13 Noteworthy FALL Songs | Playlist 🎧

13 Noteworthy FALL Songs features music courtesy of Alicia Keys, Bailey Zimmerman, Drake, Lorde, and Tom Petty.

Ah, Fall – it commences on September 22! Of course, The best way to remember when Fall begins is the 🎙 Earth, Wind & Fire classic, 🎵 “September”, which highlights the final day of summer (“Do you remember / The 21^st night of September”).  Anyways, this list, published on the final day of summer prior to Fall, isn’t really about the seasonal change.  Fall is used generically as opposed to specifically in the musical compendium 🎧 13 Noteworthy FALL Songs. This list arrives as a sequel of sorts to 🎧 13 Songs Featuring ‘Fall’ in their Song Title, a list published in the spring of 2018.

🎧 13 Noteworthy FALL Songs features music courtesy of 🎙 Alicia Keys, 🎙 Bailey Zimmerman, 🎙 Drake, 🎙 Lorde, and 🎙 Tom Petty among others. Stylistically, the playlist encompasses pop, rock, R&B, soul, house, country, and rap.  As always, we keep things eclectic on The Musical Hype.  So, without further ado, let’s jump right into 🎧 13 Noteworthy FALL Songs!

1. Drake, “Falling Back”

💿 Honestly, Nevermind • 🏷 OVO / Republic • 📅 2022 

“Falling back on me / Falling back on me…” Yeah, 🎙 Drake repeats the titular lyric of his 💿 Honestly, Nevermind a lot – an understatement! 🎵 “Falling Back” appears as the second track from Drizzy’s melodic, house-driven album by Drake.  It serves as the first full-length joint following the intro.

“Falling Back” is groovy to the n^th from the beginning of the record. There’s a hypnotic quality about it – it literally draws you in.  “Falling Back” is minimal, yet, the aesthetic and vibe are captivating, nonetheless. I enjoy the unique timbre of Drake’s voice.  No, he doesn’t provide a masterclass, and he’s definitely not a powerhouse by any means, but the chill sound, his lower register, as well as his falsetto are intriguing.  In “Falling Back,” Drizzy is focused on a familiar topic: LOVE.

“What would you do without me?

What would you do without me?

I think you would lose everything

Fallin’ back on me.”

2. Tom Petty, “Free Fallin’”

💿 Full Moon Fever • 🏷 MCA • 📅 1989

“And I’m free, free fallin’ / Yeah, I’m free, free fallin’.” The late, great 🎙 Tom Petty was a beast.  Among his greatest performances is 🎵 “Free Fallin’,” iconic opener from his 1989 album, 💿 Full Moon Fever. “Free Fallin’ is considered by many to be one of the greatest songs of all time.  Honestly, who the hell wouldn’t argue that?

Petty definitely delivers one of his most energetic, rousing vocals ever.  The music is equally captivating – bright, sunny, and very much a musical portrait of California.  “It’s a long day, livin’ in Reseda / There’s a freeway, runnin’ through the yard,” Petty sings on the first verse, continuing, “And I’m a bad boy, ‘cause I don’t even miss here / I’m a bad boy for breakin’ her heart.” Besides Reseda, Petty also mentions Ventura Boulevard (verse two) as well as Mulholland Drive (verse three) on this Grammy-nominated, no. 7 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Appears in 🔻:

• Free 🆓0: A Compendium of 30 Songs
• 13 F Songs Selected with No Rhyme or Reason

3. Lorde, “Fallen Fruit”

💿 Solar Power • 🏷 Universal Music New Zealand Limited • 🗓 2021

In 2021, 🏆 Grammy-winning alternative pop artist 🎙 Lorde returned with her third studio album, 💿 Solar Power.  Solar Power had a tough act to follow as her sophomore effort, 💿 Melodrama (2017), was a critically acclaimed masterpiece.  While Solar Power didn’t receive the same acclaim, moments 🎵 “Fallen Fruit” make you respect the artistry, creativity, and musical intellect of Lorde.

“To the ones who came before us / All the golden ones who were lifted on a wing…” When initially evaluating “Fallen Fruit,” I highlighted musical elements that made it special such as harmonized vocals, the throwback folk aesthetic and cues, and producer 🎛 Jack Antonoff’s subtle electronic touches.  The thing is, I failed to examine “Fallen Fruit”  beyond being a vibe.  Upon further examination, “Fallen Fruit” is much deeper. Lorde laments climate change and criticizes those who preceded her and ruined a once-perfect Eden (“Through the halls of splendor where the apple trees all grew / You’ll leave us dancing on fallen fruit”).  Furthermore, she asserts humankind needs to exit the planet we’ve treated so poorly and destroyed (“And a pocketful of seed / It’s time for us to leave”).  It’s amazing when revisiting and keying in on one song, how much more you can get out of it that you didn’t get or process initially.

4. Bailey Zimmerman, “Fall in Love”

💿 Leave The Light On – EP • 🏷 Warner Music Nashville / Elektra • 📅 2022

“Heard you moved out to South Carolina / Just like you always said you would / Packed your bags in that old 4Runner / That I bought you when things were good.” Woo! Well, no matter the model of Toyota 4Runner, it’s a solid SUV! Of course, that’s not the focus of this here blurb… Admittedly, I’m rarely enthused about brand-new country musicians.  Only on the rare occasion does that new voice catch my ear.  Perhaps, up-and-comer 🎙 Bailey Zimmerman is one of the few newbies in the musical genre to make my ears perk up.  Zimmerman has a distinct, powerful instrument that captures the tradition of country music, with a smidge of rock 🤘 edge.  Also, in his song, 🎵 “Fall in Love,” he shows off his knack for compelling and entertaining songwriting.  He co-wrote “Fall in Love” with 🎼 ✍ 🎛 Austin Shawn (who also produces) and 🎼 ✍ Gavin Lucas.

Of course, “Fall in Love” is all about matters of the heart.  In the excerpt, from the first verse, Zimmerman reminisces on his ex-. By the second verse, he’s “Heard you [her] found  yourself a brand new man / Put a rock on your finger and he vowed you a second chance.” Hmm, you can see where this going, can’t you.  He adds, “But baby, I just want you to know / He don’t know you like I did…”  That leads to the centerpiece of “Fall in Love,” the chorus:

“’Cause love’s a smoke ring wrapped around your finger

One second, it’s a blessin’, and the next, it’s already gone

A broken heart, I’m a walkin’ testimony

My confession is a lesson that I’m pourin’ out in this song

Oh-woah-woah, oh-woah-woah

You don’t wanna fall in love.”

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. Bailey Zimmerman is hot 😍… a hot commodity in country music that is!

5. Haley Reinhart, “Can’t Help Falling in Love”

💿 Better • 🏷 red dot / ole Media Management L.P • 📅 2016

Among the most beautiful songs of all time is the classic, 🎵 “Can’t Help Falling in Love”.  The most famous rendition of this 🎼 ✍ David George Weiss / 🎼 ✍ Hugo Perretti / 🎼 ✍ Luigi Creatore penned number is by ‘The King,’ 🎙 Elvis Presley.  Elvis recorded it in 1961 for his 💿 Blue Hawaii album. Many, many others, however, have tackled this utterly sublime musical selection, including former American Idol contestant, 🎙 Haley Reinhart.  Reinhart covers “Can’t Help Falling in Love” on her 2016 LP, 💿 Better. It’s safe to say that all should feel better after hearing her terrific take.

During her American Idol season, Reinhart possessed one of the most beautiful and distinct voices.  That distinct instrument shines like a diamond on “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” A simple record for the most part,  Reinhart keeps things simple too.  She’s accompanied by piano, which is perfect – nothing more needed.  Vocally, she’s composed and poised, never over-singing.  She pushes more when it feels right, but never overdoes or overpowers.  Her balanced, polished take feels incredibly authentic as she makes this old song feel brand-spanking new.

6. Trevor Daniel, “Falling”

💿 Nicotine •  🏷 Alamo / Interscope • 📅 2020

“Talk to me, I need to hear you need me like I need ya / Fall for me, I wanna know you feel how I feel for you, love…” 🎵 “Falling” is a fitting conclusion to 💿 Nicotine, the debut album by pop artist/TikTok phenom, 🎙 Trevor Daniel. After resisting love, Daniel is willing to give it a try again! Yea! Well… at least according to this sleek, R&B-infused pop record.

“Swore I thought I’d never fall again, don’t think I’m just talkin’,” Daniel sings near the end of the sole verse, continuing, “I think I might go all in, no exceptions, girl, I need ya.” He has a radiant instrument on his hands – his voice, of course! He sounds particularly strong in the catchy, memorable chorus.

“My last made me feel like I would never try again

But when I saw you, I felt something I never felt

Come closer, I’ll give you all my love

If you treat me right, baby, I’ll give you everything.”

7. Christina Aguilera, “Fall in Line” (Ft. Demi Lovato)

💿 Liberation • 🏷 RCA • 📅 2018 

🎵 “Fall in Line” ranks among the best songs from 💿 Liberation, the 2018, comeback LP from 🏆 Grammy-winning pop artist, 🎙 Christina Aguilera. This joint features a grinding, soulful, six-eight groove, perfect fuel for a dynamic performance by Aguilera, and featured guest extraordinaire, 🎙 Demi Lovato. Aguilera gets to work with controlled, but nuanced vocals in the first verse.  The message, aimed toward girls, is pitch-perfect.

“Little girls, listen closely…

…in this world, you are not beholden

You do not owe them

Your body and your soul.”

Aguilera’s beastly vocals begin to appear on the pre-chorus, letting her pipes rip on the chorus (joined by Demi Lovato). Lovato takes the lead in the second verse, similarly, maintaining composure and poise, before spreading her wings and flying in the chorus.  The true magic occurs throughout when these two join forces, particularly in the second and third iterations of the chorus.  Empowerment is the central message.

Appears in 🔻:

• 11 Songs Centered Around Lines
• 13 Songs Featuring ‘Fall’ in their Song Title
• 15 More Songs That Incorporate Virtues (Vol. II)
• 101 Best Songs of 2018 (#20)
• Recapping 40 Stunning Ballads from 2018
• Elements of Art, Illustrated Via Song

8. Kanye West, “All Falls Down” (Ft. Syleena Johnson)

💿 The College Dropout • 🏷 Roc-A-Fella • 📅 2004

🎵 “All Falls Down” is one of many standouts from 💿 The College Dropout, the critically acclaimed debut album by 🎙 Kanye West. The top-10 hit features 🎙 Syleena Johnson channeling her inner 🎙 Lauryn Hill. How so? Well, Hill’s 🎵 “Mystery of Iniquity”, from 💿 MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 (2002), is interpolated.  The chorus is incredibly simple yet was one of the most memorable of 2004.  “Oh, when it all, it all falls down / I’m telling you all, it all falls down,” sings a soulful, raspy Johnson.

As for Kanye West, he is on autopilot, delivering honest and hilarious rhymes.  Among the best of those is from the first verse:

“But she won’t drop out, her parents will look at her funny

Now, tell me that ain’t insecurr

The concept of school seems so securr

Sophomore, three years, ain’t picked a carurr

She like, ‘Fuck it, I’ll just stay down hurr and do hair.’”

The acoustic guitar-driven production and brilliant conception of “All Falls Down” is another reason why The College Dropout is considered a masterpiece.

9. Harry Styles, “Falling”

💿 Fine Line • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 2019

In 🎵 “Falling” (💿 Fine Line, 2019) 🏆 Grammy-winning pop artist 🎙 Harry Styles toys with matters of the heart to some extent.  “I’m in my bed / And you’re not here,” he sings in the first verse, adding, “And there’s no one to blame but the drink in my wandering hands.” In the second verse, he goes on to say, “You said you cared, and you missed me too / And I’m well aware I write too many songs about you.” Aww 🥰!

Besides those matters of the heart, Styles questions himself regarding life essentially.  The chorus, the centerpiece of this mid-tempo ballad, sums it up best.

“What am I now? What am I now?

What if I’m someone I don’t want around?

I’m falling again, I’m falling again, I’m fallin’.”

10. Eminem, “Fall”

💿 Curtain Call 2 • 🏷 Aftermath• 📅 2022 

🎙 Eminem is one of the most controversial musicians of all time.  This statement should come as a shock to no one.  Even years after being his most lucrative (and controversial), Eminem still knows how to ruffle feathers.  In 2018, he released his album, 💿 Kamikaze, which featured a record entitled, 🎵 “Fall.” In addition to appearing on Kamikaze, “Fall” made its way onto Eminem’s 2022 greatest hits compilation, 💿 Curtain Call 2. Notably, “Fall’ featured the unique vocals of 🏆 Grammy-winner Justin Vernon, best known for his work with 🎙 Bon Iver.

Vernon serves up lovely falsetto on the chorus, which contrasts the tough delivery of ‘Em.

“Don’t fall on my face

Don’t fall on my faith, oh

Don’t fall on my fate

Don’t fall on my faith, oh…”

During the course of “Fall,” there are plenty of pop cultural references, including Charlamagne, Hunger Games, Migos, Drake, Gabby Giffords, and Jack the Ripper.  One of the most savage lines, however, made Justin Vernon denounce his participation in the track: “Tyler create nothin’, I see why you called yourself a faggot, bitch.” Homophobic slurs are totally uncool, something that has gotten Eminem in hot water before.  Interestingly, Vernon admitted to handling his displeasure poorly, yet, it’s understandable why he found “Fall” to be in poor taste.

11. James Arthur, “Falling Like The Stars”

💿 YOU • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 2019

“I swear to God when I come home / I’m gonna hold you so close…” In 2019, 🎙 James Arthur released the single, 🎵 “Falling like the Stars”, which ultimately appeared on his third studio album, 💿 YOU.  In “Falling like the Stars,” the British pop musician showcases his stellar instrument.  Arthur exhibits incredible versatility.  His versatile performance consists of both sweet falsetto and grittier, more impassioned moments where he ‘lets loose.’

Among the best moments of “Falling like the Stars” is the chorus, where the love is pronounced:

“And I need to know that we’re

Fallin’ so fast, we’re fallin’ like the stars, fallin’ in love

And I’m not scared to say those words

With you I’m safe, we’re fallin’ like the stars, we’re fallin’ in love.”

Even when Arthur provides more oomph, he maintains his composure and shows a degree of poise.  He’s backed by respectable production work courtesy of 🎛 Alex Beitzke and 🎛 Bradley Spence.  The backdrop isn’t game-changing but the combination of acoustic guitar, piano, and string plays to Arthur’s strengths by all means.

12. Alicia Keys, “Fallin’”

💿 Songs in A Minor • 🏷 J • 📅 2001 

“I keep on fallin’ in and out / Of love with you.” Ladies and gentlemen, it is no secret that one song made 🎙 Alicia Keys a superstar: 🎵 “Fallin’”.  One of the 🏆 Grammy winner’s four no. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 was “Fallin’,” which spent six weeks at the penthouse. The double-platinum single graces Keys’ debut album, 💿 Songs in A Minor, which debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard 200 and went on to be certified septuple platinum!

So, what makes “Fallin’” so iconic? Well, it’s inspired by (and interpolates) the 🎙 James Brown classic, 🎵 “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World”. While Brown provides a lift instrumentally, everything else about “Fallin’” is all about Alicia Keys.  She shows off her authentic, soulful pipes, a welcome addition to the then booming neo-soul movement.  Lyrically, the focus is L-O-V-E, a universal, always ultra-relatable, and potent theme.

“I keep on fallin’ in

And outta love with you

Sometimes I love ya, sometimes you make me blue

Sometimes I feel good, at times I feel used

Lovin’ you darlin’, makes me so confused.”

The lilting 12/8 meter, the fresh production work (in 2001, of course), and the heartfelt, honest lyricism make “Fallin’” one of the great musical gems of the aughts.

13. The Spinners, “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love”

💿 Spinners • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 1973 

“Each night I pray / There will never come a day / When you up and take your love away.” It should go without saying that 🎙 The Spinners are one of the greatest soul groups of all time. Beyond the constraints of soul, The Spinners had ample success on the pop charts: the Billboard Hot 100.  One of the collective’s most beloved hits is 🎵 “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love”, which graces their 1973 album, 💿 Spinners.  “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” peaked at no. 4 on the pop charts, making it a surefire, crossover hit. Amazingly, it plays second fiddle to top-three pop hit from the same album, 🎵 “I’ll Be Around”. “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” was written by twin brothers 🎼 ✍ Melvin Steals and 🎼 ✍ Marvin Steals.

Everything about The Spinners’ “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” is glorious.  The music is lush and warm – the perfect backdrop for a love-oriented soul joint (🎛 Thom Bell serves as producer).  The Spinners, of course, are proponents of the Philly soul movement, so it’s unsurprising they are backed by utterly sublime and refined production. 🎙 Bobby Smith masterfully handles the lead for most of the song, with 🎙 Philippé Wynne providing ad-libs at the end.  Also, you can’t fail to mention those sweet female backing vocals, further making “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” a certified classic.  The tuneful chorus is the centerpiece.

“(Could it be I’m falling in love)

With you, baby

(Could it be I’m falling in love)

Woo

(Could it be I’m falling in love)

With you

With you

With you

(With you).”

Appears in 🔻:

• The Spinners, “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 87 (2022)

13 Noteworthy FALL Songs [📷: Aftermath, Alamo, Atlantic, Brent Faulkner, Columbia, Elektra, Henry & Co., Interscope, J, MCA, The Musical Hype, ole Media Management L.P, OVO, Pexels, Pixabay, RCA, red dot, Republic, Roc-A-Fella, Universal Music New Zealand Limited, Warner Music Nashville]