12 Thrilling, But Utterly Sinful Songs features songs courtesy of The Game, Juice WRLD, Like Mike, Raphael Saadiq & Sam Hunt.
âAnd Iâve been on my knees, praying like / Praying like a SINNER.â Andy Grammer apparently felt the need to repent of his sinful ways on âSinner,â a gem that appears on his 2014 album, Magazines or Novels. Magazines or Novels is best known for âHoney, Iâm Good.â. Mind you, but âSinnerâ is awesome in its own right. Itâs also a great way to kick off this sinful fourth playlist of 2020, 12 THRILLING, BUT UTTERLY SINFUL SONGS. Â
12 Thrilling, But Utterly Sinful Songs is a totally separate playlist from previous, sinful happenings on The Musical Hype. 21 Songs Associated with the Seven Deadly Sins, the prime example, focused on songs that represent specific sins. While one song, â7 Deadly Sinsâ by Common, is reprised here, the sole reason it reappears is because it actually features some form of the keyword, sin, in its song title. Catch the drift my peeps? 12 Thrilling, But Utterly Sinful Songs features music courtesy of The Game (âCity of Sinâ), Juice WRLD (âFlaws and Sinsâ), Like Mike (âSinnerâ), Raphael Saadiq (âSinners Prayerâ), and Sam Hunt (âSinning with Youâ) among others. Without further ado, let the sinfulness begin!!!
1. Sam Hunt, âSinning with Youâ
Sinning with You [Single] âą UMG Recordings, Inc. âą 2020
Perhaps âSinning with Youâ isnât nearly as catchy as Sam Huntâs hits from his debut album,  Montevallo (2014). That said, the ballad has its fair share of positives. First and foremost, vocally, Hunt sounds terrific. His vocals are quite expressive, nuanced, and incredibly masculine given his full-bodied sound and tone. Honestly, one of the things that made him standout in the first place (besides his dashing looks) was his voice, in all its glory.  Even with his âmasculine sound,â Huntâs dedication to the wifey on âSinning with Youâ is incredibly romantic, sensitive, thoughtful, and sensual.
âYour body was baptized, so disenfranchised / I was your favorite confession.â Focusing on the sensual, another pro occurring on âSinning with Youâ is the liberal use of spiritual references.  In addition to baptism and confession, Hunt mentions Yeshua (verse one), forgiveness (verse two), and The Holy Spirit (bridge). Sigh, one of my personal favorite approaches that musicians use is fusing secular and spiritual. Sure, thereâs blasphemy often involved, but it makes for a compelling record more often than not. The chorus is the prime example of the sinfulness, of course:
âI never felt like I was sinning with you Always felt like I could talk to God in the morning I knew that I would end up with you Always felt like I could talk to God in the morning If itâs so wrong, why did it feel so right? If itâs so wrong, whyâd it never feel like sinning with you, Sinning with you.âÂ
The pros clearly outweigh the cons on âSinning with Youâ; thereâs no cons. âSinning with Youâ has its fair share of enjoyable and respectable moments.
2. Raphael Saadiq, âSinners Prayerâ
Jimmy Lee âąÂ Columbia âąÂ 2019
âEight millimeters / And microscopes / Fingers on the triggers / Aimed at my dome / Theyâre gunninâ for me / With loaded tongues / Just tryinâ to get home / Prodigal sonâŠâ  Sigh, eight years. Thatâs how long itâd been since Grammy-winning R&B musician Raphael Saadiq released a new studio album. Saadiq returned in 2019 with a contemporary masterpiece â his very personal, socially-changed, fifth studio album, Jimmy Lee.
Honestly, the aforementioned lyrics from âSinners Prayerâ are quite telling. âSinners Prayerâ commences Jimmy Lee boldly, tackling such tough issues as police brutality against blacks, violence, even against the young. Notably, Raphael Saadiq dedicates a sizable portion of the second verse to his âbud and seed,â his daughter (âOur baby daughter / May not see five / This kind of hurt canât / Be justified / This girlâs my bud and seedâ). Ultimately, he â[Looks] unto the hills, from whence cometh [his] helpâ (God), singing:
âGod Help me make it God Can we make it? God When the sinner is praying God Will you hear it?â
3. Like Mike, âSinnerâ
Sinner [Single] âąÂ Like Mike âąÂ 2019
âYou wanna ride with a winner? / Come ride with a sinner / We can kick it for a day / Anything youâre feeling.â Like Mike (Michael Thivaios) is best known as half of the Belgian-born dance/electronic duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike with his older bro. However, on the song at hand, âSinnerâ, itâs all Mike in a melodic hip-hop setting. The vibe is ripe plus there are elements of heartbreak, lust, and regret. The crowning achievement of âSinnerâ is superb production work. The ear candy is legit here; the sleekness is inescapable. The backdrop consists of rhythmic drum programming (particularly those trappy, 808 kicks and synth toms) and a colorful assortment of synths and pads.
Like Mikeâs vocal â rather melodic rap â performance is a vibe as well. Love and sex are part of the modus operandi. âSinnerâ also seems to showcase love has fallen short, particularly moments like, âTell me I didnât treat you well / Do you really wanna be no more?â as well as, âAre you glad you remember / When you fought with a sinner?â Also, worth noting, Mike equates a âwinnerâ with being a sinner which seems a bit suspect, but whatever.  But you can also make the argument that Mike is less worried about labels than simply winning her love and affection.
4. Juice WRLD, âFlaws and Sinsâ
Death Race for Love âą Grade A Productions / Interscope âą 2019
Sadly, melodic, emo-driven rap sensation Juice WRLD passed away just days after his 21st birthday, December 8, 2019. 2019 had been a big year for Juice, as his enjoyable, if overindulgent sophomore album, Death Race for Love debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard 200.  Heâd undoubtedly seen his star ascend rapidly, following his 2018 gargantuan hit single âLucid Dreamsâ. On this most sinful playlist, WRLDâs music lives on via âFlaws and Sins,â the ninth track on Death Race for Love that has the tall task of following the gem, âRobberyâ.
Juice WRLD focuses on love, particularly sex on âFlaws and Sins.â âGood sex led to conversations getting a little deeper, uh / Tell me your darkest secrets, shit you wouldnât even tell Jesus,â he pop raps, continuing on the first verse, âMy karma been tweaking so much, I donât even believe in karma / But you give me a reason to thank God for all these recent falls.â Also, worth mentioning, besides his sexual endeavors (âGot my sights on your ass, ooh, red dotâ), Juice WRLD also references drug use, one of his demons that contributed to his on demise:
âPercocet 30 E 8, Iâve been gettinâ off I done chilled out on the drugs since youâve been involvedâŠâ
Sigh, unfortunate to say the least. Â Moving beyond those troubling lines, one thing that stands out about this âFlaws and Sinsâ thatâs endearing is Juiceâs intentionally imperfect diction at times, particularly on the words âgorgeousâ and âcompliments,â which appear on the memorable, melodic chorus.
âIâm all, Iâm really all in In love with all your flaws and sins Your scars are really gorgeous Ainât that a weird way to give compliments?â
5. The Game, âCity of Sinâ
Ft. Ed Sheeran
Born 2 Rap âą Entertainment One U.S., LP âąÂ 2019
According to The Game (and heâd know), Born 2 Rap, his ninth album, is his final studio album. Of course, if you look over the Compton rapperâs career, heâs had some epic moments. Personally, the albums that standout most when I look back are early gems like The Documentary (2005) and Doctorâs Advocate (2006), as well as R.E.D. (2011) and the controversial Jesus Piece (2012).  Here, on this compilation of sinful songs, The Game does even appear on the record at hand, âCity of Sin.â Furthermore, âCity of Sin,â featuring Ed Sheeran, runs less than two minutes in duration. WTF?
Well, thereâs some background, which arrives via an Instagram post specific to âCity of Sin.â The Game expounds:
This is the intro to my new album. The absolute 1st thing you will hear when the album drops. I sat in the studio for hours with Ed Sheeran & gave him history on Los Angeles as well as how I grew up. Told him I had this hook I wrote on the way to the studio & asked if heâd be open to bringing it to life for me. He of course said yes & was more than happy to be a part of this project & I am so appreciative of him for lending his vocals to what I feel is a CLASSIC album. A real friend in & out of music.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/B5a9lXnlU20/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
âWhoomp! (There it is)â, right? Right. What does Sheeran sing on âCity of Sinâ exactly? Well, âit goes a little something like thisâ:
âWelcome to the city of sin Livinâ in the city of angels And youâll still hear them sing⊠Lullabies to the night No, no, no.â
6. Lady Gaga, âSinnerâs Prayerâ
Joanne âą Interscope âą 2016
âI get on my knees and beg youâŠâ Okay⊠Following her third studio album, Artpop, Lady Gaga opted for a different musical direction. It seemed bound to happen to be honest. She released a collaborative jazz album with Tony Bennett, the Grammy-winning Cheek to Cheek, while the album at hand, Joanne (2016), opted for a more mature sound compared to her previous, more dance-oriented efforts. Sure, Lady Gaga had her mature moments previously, even under the sheen of glossier, dance-pop, but Joanne is a more eclectic. Fitting the sinfulness of this playlist is one of Joanneâs more underrated numbers, âSinnerâs Prayer.â Of course, it probably doesnât help that âSinnerâs Prayerâ follows the setâs crowning achievement, âMillion Reasonsâ.
âHear my sinnerâs prayer / I am what I am / And I donât wanna break the heart of any other man / But you, but you.â âSinnerâs Prayerâ definitely fits the âeclecticâ characterization of Joanne. It features some distinct, vintage musical cues. Part of the sound constructed here is owed to co-writer Josh Tillman, better known as Father John Misty.  If you, for some reason, havenât experienced the glory of a Father John Misty song, or better yet, a Father John Misty album, SHAME ON YOU! Anyways, focusing on âSinnerâs Prayer,â the novel element of this number that makes it unique. Itâs a blend of country, folk, and singer/songwriter styles, with an indie sensibility is firmly planted.
7. Common, â7 Deadly Sinsâ
Nobodyâs Smiling âą Def Jam âąÂ 2014Â
In 2014, Common released an excellent studio album, Nobodyâs Smiling. Unfortunately, the project didnât exactly âfly off the shelves.â That means that likely fewer people experienced the lengthier, more expensive deluxe edition of the album. Likely, folks missed out on â7 Deadly Sins,â which covers the whole shebang. The whole shebang of what you ask? Why, the seven deadly sins encompassed in the nine circles in hell! By the way, â7 Deadly Sinsâ previously appeared on the playlist, 21 Songs Associated with the Seven Deadly Sins, for your reading and listening pleasure!
âBut the game is the game, so let it begin / In these streets, these are the seven deadly sinsâŠâ What originally stood out when including â7 Deadly Sinsâ on 21 Songs Associated with the Seven Deadly Sins is what Common said about gluttony, described as âan inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.â Common nails it, expounding on the characterization of gluttony like a champ:
âNow the myth about the fifth: it only happens when we eat Itâs gluttony, this is how it happens on the street Itâs a dude thatâs getting paid in full, cars and jewels So his plate is full, but the way this nigga move He is never full and he gonâ want your food Donât overdo it, that's an underrated rule.â
While his bit about gluttony tickled my fancy, Common also does a fine job covering the others including pride (âPride can have a man stuck in his ways, not subject to changeâ), wrath (âNever seen a man making money while he mad / So hustle plus wrath / Yâall do the mathâ), and of course, greed (âGreed is. mother, itâs greedy motherfuckers like Madoff / Cops getting paid off, greedy companies got my people getting laid offâ). Man, itâs a shame more people didnât partake of Nobodyâs Smiling in 2014.
8. Sturgill Simpson, âLife of Sinâ
Metamodern Sounds in Country Music âąÂ High Top Mountain âąÂ 2014
Sturgill Simpson had a pretty sweet run in the 2010s.  In 2014, he delivered one of the most critically acclaimed country albums of the decade with Metamodern Sounds in Country Music. A Grammy-nominated album, Simpson would win the Grammy for Best Country Album for another excellent country album, A Sailorâs Guide to Earth, which was also nominated for Album of the Year. But the focus is Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, specifically the second track on the album, âLife of Sin.â
On the intentionally vintage, retro country joint, Sturgill Simpson âThank(s) God for this here life of sin.â His honesty is appreciated throughout the course of the record, apparent from the jump.
âWell, lately things have been a little more complicated Quality of life has got me down Well, sex is cheap, and talk is overrated And the boys and me are still working on the sound.â
Thatâs only the beginning of the laments for Simpson. Love comes into play, as does the bottle, with Simpson adding, âBut the paranoia is slowly creepinâ in / I keep drinkinâ myself silly.â Of course, the self-hatred is quite relatable when he asserts, âEvery morning when I rise look in the mirror and despise / The sight of everything and all that Iâve become.â Been there Sturgill, been there! This is a modern, old-school country record at its best.
9. J. Cole, âBorn Sinnerâ
Ft. James Fauntleroy
Born Sinner âą Roc Nation âąÂ 2013
âShould this be my last breath Iâm blessed cause it was purposeful / Never got to church to worship lord, but please be merciful.â Hmm, food for thought, right? âBorn Sinnerâ concludes the standard edition of Born Sinner, the sophomore album by rapper J. Cole. As the aforementioned quote suggests, the record is semi-repentant at best.
Essentially, J. Cole uses âBorn Sinnerâ as a commentary on life:
âYeah, this music shit is a gift But God help us make it âcause this music biz is a cliff I got her life in my grip, she holding tight to my wrist She screaming: âDonât let me slip.ââ
Cole also provides commentary on the life trajectory of black men, something that he has commented upon beyond this particular song and album: âTeachers treated niggas as if they totally worthless / And violent, and hopeless.â Prior to that lyrical jewel from the first verse, he openly admits his sins and doesnât pretend to be something heâs not: âBorn sinner, was never born to be perfect / Sucker for women licking they lips and holding these purses.â Â Thereâs plenty to take in and unpack on âBorn Sinner,â and that doesnât even consider the chorus, soulfully sung by James Fauntleroy and later, a choir:
âIâm a born sinner But Iâll die better than that, I swear You were always where I needed you to be Whether you were there or not there (I was there) I was born sinning But I live better than that (better than tat) If you ainât fucking with that, I donât care (Oooh, ooh, ooh) Yeah, yeah, yeah.â
10. Usher, âSins of my Fatherâ
Looking 4 Myself âąÂ RCA âą 2012
Confessions (2004) was the biggest and most important album of Usherâs musical career, period. As a high school senior, I can remember how ubiquitous the single âYeah!â was â you couldnât escape the dominant no. 1 hit. That said, Usher did move beyond the juggernaut, even if subsequent albums didnât perform nearly as well. One of those subsequent albums, Looking 4 Myself, truly marked a wane in popularity for the R&B standout. Not only was Raymond becoming older, but R&B itself began to âcool downâ in that particular year, 2012. Nonetheless, the more pop-centric urban contemporary album still debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard 200 and had its fair share of moments. Among the best moments was non-single, âSins of my Father.âÂ
What shouldnât come as a surprise is that this groovy R&B record encompasses a three-letter-word.  âWhoa, now, I think this woman went and put a hex on me,â Usher sings on the first verse, continuing, âWhoa, now, whyâd I let her go and put that sex on me?â Essentially, thinking with his pants, Ush let this woman âcorrupt himâ⊠Yeah, the same guy who turned innocent kisses into something much more X-rated on âGood Kisserâ, sigh. To be fair, âGood Kisserâ arrived two years later, so, maybe Usher was âpurerâ prior to this woman âSpeaking in a tongue that sounds new to me.â Of course, the best moment of âSins of my Fatherâ (aside from killer production courtesy of Salaam Remi) is the chorus:
âItâs the sins of my father He left the debt to his son To pay the girl whoâs a mother Collector wonât let me run But she didnât make me pay for it with my money I paid for the sins of my father.â
11.Neon Trees, âSins of my Youthâ
Habits âąÂ The Island Def Jam Music Group âąÂ 2010
âIâve got these habits that I cannot break / And as Iâm older there is more at stake / Go ahead and call me fake / But these are the sins, the sins of my youth.â Usher sung about the sins of his father on âSins of my Fatherâ (see song number 10). As for Tyler Glenn â pre-âSleeping with a Friendâ and pre-Excommunication â and Neon Trees, they focus on the âSins of my Youth.â âSins of my Youthâ appears on the alternative collectiveâs 2010 debut album, Habits, which is best known for the gem, âAnimal.â But before âAnimal,â there were âSins of My Youth.â Literally â itâs the opening song!
So, about those habits that Tyler Glenn cannot break. Basically, on this rocking joint, he reflects on living recklessly in his youth. âI found life out on the weekdays,â he sings on the first verse. Shame on you Tyler â you couldnât wait until the weekend at least? Confirming his sinful side, on the second verse he sings, âBut when I took down my defenses / For the first time there was something in me.â Clearly, that something was devilish to the nth degree! SINFUL!!! But hereâs the deal. If partaking of the pleasure of listening to Tyler Glenn sings his face off on âSins of my Youthâ is a sin, well, then consider myself chief amongst them.
12. Panic! At the Disco, âI Write Sins Not Tragediesâ
A Fever You Canât Sweat Out âą Fueled by Ramen âąÂ 2005
ââWhat a beautiful wedding! / What a beautiful wedding!â says a bridesmaid to a waiter / âAnd yes, but what a shame, what a shame / The poor groomâs bride is a whore.ââ Say what? Sigh, when your debut album is entitled, A Fever You Canât Sweat Out, you know that there has to be a ârandom,â ridiculous element to the music. That is definitely the case for Panic! At the Disco. The colorful, theatrical single âI Write Sins Not Tragediesâ served as a breakthrough moment for Brendon Urie and company back in 2005.  Musically, âI Write Sins Not Tragediesâ features brilliant production work, notably mixing Baroque pop elements (those pizzicato strings) with pop-punk.
As the aforementioned lyrics confirm, the lyrics throughout âI Write Sins Not Tragediesâ are wedding-centric, with folks in the wedding criticizing the bride and the groomâs reaction (âThe poor groomâs bride is a whoreâ). Of course, we all know that the most memorable lyrics come from the groomâs mouth, during the chorus:
âI chime in with a âHavenât you people ever heard of closing a goddamn door?!â No, itâs much better to face these kinds of things With a sense of poise and rationality.â