13 Outstanding OUT Songs, Vol. 1

Reading Time: 15 min read

13 Outstanding OUT Songs, Vol. 1 features music courtesy of Bobby Womack, Diana Ross, Drake, NLE Choppa, and Vicki Lawrence.

Are you running OUT of music to listen to? Hopefully not, but if you are, boy, oh, boy do I have an OUTSTANDING list of songs for you. That’s right, the latest musical compendium on The Musical Hype has totally come OUT of nowhere! 🎧 13 Outstanding OUT Songs, Vol. 1 features music courtesy of 🎙 Bobby Womack, 🎙 Diana Ross, 🎙 Drake, 🎙 NLE Choppa, and 🎙 Vicki Lawrence among others. The keyword, ladies and gents, is O-U-T, out! So, without further ado – no need to prolong this intro – let’s jump right into 🎧 13 Outstanding OUT Songs, Vol. 1, shall we?!

1. Pharrell Williams, 21 Savage & Tyler, The Creator, “Cash In Cash Out”

🎵 “Cash in Cash Out” • 🏷 Columbia • 🗓 2022 

“Cash in, cash out, cash in, cash out.” There will always only be one 🎙 Pharrell Williams. Sometimes, his creations are far beyond our planet (and galaxy), but he exhibits a clear musical identity.  In an unexpected collaboration with 🎙 21 Savage and 🎙 Tyler, The Creator, 🎵 “Cash in Cash Out”, Pharrell is true to self.  That includes the iconic four-count and a badass beat.  Williams leaves the rapping up to 21 and Tyler. 21 Savage shares the simple, repetitive chorus early on.  The verses by 21 (first verse) and Tyler, The Creator (second) are more notable. 21’s flow in verse one is confident and electric as he brags about drip, specifically, fashion.  Among his best lines is totally inappropriate: “She swallow all my kids, she a bad babysitter / Kim Jong-Un, in my pants is a missile.” Tyler, The Creator is not outdone – he is as colorful in his delivery as ever: “Nah, I ain’t heard off that, I hit the beach in a furry hat / She got a guy but she purrin’ back, I’m lookin’ like, ‘Where he at?’” There are pop-cultural references (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Rihanna and “Umbrella”), a reference to bisexuality (“Goin’ both sides, yeah, you could say I’m B-I (Hey, hey)”), and, of course, money and fame (“I got offered two-point-five for the last show (Last show, nigga) / I declined ‘cause the stage didn’t match my ethos”). What happens when three 🏆 Grammy-winning musicians come together?  Sheer Magic!

Appears in 🔻:   

Awesome Songs: June 2022  
50 Best Songs of 2022

2. Drake, “Slime You Out” (Ft. SZA) 

💿 For All the Dogs • 🏷 OVO / Republic • 📅 2023  

🏆 Grammy-winning rapper/singer 🎙 Drake unveiled 🎵 “Slime You Out”, the lead single from his 2023 LP, 💿 For All the Dogs. There is a sense of nostalgia listening to this R&B joint – the Drake of old, ladies and gentlemen! He’s assisted by fellow 🏆 Grammy recipient, 🎙 SZA, who proves to be an awesome collaborator.  He produces alongside a star-studded team: 🎛 Noel Cadastre, BYNX®, Noah “40” Shebib, and Dalton Tennant.  Following the moody introduction, Drake begins singing. Starting off with a bang, he asserts, “You bitches really get carried away / Makin’ mistakes, then you beg me to stay.” Da-yum! He continues talking about how terrible these exes have been, proclaiming, “Bitch, next time, I swear on my grandmother grave / I’m slimin’ you for them kid choices you made.” Woo! His performance is a prime example of melodic rap, with plenty of rhythmic bars. Notably, the beat, which is on the subtler side, establishes a compound duple meter, idiomatic of a slow, bluesy R&B record. SZA enters the picture at the 1:45 mark performing the third verse, and she sounds amazing. Her tone is so beautiful, and like Drake, she serves up the melodic, rhythmic rap vibes. SZA is unapologetic lyrically, with her fair share of explicit lyrics: “Got too much pride to let no burnt nigga slime me out,” and, “Frontin’ out here like you diggin’ me out / And I ain’t even cummin’, I’m in and out.” WOO! Drake reenters the fray after the 3-minute mark, where he’s true to self on the lengthy, fourth and final verse.  Ultimately, 🎵 “Slime You Out” can be described as a captivating listen.   

Appears in 🔻:

Awesome Songs: September 2023

3. Bobby Womack, “Nobody Wants You When You’re Down And Out” 

💿 Facts of Life • 🏷 The Right Stuff • 🗓 1973

🎵 “Nobody Wants You When You’re Down And Out” marvelously commences 💿 Facts of Life, the 1973 album by the late, great 🎙 Bobby Womack.  While it is Womack that brings the lyrics and song to life, “Nobody Wants You When You’re Down and Out” was written by 🎼 ✍ James (Jimmie) Cox (it is a transformation of the blues standard, 🎵 “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out”). Womack produces the gem, which features an electrifying soul groove, led by the drums and a robust bass line.  One of the biggest selling points is none other than the nuanced, playful, and soulful vocals by the iconic soul musician.

What is the premise of this no. 29 pop hit? Honestly, it’s just as the title suggests. Once you are lacking success – influence, money or whatever it may be – NOBODY wants you.  Womack (the character he portrays) recounts affluence – “I lived the life of a millionaire” and “Drinkin’ that good gin, champagne and wine.” Of course, he came down and his ‘friends’ dried up alongside the money and that bougie alcohol. As the chorus states brilliantly, “Cause, I found out / Nobody wants you when you’re down and out.” Of course, Womack makes a wise observation later: “But just let you get up on my feet again / Here they all come tellin’ you / All are you long-lost friends.” It is true what can be said about fake, Fairweather friends. Ultimately, 🎵 “Nobody Wants You When You’re Down And Out” ranks among the crème de la crème of the Bobby Womack collection.   

Appears in 🔻:  

4. Megan Thee Stallion, “Outside”

💿 Good News • 🏷 300 Entertainment • 📅 2020 

🏆 Grammy-nominated rapper 🎙 Megan Thee Stallion is renowned for the toughness she brings on the track. Honestly, to quote Miley Cyrus, she 🎵 “Can’t Be Tamed”. That edge is reflected throughout the course of her 2020 debut album, 💿 Good News. There’s ample toughness on the two-and-a-half-minute-long 🎵 “Outside,” which features some sweet production courtesy of 🎛 Juicy J. Even so, Megan is melodic for most of the record, including the unapologetic, ‘gives no fucks’ chorus.  Perhaps, you might characterize it as, 🎵 “Savage” (“Classy, bougie, ratchet”).  

“I ain’t for the streets, ‘cause bitch, I am the street 

And I ain’t on these niggas, all these niggas be on me 

And I’ma be outside ‘til I don’t wanna be 

And I’ma show this ass ‘cause it’s what they wanna see.” 

Appears in 🔻:

Outside: 3BOPS No. 9 (2021)

5. Wiz Khalifa, “Iced Out Necklace”

💿 Multiverse • 🏷 Taylor Gang Ent. / Asylum • 📅 2022 

“Iced out necklace (Necklace) / My girl got a girlfriend, don’t fuck with niggas, she sexist (Sexist) / I bet she give me dome before we even get to the exit (Exit)…” Hmm 🤔, 🎙 Wiz Khalifa, that’s a lot to unpack. Certainly, the sexuality portion is handled questionably. What is clear is the jewelry is giving, and apparently, so is his girl… 😈 Every rap banger requires a reference to oral, right? 🎵 “Iced Out Necklace” appears as the ninth track from Wiz’s 2022 album, 💿 Multiverse. Wiz spits unapologetic bars over sick production courtesy of 🎛 Sledgren. Clearly, the Pittsburgh standout doesn’t give a fizzuck.  “Put two middle fingers up, say, ‘Fuck your life’ / Made more money than you in your fuckin’ life,” he spits in the first verse.  He says fuck in the first verse alone 20 more times! Wiz is less profane in the second verse, bragging about how awesome he is, including characterizing himself as “GOAT in the flesh” and “man of the year.” Still, it is that chorus, as sus as it may be in how it addresses sexuality, that makes 🎵 “Iced Out Necklace” the sugar honey iced tea.  

Appears in 🔻:  

6. Bonnie Tyler, “Holding Out For a Hero” 

💿 Secret Drams and Forbidden Fire • 🏷 Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited • 📅 1986 

“Somewhere after midnight in my wildest fantasy / Somewhere just beyond my reach, there’s someone reaching back for me.” Who, 🎙 Bonnie Tyler, who?  Well, back in 1984, the Welsh singer was 🎵 “Holding Out For a Hero”, WOO! Originally, the 🎼 ✍ Jim Steinman and Dean Pitchford penned record graced the Footloose soundtrack. The hit appeared on her own 1986 LP, 💿 Secret Dreams & Forbidden Fire. So much about “Holding Out For a Hero” is one of a kind. 

One of the biggest things that stands out on this cut is how ornate it is. The backdrop was carefully arranged and produced, still sounding impressive to this day, nearly four decades later.  The quick pace helps to make “Holding Out For a Hero” incredibly exhilarating. There is a plenteous amount of energy, courtesy of the busy backdrop as well as Tyler’s distinct and powerful lead vocals. Beyond the colorful verses, the chorus is infectious to the nth degree: 

“I need a hero 

I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night 

He’s gotta be strong, and he’s gotta be fast 

And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight.” 

Support for Bonnie during the centerpiece, the chorus, includes harmonized background vocalists, pummeling drum runs, dizzying keys, and biting horn riffs. Yes, yes, yes! Surprisingly, “Holding Out For a Hero” was only a moderate success on the pop charts, peaking at no. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984.  Oh well! We all know 🎵 “Holding Out For a Hero” deserved better! 

Appears in 🔻:

Bonnie Tyler vs. Adam Lambert: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 11 (2023)

7. Elliott Norris, “Watch out for the Big Boys”

🎵 “Watch out for the Big Boys” • 🏷 Elliott Norris • 🗓 2023

“He said he wants me but / I want a Frosty / Or maybe some gummies and steak.” Well, go get you something to eat then, 🎙 Elliott Norris! You do you, boo! If a man is hungry, he should eat, right? Right! The excerpted, sung lines play right into the hands of the bigger guys – the husky, thick boys and bears! If you’re a twink, well, you better 🎵 “Watch out for the Big Boys”, apparently! Should “Watch out for the Big Boys” be taken with a grain of salt? Of course, it should! That said, particularly in the LGBTQ community 🏳️‍🌈, how many songs do focus on bears and thicker boys? Few and far between.  Think about it.  The pool of songs is already considerably smaller. Then, do you really think the ‘less ideal’ body to many is getting the love it deserves? Ha! Elliott Norris, who is a thick boy himself, makes it clear that the big boys deserve to be shouted out.  Sure, the lyrics on this brief cut are tongue in cheek, but they are (1) entertaining and (2) pay ode to bigger bodies. Norris’ flow in the second verse is incredibly agile – that thick boy spits fast AF! But the lyrics to beat on 🎵 “Watch out for the Big Boys” hail from the chorus: “Watch out for the big boys / Some call us the thick boys / Those don’t give a shit boys / Might steal yo chick boys.”  Enough said!

Appears in 🔻:

Elliott Norris, Watch out for the Big Boys: LGBTQ Bopz 🌈🎶 No. 37 (2023)

8. Paramore, “Running Out of Time”

💿 This Is Why • 🏷 Atlantic • 🗓 2023

“Thought I’d send a card with my condolences, but, damn, I / Just ran out of time.” Time is a serious issue for 🎙 Hayley Williams and 🎙 Paramore on 🎵 “Running Out of Time” – an understatement. On the third track from the band’s 2023 album, 💿 This Is Why, Williams is honest regarding her ineptitude regarding time management in the verses, listing her many time-driven shortcomings. In the pre-chorus, she delivers some of the most memorable lyrics, asserting, “Intentions only get you so far / What if I’m a selfish prick? / No regard, ah!” The catchiest and most energetic section is undoubtedly the chorus, which emphasizes the titular lyric.  The music is at its funkiest during the centerpiece 🤘. 

Appears in 🔻:

11 Songs That RUN 🏃 Hella Fast (2023)

9. NLE Choppa, “SLUT ME OUT” (Ft. Sexyy Red)

💿 Cottonwood 2 (Deluxe) • 🏷 NLE Choppa Entertainment Inc. / Warner • 🗓 2023

“Big dick energy, I give it.” As they say, confidence is hot. “Ayy, rip off my shirt if you love me (love me) / Spit in my face when you fuck me (fuck me).” Holy sugar honey iced tea, 🎙 NLE Choppa! The rapper gets filthy, horny, and unapologetic on the single, 🎵 “SLUT ME OUT”. “SLUT ME OUT” was released in 2022, appearing on the rapper’s sophomore album, 💿 Cottonwood 2, released in 2023.  Notably, beyond his requests to “Play with my gooch while you suck me (suck me) / Eat the dick like you was ugly,” the rapper enlists a colleague on the remix, 🎙 Sexyy Red, who is no stranger to sexed-up, NSFW bars.  This remix appears on the deluxe edition of the album as the 29th track (of 31 total tracks, mind you 🤯). But first, against a malicious, minor-key backdrop produced by 🎛 CashMoneyAP and FinesseGTB, NLE Choppa focuses on his penis and what he intends to do with it 😈. 

The big dick energy runs rampant on “SLUT ME OUT,” period.  NLE Chopper makes it clear he’s packing, and that he’s “Gon’ put this here in your kidney.” WOO! Furthermore, he addresses her, spitting, “Put your ass in my face ‘til I get pink eye / Fuck you anywhere, I’m that type guy.” Seems like it, NLE.  Also, he boasts, “I’ma bust my nut 🥜 ‘til I die,” requests she “Put it on camera, masturbate to it later,” and informs us, “Don’t cum quick, I control my bladder (Control my bladder) / Dick real big, come climb my ladder 🪜.” Wow 😮 😮 😮!  Next comes Sexyy Red, who is equally raw.  She’s not lying when she raps, “I’m a hood bitch, I like freaky shit, come put that dick down my throat (Yeah) / Come hot and ready, no soft shit.” Also, the freaky, St. Louis rapper requests him to “Eat my coochie out then give a bitch a kiss (Sexyy) / Dick me down, then eat me out.”  Just to reiterate, 🎵 “SLUT ME OUT” is not the least bit safe for work.  NLE Choppa and Sexyy Red are horny AF, period. That’s about the size of it 🍆.   

Appears in 🔻:

NLE Choppa, Slut Me Out: Midnight Heat 🕛 🔥 No. 87 (2023)

10. Diana Ross, “I’m Coming Out”  

💿 Diana • 🏷 Motown • 📅 1980 

Folks, let’s start this list off right: “I’m coming out / I want the world to know / I got to let it show.” Three words come to mind when the 1980 🎙 Diana Ross dance/disco/funk/pop/R&B classic 🎵 “I’m Coming Out” is mentioned: ICONIC GAY ANTHEM.  The thing is, with the gem from 💿 Diana, you honestly don’t have to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community to appreciate the positive, uplifting vibes, not to mention the sheer funkiness of the record itself.  The big takeaway for anybody from this superb 🎼 ✍ 🎛 Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers co-write /co-production is exuding confidence without holding back or showing the least bit of fear.  This is all about being fearless – living unapologetically without suppression. In the first verse, Ross sums up the liberation perfectly: 

“There’s a new me coming out 

And I just had to live… 

I think this time around 

I am gonna do it… 

The time has come for me 

To break out of this shell 

I have to shout 

That I am coming out.”  

Apparently, a visit to a gay club by Nile Rodgers inspired the song.  Also, Rodgers “fibbed a little to a skittish Ross” regarding the song.  Regardless, it’s no secret that Diana Ross had a sizable gay following.  Furthermore, whether one takes “I’m Coming Out” at its most literal, or more metaphorically, it is an incredibly positive song free of limitations.

Appears in 🔻:  

11. Peyton Parrish, “I’ll Make a Man Out of You”

💿 The Most Magical Album on Earth • 🏷 Parrish Entertainment / Noise Machine • 🗓 2023 

“Let’s get down to business to defeat the Huns.” Yes, sir! Following a pummeling drum cadence, 🎙 Peyton Parrish gets down to business with his ultra-masculine vocals. “Did they send me daughters when I asked for sons?” Woo! Parrish transforms one of the great, 1990s Disney classics, 🎵 “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” (Mulan) into a hard rock/metal joint 🤘.  Perhaps, if like me, you enjoyed this highlight as a child in 1998 (or later, post-release), you never imagined it as a rock record.  Well, my friends, Parrish make us believe in his transformation of this 🎼 ✍ David Zippel / Matthew Wilder cut easily.    

It doesn’t take long for Parrish to deliver those distinct, gritty, heavy, and throaty vocals early on. He gives this children’s soundtrack cut more punch – testosterone, baby! Furthermore, Parrish has no shortage of personality.  Honestly, that’s sort of what happens naturally when you have an instrument like his. He’s a beast! Beyond those tremendous lead vocals by Parrish, the backing vocals are sweet too (“Be a man”).  Also, keeping “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” captivating is the key change. Far too often, key changes in popular music have fallen by the wayside.  That should not be the case.  Ultimately, Peyton Parrish makes a 25-year-old song sung by Captain Li Shang (originally sung by 🎙 Donny Osmond), fresh in 2023.  Oh, and you want some more good news? Parrish released an entire album of covers with 💿 The Most Magical Album on Earth 💪. 

Appears in 🔻:

Peyton Parrish, I’ll Make a Man Out of You: Covers No. 10 (2023)

12. Vicki Lawrence, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia”

💿 The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia • 🏷 GME LLC • 🗓 1973

“Well, he got mad, and he saw red / And Andy said, ‘Boy, don’t you lose your head / ‘Cause to tell the truth, I’ve been with her myself.’” Wow 😮! It gets much worse on 🎵 “The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia”, the opening track from 💿 The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia, the 1973 debut album by 🎙 Vicki Lawrence.  Lawrence is best known for her acting and comedy, particularly on 📺 The Carol Burnett Show and 📺 Mama’s Family.  That said, Lawrence reached the Billboard Hot 100 thrice. “The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia” was her sole top-40 hit.  How well did that top-40 hit perform? It reached no. 1! Woo-hoo!     

“That’s the night that the lights went out in Georgia,  

That’s the night that they hung an innocent man, uh-huh 

Well, don’t trust your soul to no backwoods, southern lawyer  

Cause the judge in the town’s got bloodstains on his hands.” 

A murder ballad, “The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia” was written by 🏆 Grammy winner   🎼 ✍ Bobby Russell (1940 – 1992), who was her husband for a brief time.  Originally, the song, which Russell was reluctant about himself, was offered to 🎙 Cher.  Her husband at the time, 🎙 Sonny Bono, turned down the song because he believed it would upset her southern fans.  Lawrence would record this dark country tune with producer 🎛 Snuff Garrett and make it a hit.  So, why exactly did the lights go out in Georgia? Well, an innocent man – the man who is cheated on, coincidently – was hung, while the guilty party, his sister (whom Vicki portrays in the song), walks free.  Ain’t that some shit? It’s a case of the wrong place at the wrong time and a suspect trial, etc.    

“Well, they hung my brother before I could say 

The tracks he saw while on his way 

To Andy’s house and back that night were mine  

And his cheating wife had never left town 

And that one’s body that’ll never be found 

See, little sister don’t miss when she aims her gun.”  

🎵 “The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia” is the perfect example that it takes only one great song to carve out a place in music history.  Vicki Lawrence outdid herself in this one. 

Appears in 🔻:

Vicki Lawrence, The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia: 1 Hit WONDERful 👏👏👏 No. 11 (2023)

13. Jagged Edge, “Walked Outta Heaven”

💿 Hard • 🏷 Sony Music Entertainment • 📅 2003

Once upon a time, 🎙 Jagged Edge experienced their moment in R&B.  The collective has a pair of platinum albums and a pair of gold albums. 💿 Hard, released in Fall 2003, debuted at no. 3 on the Billboard 200 and went on to earn that gold plaque. The biggest single from Hard is undoubtedly 🎵 “Walked Outta Heaven”. It’s not surprising that the lushly produced (🎛 Bryan-Michael Cox), dynamic “Walked Outta Heaven” was hit, peaking at no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. It spent a respectable 27 weeks on the pop charts.    

So, why did Jagged Edge “walk right out of heaven” exactly? Well, you can bet it involves the universal four-letter word: LOVE.  Like many secular heaven songs, the idea of the afterlife is secondary – not the main priority.  Heaven, in the case of “Walked Outta Heaven,” was this awesome relationship with this woman.  Now that she’s – they’re – gone, the men a scrambling because life is no longer heavenly but hellish 😈!  The verses do a fine job of expressing the lengths Jagged Edge is willing to go to get her back with prayer being option number one in the first verse (“Without my girl, I’ma lose it / I pray that he would just shed his grace on me”). Of course, the best moment of the song is the centerpiece – the tuneful, harmonious chorus: 

“It feels like I just walked right out of Heaven 

And it feels like I have damn near thrown my life away (Oh) 

And I’m scared just like a child that’s lost at seven (I’m so scared) 

Don’t know what to do to get back right with you (Yeah, oh, yeah).”  

The bridge is also fantastic, where the ability to walk and talk has been stifled by this unfortunate loss of heaven. 

Appears in 🔻:

13 Outstanding OUT Songs, Vol. 1 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; 300 Entertainment, Asylum, Atlantic, Columbia, Elliott Norris, GME LLC, Motown, NLE Choppa Entertainment, Inc., Noise Machine, OVO, Parrish Entertainment, Republic, The Right Stuff, Sony Music Entertainment, Taylor Gang Ent., Warner; cottonbro studio, Matthew Montrone, TMA Management from Pexels]

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13 Outstanding OUT Songs, Vol. 2 | Playlist 🎧 · December 27, 2023 at 12:00 am

[…] Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, twenty one pilots and The Weeknd among others. The keyword, like 13 Outstanding OUT Songs, Vol. 1 released a week prior, is O-U-T, out! So, without further ado, let’s jump right into 13 […]

13 Outstanding OUT Songs, Vol. 1 | Playlist 🎧

Published by the musical hype on December 20, 2023December 20, 2023