12 Songs That Keep it Up | Playlist

Charlie Puth, Drake, and Coldplay are among musicians who contribute songs on the playlist ’12 Songs That Keep it Up.’

Ah, isn’t it great to get a lift? There’s nothing greater than feeling like you’re “up” – “electrified” to quote Charlie Puth. This playlist features 12 songs that keep it up.  What exactly is being kept up? Morale or status, depending upon the song.  Regardless of which, spirits are high or being lifted. Can I get an amen? The key word is UP.

1. Charlie Puth, “Up All Night”

[Nine Track Mind, 2016] 

On “Up All Night,” pop musician Charlie Puth sings about relatable, familiar feelings.  He’s infatuated with a girl:

“You know just one touch can keep me high / and I think I’ll never come down / ‘til a couple days go by / and you’re nowhere to be found.”

The problem with the picture is that he likes her, but she doesn’t feel the same.  In other words, she’s playing him and he can’t get any sleep.  The simple but memorable refrain sums up the restlessness:

 “Up all night / up all night / all the things that you said to me yesterday / playing over in my mind / it’s a crime / it’s a crime / how you’re reeling me in with the games you play / then you hang me out to dry.” 

“Up All Night” suits the sensitive persona that Puth has constructed early-on in his career.  It’s a bit soft, but one of the better songs from Nine Track Mind.

2. OneRepublic, “Lift Me Up”

[Oh My My, 2016]

“If I told you I was down, I was down, would you help me?” What a meaningful question.

“Lift Me Up” serves as the 12^th track on Oh My My, the fourth studio album by pop collective OneRepublic.  This is what we had to say about “Lift Me Up,” per our track-by-track review of Oh My My:

““Lift Me Up” captures the ears from the onset.  It is a typical OneRepublic groove, hence, why it’s so great. Tedder shifts between his lower register and his killer falsetto.” 

A pleasant, groovy track, “Lift Me Up” is about the power of love – holding each other down. To reiterate, “If I told you I was down, I was down, would you help me?”