13 D Songs Selected with No Rhyme or Reason | Playlist 🎧

1. H.E.R., “Damage”

🎵 “Don’t Go” • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 2020

“Careful what you take for granted, yeah / ‘Cause with me know you could do damage.” Those are emotional, meaningful, and powerful words 🎙 H.E.R. sings on the chorus of her single, 🎵 “Damage”. Throughout this gem, produced by 🎙 Cardiak and 🎙 Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman, the 🏆 Grammy-winning R&B artist explores a ‘real love,’ one where all the faux, phony stuff is stripped – 🚫🎩.  She’s revealing all of her cards, and he, could literally make her happiest woman ever (if he’s truly genuine) or totally break her down (if he ain’t 💩).

On “Damage,” H.E.R. is assisted by 🎙 Ant Clemons, who provides fine supporting vocals that only up the ante.  Also ‘upping the ante’ is the sample used within the production – 🎵 “Making Love in the Rain” by 🎙 Herb Alpert, featuring 🎙 Janet Jackson and 🎙 Lisa Keith. This sample adds lushness and warmth, perfectly complementing and contributing to the romantic vibes conveyed by the artist.  Of course, the key selling point of “Damage” is none other than H.E.R., who delivers an expressive, gorgeous, and soulful performance.  She never over sings, delivering a balanced vocal that delivers the desired punch as she focuses on matters of the heart. Solid songwriting bodes in her favor, particularly the chorus:

“Holdin’ me tight, lovin’ me right, givin’ me life
All night, you could be (you could be)
Tellin’ me lies, makin’ me cry, wastin’ my time
The whole time, so just be
Careful what you take for granted, yeah
‘Cause with me know you could do damage
You, you could do damage
You, you could do damage.”

“Damage” marks another authentic, well-rounded offering from the Grammy winner and R&B darling.

2. BTS, “Dynamite”

🎵 “Dynamite” • 🏷 BigHit Entertainment • 🗓 2020

🎙 BTS have carved out ample success in the United States. Quite prolific, the boys returned in 2020 with a single performed exclusively in English, 🎵 “Dynamite”. “Dynamite” is hella likable, thanks to being carefree, positive and sunny to the nth degree.  The vocals are incredibly potent, particularly the falsetto.  The lyrics are fun, with tongue-n-cheek and some gimmickry with repetition.

The crowning achievement, unsurprisingly, is the catchy, infectious chorus; it instantly gets stuck in your head!

“‘Cause I, I, I’m in the stars tonight
So watch me bring the fire and set the night alight (Hey)
Shining through the city with a little funk and soul
So I’ma light it up like dynamite, woah-oh-oh.”

Also, worth praising is the sleek production, something we’ve come to expect from BTS and K-Pop music in general.  This contemporary disco-pop single is a nice blend of retro, modern pop and contemporary R&B – sweet! Furthermore, I must say, I appreciate the key change that comes at the end of the record; we only rarely get modulations in pop music these days.

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3. ROSALÍA, “Dolerme”

🎵 “Dolerme” • 🏷 Columbia • 🗓 2020

“For all those times I put myself second / And I changed what I wanted for you what you wanted…” Grammy-winning Latin pop musician 🎙 ROSALÍA is awesome to the nth degree.  🎵 “Dolerme” serves as another great example of the sheer artistry of the Spanish singer/songwriter.  It’s always fascinating to read the translations of a Spanish exclusive record.  “Dolerme” certainly possesses its fair share of colorful lyrics, with ROSALÍA possessing the personality to sell these lyrics. On this particular D-song, she sings about her EX.

On the pre-chorus, she’s blunt AF: “Those bitches you got now, baby, they don’t know / What awaits them…” Da-yum!  On the chorus, the ‘hurt’ inflicted upon her seems too shift from him to her:

“I don’t know why he doesn’t want to hurt me anymore
I accelerate to see if I can crash
I want you to see it, don’t try to stop me
And so, you can show me that you could forget me...”

Wow. In addition to the lyrics, “Dolerme” is quite sublime in about every other way.  From a vocal standpoint, ROSALÍA owns her upper register, sounding incredibly refined and sweet. Musically (instrumentally), the Grammy-winner is backed by chill production, led by rhythmic guitars.  Honestly, it’s all pretty compelling. Sure, she’s emotional as albeit – hurt, angry, and sad – but her pain is our listening pleasure, as messed up as that may sound.

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4. Sam Smith, “Diamonds”

💿 Love Goes • 🏷 Capitol • 🗓 2020

🎵 “Diamonds” definitely stands out on 💿 Love Goes, the third studio album by 🏆 Academy Award and Grammy award-winning musician, 🎙 Sam Smith. It commences with an intro, repeating “diamond” 16 times.  From there, we’re blessed with lovely vocals from Smith.  They’re supported by sleek production work that’s not overproduced yet sounds characteristic of 2020. Regarding form, Smith and their writing team keep it simple and straightforward. Matters of the heart rule: Their ex- was more materialistic where Sam was more attuned to the relationship.

Even with lost love, “Diamonds” is spirited, not downtrodden. We’re treated to a danceable groove and catchy chorus that instantly gets stuck in your head. Beginning on the second verse, there’s more melodic variation, eliminating predictability. I love the musicianship exhibited throughout, particularly on the bridge where Smith begins singing in an undertone before rebuilding the intensity heading into the final chorus. “Diamonds” is definitely a bop to keep on repeat.

5. Dua Lipa, “Don’t Start Now”

💿 Future Nostalgia • 🏷 Warner • 🗓 2020

“Did the heartbreak change me? Maybe / But look at where I ended up / I’m all good already / So moved on, it’s scary / I’m not where you left me at all…” In October 2019, 🎙 Dua Lipa returned with the electrifying, energetic single, 🎵 “Don’t Start Now”, which ultimately appears as the second track on her brilliant sophomore album, 💿 Future Nostalgia. She describes the song to Apple Music stating that it “Is a perfect breakup song, about when you finally find your feet and then somebody decides to come crawling back just when you’ve moved on.”

“Don’t Start Now” has all the makings of a pop bop, period! The groove is infectious, instantly a catalyst for foot tapping, head nodding, and busting a move on the dance floor.  Further cementing the bop status are other elements of the production – robust bass line, keyboards, and synths (including strings).  Stylistically, “Don’t Start Now” can be characterized to some extent as a nu-/neo-disco single – a pop single incorporating dance and R&B cues.  All of those positives don’t even capture additional greatness. First and foremost, Dua Lipa impresses with her husky, expressive lead vocals. Beyond that, the songwriting is catchy and quite engaging.  The focal point is matters of the heart, specifically rejecting the ex who ultimately said goodbye to her:

“Don’t show up, don’t come out
Don’t start caring about me now
Walk away, you know how
Don’t start caring about me now.” 

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6. Ruel, “Distance”

💿 Bright Lights, Red Eyes (EP) • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 2020

The musical aptitude of Australian pop singer 🎙 Ruel is through the roof. Man, oh man is the kid talented. His 2020 EP, 💿 Bright Lights, Red Eyes continues to highlight the immense potential he has. Sure, the D-song at hand, 🎵 “Distance,” has a tough, tough act to follow in the context of the EP (🎵 “as long as you care”), but Ruel is game – definitely up for the task!

On “Distance,” the listener is bestowed with perfectly nuanced, expressive vocals that transcend Ruel’s youth.  Besides his masterful tone, the songwriting is superb, particularly the chorus.

“Well, I don’t want to say that this was hard, it was
Tryin’ not to stay, but that just made it worse
I've been keepin’ my distance
Well, I just wanna know what you're thinkin’
I just can’t explain the way it hurts
Now that what we had is gone
I don’t have the words
I'm so bad at playin’ along
Savin’ my feelings
I’ve been keepin’ my distance.”

Adding to the sublime nature of “Distance” is gorgeous production, courtesy of 🎙 Rory Noble and 🎙 M-Phazes.  

7. Fousheé, “Deep End”

🎵 “Deep End” • 🗓 2020

🎙 Fousheé seems destined to do big things, period. The R&B singer is on [autopilot] from the start of 🎵 “Deep End”. This brief record – a mere two minutes and 21 seconds – is incredibly potent.  Backed by a vibe-filled backdrop, “Deep End” is fresh, moody, and set in a minor key. Primarily R&B, there are hip-hop sensibilities, which only make things fresher.  It commences with an intro, which eventually becomes the chorus (the crowning achievement).

“I been trying not to go off the deep end
I don’t think you wanna give me a reason...”

Fousheé gives us commanding, expressive, and nuanced vocals.  Furthermore, she conveys a big personality, which speak to her artistry.  She’s classy but also unafraid to bring in some ‘stank.’ Sung vocals dominate, however, she’s equally effective when she ‘busts a rhyme.’ Also, totally worth checking out is the brief but potent 🎵 “Deep End Freestyle”, attributed to 🎙 Sleepy Hallow and Fousheé.

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8. Big Sean, “Deep Reverence”

Ft. Nipsey Hussle

💿 Detroit 2 • 🏷 Def Jam • 🗓 2020

On 🎵 “Deep Reverence”, 🎙 Big Sean enlists an assist from the late, great Grammy-winning rapper, 🎙 Nipsey Hussle. Although not everyone wanted him to release it an advance single, “Deep Reverence” ends up being quite special.  Nipsey takes first blood, kicking off his verse with a bang, followed by the sole chorus, derived from the opening lines of Nipsey’s verse.

Sean continues to be a force on his fifth studio album 💿 Detroit 2, notably delivering agile rhymes and continuing to be honest and incredibly transparent.  Throughout his honest verse, he reflects on life including a beef with Kendrick Lamar, a miscarriage with his ex-girlfriend (Jhené Aiko), anxiety, and depression.

9. Lykke Li, “Deep End”

💿 So sad so sexy • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 2018

Following a four-year hiatus, alternative singer/songwriter 🎙 Lykke Li returned in 2018 with her fourth studio album, 💿 so sad so sexy. The crème de la crème comes by way of 🎵 “deep end.” Produced by 🎙 T-Minus, 🎙 Malay, and 🎙 Jeff Bhasker, it’s not surprising how hip, slick, and thoroughly modern the record sounds.

Beyond the killer, minor-key, the Swedish singer successfully performs this well-written number. The best moment comes by way of a feisty, infectious, ‘swim-referencing’ chorus.

“Swimming pool, swimming pool
Swimming pool, swimming pool
Indigo, deep blue, deep blue
Oh, baby I know where you’ve been
I know where you been, in the deep end.”

This isn’t really about the pool but rather, L-O-V-E.

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10. BROCKHAMPTON, “Dearly Departed”

💿 GINGER • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 2019

Hip-hop collective 🎙 BROCKHAMPTON returned respectably in 2019 with their fifth studio album, 💿 GINGER. Notably, GINGER arrived less than a year after iridescence.  Among the crème de la crème of GINGER – 🎵 “Dearly Departed”. “Dearly Departed” is truly ‘lucky number seven’ in regard to the track list; among the best of the best.

Reflective to the nth degree, the biggest happening is how the band references ex-member, 🎙 Ameer Vann. 🎙 Kevin Abstract asks on the first verse, “What’s the point of havin’ a best friend if you end up losin’ him?” 🎙 Dom McLennon seems particularly angry, especially with the final two lines, “You could talk to God / I don’t wanna hear, motherfucker.” 🎙 Matt Champion subtly references Vann as well, but also pays ode to his late grandparents. If one is looking for beauty beyond the production, the chorus, performed by 🎙 Joba, is quite beautiful:

“Dearly departed
Look what you’ve started
I’ve been so heartless
I try, I try, I try
Why?
Why?
Why?
Try.”

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11. Greyson Chance, “Dancing Next to Me”

🎵 “Dancing Next to Me” • 🏷 GCM / Arista • 🗓 2020

“Hold tight, says he wants to come over / And I’ll try, I’ll try to keep my composure…” Post- 💿 Portraits (2019), 🎙 Greyson Chance returned in 2020, tackling matters of the heart, from a gay perspective, on 🎵 “Dancing Next to Me”. Chance has a superb team of songwriters on “Dancing Next to Me,” including 🎙 Teddy Geiger, who also produces. The result? A fun, lustful, danceable pop record. On the verses, he sings in commanding fashion, robustly in his lower-mid register.  He contrasts on the pre-chorus and into the chorus section, showcasing potent, ripe falsetto.

“...But I know that you felt it
And I felt it when you were there, you were there
You were dancing next to me.”

Things are sexier on the second verse, but the listener also begins to see the ‘unhappy ending’ (“‘Slow down,’ those aren’t the words that I wanted / From our mouth / From our lips that I just kissed…”). The bridge is arguably the most important section of “Dancing Next to Me,” bringing in elements of fear, and perhaps, internalized homophobia:

“I was yours for the weekend
Come sunrise, it’s time for you to dodge your feelings
Call your girl to deny
We know is the truth
You were who you wanted to be
When you were there, you were there
You were dancing next to me.” 

“Dancing Next to Me” is pretty sweet and quite jam-packed.  Chance experiences a temporary high, only to be disappointed, ultimately.  It happens, but from the gay perspective, it’s still gaining traction as a song topic.

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12. Tyler Glenn, “Devil”

💿 Excommunication • 🏷 Island • 🗓 2016 

“Sunday mornings make me nervous / They don’t feel like they used to feel / My religion feels wrong, but I can’t tell my mom / I’m afraid that my words would kill.” 🎙 Tyler Glenn was pretty pissed off on throughout his 2016 solo album 💿 Excommunication, which focused on his break with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Again, being disappointed by being unaccepted by the church as a gay man, he left.  Another instance of his newfound skepticism towards religion comes at the very end of Excommunication, 🎵 “Devil.”

“I think I still believe in Jesus
He’s a friend when I choose to pray
But my demons get me high, ‘til I’m burning all the time
Yeah, they never wash my sins away.”

One never gets the impression that Glenn is an atheist now – there’s still something there. But, he has clearly lost faith: “I swear I still believe in something / But I couldn’t pray the gay away.”

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13. Florence + The Machine, “Dog Days Are Over”

💿 Lungs • 🏷 Universal Island • 🗓 2009

“Happiness hit her, like a train on a track / Coming towards her, stuck still no turning back.” Now that’s poetry! Sometimes, it only takes that one song to put you on the map.  For British standout 🎙 Florence + The Machine, that one song was 🎵 “Dog Days Are Over” (💿 Lungs, 2009).   Search for ‘dog’ on Spotify and you’re sure to find “Dog Days Are Over” at the top of the list.

The highlight appears on Lungs, which arrived back in 2009 – hard to believe! Here, 🎙 Florence Welch shows off her ultra-expressive voice, belting triumphantly on the unforgettable chorus that “THE DOG DAYS ARE OVER / The dog days are done / The horses are coming / So, you better run.” WOOF, “…there it is!”

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