“13 High-Flying Songs About Clouds” features music courtesy of Angie Stone, Dirty Heads, The Drums, Travis Garland, and Volbeat.

Okay Musical Hype-ians – let’s check off some playlists, shall we? First, we have 11 Songs About the Sun, Sunshine, or Sunniness – CHECK IT OFF! Next, 11 Thrilling Songs About the Sky – CHECK IT OFF AS WELL! Okay, what about that playlist about clouds… hmm…clouds… yep, we totally need for a playlist about clouds. So, since there is a need, we’ve compiled a playlist about clouds: 13 HIGH-FLYING SONGS ABOUT CLOUDS.  That’s really about the size of it! 13 HIGH-FLYING SONGS ABOUT CLOUDS features music courtesy of Angie Stone (“No More Rain (In This Cloud)”), Dirty Heads (“Cloudlifter”), The Drums (“Pretty Cloud”), Travis Garland (“Clouds”), and Volbeat (“Cloud 9”) among others.

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1. Dirty Heads, “Cloudlifter”

Super Moon • Five Seven Music • 2019

“Cloudlifter shrouded in smoke from my tongue / Sun twister, I bister, melt from the sky…” We commence this cloud-centric playlist with no other than alternative collective Dirty Heads (Dustin Bushnell, Jared Watson, Jon Olazabal, Matt Ochoa, and David Foral).  Dirty Heads have appeared on a couple of playlists, specifically with songs “God Damn Liar” (11 Secular Songs That Make Reference to God) and “Diamonds & Pearls” (11 Songs Focused on Diamonds), which both appeared on their 2017 album, SWIM TEAM.  Dirty Heads returned in 2019 with their seventh studio album, Super Moon.  Thankfully, they contribute to the cloud theme with “Cloudlifter.”

“Cloudlifter” appears as the sixth track on Super Moon, clocking in shy of three minutes.  Judging merely off the title, and having knowledge of Dirty Heads’ reggae influences, it’s not a far-fetched assumption that “Cloudlifter” makes referencing to smoking weed.  Indeed, weed plays a sizable role, along with an electrifying flow and entertaining rhymes.  At the beginning, “Cloudlifter” sounds quite mellow – ‘high’ if you will.  Of course there also an interlude about unicorns… So, to confirm, we’re not talking about clouds in the sky, but rather potent weed.

“Can I quit? Venom when I spit
Let it rip, think I cannabis
Take a hit, I’m a catalyst
Of cool shit, colder than a bitch (Everest)…”

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2. Volbeat, “Cloud 9”

Rewind, Replay, Rebound • VOLBEAT / Universal GmbH • 2019

“See the light above you in the night / The memory seems to be aware this time / Please show me the fallen ones…” Alright… I think. Danish metal/hard rock band Volbeat makes its first appearance on The Musical Hype. The band dropped a new studio album, Rewind, Replay, Rebound in August 2009.  With Rewind, Replay, Rebound, they gave us a surefire, re-playable cloud-centric record with “Cloud 9.” The energetic “Cloud 9” appears as the seventh track of a total of 22 tracks in the album’s deluxe edition.

“…I can’t take my eyes off of you / I know that they said we all will be fine / Above cloud number nine.” “Cloud 9” is high-flying, period.  Why? The vocals are bright, further brightened when layering and harmony comes into the mix.  Furthermore, the driving guitars have ample punch, and the pummeling drums only further accentuate the spiritedness.  Of course, when your hard rock/metal song embraces major as opposed to minor, that also elevates the brightness.  Also, even with the acknowledgement of pain made by Michael Poulsen and company, there is also encouragement:

“How do you feel?
I know it’s hurting, an unbearable thing
But life moves on and you will be fine
Get hold of yourself, you’re not that lonely
Friends around you will help the healing in the mind
We feel it in the lonely night.” 

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3. The Drums, “Pretty Cloud”

Brutalism • Anti • 2019

“Still, I am blissful in whatever you give me / I lean on the mystery of who you are / Still, I am blissful in wherever you show me / A real curiosity of who you are.” Word! Following a dash of reggae (Dirty Heads) and hard rock/metal (Volbeat), this cloud-centric playlist welcomes another change of pace: The Drums and indie-pop.  The Drums is fronted by Jonny Pierce. Brutalism, the fifth album by the collective, following Abysmal (2017), was arrived in April 2019.  Notably, on Brutalism, Pierce opens up about his queerness, via an article by Michael Cuby for Them: “If I’m not talking about being gay, I feel like I’m not really being an artist.  I am an artist and I’m going to make art that reflects who I am.”

 Pierce opens Brutalism with the bright sounding “Pretty Cloud.” Apparently, the cloud is indeed “a real curiosity” to Jonny and The Drums.  On the first verse, he characterizes the ‘pretty cloud,’ singing, “Sometimes you float up and grace me with sun / And sometimes you come very close / And multiply yourself / Heavy and thick, raining sorrow on me.” So true.  On the second verse, we get some weather words with temperature, moisture, winds, and of course, atmosphere.  Thinking beyond the cloud itself, it seems to be representative of life.  Some days life is sunny, others it’s rainy and dreary to the nth degree.  Life, broken down into parts, can also reflect the good and the bad.  Regardless, “Pretty Cloud” is a pretty epic way to open Brutalism.

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4. Panic! At the Disco, “King of the Clouds”

Pray for the Wicked • Fueled by Ramen • 2018

“With these dreams, I inflate, painted skies in my brain / Every day, I’m Carl Sagan in space / To escape this old world, this old world.” On “King of the Clouds,” one of the better songs from the 2018 Panic! At the Disco album, Pray for the Wicked, Brendon Urie and company provide a prime example of escapism. It was the kingly reference that earned Panic! At the Disco a spot on 11 Songs All About His Majesty, The King, while the spirit of escape earned it a spot on 13 Songs That Feature Elements of Escapism.  Here, on 13 High-Flying Songs About Clouds, it’s the clouds that locks “King of the Clouds” in.

“Some only live to die, I’m alive to fly higher / Than angels in outfields inside my mind.” Again, okay… right. “King of the Clouds” successfully fuses alt-pop with elements of throwback soul. Panic! At the Disco has always been eclectic, so it’s not surprising that “King of the Clouds” doesn’t have a concrete stylistic characterization. Short and sweet, the strings, organ, and that sweet falsetto by Urie are the biggest selling points.  The chorus is pretty royal to say the least.

“I’m the king of the clouds, of the clouds
I get lifted, I get lifted
I’m the king of the clouds, of the clouds
I get lifted, I get lifted.”

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5. KYLE, “Clouds”

Light of Mine • independently popular / Atlantic • 2018

“I’ve walked so many miles with my head aimed at the ground / I forgot the world had clouds…” Okay… The infectious, hella-likable rapper KYLE keeps it short and sweet on his entry into this cloud-centric playlist, simply titled, “Clouds.” “Clouds” appears on KYLE’s debut album, Light of Mine, which is noted for gems such as “Ikuyo”, “To the Moon”, “Playinwitme” and the crown jewel, “iSpy”.  Notably, “Clouds” is the penultimate record, prior to “iSpy.” Given its brevity, it’s no surprise that there is only one verse worth of rapping singing.

From the onset, “Clouds” has quite the vibe working for it.  This is a reflective number where KYLE essentially states he needs to embrace life and be more positive.  One of the best lines of the son appears towards the end of the verse, with even more self-reflection from the rapper:

“Nights like this with love on my mind
I’m dyin’ to find it when I open my eyes
I know it’s there, maybe I’m just wastin’ my time
But it never hurts to try (yeah)
Lovin’ every heart except mine.”

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6. Keith Sweat, “Cloud 9”

Playing for Keeps • KDS Entertainment • 2018

“Must be love, must be love / To have my heart feel like I’m on cloud, cloud 9.” Indeed, Keith Sweat, indeed! The R&B standout experienced his heyday in the late 1980s (Make It Last Forever specifically) and throughout the 1990s. Beyond his heyday, Sweat has remained quite prolific, even scoring a top-10 album on the Billboard 200 with Just Me, his ninth studio album in 2008.  The song at hand, “Cloud 9,” arrived 10 years after Just Me, appearing as the third track on Sweat’s 2018 LP, Playing for Keeps.

“Cloud 9” is a sleekly produced adult contemporary R&B cut, perfectly tailored for the ‘grown folks.’ On the aforementioned chorus, the picture is painted that Sweat is taken by love, period.  As for the verses, Sweat essentially exhibits speechlessness, asserting, “I can’t describe my emotions / I feel like a young boy, first time in love” as well as, “[Baby] You got the kind of love that makes a man go crazy.” Is it predictable? Of course, but hey, there’s nothing wrong with being ‘on Cloud 9’ and there’s certainly nothing wrong with Keith Sweat flexing like the boss that he is at this point in his career.

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7. 88rising & Joji, “Head in the Clouds”

Head in the Clouds • 88rising / 12Tone Music • 2018

“I don’t know why I do this / I feel like I might lose you / Out of drugs, out of love / So let’s compromise / The floor is raising, the sky is falling / The tides are turning, my eyes are burning.” Emotional, poetic lyrics to say the least. Mass media company/record label 88rising has served as a catalyst for Asian artists including Indonesian standouts Rich Brian and NIKI, as well as the Japanese-Australian artist, Joji.

Joji is the featured artist on the smooth, ‘high-flying,’ love-centric “Head in the Clouds,” which concludes the 2018 88rising compilation, Head in the Clouds. According to Joji, on the chorus, he sings:

“Head in the clouds
And I’m not coming down
I used to swim now I’m ready to sink
I wanna give you what I cannot do
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh.”

“Head in the Clouds” previously appeared on the playlist, 13 Songs That Involve the Head in Some Capacity.

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8. Owl City, “Cloud Nine”

Cinematic • Owl City • 2018

All musicians make a misstep every now and then, right? Right… we think. Owl City (Adam Young) messed up royally on “All My Friends”, a godawful, pseudo-country song that appears on his 2018 album, Cinematic.  Released months in advance of Cinematic, it earned a well-deserved spot on The Worst Songs of 2017, only trumped by the even more cringe-worthy “It’s Everyday Bro” courtesy of Jake Paul – eww, gross! Why mention all of this? Well, the horrid nature of “All My Friends” made me leery to include “Cloud Nine” from Cinematic, obviously.  While “Cloud Nine” isn’t he second coming, it’s easily better than “All My Friends” could ever hope to be!

“Take my hand and take a deep breath / And we’ll ride off into the sunset.” Aww, how sweet!

With “Cloud Nine,” one gets the expected Owl City, electronic-pop cues.  The production is the crowning achievement, set in a major key, with bright, optimistic-sounding synths.  Furthermore, Owl City – Adam Young – sounds chill on the ninth track from Cinematic.  Expectedly, the lyrics are also quite happy to the nth degree.  Optimism is clearly the mantra:

“Look up when the world gets you down
And you’re gonna get by
Hang in when the word counts you out
And you’re gonna be fine
Sometimes that’s life, some days nothing ever goes right
But when your hand is in mine
You got me floatin’ on cloud nine.”

Perhaps there’s a teaspoon or two of schmaltz, but hey, remember how godawful “All My Friends” was – eww!

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9. The Amity Affliction, “Black Cloud”

Misery • Roadrunner • 2018

“While this black cloud follows me / (Open my chest and feel me weep) / The world opens its crust for me / (Rain down on me, God, swallow me…)” Those lyrics, ladies and gentlemen, hail from The Amity Affliction.  Ahren Stringer and (Joel Birch) both contribute vocals on “Black Cloud,” the seventh track from the Australian post-hardcore collective’s 2018 album, Misery.  For some context, Stringer handles the ‘clean’ vocals while Birch digs in with the ‘unclean’ vocals.

The big takeaway from “Black Cloud” is that The Amity Affliction seem to be looking for peace. There are numerous petitions to God including on the pre-chorus, “Rain down on me, God, swallow me / The Black Dog will not let me be.” Referencing ‘The Black Dog’ usually has a negative connotation, whether it is the interpretation via British folklore, or depression, as Psychology Today details it. Regardless, it’s never good when “This black cloud follows me.” Notably, Birch sings during the breakdown: “They said you died to set us free / So I chained myself down on my knees.”

Besides the dramatic petitions for help, the music matches the intensity of the emotion.  The drums pummel, while the guitars hit you right in the chest.  Safe to say, “Black Cloud” is quite intense.

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10. SUICIDEBOYS, “Clouds as Witnesses”

Gray/Grey • G*59 • 2015

“Starin’ at the water, looking like a bunch of satin / Look into my eyes, and all you see is motherfucking static…” That’s certainly bothersome.  The first part of that lyrical excerpt from “Clouds as Witnesses” seems to reference the devastation that Hurricane Katrina had on New Orleans, Louisiana.  “Clouds as Witnesses” appears on New Orleans rap duo SUICIDEBOYS’ 2015 project, Gray/Grey.  Here, $crim (Scott Arceneaux, Jr.) appears as alter-ego YUNG CHRIST, while Ruby da Cherry (Aristos Petrou) appears as his alter-ego, YUNG MUTT.

“Clouds as Witnesses” is unsettling from the jump.  From the Boards of Canada sample (“Music is Math”) to the rhymes/subject matter, “Clouds as Witnesses” is disturbing.

On the first verse, YUNG MUTT references suicide:

“Gave her the number to my phone
Told her dial-up 666 if she need to get a hold of me
And hopefully she’ll give me a call when she is home and free and lonely
Phone rang twice, but I missed both calls
I was hanging in the hall, toll-free.”

YUNG CHRIST’S verse is also morbid, early-on finding him proclaiming, “Motherfuck a future, countin’ down ‘till I die,” later adding, “Zero fucking hopes for this young tragedy.” In addition to death itself, he references the effects of drugs, including the fact that he’s “Never-ever sober, need drugs for my composure,” and “Whole fucking family got bloodshot eyes.”

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11. Prince, “Clouds”

Art Official Age • Warner Bros. • 2014

“You should never underestimate the power of a kiss on the neck / When she doesn’t expect / A kiss on the neck, when she doesn’t expect, a kiss on the neck.” The lyric appears on the chorus of “Clouds,” a highlight from Prince’s 2014 album, Art Official Age. On “Clouds,” Prince emphasizes embracing cleanliness, innocence, and the simple things in life.  At the end of the first verse, he sings, “We’re getting high on something, that doesn’t require clouds / We don’t need no clouds.” He also seems to be troubled by the ‘new age.’

Joined by Lianne La Haves on the bridge, she sings:

“When life’s a stage, in this brand-new age
How do we engage?
Bullying just for un
No wonder there’s so many guns
Maybe we’re better off in space.”

Certainly, what Prince and Lianne La Haves are saying is food for thought. Even though Prince emphasizes a wholesome lifestyle, “Clouds” musically sounds quite sleek, and dare I say, sexy.  The record balances old-school 80s R&B, pop, and funk with the slickness of contemporary R&B.  Sadly, this album, which arrived two years before the untimely death of Prince, didn’t get the attention it deserved, despite debut in the top 10 of the Billboard 200.

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12. Travis Garland, “Clouds”

Travis Garland • Stereotypes Music • 2013

Hunky pop singer Travis Garland, formerly a member of NLT alongside Glee actor-singer Kevin McHale, should have blown up, period. Listening to his 2013 album, Travis Garland, one asks themselves, in the words of Martin Lawrence, “What the problem is?!” While Travis Garland has never experienced the breakthrough he deserves, Travis Garland the album has its fair share of bops including the song at hand, “Clouds.”

“Clouds,” a single and one of many highlights from the self-titled album, is as slickly produced as anything else.  Furthermore, the record is also as sensual and suggestive as anything else:

“The way my name rolls off your lips
I think there’s no better sound
…You’re like a drug, I see them hips…”

Staying attuned to the stoner influence in pop-music, it seems fitting and totally appropriate to allude to being ‘high,’ right (“You got your head in the clouds / And I just wanna get high…”)?  Is Travis Garland horny? Why of course he is – he “see(s) them hips!” Regardless, “Clouds” is another great showing from a project that deserved much more attention back in 2013.

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13. Angie Stone, “No More Rain (In This Cloud)”

Black Diamond • BRM / Peace Bisquit • 1999

“My sunshine has come / And I’m all cried out / And there’s no more rain in this cloud.” Grammy-nominated R&B singer/songwriter Angie Stone is responsible for one of the greatest neo-soul classics of all time, “No More Rain (In This Cloud).” The 1999 gem was a breakout for Stone, was nearing her 38^th year when her solo debut album, Black Diamond was released.  Black Diamond would be one of only two albums released by Stone to be certified gold by the RIAA (Mahogany Soul, her sophomore album, being the other).

So many things make “No More Rain (In This Cloud)” the brilliant song that it is.  First and foremost are the vocals.  Angie Stone has a rich, soulful outro, and exhibits great control throughout this particular performance, as well as the majority of her performances.  That’s the key piece, as she’s chill yet packs the right punch singing.  Another key component is the production, specifically a blatant sample of the Gladys Knight & The Pips classic, “Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye).” Personally, I can remember playing “No More Rain (In This Cloud)” and my mom asking if it was Gladys Knight because of the prominence of the sample.  The premise of the song, of course, is that Angie Stone has cried ample tears, and she’s ‘all cried out.’ One of the best moments, beside the aforementioned chorus, is the bridge:

“Spring has come and winter’s gone, my love
But don’t look around for me, child
I’ll be gone, gone, gone, gone
Not afraid
Because the seasons have changed
I’m gonna count my blessings
And just follow the sun ‘cause you see.”

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“13 High-Flying Songs About Clouds” [Photo Credits: 12Tone Music, 88rising, Anti, Atlantic, BRM, Five Seven Music, Fueled by Ramen, G*59, independently popular, KDS Entertainment, Owl City, Peace Bisquit, Pexels, Pixabay, Roadrunner, Stereotypes Music, Universal Gmbh, VOLBEAT, Warner Bros.]

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