13 Intriguing Songs for ANY Occasion

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13 Intriguing Songs for ANY Occasion features music courtesy of Del Water Gap, Janet Jackson, Justin Bieber, Ledisi, and Sufjan Stevens.

Are you in need a song , better yet, a playlist for ANY-time or ANY-where? Well, look no further than 13 Intriguing Songs for ANY Occasion! If you couldn’t tell, the keyword is ANY. A common adjective, musicians have used this word many, many times in many, many songs. This musical compendium captures 13 instances where ANY is king … or queen , respectfully. 13 Intriguing Songs for ANY Occasion features music courtesy of Del Water Gap, Janet Jackson, Justin Bieber, Ledisi, and Sufjan Stevens among others. So, fulfilling ANY of your musical needs is 13 Intriguing Songs for ANY Occasion!

1. Sufjan Stevens, “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?”  

Javelin • Asthmatic Kitty • 2023  

“Will Anybody Ever Love Me?”, a single and highlight from Javelin, the 10th studio album by Academy and Grammy award-nominated singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens, begins stripped, reminiscent of his folksier music moments of the past.  “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?” commences with a simple, rhythmic accompaniment carried by guitar (or similar acoustic string instrument) supporting his hushed, expressed vocals, and it’s more than enough.  Soon enough, piano joins the mix in the pre-chorus, with Stevens maintains his hushed vocal approach  (“Tie me to a tiny wooden raft / Burn my body, point me to the undertow”). The initial chorus that follows grows a bit bigger in scope, but still, Stevens remains cool, calm, and collected – even keeled:    

“Will anybody ever love me?   

For good reasons    

Without grievance, not for sport   

Will anybody ever love me?    

In every season   

Pledge allegiance to my heart   

Pledge allegiance to my burning heart.”   

Following the first chorus, a more colorful soundscape arrives. In the second verse, not only is the arrangement more ornate instrumentally, but Stevens also adds vocalists who harmonize with him. The lyrics continue to shine with Stevens singing in the final couple lines of the verse, “Take my suffering as I take my vow / Wash me now, anoint me with that golden blade.” Expectedly, the second chorus is much grander – absolutely stunning with its vocal layers and the instrumental touches. The outro is ear-catching, highlighted by the lyric, “My burning heart,” as well as supporting vocalists singing the titular lyric. “Will Anybody Ever Love Me,” dare I say slaps in the most refined, sophisticated way possible! 

Appears in :

Awesome Songs: October 2023

2. Kehlani, “any given sunday” (Ft. Blxst)

blue water road • TSNMI / Atlantic • 2022

“I just touched down in Miami, babe / Make it rain on your stage any given Sunday.” Woo! “Any Given Sunday” appears as the second track on blue water road, the third studio album by Grammy-nominated R&B singer/songwriter, Kehlani. As always, Kehlani delivers those buttery, smooth vocals. Even so, that doesn’t stop her from being bold. After all, she commences the first verse with, “The baddest bitch that’s in the mirror / Wants to love somebody’s daughter right.” Not only do we get a five-letter word, but we also see Kehlani asserting her sexuality ️‍ (Note: she came out as a lesbian, having previously came out as queer). Later, in the same verse, she asserts, “This shit is presidential , got you stimulated (Ooh) / To you, I’m more than famous (Ooh, ooh) / Call me daddy in front of all your bitches in the lobby.” Wow ! She gets an assist from Grammy-nominated artist, Blxst, who provides a nice contrast and complement to her (“Just be careful, singin’ my song, lookin’ dead in my eyes like that / Too early to be catchin’ a vibe like that”). Fueling both artists’ fires is the strong production work courtesy of Mike Wavvs and Pop Wansel. You can listen to this ANY song on any given Sunday or ANY given time!

3. Justin Bieber, “Anyone”

Justice • Def Jam • 2021

Grammy-winning pop artist Justin Bieber commenced 2021 with the single, “Anyone”, which eventually appeared on his 2021 studio album, Justice. Like so many pop records of recent times, “Anyone” has no shortage of songwriters including Andrew Watt, Jon Bellion, and Bieber. Watt and Bellion join The Monsters & Strangerz behind the boards, crafting a pop/rock record. Sound-wise, the best section is the chorus. Bieber sounds solid, singing in his middle register on the verses, while also dipping into his upper register (chorus) and dropping some falsetto. Thematically, he focuses on true love, specifically his wife, Hailey Bieber. Honestly, the reflective chorus says it all:

“That you, are the only one I’ll ever love

Yeah, you, if it’s not you, it’s not anyone.”

Point made and taken Justin.

Appears in :

4. Rag’n’Bone Man & P!nk, “Anywhere Away from Here”

Life By Misadventure • Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited • 2021

“So, pull me underground / Don’t know if you notice / Sometimes I close my eyes / And dream of somewhere else / Anywhere away from here.” English singer Rag’n’Bone Man (Rory Charles Graham) gained ample notoriety with his single, “Human”. Beyond his best-known hit, which dented the Billboard Hot 100, Graham impresses on “Anywhere Away from Here”, a duet with Grammy-winning singer/songwriter, P!nk. “Anywhere Away from Here” appears as the fifth track off Graham’s 2021 album, Life By Misadventure. The record commences with piano accompaniment. The warmth of the percussion-less backdrop is a big-time selling point. Rag’n’Bone Man is the first voice heard. He sounds incredibly expressive, nuanced, and powerful delivering soulful vocals. Further upping the ante are the tuneful melodies he works with on this co-write with Simon Aldred, Mark Crew, Dan Priddy, and Ben Jackson-Cook. “We knew nothing ‘cause out of sight is out of mind,” Graham sings, adding, “Before we ever learned the fear of being bold / Before we ever were afraid of the unknown.” We get marvelous vocals from P!nk in the second verse (“We sold our souls, and we lost control / With more doubt than hope”), with additional instrumentation. The bridge is stellar, with the harmonized vocals and contrast compared to the verses and chorus. I love the collaborative moments between Graham and P!nk. They exhibit tremendous vocal chemistry. A record that never gets in a rush, “Anywhere Away from Here” is incredibly magical .

5. Hozier, “Anything But”

Unreal Unearth • Columbia • 2023

“Come here to me, I wish I was a mayfly on the River Tay.” In the context of Unreal Unearth, the third studio album by Grammy-nominated, Irish singer/songwriter, Hozier, “Anything But” picks up the pace. Among the best features of the song is the songwriting, something that the Irish musician excels at: “I’d lower the world in a flood or, better yet, I’d cause a drought / If I was a riptide, I wouldn’t take you out.” A Biblical allusion? One of the Geniuses believes so. “I don’t wanna be anything, love / But I would do everything to run away,” Hozier sings in the chorus, continuing, “I don’t wanna be anything like this at all / But I would do everything if you’d hear me say /… Go look another way.” With Unreal Unearth being a conceptual album that incorporates The Divine Comedy by ️ Dante Alighieri, specifically Inferno, Hozier dives into the eighth circle of hell, fraud . There is a fine rhythmic groove carried by claps ( Marius Feder and Bēkon) and acoustic guitar. There are plenty of alluring production touches, including the use of synthesizer (Bēkon). One of the best lines from this hellish song: “I hear he touches your hand, and then you fly away together / If I had his job, you would live forever.”  “Anything But” ultimately marks one of the best moments from the complex Unreal Unearth.

6. Ledisi, “Anything for You”

The Wild Card •  Listen Back Entertainment • 2020 

Grammy-winning R&B singer Ledisi has one of the most powerful voices in the game.  For years, Young has been preserving the ‘sanctity’ of old-school, grown-folks R&B. Young ‘brings the heat’ on her soulful single, “Anything for You” ( The Wild Card), which she earned her first Grammy win for Best Traditional R&B Performance. ️ Rex Rideout produces alongside Young, with excellent results.  The wheel is not reinvented on this throwback, adult contemporary R&B record, but the nostalgia of that gospel-tinged, highly soulful sound can’t be written off.  Adding to the allure of course is none other than Ledisi, who sings like a beast. Always a powerhouse, she gives us a little bit of everything here.  She exhibits vocal control, but also knows when to ‘let her rip.’  The nuances and the runs are absolutely everything.  Furthermore, the songwriting is on-point. Here, she’s willing to do anything for you, best exemplified by the memorable, emotional chorus.

“I’ll do anything for you (I will do anything for you, you)

Heart and soul, I

I’ll do anything for you (You are my life)

My life (One means us two)

Yeah, yeah, I’ll do anything

Anything for you.”

For lovers of vintage, retro-sounding music, this is everything.   

Appears in :

7. Del Water Gap, “We Will Never Be Like Anybody Else”

I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet • Mom+ Pop • 2023

“I could find a new girl / Who looks right in photos,” Brooklyn-based musician Del Water Gap ( S. Holden Jaffe) sings in one of the choruses of “We Will Never Be Like Anybody Else”, the 12th and final track from his 2023 album, I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet. Jaffe continues singing, “Never shows how she feels / Losing you in slo-mo / We will never be like anybody else.” Throughout this co-write with Sammy Witte, Jaffe delivers expressive, nuanced vocals. You could characterize his performance as being hypnotic.

“We Will Never Be Like Anybody Else” features poetic and thoughtful lyrics. Furthermore, the melodies are tuneful throughout, with the chorus serving as the centerpiece – the crème de la crème. The piano accompaniment is fitting on this Witte / Ethan Gruska, successfully capping off I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet. One of the best moments of the song is Jaffe’s most intense verse, which drops a bomb – an f-bomb that is!

“Pissing on our feelings

Fuck it, I’m alone now

‘Til I stop believing

We will never be like anybody else.”

Ooh wee! Jaffe pulls back at the end, which is always an incredibly musical touch. All told, “We Will Never Be Like Anybody Else” is a swell gem courtesy of the talented Del Water Gap.

Appears in :

Del Water Gap, We Will Never Be Like Anybody Else: Bangerz N Bopz No. 6 (2023)

8. Demi Lovato, “Anyone”

Dancing with the Devil… The Art of Starting Over • Island • 2021

“I tried to talk to my piano / I tried to talk to my guitar / Talk to my imagination / Confided into alcohol…” “Anyone”, the opening track from Dancing with the Devil… The Art of Starting Over, the seventh studio album by Demi Lovato, is powerful, honest, and incredibly vulnerable. Simplistic from a musical perspective, the Grammy-nominated musician is accompanied only by piano.  This stripped sound is perfect for such a personal song, putting more weight on the vocal and lyrics.  Vocally, Demi is as potent as ever.  Their range and sheer power is nothing short of awesome, as they exhibit spirit, soulfulness, and channel a cry for help musically. The other selling point: the lyrics.  Apparently, they’ve searched everywhere for help – music, alcohol, God, you name it, feeling all alone.

“Anyone, please send anyone

Lord, is there anyone?

I need someone, oh

Anyone, please send anyone

Lord, is there anyone?

I need someone, oh.”

Ultimately, it sets the tone for Dancing with the Devil… The Art of Starting Over.

Appears in :

9. Arctic Monkeys, “Sculptures of Anything Goes”

The Car • Domino • 2022

Question: “How am I supposed to manage my infallible beliefs / While I’m sockin’ it to you ya?” That’s some sort of question, that’s for sure! “Sculptures of Anything Goes” appears as the third track of The Car, the seventh studio album by Arctic Monkeys. The record maintains the allure of the LP. There is interesting use of synths and a minimalist vibe within the production work.  The sound could be described as enigmatic. “Sculptures of Anything Goes” sounds different from anything that Alex Turner and company have released up until this point (2022).  That said, the experimental vibe falls in line with The Car overall as well as with Arctic Monkeys beginning with their Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino era (2018). There’s evolution in the production as the record progresses – more sounds and more colorful ideas. There’s nothing traditional about this record, yet, that is part of its charm. Turner sounds compelling from start to finish, particularly when he ascends, dipping into that gorgeous falsetto .

“Black canvasses leant against gallery walls

Flowing towards sculptures of Anything Goes

On the marble stairs

Leading to almost wherever you want them to.”

Word… I think…

10. Waterparks, “I Miss Having Sex But At Least I Don’t Wanna Die Anymore”

FANDOM • Hopeless • 2019  

“I miss having sex but at least I don’t wanna die anymore / And I think that’s pretty cool.” My god that’s an intriguing lyric! You can thank Waterparks for the lengthily, intriguingly titled “I Miss Having Sex But at Least I Don’t Wanna Die Anymore,” which appears on the band’s 2019 album, FANDOM.  The colorful centerpiece, the chorus, continues as follows: ‘I miss seeing the red on your face when I made you blush, hey / But I think it’s fine, it’s cool.” 

Clearly, singer/guitarist Awsten Knight experienced a breakup that rocked his world.  In those key lyrics from the chorus, it seems as if he misses the physical relationship but he’s in a better place than he had been.  That said, there are even more layers to “I Miss Having Sex But at Least I Don’t Wanna Die Anymore” besides the healing process from a bad breakup.  Knight addresses the plight of fame, including continual questions regarding the band’s name, the unique spelling of his name, Stan Culture, and peer pressure. All said and done, it’s an awesome record that kicks substantial ass.

11. Scissor Sisters, “Any Which Way”

Night Work • Polydor Ltd. • 2010 

“Dancing on the speakers, are you peaking with the tweakers?” Man, that’s a stellar opening line in the first verse of “Any Which Way”.  Clearly, substances – drugs – are in play!  “Any Which Way” appears on the Scissor Sisters’ 2010 album, Night Work. There is a party going and yes, it’s incredibly gay.  Scissor Sisters have released some sickening music over the years, and this electronic, neo-disco joint with an addictive groove is no exception. Jake Shears (that falsetto + those ravishing looks), Ana Matronic, and company? Yes, please!  

“The night don’t last forever, so get your shit together / Open arms are never what they seem.” True dat… I think.  There are more memorable lines to be found, all of which are heavy on sexual innuendo… or just sex, lol. “I don’t need a doctor, just a simple love concocter / To slide to my side so civilly /No talk of commitment,” Shears sings, adding, “When I receive a shipment / Oh, I need express delivery.” Hmm, it’s clear that verse two is NOT about a package you receive in the mail! The third verse confirms casual sex among willing participants: “You don’t need reservations / No identification / To give me your relations / Sting me like a bee.” The chorus is simple and repetitive, but that works perfectly for this song meant for the club.  Ana Matronic’s spoken interlude is epic, particularly the end where she doesn’t care where it goes down as long as it happens! 

“Take me any way you like it 

In front of the fireplace 

In front of your yacht 

In front of my parents 

I don’t give a damn, baby, just take me.” 

Face it, sex never gets old.  “Any Which Way” is about sex, and it’s not heterosexual sex exclusive.  Regardless of your sexuality, if you enjoy naughty songs about sex, well, you’ll love this one!  

Appears in :  

12. Marlon Williams, “Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore” (Ft. Aldous Harding)

Make Way for Love • Dead Oceans •  2018  

New Zealand musicians Marlon Williams and Aldous Harding make a brilliant pair on “Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore”, a gem from Williams’ 2018 sophomore LP, Make Way for Love. “Isn’t it strange, impossible to claim your reward,” Harding sings, exhibiting pure, robust vocals. The initial accompaniment is simply guitar, which is sufficient –  ultimately appealing. Williams arrives in the following line, taking command of the verse: “I cannot explain, emotions I can barely afford to contain / You’re the same, you hide away from anything that turns you on / Nobody gets what they want anymore.” 

Williams delivers equally glorious vocals.  Eventually, following another verse in a similar vein, the two join forces, in exquisite harmonies, singing the titular lyric.  With combined forces comes expanded production that’s more dynamic and fuller in instrumentation. Williams dominates the end of the song, which contrasts the majority, though in the most positive, musical way.  

Appears in :  

13. Janet Jackson, “Any Time, Any Place”

Janet. • Black Doll Inc • 1993

“In the thundering rain / You stare into my eyes / I can feel your hand / Moving up my thighs.” Oh, snap , Janet Jackson. For good measure, Janet later asserts, “With the lights down low / I was thinking maybe we could / Well, you know.” Yeah, you TOTALLY know ! The Grammy-winning pop/R&B artist has long excelled at singing about sex. “Any Time, Any Place”, the 25th track from her 1993 album, Janet., is a prime example of the sexy, sexual vibes being elevated to the nth degree. On this platinum, no. 2 Billboard Hot 100 hit, co-produced with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, IT can go down anywhere, anytime.

The chorus sums things up perfectly:

“Any time

And any place

I don’t care who’s around

No, no, no, no, no.”

So, Janet is willing to have sex with him anywhere, regardless of privacy? Holy she-it! Prior to the chorus, in the pre-chorus, she makes it clear, “I don’t give a damn what they think,” adding, “You feel so good inside of my love.” Hmm, inside, huh? We’ll leave it at that ! As much as a song like “Any Time, Any Place” can be read into, Jackson remains far less explicit than she’d become. Still, she’s certainly not that innocent on this slick, sensual seven-minute record.

Appears in :

Janet Jackson, Any Time, Any Place: Midnight Heat No. 84 (2023)

13 Intriguing Songs for ANY Occasion (2023) [: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Asthmatic Kitty, Atlantic, Black Doll Inc, Columbia, Dead Oceans, Def Jam, Domino, Hopeless, Island, Listen Back Entertainment, Mom+ Pop, Polydor Ltd., Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited, TSNMI; Gerd Altmann, Karl Egger, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]

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13 Intriguing Songs for ANY Occasion | Playlist

Published by the musical hype on November 6, 2023November 6, 2023