13 Captivating City Songs

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13 Captivating City Songs features Demi Lovato, Fivio Foreign, Jake Shears, Stevie Wonder, and Tyga.

Icringe anytime I hear the song 🎵 “It’s Everyday Bro” by 🎙 Jake Paul 🤮. That said, there’s one line that makes me totally crack up. That’s when 🎙 Nick Crompton, one of the ‘rappers’ proclaims “England is my city.” England is my city – that’s sus, right? Anyways, this music compendium, 🎧 13 Captivating City Songs is all about the city/cities – not countries! What city or cities? Depends on the song, of course!

🎧 13 Captivating City Songs features music courtesy of 🎙 Demi Lovato, 🎙 Fivio Foreign, 🎙 Jake Shears, 🎙 Stevie Wonder, and 🎙 Tyga among others. As always, there’s a little bit of everything stylistically on this list – some pop, rap, R&B, alternative, electronic, and soul. So, without further ado, we turn our attention to these captivating city songs!

1. Fivio Foreign, Kanye West & Alicia Keys, “City of Gods”

🎵 “City of Gods” • 🏷 RichFish, LLC / Columbia • 🗓 2022

“New York City, please go easy on me tonight / New York City, please go easy on this heart of mine.” Woo! 🎙 Alicia Keys is the first voice heard on the 2022 rap banger, 🎵 “City of Gods”. In addition to Keys, the talents of rappers 🎙 Fivio Foreign and 🎙 Kanye West are in play. Fivio Foreign is responsible for two of the three verses, following this brief, introductory chorus by Keys. Following Fivio’s first verse (“Pop as the king of New York, now I’m the nigga in charge / Only the drillers, the city is ours”), Keys unveils the complete version of the chorus: “‘Cause I’m losing my lover to the arms of another / New York City, please go easy on me.”

Fivio Foreign’s second verse is longer than the first. His flow is electric, idiomatic of the drill style. He characterizes his city, calling it “the city of money and violence,” and asserts how things go down. Woo! Among his most memorable lines is when he states, “This is the town of the big drip (Big drip), smooth talk (Smooth talk) / Milly rock (Milly Rock), Shmoney Dance (Shmoney Dance), Woo Walk (Woo).” Mr. Wests enters the mix in the third verse, which references “a Sunday Service in Brooklyn,” and asserts his attendance “with the drillers that come with the night,’ as well as embodying Frank Sinatra (“I feel like Sinatra in these streets, me and Drizzy, we at peace”). Well, glad the beef with Drake is squashed, I guess. Basically, West flexes. All of this is over a hard-nosed drill beat and numerous producers. Worth noting, that “City of Gods” does sample 🎙 The Chainsmokers’ 🎵 “New York City”. Also, worth noting, Keys unveiled her own 🎵 “City of Gods (Part II)”. All told, Fivio Foreign, Kanye West, and Alicia Keys dropped a surefire rap banger with 🎵 “City of Gods” in February 2022.

Appears in 🔻:

2. Demi Lovato, “City of Angels”

💿 HOLY FVCK • 🏷 Island • 📅 2022

Spirituality has been a recurrent theme of 💿 HOLY FVCK, the 2022 studio album by 🎙 Demi Lovato. Spirituality remains part of the script on 🎵 “City of Angels,” among the brightest songs from the album. While spirituality isn’t the primary theme, there are some intentional ideas from the 🏆 Grammy-nominated pop musician.

Demi sings about Los Angeles, referencing specific places and describing how she feels about it. “I’m bored to tears, there’s nothing left to do / This town is heaven-sent,” she sings at one point, adding, “But better when I’m facedown under you.” Woo! Besides characterizing LA as heaven-sent, Lovato asserts that they’re christening the city during the chorus… This is one of the more fun moments of both the song and HOLY FVCK.

3. Mansionair, “Violet City”

💿 Shadowboxer • 🏷 Glassnote • 📅 2019

“Wide awake in this violet city / Where it washes over me / It hurts to say that I want you with me / Just draped across my frame.” Sigh, 🎵 “Violet City” is a sleek record that arrives as the seventh track on 💿 Shadowboxer, the debut album by 🏆 Grammy-nominated Australian trio, 🎙 Mansionair (🎙 Lachlan Bostock, 🎙 Alex Nicholls, and 🎙 Jack Froggatt). Mansionair first caught my eye courtesy of the ODESZA record, 🎵 “Line of Sight”. On “Violet City,” the Aussie collective ‘tickles my fancy’ once more – in a purple sort of way!

What makes “Violet City” so flipping awesome? The vocals are lovely, particularly their commanding nature and the pureness of the falsetto. Additionally, the production is epic, characterized by rhythmic intensity, carried by the beat and a barrage of synthetic sounds. The lyrics aren’t too shabby either, even as it’s easy to get lost in the vibe Mansionair has assembled. The chorus is sweet as well:

“Ooh, I can’t help myself, the moment that I let it go

Is when I find I’m in control, in control

Ooh, I need something else, the moment that I let it go

Is when I find I’m in control, I’m in control.”

Appears in 🔻:

4. A Boogie wit da Hoodie, “King of My City”

💿 Artist 2.0 • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 2020

🎙 A Boogie Wit da Hoodie (🎙 Julius Dubose) is the king of the Bronx… according to him, of course. The highly successful rapper makes this debatable assertion in his brief single, “King of My City”. “King of My City” would ultimately grace his 2022 album, 💿 Artist 2.0. The single didn’t perform well on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at no. 69 and spending a mere three weeks on the charts. As far as the success of Artist 2.0, it debuted at no. 2 on the Billboard 200, spent 54 weeks on the charts, and was ultimately certified platinum.

The two-and-a-half-minute “King of My City” arrives with production courtesy of 🎛 Boi 1da, 🎛 S.Dot, and 🎛 BandOnTheBeat. The backdrop is colorful, enigmatic, and moody (the beat, guitar, and synths). This backdrop supports Dubose’s punchy, melodic style of rap. In the chorus appearing at the top, Boogie references his drip (“AP cost a hunnid and fifty”) and the deadly nature of his city (“My nigga you don’t wanna play with my city / Niggas die every day in my city…”). The sole verse includes more drip, but devotes plenty of attention to violence, including gang references (Crips), while dropping a balling reference (“Throw it up like LeBron, yeah”). While respectable, all told, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie plays up clichés rather than being innovative. Does he truly embrace that king status? Depends on the listener, I suppose.

5. Gorillaz, “Magic City”

💿 The Now Now • 🏷 Parlophone • 📅 2018

The imagination of 🎙 Gorillaz (🎙 Damon Albarn) runs rampant on 🎵 “Magic City,” a highlight from the 2018 album, 💿 The Now Now. “Look, there’s a billboard on the moon” and “Let me take you this far / This crossing isn’t much to me” are some examples of true, left field, WTF moments.

Larry Fitzmaurice (Spin) nails it on the head in his review of The Now Now, stating “If anything, Albarn dips into the same allusion-heavy retro-futurism that marked Arctic Monkeys’ stunning 💿 Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino from earlier this year.” The record is definitely unique, though totally a trip.

“You got me lost in Magic City

You got me questioning it all

I hope that I make it home by Wednesday

And this Magic City lets me go.”

Appears in 🔻:

13 Songs Where the Magic is Legit

6. Jack Harlow, “Face of My City” (Ft. Lil Baby)

💿 Thats What They All Say • 🏷 Generation Now / Atlantic • 📅 2020

“I’m the face of my city / Cosigned by Diddy / Hard liquor, I’m shitty / Hotel with some biddy…” 🎵 “Face of My City” appears as the second track off of 💿 Thats What They All Say, the debut studio album by Louisville, Kentucky-bred rapper, 🎙 Jack Harlow. “Face of My City” features one of the hottest rappers of 2020, 🎙 Lil Baby, who absolutely eats up the track. Where Jack is a bit more nonchalant, Lil Baby contrasts with more bite.

As for the production of “Face of My City” – 🎛 Cubeatz and 🎛 Sonny Digital – it’s respectable. That said, a bit more development wouldn’t have hurt for this banger – maybe some malicious brass or another instrumental line to fill things out. Nonetheless, “Face of My City” is an inoffensive banger, if ultimately not particularly profound.

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7. M83, “Midnight City”

💿 Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming • 🏷 M83 • 📅 2011

“Waiting in the car / Waiting for the ride in the dark / At night the city grows / Look and see her eyes, they glow.” French electronic collective 🎙 M83 is best known for one hit record in particular: 🎵 “Midnight City.” The epic “Midnight City” hails from their 2011 double album, 💿 Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. Just how big was this particular song? Well, on Spotify alone the amount of plays compared to the next most played song (“Wait”) is many times greater. Beyond Spotify, “Midnight City” managed to crack the Hot 100, peaking at no. 72 back in 2012.

What makes “Midnight City” such a delight? First and foremost is the production, period. The sound is bright, set in a major key. Contributing to the brightness are the assortment of synths, namely the sharper synths during the drop/solo section. Also adding to the glory are the rhythmic guitars, a sick saxophone solo, and the infectious groove that establishes the vibe. As you can see (and hear when listener), there is a vocal performance, which is nice, but not the centerpiece of the record. Still, there are some marvelous lyrical moments such as the assertion, “The city is my church / It wraps me in its blinding twilight. If “Midnight City” is synonymous with a church, then, HALLELUJAH!

Appears in 🔻:

13 Ear-catching Songs About Midnight

8. twenty one pilots, “Leave the City”

💿 Trench • 🏷 Fueled by Ramen • 📅 2018

“Last year, I need change of pace / Couldn’t take the pace of change / Moving hastily,” Tyler Joseph sings, continuing, “But this year, though I’m far from home / In Trench, I’m not alone / These faces facin’ me.” Woo! In 2018, 🏆 Grammy winning alternative duo 🎙 Twenty One Pilots (Joseph and 🎙 Josh Dun) released their fifth studio album, 💿 Trench. The highly conceptual album concludes with the song, 🎵 “Leave the City,” a strong closing statement.

How so, you ask? Well in the midst of the concept of Trench, “Leave the City” represents overcoming the adversity of ‘Dema’ (trust me or read up on the background of the album – your choice). Also, “Leave the City” seems to be about overcoming mental health issues, something Joseph has been incredibly transparent about throughout his career. Also, it could be a reflection on the end of life – eventually that is. On the bridge, Tyler sings, “In time, I will leave the city / For now, I will stay alive.”

Appears in 🔻:

9. Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone, “City of Stars”

💿 La La Land (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) • 🏷 Interscope • 📅 2016

“City of stars / Are you shining just for me? / City of stars / There’s so much that I can’t see.” 🎵 “City of Stars” doesn’t need much (if any) explanation. Simply put, this is the centerpiece of the 🏆 Academy-Award-winning film, 🎦 La La Land.

“City of Stars” is the 🎼 ✍ Justin Hurwitz song that drew the most accolades. It is simple, yet hypnotic and moving at the same time. 🎙 Ryan Gosling (Sebastian) and 🎙 Emma Stone (Mia), deliver a magical performance.

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10. Kendrick Lamar, “m.A.A.d City” (Ft. MC Eiht)

💿 good Kid m.A.A.d City • 🏷 Aftermath / Interscope • 📅 2012

“If Pirus and Crips all got along / They’d probably gun me down by the end of this song / Seen the whole city go against me / Every time I’m in the street, I hear – Yawk! Yawk! Yawk! Yawk!” Woo!!! Something that’s interesting about 💿 good Kid m.A.A.d City, the breakthrough album by 🎙 Kendrick Lamar that infamously won no 🏆 Grammys, is the fact it has two title tracks. Unsurprisingly, 🎵 “good Kid” precedes the city-oriented song at hand, 🎵 “m.A.A.d City.” On “m.A.A.d City,” Kendrick enlists the services of fellow Compton rapper, 🎙 MC Eiht as a featured guest. Furthermore, he secures epic production courtesy of 🎛 Sounwave, 🎛 THC, and 🎛 Terrace Martin. If the aforementioned “good Kid” was a more mysterious track, “m.A.A.d City” is more overt.

“m.A.A.d City” possesses harder production than the multitude of cuts from good Kid m.A.A.d City (Sounwave handles production duties on part one). Kendrick’s rhymes are emotional, with the pitch of his vocals rising in tandem with loftier emotion (“Seen a light-skinned nigga with his brains blown out /At the same burger stand where *beep* hang out”). MC Eiht’s first bit of rapping arrives with a production switch – a very West Coast rap vibe – signifying the second part of the song (produced by Martin). Worth noting, that part II, specifically, includes some rad samples. This comes prior to Kendrick rapping his second verse within the confines of contrasting production. Following K-Dot’s second verse, MC Eiht delivers a full-length verse that begins partially spoken before erupting into standard rap fare. “m.A.A.d City” ends with a skit (common on this conceptual LP). Even so, the skit is tightly tied into the overall narrative. Yeah, I’m still trying to figure out how good Kid m.A.A.d City didn’t win a single Grammy.

11. Jake Shears, “Creep City”

💿 Jake Shears • 🏷 Freida Jean • 📅 2018

“Then warmed the bread and poured the wine / I thought I’d seen it all until you broke that seventh wall…” Um… okay… From the jump, 🎵 “Creep City”, a single from 🎙 Jakes Shears’ 2018, self-titled, debut album, is ear-catching. It isn’t far-fetched from Shears’ collective, 🎙 Scissor Sisters, prominently featuring piano and anchored by a funky, 70s-influenced groove. Adding to the musical goodness are distorted guitars, strings, horns, and a mean saxophone solo. Besides a blend of 70s and 🎙 Elton John influence, there’s also a ‘cabaret’ element. The way that the piano and strings are arranged hearkens back to the 20s and 30s, giving “Creep City” a very eclectic and strange, but intriguing sound.

Shears sounds true to self vocally. In addition to his compelling lead, he does a fabulous job supporting himself with backing vocals. The songwriting is definitely interesting – feisty and chocked-full of attitude as always. The crème de la crème – the centerpiece – is the chorus.

“Get me out of this creep city

I’m flat broke and I don’t need pity right now

Just get me out, out, out, out

All the dogs in the back been smothered

And these cats don’t make good lovers

This town’s on cursed ground, ground, ground, ground.”

12. Tyga, “Rack City”

💿 Careless World: Rise of the Last King • 🏷 Cash Money• 📅 2012

“Rack rack city, bitch / Rack rack rack city, bitch.” Woo! 🎙 Tyga experienced plenty of success with his album, 💿 Careless World: Rise of the Last King. Careless World debuted at no. 4 on the Billboard 200, spending 30 weeks on the charts. In 2020, the RIAA certified the album platinum. The biggest hit off the record was none other than 🎵 “Rack City,” a multiplatinum smash. Take one listen to “Rack City” and you’re hooked.

“Rack City” features slinky-sounding production by none other than 🎛 Mustard (“Mustard on the beat”). This naughty, sketchy backdrop works perfectly for Tyga, ultimately fueling his carnal fire. “Ten, ten, ten twenty on yo titties, bitch,” he spits in the first verse, adding, “Got my other bitch fuckin’ with my other bitch / Fuckin’ aall night, nigga we ain’t celibate.” Yeah, that’s obvious Tyga… The rapper is so confident and so skilled in his sexual endeavors that he’s “Got ya grandma on my [his] dick.” Now that’s just nasty! Basically, this non-transcendent record finds the rapper flexing hard as an MF. He’s definitely not lying when he asserts in ther second verse, “Mike, Mike Jackson, nigga, yeah I’m Bad.” When “Rack City” arrived, it was no surprise, given its sound, that it gave the rapper a surefire hit. It ultimately peaked at no. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, spending a total of 25 weeks on the tally. “Rack City” remains a vibe more than a decade later.

13. Stevie Wonder, “Living for the City”

💿 Innervisions • 🏷 Motown • 🗓 1973

“A boy is born in hard time Mississippi / Surrounded by four walls that ain’t so pretty.” Just process those lyrics that 🎙 Stevie Wonder sang on his top-10 hit, 🎵 “Living For The City”. A gem from his 1973 album, 💿 Innervisions, which won the 🏆 Grammy for Album of the Year, Wonder gets serious about black socioeconomic issues, racism, racial inequality, and racial inequity. That’s not what you expect out of a pop hit. Clearly, Wonder had a bigger message in mind, as this man is “Living just enough, just enough for the city.” The first verse, just scratches the surface, as the second speaks to the hard work this man’s family endures, still falling short of what they need to survive: “His father works some days for fourteen hours / And you can bet he barely makes a dollar.”

The cycle continues on this incredibly soulful joint, where undoubtedly many folks likely focus on the music and the ‘happy go lucky’ chorus: “Da da da, da da da da…” Verse three depicts the man’s sister, describing her unbecoming clothes, but perseverance through adversity. The fourth verse returns the focus to the man who first appears, highlighting his intelligence, yet the lack of jobs that fit his intellect due to racism (“To find a job is like a haystack needle / ‘Cause where he lives they don’t use colored people”). Ultimately, the man leaves “hard time Mississippi” for better opportunities in New York City. Unfortunately, it’s ‘more of the same’ regarding racial issues, a skit depicts the man’s downfall as he’s arrested after accepting money to run drugs across the street… The final two verses speak of the aftermath of his incarceration – a lack of hope (verse five) and the need for change in a broken world (verse six). Wonder says it best: “If we don’t change, the world will soon be over / Living just enough, stop giving just enough for the city.”

Appears in 🔻:

Stevie Wonder, “Living For The City”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 84 (2022)

13 Captivating City Songs [📷: Aftermath, Atlantic, Brent Faulkner, Cash Money, Freida Jean, Fueled by Ramen, Generation Now, Interscope, Island, M83, The Musical Hype, Parlophone, David Skyrius, Lukas Kloeppel, Nate, Peng LIU, Phil Goulson, Pixabay, Quentin Gellar, Yuting Gao]

13 Captivating City Songs | Playlist 🎧

Published by the musical hype on September 16, 2022September 16, 2022