so? We’ll examine the song “Billboard Baby,” where Grammy-nominated rapper DaBaby discusses releasing the deluxe version of his 2020 album, BLAME IT ON BABY. As expected, the often-too-confident rapper is cocky AF, dropping bars with very little significance.  That said, one is key to our song at hand, as he shares on the sole verse, “My favorite song on here is probably ‘PEEP HOLE’.” There you go.

“PEEP HOLE”, the self-proclaimed ‘favorite,’ has its pros. Quay Global stitches up a banging backdrop – the rhythmic beat and choral synths are pretty sweet.  As always, the agility by the rapper is impressive, and his energy is lofty – he’s clearly ‘geeked’ here.  The melodic nature of his performance works, with the chorus being respectable.  It’s no “SUGE” (Baby on Baby), but DaBaby is definitely true to self.

Also Appears On :

Hole: 5ive Songs No. 55 (2020)

2. Perfume Genius, “Whole Life”

Set My Heart on Fire Immediately • Matador • 2020

On his fifth studio album, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately, Perfume Genius (Mike Hadreas) showcases a high level of musicianship, delivering a truly unique, artful listening experience. Set My Heart on Fire Immediately landed near the top of the Best Albums of 2020. The album commences with a bang – albeit a beautiful one – with “Whole Life.”

“Half of my whole life is gone / Let it drift and wash away / It was just a dream I had / It was just a dream I had.” To reemphasize, Hadreas commences Set My Heart on Fire Immediately beautifully, poetically, and introspectively with “Whole Life.” “Whole Life” is a ballad with many retro cues and sensibilities – the lushness of the sound is ‘to die for.’ Hadreas sings with great sincerity as he reflects on age and his evolution in life in general. Among the key, memorable lyrical moments are, “I once hummed the seasons / Now, I’m whistling.”

Also Appears On :

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3. Kelsea Ballerini, “hole in the bottle”

Ballerini • Black River Entertainment • 2020

Kelsea • Black River Entertainment • 2020

“There’s a hole in the bottle leaking all this wine / It’s already empty and it ain’t even supper time.” It should go without saying that country musicians are no strangers to singing songs that reference alcoholic beverages.  On “hole in the bottle” ( Ballerini and Kelsea), Kelsea Ballerini seeks to take her mind off of things; enjoy her Cabernet.

The chorus, excerpted above, finds Ballerini, chocked-full of attitude.  She continues, feistily singing:

“Honey, no, I don’t miss him
In fact, it slipped my mind
There’s a hole in the bottle of wine.”

Ultimately, “hole in the bottle” is definitely a fun listen by all means.

Also Appears On :

Hole: 5ive Songs No. 55 (2020)

4. Kelly Clarkson, “Whole Lotta Woman”

Meaning of Life • Atlantic • 2017

“I’m a whole lotta woman / (From the way I walk and toss my hips) / I’m a whole lotta woman / (From the sound of my voice to the gloss on my lips).” Hell yeah – sounds pretty badass if I do say so myself! “Whole Lotta Woman” is a standout from Meaning of Life, the 2017 album by Grammy-winning pop superstar Kelly Clarkson.

“Whole Lotta Woman” ends up being feistier than the most popular song from the album, “Love So Soft”.  Chocked-full of bite and a heaping dose of retro-pop/soul, this record is an epic look, better yet epic sound, for Kelly. Clarkson has always had some mad pipes on her, which she definitely shows off here. She focuses on herself and in the bigger scheme of things, women’s empowerment!

“I’m a whole lotta woman
(Anything I see, I want, I get)
I’m a strong, badass chick with classic confidence, yeah.”

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5. The Voidz, “Black Hole”

Virtue • RCA • 2018

“Don’t let the name fool you: a black hole is anything but empty space. Rather, it is a great amount of matter packed into a small area… The result is a gravitational field so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape.” That is how NASA describes a black hole.  As for The Voidz, well, Steven Edelstone (Consequence of Sound) writes, “The Voidz don’t give a fuck what you think.” Charming commentary regarding the alternative rock band led by The Strokes front man, Julian Casablancas.  Enough small talk, let’s talk about the song at hand, “Black Hole,” shall we?

“Black Hole” appears on the band’s unique debut album, Virtue and it is indeed a trip.  “Black Hole” is characterized by its driving, rhythmic nature, as well as its noisy, busy production work.  As odd and sometimes messy as it may be, there are some terrific moments, led by distorted, edgy guitars.  In regard to the vocals, well, they’re buried within the production.

“Quit your crying for the other side
Can’t fight with tears in your eyes
I don’t want to be here anymore than you
Take a shot
What’s that say? NSA, NRA at the gates of Psycho City
Black hole sucking us into oblivion.”

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Hole: 5ive Songs No. 55 (2020)

6. ZAYN & Zhavia Ward, “A Whole New World”

Aladdin (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) • Walt Disney • 2019

The soundtrack for Disney’s original, animated version of Aladdin (1992) is among the crème de la crème of Disney soundtracks IMO. “A Whole New World” is the centerpiece, featuring the film version as well as a fabulous end title performed by R&B standouts Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle. The end title took a ‘kiddie’ song and made it into a legit, touching R&B ballad. In the 2019 live action film, Disney turned to ZAYN and Zhavia Ward to remake the Grammy-winning pop performance.

From the start, “A Whole New World” in the hands of ZAYN has a different feel. While clearly different from the 1992 version, it is neat that there are some Arabic cues creating a Middle Eastern vibe.  Vocally, the pop standout delivers a well-rounded, soulful performance.  The same can be said of Zhavia Ward, who picks up the intensity as she goes along.  When both performers join forces singing in harmony, the results are successful overall. Still, the updated take just doesn’t quite reach the same heights, no matter how many runs either singer serves up, or even adding some 808s. The Bryson/Belle version, in other words, remains king.

7. Ruston Kelly, “Asshole”

Asshole (Demo) •  Rounder •  2018

Ruston Kelly refers to himself as an asshole on “Asshole (Demo)”. Pretty straightforward, right? Merriam-Webster contextualizes the word as vulgar for “anus” or more pertinent here, “a stupid, annoying, or DETESTABLE person.” As for Urban Dictionary, there are a number of definitions, including the colorful, though quite possibly accurate, “Your current boss.”

So, what exactly is the reason why Ruston considers himself a detestable asshole?

“Taking everything for granted
The moment someone does something nice I take advantage
Easy breezy only when it pleases me, I’ve been told
I’m kind of an asshole.” 

Yep, Mr. Kelly, seems to fit the definition of the word to a T.

Also Appears On :

Hole: 5ive Songs No. 55 (2020)

8. Mary J. Blige, “Whole Damn Year”

London Sessions • Capitol • 2015

“See, winter took most of my heart / And spring punched me right in the stomach / Summer came lookin’ for blood / And by autumn I was left with nothin’.” Sounds totally unpleasant.  What’s not unpleasant is when Grammy-winning R&B singer/songwriter Mary J. Blige releases an album.  Unfortunately, her 2014 album, The London Sessions, was under-appreciated, sigh.

Among the bright spots not named “Therapy” (a Sam Smith co-write) was the pained ballad, “Whole Damn Year.” On “Whole Damn Year,” MJB proclaims that it took her a long time essentially to get over a bad relationship.  Per Mary, “It took a whole damn year to repair my body / It’s been a bad 5 years…” Sounds like a whole damn nightmare to me!

Also Appears On :

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9. LMFAO, “Take it to the Hole”

Ft. Busta Rhymes

Sorry for Party Rocking • Interscope • 2011

“Take it to the hole, take, take it to the hole /…I beat it up” Obviously, there is nothing ‘innocent’ about “Take it to the Hole,” a standout from Sorry for Party Rocking.  As catchy, dirty, and utterly unapologetic as this record was, this wasn’t actually one of the LMFAO joints everybody was talking about in during their short-lived run in 2011.  Those honors belonged to “Party Rock Anthem” and “Sexy and I Know It” respectively.  Still, “Take it to the Hole” just seems to, um, penetrate right on through!

“I Take it to the hole, it’s Redfoo, I’m aggressive/Four moves ahead, wrong dude to play chess with.” Good to know Redfoo, good to know.  He goes on to say, “I roll with the best click flow so impressive.” Sure thing.  His confidence is through the roof for sure.  Of course, besides the penetration reference, that portion of his verse is tame, at least compared to “You see that girl over there she big chested / Let’s start my motorboat, face nested / When I do that, she screams all festive.” Wow.  Sky Blue drops a verse too, but his focus is on ‘game’ (“On the court, I be running amok / There’s no such thing as D-ing me up”).  Of course, Busta Rhymes is a perfect fit as a guest artist, upping the ante. Furthermore, the production kicks total ass – perfect fuel for the fire of this manic, ridiculous, and surefire banger.

Also Appears On :

Hole: 5ive Songs No. 55 (2020)

10. Teddy Pendergrass, “The Whole Town’s Laughing at Me”

Teddy Pendergrass • Sony Music Entertainment • 1977

“The whole town’s laughing at me / Silly fool, how’d you lose, such a good friend?” Teddy Pendergrass was one of the greatest soul musicians of all time.  Honestly, his soulful, masculine baritone screamed orgasm, chocked full of sexiness.  While his voice never reached the peak of his heyday prior to a paralyzing accident, he still possessed a fire so many R&B musicians envied. A prime example of TP at his prime is his 1977 debut album, Teddy Pendergrass, which features the ‘whole’ gem, “The Whole Town’s Laughing at Me.”

“The Whole Town’s Laughing at Me” appears as the sixth track on this landmark soul LP that also features the likes of “I Don’t Love You Anymore” and “The More I Get, The More I Want.”  A four-and-a-half-minute ballad penned by Sherman Marshall and Ted Wortham, Pendergrass laments losing a love because he was foolish.  “Yeah, I had your love right here in the palm of my hands / And I lost it,” he sings on the first verse.  On the second, he asserts, “Had my dream so near, I could reach out and touch it / And I lost it, and I lost it.” You get the picture.  On the pre-chorus/bridge, he reflects on what he could’ve done to keep this good thing he had, while the chorus finds him feeling utterly stupid.  Besides the elite, once-and-a-lifetime vocals by TP, Sherman Marshall does a beautiful job crafting that 70s, lush, Philly soul backdrop . If you’re too young to have experienced Pendergrass during his heyday, well, there’s no better time to explore his iconic music now!

11. Scissor Sisters, “Whole New Way”

Night Work • Polydor • 2010

In the aughts and early 2010s, Scissor Sisters bore the torch for the LGBTQ+ community as far as musical representation.  The band definitely made their presence known when they broke onto the scene in 2004 with their self-titled album, led by the awesome, coming out anthem, “Take Your Mama Out.”  Still, this revolutionary collective fronted by Jake Shears deserves far more credit than it’s ever received.  Even if you don’t identify as a member of the LGBTQIA community, it’s hard to deny the catchy, cutting edge nature of their brand of pop.  In 2010, the band released their risqué third studio album, Night Work, including the ‘whole’ bop, “Whole New Way.”

On “Whole New Way,” Jake Shears proclaims:

“I found a whole new way to love you
I’ve got a big surprise
I can’t see your eyes but I think you’ll like it too
I found a whole new way to love you
My sneak up from behind is gonna blow your mind
But if not this time, we’re through.”

Beyond the aforementioned infectious chorus, the lyrics on the verses are quite compelling as well.  The songwriting is on-point by all estimations. No, it’s not ‘poetry’ in the traditional sense, particularly lines like “Said the sailor to the daughter / Well, I think I need a rubber tonight” (haha), but it’s definitely intriguing.  Shears continues to ‘do the damn thing’ vocally, while the groove is everything.  Add in backing vocals on the chorus, as well as a contrasting bridge section, and “Whole New Way” is a perfect addition to any playlist, even more than a decade since first being released.

12. Soundgarden, “Black Hole Sun”

Superunknown • A&M • 1994 

The 1990s was a glorious time for grunge music.  Seattle, Washington – the Pacific Northwest – was the center for what would be a dominant movement.  The late, great Chris Cornell and his band Soundgarden were key proponents.  Speaking of key, the key moment from the collective’s 1994 album, Superunknown, is the iconic seventh track, “Black Hole Sun.” “Back Hole Sun,” ladies and gentlemen, easily ranks among the best rock songs of the 1990s.

As is often overused these days, the five-minute-plus “Black Hole Sun” is an entire vibe.  Overused or not, a vibe is the best way to characterize this awesome record.  The music is incredibly colorful, energetic, and totally pleasing to the ears with the sweet, melodic lead guitar, heavy, distorted guitars on the chorus, pummeling drums, and that reinforcing bass line! A young Chris Cornell delivers beautiful, expressive vocals that truly sadden the listener knowing that this gifted, truly marvelous musician is no longer with us.  Besides the great singing, there is also great songwriting on the verses, and of course, the centerpiece, the chorus:

“Black hole sun, won’t you come
And wash away the rain?
Black whole sun, won’t you come?
Won’t you come?” 

Musicians like Chris Cornell, as well as bands like Soundgarden only come once in a lifetime.  Thankfully, their music lives on forever.