13 Amazing, Must HAVE Songs | Playlist 🎧

🎧 13 Amazing, Must HAVE Songs features Brandy, Chlöe, Jason Mraz, Nicki Minaj, Shawn Mendes & $uicideboy$.

How much do you HAVE? Hopefully, you HAVE enough already and if you don’t, well, we hope to fix that! How do we propose to fix it? Well, our proposal is a playlist where there’s an abundance (or overabundance) of HAVE, hence where  🎧 13 Amazing, Must HAVE Songs comes into play!

The premise is simple.  These songs must HAVE, HAVE, HAVE, HAVE, HAVE… 🎧 13 Amazing, Must HAVE Songs feature a multitude of HAVES from 🎙 Brandy, 🎙 Chlöe, 🎙 Jason Mraz, 🎙 Nicki Minaj, 🎙 Shawn Mendes, and 🎙 $uicideboy$ among others. So, if you HAVE NOT, never fear, this HAVE-loving compendium is here, intact with R&B, pop, rap, and more!

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1. Chlöe, “Have Mercy”

🎵 “Have Mercy” • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 2021

🎙 Chlöe (Chloe Bailey) of 🏆 Grammy-nominated R&B duo 🎙 Chloe x Halle, steps out on her own on her brief, suggestive single, 🎵 “Have Mercy”. “Have Mercy” finds Bailey transitioning and maturing into an adult musician.  She puts aside ‘childish things’ or at least, any inklings of teen-pop gracing the past.

“Have Mercy” is readymade for the club – and listening After Dark 🕛 🌃.  It’s edgy but not too edgy.  On the chorus, Chlöe serves up ample swagger, showing herself to be confident AF.  “All this ass up in my jeans / You can’t get up in between,” she asserts on the chorus, continuing, “You tryna get a piece of me / I can teach you a couple of things (Lord, have mercy, work).” Beyond the chorus, she teases a nameless boy, proclaiming at the end of both verses, “You can’t get this thickness out of your mind.” Woo! Furthermore, on the more aggressive second verse, she asserts, “Body language like speaking Spanglish / I’ll educate ya how to do this shit.” Aiding the sexed-up theme and lyrics is slick, modern production work, courtesy of Bailey, 🎛 Murda Beatz, 🎛 BoogzDaBeast, 🎛 FnZ, and 🎛 Joseph L’Étranger.

Appears in 🔻:

• 15 Steamy Songs Best Listened to After Dark
• Awesome Songs: September 2021
• Have: 5ive Songs No. 20 (2022)

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2. Nicki Minaj, “Do We Have a Problem?” (Ft. Lil Baby)

🎵 “Do We Have a Problem?” • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2022

“Tell ‘em my niña, my bitch, she a rider / I got a shooter, and I got a driver.” Woo! 🎙 Nicki Minaj teams up with fellow 🏆 Grammy-nominated rapper, 🎙 Lil Baby on 🎵 “Do We Have a Problem?”. Enigmatic sounding at the onset, it commences with a brief, spoken-word intro by Nicki (“I just told P, ‘This really niggas’ worst nightmare, man / They don’t wanna see Lil Baby with the Barbie’”). Soon enough, the production (🎛 Papi Yerr) settles in, and Minaj offers up a melodic chorus that grows on you with later iterations.

“Tell ‘em my niña, my bitch, she a rider

I got a shooter, and I got a driver

They want that heat, I’m the only provider

Little bad foreign bitch, word to Fivio

Niggas know the vibe, that’s word to Five, yo

Beef, we ‘bout to resolve, yo

Pull up on a opp, do we have a problem?”

After showing off the gift of melody on the chorus, Minaj serves up un-pitched, tough, ‘gives no fucks’ rhymes in the first verse.  She shouts out Pop Smoke and Juice WRLD, brags about drip, and is willing to do whatever “to get an opp back.” Lil Baby arrives in the second verse, providing a contrast. His verse settles in a bit more.  Like Minaj, Baby is nothing short of confident and dripped out.  Minaj later drops the third verse, boasting more of the same. A banger, Minaj and Lil Baby bring toughness, packing some punch.

Appears in 🔻:

• 11 Compelling Songs About WE

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3. The Chi-Lites, “Have You Seen Her”

💿 The Ultimate Chi-Lites • 🏷 Brunswick Record Corp. • 🗓 2006

“Well, I know I can’t hide from a memory / ‘Though day after day I’ve tried / I keep sayin’ she’ll be back / But today again, I lied.” Those spoken word lyrics performed by 🎙 Eugene Record grace one of the greatest soul songs of all time, 🎵 “Have You Seen Her”. 🎙 The Chi-Lites were a highly successful soul collective formed in Chicago.  “Have You Seen Her,” one of their biggest hits, was a pop hit, peaking at no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The record originally appeared on their 1971 album, 💿 (For God’s Sake) Give More Power to the People.

“Oh, I see her face everywhere I go / On the street and even at the picture show,” Eugene Record sings, following the spoken word intro. He continues with the signature lyrics, “Have you seen her? Tell me, have you seen her?” The Chi-Lites are searching for their exes and lament the fact that she’s gone and NOT coming back. “Why, oh why / Did she have to leave and go away,” they sing dramatically, continuing, “Ooh, oh, I’ve been used to having someone to lean on / And I’m lost, baby, I’m lost.” While there’s ample sadness (and falsetto) over the loss and expiration of love, that Eugene Record helmed backdrop is incredibly soulful.  Additionally, the iconic front man penned the record alongside 🎼✍ Barbara Acklin.  Fittingly, towards the end of this five-and-a-half-minute bop, there’s additional spoken word, finding Record continuing to reflect on the loss.  “Oh doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo / Have you seen her? Tell me, have you seen her?” #Classic and honestly, what else is there to say? This record speaks for itself.

Appears in 🔻:

• The Chi-Lites, “Have You Seen Her”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 40 (2022)

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4. Leith Ross, “We’ll Never Have Sex”

🎵 “We’ll Never Have Sex” • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2022 

“Oh, you kissed me just to kiss me / Not to make me cry.” With a song title like 🎵 “We’ll Never Have Sex,” our minds are programmed to think that there is an unquenched thirst that will remain unquenched.  Honestly, that’s not the case in the least.  If anything, Canadian singer/songwriter 🎙 Leith Ross is more fulfilled than ever.  They are more fulfilled thanks to a legitimate, healthy relationship that’s not built on sex.  “We’ll Never Have Sex” might sound like it’s going to be negative before listening to it, but check out the lyrics and listen, and the reward is far greater than the perceived lack of pleasure.

Leith Ross has found healing on this short but potent ballad. Their new lover is authentic, something that’s been missing in the past.  “Depollute me, pretty baby / Suck the rot right out of my bloodstream,” Ross sings in the first verse.  In the second, Ross addresses the lack of sex, highlighting how authentic and real this person is: “If I said you could never touch me / You’d come over and say I looked lovely.” That’s awesome!  In the final verse, Ross invites them to “Come and kiss me, pretty baby / Like we’ll never have sex.” The song is incredibly sweet and thoughtful to the n^th degree.

Appears in 🔻:

• 11 Compelling Songs About WE
• Awesome Songs: April 2022

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5. Alec Benjamin, “Must Have Been the Wind”

💿 These Two Windows • 📅 2020 

🎵 “Must Have Been the Wind” arrived early during the 💿 These Two Windows release cycle. Backtracking a bit, These Two Windows marked the official debut album of sweet-voiced pop singer/songwriter, 🎙 Alec Benjamin.  With a compendium in need of windy songs, there was no way that “Must Have Been the Wind” could be left out of the fold!

The penultimate track from These Two Windows finds Benjamin imparting a story. A heavy record, “Must Have Been the Wind” is about domestic abuse and about the role that a friend of someone who has suffered such abuse has.  “I knew somebody who was in a situation like that, and I wanted to help them out,” he tells Apple Music, “But they weren’t ready to talk about it.  That’s a tough situation to be in as a friend…”  While “Must Have Been the Wind” covers a tough subject, it’s a brilliant heart-on-the-sleeves, thoughtful record tailor-made for Alec.

Appears in 🔻:

• 11 Powerful Songs About the Wind 💨

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6. Rihanna, “Bitch Better Have My Money”

🎵 “Bitch Better Have My Money” • 🏷 Westbury Road Entertainment / Roc Nation • 📅 2015

“Bitch better have my money / Y’all should know me well enough / Bitch better have my money / Please don’t call me on my bluff.” In other words, if you think that 🎙 Rihanna is playing with y’all, she ain’t. The 🏆 Grammy winner practically screams her brash, unapologetic, 2015 single, 🎵 “Bitch Better Have My Money.”

“Turn up to Rihanna while the whole club fuckin’ wasted

Every time I drop by, I am the only thing y’all playin’.”

Now that’s confidence! “Suck my cockiness”! For whatever reason, this colorful, bitchin’ joint never made an album, sigh.  Perhaps she didn’t feel like it was a fit for 💿 Anti, released in 2016.  Again, it can’t be over emphasized enough that Rihanna isn’t fuckin’ around – she’s in full-fledged, unapologetic mode. More colorful and controversial than the single itself is the NSFW music video! The “BBHMM” video includes nudity, drugs, blood, and fittingly, plenty of money.

Appears in 🔻:

• 13 Totally B!+chin’ Songs
• 13 Magnificent Better Songs

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7. Andy Black, “We Don’t Have to Dance”

💿 The Shadow Side • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2016

🎙 Andy Biersack isn’t a one-trick pony; he’s versatile!  Best known as the front man of rock band 🎙 The Black Veil Brides, sometimes, Andy drops solo projects as 🎙 Andy Black. In the year of our Lord, 2016, Black released his debut solo album, 💿 The Shadow Side. Throughout, he combines rock, pop, and alternative styles over slick production work and dark lyrics – rock TF on 🤘! One of the best songs from the underrated project is single, 🎵 “We Don’t Have to Dance.” 

“We Don’t Have to Dance” is arguably the crowning achievement of The Shadow Side.  Black ‘goes in’ early on this adrenaline-filled rock cut.  His voice packs a mean punch given its timbre, proving to be a wonderful marriage with the souped-up, driving production work (🎛 John Feldmann and 🎛 Ricky Reed).  Maybe “we don’t really have to dance,” much like the social anxieties Black speaks of throughout the song lyrically, but the infectiousness of this record is enough to coerce those feet to move, WOO!

“We don’t have to talk

We don’t have to dance

We don’t have to smile

We don’t have to make friends

It’s so nice to meet you

Let’s never meet again

We don’t have to talk

We don’t have to dance

We don’t have to dance.”

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8. $uicideboy$, “The Number You Have Dialed is Not in Service”

💿 Long Term Effects of SUFFERING • 🏷 G*59 • 🗓 2021

🎵 “The Number You Have Dialed is Not in Service” concludes 💿 Long Term Effects of SUFFERING, the short but compelling album by rap duo, 🎙 $uicideboy$. $uicideboy$ is comprised of cousins 🎙 Scott Arceneaux Jr. and 🎙 Aristos Petrou, who constantly change their rap personas. On “The Number You Have Dialed is Not in Service,” listeners get a more melodic sound, though there’s pessimism too.

So, who are the personas on this joint? Petrou aka 🎙 Ruby da Cherry is 🎙 Raindrop Walka while Arceneaux Jr. aka 🎙 $crim is 🎙 Hearse Boy.  “I keep on damagin’ myself, tryna fill the void,” Raindrop asserts, later adding, “All these drugs up in my nose, I taste the drip, that shit’s so sour.” As for Hearse Boy, he’s filled with misery.  “My therapist made me promise before I end it all / That her phone would be the one I choose to call, crying, asking / ‘Is it really worth it?’” That’s heavy.  Positively, despite the shit that disturbs both, on the outro, they are positive: “When life gets hard / Keep on marchin’ on.”

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9. Lana Del Rey, “Hope is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me to Have – But I Have It”

💿 Norman Fucking Rockwell! • 🏷 Interscope • 🗓 2019

“‘Cause hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have / Hope is a dangers thing for a woman like me to have.”  Yep, the title of the record is just what you think it is – 🎵 “Hope is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me To Have – But I Have It”. Damn, that’s one long song title!  Yes, 🏆 Grammy-nominated, alternative pop standout 🎙 Lana Del Rey dropped the rare song that features 16 words (!) in its title.  As ‘extra’ as the title may be, Del Rey definitely comes through on this ballad – a highlight from 💿 Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019) –  including literary and cinematic references.

The ever-expressive Lana Del Rey sounds as chilling and enigmatic as ever.  Her tone is stunning.  Among her best moments come at the end of the record when she flaunts her falsetto.   Beyond her inspired vocal performance, there’s also the stripped, yet gorgeous nature of this five-and-a-half-minute ballad.  The production keeps things hella simple, comprised of piano accompaniment.  Even working with such a lengthy duration, it’s perfect fuel for the fire of Del Rey, who manages to keep things colorful with some profane lyrics, such as “I’ve been tearing up town in my fucking nightgown / Like a goddamn-near sociopath.” Wow. Ultimately, with the threat of ‘hope’ in her hands on this song, Lana del Rey does what she does best – delivers an expressive, moody, well-rounded record. 

Appears in 🔻:

• Hope: 5ive Songs No. 45 (2020)
• 51 Best Songs of 2019
• 13 Songs Filled with Hope

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10. Shawn Mendes, “If I Can’t Have You”

💿 Shawn Mendes (Deluxe) • 🏷 Island • 📅 2019

“I can’t write one song that’s not about you / Can’t drink without thinking about you / Is it too late to tell you that / Everything means nothing if I can’t have you?” Pop superstar 🎙 Shawn Mendes released 🎵 “If I Can’t Have You” in 2019. The single, which appears on the deluxe edition of Mendes’ 2018 album, 💿 Shawn Mendes, is driven by matters of the heart.  It commences with a brief, building pad, before Mendes unveils the chorus.  It’s memorable without being the crème de la crème of the 🏆 Grammy nominee’s career.

The vocal production stands out on the chorus. Also, there’s a nice dash of falsetto from Mendes.  Beyond the chorus, he delivers smooth vocals in the first verse and following pre-chorus, maintaining a cool vibe: “It doesn’t matter ‘cause I’m so consumed / Spending all my nights reading texts from you.” The second verse and pre-chorus, much like the first, remains cool, low-key, and smooth in execution: “Is it wrong for me to not want half? / I want all of you, all the strings attached.”  Later, the brief bridge is also cool. In addition to Mendes’ vocals, the production appeals throughout “If I Can’t Have You” with the rhythmic guitars, synths, pads, etc.

Appears in 🔻:

• 13 Songs Where It’s a Matter of ‘If’

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11. Brandy, “Have You Ever”

💿 Never Say Never • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 1998 

“Have you ever loved somebody / So much it makes you cry?”  Nearly 25 years ago (as of publication), 🏆 Grammy winner 🎙 Brandy had a no. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with stunning ballad, 🎵 “Have You Ever”. “Have You Ever” appears on her 1998 album, 💿 Never Say Never. There are many reasons why “Have You Ever” is awesome. The biggest reason is Brandy.  She has an amazing voice that’s incredibly distinct.  There’s a raspy, smoky quality of her instrument that makes it incredibly ear-catching.  This ballad is perfectly suited for such expressive pipes, particularly when she ad-libs and ‘lets loose.’

Another big contributor to the success is the songwriter, the legendary 🎼✍ Diane Warren. Warren is one of the best in the game.  The lyrics, driven by love, are poetic and relatable.  The melody (the tune) is memorable, particularly in the chorus, which Brandy sings exceptionally beautifully.

“Have you ever loved somebody

So much it makes you cry?

Have you ever needed something

So bad you can’t sleep at night?

Have you ever tried to find the words

But they don’t come out right?

Have you ever, have you ever?”

Also, shout out the production by 🎛 David Foster. The backdrop is classy, perfectly suited to a then-teenaged R&B singer.  If by some chance you’ve never heard this 1998 contemporary R&B classic, you need to fix that immediately!

 

Appears in 🔻:

• Brandy, “Have You Ever”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 39 (2022)

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12. Jason Mraz, “Have It All”

💿 Know. • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 2018

🎙 Jason Mraz didn’t reinvent the wheel on 🎵 “Have It All”, a single from his 2018 album, 💿 Know.. That said, the 🏆 Grammy-winning pop singer/songwriter is ‘true to self.’ For Mraz, on “Have It All,” it’s all upbeat, positive vibes. We need those good vibes, especially in a tumultuous world.

In both verses of “Have It All,” Mraz wishes nothing but good fortunes and vibes, prefaced often with the phrase, “May you…”  He follows each verse with a clever pre-chorus that thrives on wordplay, such as “…I made the role, let’s play.” His ‘bread is buttered’ on the chorus – ‘optimism central.’

“Well, here’s to the hearts that your gonna break

Here’s to the lies that you gonna change

Here’s to the excellence, possible ways to love you

I want you to have it…”

On the bridge, the encouraging, hopeful language continues in all its glory. “Oh, I want you to have it all / All you can imagine, oh,” he sings, continuing, “No matter what your path is / If you believe it, then anything could happen.” Yes, yes, yes, Jason!

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13. Whitney Houston, “Didn’t We Almost Have It All”

💿 Whitney • 🏷 Arista • 🗓 1987

“Remember when we held on in the rain / The night we almost lost it / Once again…” 🎵 “Didn’t We Almost Have It All” ranks among the best 🎙 Whitney Houston songs.  Fittingly, “Didn’t We Almost Have It All” was nominated for the 🏆 Grammy for Song of the Year.  Writers 🎼✍ Michael Masser and 🎼✍ Will Jennings gave the iconic R&B singer a surefire gem to work with, beginning with those memorable lyrics from the first verse. 🎙 James Cleveland, 💿 The King of Gospel Music, borrowed the tune for a gospel rendition, 🎵 “Aren’t You Glad You Know the Lord” – more on that later! “Didn’t We Almost Have It All” appears on Houston’s 1987 sophomore album, 💿 Whitney.

“…We can take the night into tomorrow / Living on feelings / Touching you I feel it all again.” “Didn’t We Have It All” is exceptionally well-produced, sitting in the sweet spot between pop and R&B. The palette of sounds includes colorful keys and soaring strings. Houston is the star of the show, sounding utterly sublime, particularly on the beloved chorus. The production grows robust, Houston gives her all vocally, and honestly, it’s just special. Love fuels the fire, as it does with the best songs!

“Didn’t we almost have it all

When love was all we had worth giving?

The ride with you was worth the fall my friend

Loving you makes life worth the living

Didn’t we almost have it all

The night we hold on ‘til the morning

You know you’ll never love that way again

Didn’t we almost have it all?”

This no. 1 hit is still potent as it approaches 40. A quintessential 1980s ballad that you just don’t make like this anymore.

 

Appears in 🔻:

• Whitney Houston, “Didn’t We Almost Have It All”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 38 (2022)
• Whitney Houston vs. James Cleveland: Head 2 Head 🗣️ 18 (2022)

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🎧 13 Amazing, Must HAVE Songs [📷: Alec Benjamin, Arista, Atlantic, Brent Faulkner, Brunswick Record Corp., Columbia, G*59, Island, The Musical Hype, Republic, Roc Nation, Westbury Road Entertainment]

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