13 Songs Where When It Rains It Pours (Pt II) | Playlist 🎧

1. Todrick Hall, “Rainin’ Fellas”

💿 FEMULINE • 🏷 Todrick Hall / frtyfve • 🗓 2021

“Get your umbrellas, get your umbrellas / It’s raining fellas, it’s raining fellas.” Where is this happening, 🎙 Todrick Hall? With 🎵 “Rainin’ Fellas”  (💿 FEMULINE), Hall keeps things GAY AF.  A prime example of the gayness served up? Well, “It’s raining dicks and ass, ass” on the pre-chorus.  Honestly, isn’t Hall’s weather report a lot more interesting and stimulating than the weather report on the local news?

There’s no cure for horniness like Hall’s forecast that proclaims, “It’s gon’ be raining all night / And I’m hoping it rains the kind of dudes that I like.” He later elaborates on what those dudes look like, with their “pecs and abs, abs.” Aside from the chorus, the most fun section of this bright, energetic LGBTQ+ pop gem is the bridge:

“It’s raining thighs, tris, briefs and boxers
It’s raining fly guys, flight attendants and doctors
It’s raining feminine gentlemen, dripping down like a faucet
Yeah, these boys are coming out like the sky was the closet.”

Adding fuel to the fire is an unapologetically gay music video 🎶📼, including cross dressing, makeup, and ample skin. Totally that After Dark 🕛 🌃 💩 we love!

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🕛 🌃 Todrick Hall, “Rainin’ Fellas”: After Dark No. 20
🔗 🎧 Queer Joy: 5ive Songs No. 82 (2021)
🔗 🎧 15 Gay Anthems That Exude Joy (Vol. 1)

2. Ed Sheeran, “Stop the Rain”

💿 = • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 2021

“Don’t let the ones who hurt you see you cry / Tomorrow is another day.” Yes, yes, YES! Say that 🎙 Ed Sheeran! On 🎵 “Stop the Rain,” a song that appears on his 2021 album, 💿 =,  Sheeran addresses a lawsuit against him without explicitly mentioning it. Despite the rain he’s experiencing, and the minor key, there’s an exuberance about this joint.

“You cannot stop the rain, no way
Holdin’ an umbrella when the grey clouds come over again
Tryna find somethin’ real, but it’s not the game they play
Pretending that the weather is in your mind, you got no one to blame
But that's just the way I feel.”

“Stop the Rain” features rhythmic guitar and assertive, passionate vocals from Sheeran.  He’s clearly experienced adversity that’s perturbed him and hurt his spirit, but he’s optimistic that he’ll make it through it.  “Every day is a chance that we can start over,” he sings on the bridge, continuing, “There’ll be ups and downs, but I won’t change a thing between you and I / There’s one thing I can’t change.” All in all, “Stop the Rain” marks another winning moment from the 🏆 Grammy winner.

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

💿 Black Diamond • 🏷 Sony Legacy • 📅 1999

“My sunshine has come, and I’m all cried out / And there’s no more rain in this cloud…” When the 🏆 Grammy-nominated R&B artist 🎙 Angie Stone released her solo debut album, 💿 Black Diamond in 1999, she was already much older than many of her neo-soul contemporaries at 38. Worth noting, she was already in the music biz with Black Diamond marked her breakthrough. 🎵 “No More Rain (In This Cloud)”, hence, was the key song from this notable neo-soul album, leading the charge.

What makes “No More Rain (In This Cloud)” so great? First and foremost, the rich, soulful alto of Angie Stone, of course! She delivers an emotional, expressive performance without forcing things.  She poised but potent on “No More Rain,” supported by soulful backing vocals.  Beyond the vocals, the production captures the soul of old, liberally sampling the soul legend she’s oft compared to, 🎙 Gladys Knight (🎵 “Neither One of Us (Want’s to be the First to Say Goodbye)”).  Given musical similarities, the sampled backdrop is perfect fuel for Stone’s fire.

Beyond the vocals and the production, the theme and lyrics provide further evidence why “No More Rain (In This Cloud)” is great.  After experiencing the plight of love – broken heart and broken spirit – Stone is no longer letting the hurt keep her down; she’s reclaiming her happiness and moving forward.  That’s where that marvelous chorus, comes into play, in all its nostalgic, memorable, and throwback glory.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 13 High-Flying Songs About Clouds
🔗 🎧 Angie Stone, “No More Rain (In This Cloud)”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 2

4. Ice Nine Kills, “Rainy Day”

💿 Welcome to Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2 • 🏷 Fearless • 📅 2021

“Are you listening to the whispering? Is it sinking in ‘cause it’s sickening / Will you take the bait while you suffocate? / ‘Cause you know, something is creeping in the dark.” Woo! In 2021, metal/metalcore band 🎙 Ice Nine Kills, led by 🎙 Spencer Charnas, returned with a riveting sequel to 💿 The Silver Scream (2018) – 💿 Welcome to Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2.  Both albums’ songs take inspiration from various horror films, which is the beauty and intrigue.  In the case of the driving, intense 🎵 “Rainy Day,” the inspiration is film and video game Resident Evil.

The lyrics (+ Spencer Charnas) are dramatic and naturally, filled with horror.  Also, they reference Resident Evil, clearly.  One such example hails from the first verse:

“Where evil has taken up residence
No faith in what red and white will say
They save the truth for a rainy day.”

There’s also direct reference to the video game: “Become a solider of the controller / Or battle ‘til you beat the game.” The chorus, of course, excerpted in the opening paragraph is the centerpiece. Beyond it, the second verse is cinematically (and ‘video game-matically’) enthralling, as is the bridge:

“There is no next level
‘All access denied’
Ignorance is past tense
‘Game over. You died.’”

Oh sh#t!

5. The Weather Girls, “It’s Raining Men”

💿 Success • 🏷 CBS • 📅 1982

“It’s raining men! Hallelujah! / It’s raining men! Amen!” HALLELUJAH 👏!!!  Maybe it’s blasphemous – pretty sure it is – but “Picture it…” Sophia Petrillo (📺 Golden Girls)!!! F**k that rain! Imagine that chiseled, hunky men are falling from the skies – a gift from heaven 👼 – just ready to be 🎵 “Boo’d Up” with various 🎵 “Prospects”? Oh, the joystick 🕹️ action! Now that you’ve been properly stimulated and titillated, you can see why 🎙 The Weather Girls’ 🎵 “It’s Raining Men” is considered an iconic, joyful gay anthem based on its infectious, lustful chorus!

Long before 🎙 Todrick Hall informed us “It’s raining fellas, it’s raining fellas” – those Weather Girls (🎙 Izora Armstead and 🎙 Martha Wash) gave us that legendary forecast in 1982. A 💿 Success? Well, surprisingly only moderately to the tune of no. 46 on the Billboard Hot 100, but hey, the charts had to be hating on this surefire post-disco bop, penned by 🎼✍ Paul Jabara and 🎼✍ Paul Shaffer (yes, that Paul Shaffer) back then!

“God bless Mother Nature, she’s a single woman too
She took off to heaven and she did what she had to do
She taught every angel
She rearranged the sky
So that each and every woman could find her perfect guy.”

Perhaps Mother Nature is a single woman, but she could be anybody these days, and with how beloved “It’s Raining Men” is within the gay community, I’m not so sure Mother Nature isn’t a member of the LGBTQ+ community! Regardless, with “Humidity… rising” and “barometer’s getting low,” “For the first time in history / It’s gonna start raining men.” To that, again I say, HALLELUJAH 👏!!!

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🌈🎶 The Weather Girls, “It’s Raining Men”: LGBTQ Bopz 🌈🎶 No. 7
🔗 🎧 15 Gay Anthems That Exude Joy (Vo1. 1)

6. grandson & Jessie Reyez, “Rain (from The Suicide Squad)”

🎵 “Rain (from The Suicide Squad)” • 🏷 Fueled By Ramen • 📅 2021

“I do not mind the rain sometimes / ‘Cause that’s the only way the roses bloom in my mind,” 🎙 grandson and 🎙 Jessie Reyez sing on the chorus of 🎵 “Rain (from The Suicide Squad).” They continue singing, “When I cry, when I cry / That’s the only way the roses bloom.” Both musicians have seen their profiles elevated.  Grandson dropped his debut album, 💿 Death of an Optimist, in 2020 while the robust-voiced Reyez unleashed 💿 BEFORE LOVE CAME TO KILL US (yikes!) the same year.

After joining forces on the chorus, grandson sings the first verse alone.  Of the rain, he asserts, “I eed to feel the raindrops on my head… / I embrace what I cannot control, oh my / Trouble walks beside me ‘til my end, ‘til my end.” Oh my! Reyez gets her chance to shine on the second verse, similar embracing adversity: “And I’ve come to love a heavy sky / The lightning couldn’t beat my shine, oh my.” On the bridge, both proclaim, “Hand on my heart, I swear I made / Peace with the rain /… Now I slow dance with the pain.” “Rain” is a slickly produced (🎛 Boonn and 🎛 Krupa), moody, minor-key record worth spinning beyond its soundtrack.  I heart the distorted vocals by grandson and the always distinct pipes of Jessie Reyez.

7. Pop Smoke, “Make It Rain”

Ft. Rowdy Rebel

💿 Aim for the Stars Shoot for the Moon • 🏷 Victor Victor Worldwide / Republic • 📅 2020

“I make it rain on whoever / I make it rain, that Woo weather / Bitch, I’m a dog, a blue devil / I got the hoes like Hugh Hefner.” 🎙 Pop Smoke is on autopilot on 🎵 “Make it Rain”, a standout single from his 2020 posthumous debut album, 💿 Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon. What stands out about the late rapper is how he was a proponent of bring drill music to the mainstream.  This banger reflects such.

First and foremost, “Make it Rain” features banging production by 🎛 Yamaica. It’s definitely LIT. The synths are hellish, while the beat anchors things down superbly.  As the evidenced by the chorus, Pop Smoke is tough AF.  His rhymes are hard-nosed and unapologetic.  “Look, ain’t no apology / These niggas doubted me, I keep a pole tucked,” he raps on the first verse, continuing, “Run up, catch a cold cut / Put his head on his shoulder.” Wow… 🎙 Rowdy Rebel guests on the second verse, which was recorded via phone from prison.  Obviously, the quality isn’t great because of this, but Rowdy is certainly just that – rowdy. It’s really a shame that Smoke is gone. Clearly, he was an artist with ample potential.  Besides the toughness he brings on “Make it Rain,” I love his distinct vocal tone. RIP Pop Smoke.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: June 2020

8. Majid Jordan, “Summer Rain”

💿 Wildest Dreams • 🏷 OVO / Warner • 📅 2021

“Lost in the heatwave, but you came / You came like the summer rain.”  Ah, such a memorable lyric! 🎵 “Summer Rain” appears as the second track off 💿 Wildest Dreams, the 2021 album by Canadian R&B duo, 🎙 Majid Jordan. Majid Jordan is comprised of singer 🎙 Majid Al Maskati and producer 🎙 🎛 Jordan Ullman. Besides Ullman’s work behind the boards, “Summer Rain” is also produced by 🎛 KOZ with electrifying results.

“You run your hands through my hair / It’s a moonlight up there / I’m caught in a trance, your body is everything.” Ooh…la…la!  The third single from 💿 Wildest Dreams commences with a brief, enigmatic pad before breaking into a slick groove.  The groove is not only slick but sick – it makes you want to move your body.  Think of “Summer Rain” as a soulful pop single that embodies the Canadian contemporary R&B sound.  Al Maskati’s vocals are well-rounded, and he has a killer melody to work with that’s agile, rhythmic, and most importantly, tuneful.  His falsetto is ripe on the centerpiece, the chorus, further amplifying this 80s pop/lighthearted Canadian contemporary R&B vibe.  That was a mouthful, but the best explanation for this love-centric joint is to listen to it for yourself. “I can’t fight the feeling, feeling / Look what you do to me.” Woo! Let it rain, rain, rain!

9. Greta Van Fleet, “Tears of Rain”

💿 The Battle at Garden’s Gate • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2021

“Who will bring the rain?” 🎵 “Tears of Rain” appears as the sixth track on 💿 The Battle at Garden’s Gate.  The Battle at Garden’s Gate marks the sophomore studio album by 🏆 Grammy-winning rock collective, 🎙 Greta Van Fleet, led by 🎙 Robert Plant-influenced vocalist, 🎙 Josh Kiszka. Safe to say Greta Van Fleet isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.  Rocker 🎙 Steven Wilson isn’t a fan, characterizing the band as “a third-rate impersonation of Led Zeppelin”.  Ouch! For our intents and purposes, we’ll mostly focus on the rain-driven song and performance!

Josh Kiszka isn’t one for subtlety.  How could he be subtle with such a distinct, whiney voice filled with ‘treble.’  On this ballad, he manages to show some nuance but given his tone, his instrument cuts right through.  Beyond the singing, “Tears of Rain” features a fine harmonic progression, and some of the production touches (🎛 Greg Kurstin) are sweet as well. There’s certainly beauty to be found on this cut.  Thematically, Greta Van Fleet tackle a hot button topic: climate change. “Drifting through the pains before us / as it turns to dust before our eyes,” Kiszka sings on the second verse, continuing, “Pleading for a god to pour us / Just a little bit of rain from an empty sky.” Not certain it’s a prayer, but okay.  On the chorus, he states:

“And the planet is still turning
And he faces are still burning
And the mothers with their children search for the rain.”

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 A Compendium Filled with Tears

10. Young Dolph & Key Glock, “RAIN RAIN”

💿 Dum and Dummer 2 • 🏷 Paper Route EMPIRE • 📅 2021

“Damn, it’s rainin’ outside / I wanted to jump in my drop-top today / Rain, rain, go away / Please come back another day.” Ughhhhh, it sucks he’s gone 💔😭! RIP 🎙 Young Dolph, the beloved Memphis rapper who was tragically shot and killed at the age of 36 on November 17, 2021. Dolph and his protégé 🎙 Key Glock collaborated on a couple of projects, including 💿 Dum and Dummer 2 released in 2021.  Among the songs on Dum and Dummer 2 is 🎵 “RAIN RAIN,” which begins with the excerpted intro by the late Dolph.

Following the intro, Young Dolph drops the chorus as well as the first verse.  On the chorus, he integrates the famous nursery rhyme once more before asserting:

“I’m Gabbana to the floor today
Pocket full of rizzacks, ‘bout to go and get some today
When you doin’ big shit, lil nigga, they supposed to hate.”

He goes onto the first verse, flexing like a B-O-S-S. Give him credit for his petition to God to “Free all of the real ones out the slammer.” Key Glock drops the second verse, matching the intensity of Dolph, flexing like a mo-fo.  “Yeah, baby, I’m the shit, but I do not stank / I’m all out West with a stick, no shank.” Woo! The banger was produced by 🎛 Bandplay.

11. The 1975, “How to Draw / Petrichor”

💿 A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationship • 🏷 Interscope • 📅 2018

“How to Draw / Petrichor” is among the most bizarre records on 💿 A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships, the 2018 studio album by 🎙 The 1975. Mostly instrumental, the two-part, nearly six-minute song initially feels more ‘vibe’ than in-depth, meaningful lyrics.  Intentional on front man 🎙 Matthew Healy and company’s part? Perhaps, perhaps.

“How to Draw” features merely three lines of lyrics, with two being repeated:

“I’ve not learned how to draw
I’ve not learned how to draw
What if you die with all of the cameras?”

As for “Petrichor” – a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain of a long period of warm, dry weather – lyrically, Healy is referencing personal matters.

“Write a letter to your future self who won’t change
Don't let the internet ruin your time.”

The personal touch is admirable.  It’s not conveyed with clarity sound-wise; there are heavy vocal effects are in play.

12. Stevie Wonder, “Shelter in the Rain”

💿 A Time to Love • 🏷 Motown • 📅 2005 

“I’ll be your comfort through your pain / I’ll be your shelter in the rain.”  Ah, the dedication 🎙 Stevie Wonder – I totally ❤️ it! 🎵 “Shelter in the Rain” appeared on Mr. Wonder’s 2005 album, 💿 A Time to Love.  Worth noting, A Time to Love is the only album the iconic, 🏆 Grammy-winning musician released in either the 00s or the 10s!  The good news, however, is the fact it is a terrific LP, yielding such gems as this supportive, positive vibes ballad.  Even as “Shelter in the Rain” is approaching 20 years old, it’s remains potent.

“Just put your trust in me / My love will see you through.” Essentially, Stevie Wonder is willing to hold her up through adversity – when things seem bleakest. “When you’ve done everything you can,” he sings on the second verse, “No one’s there to take your hand / … I’ll be your shelter in the rain.” Helping him to lift the spirit is a choir, which notably is led by 🎙 Kirk Franklin and 🎙 Rickey Minor, and features a younger, future Grammy-nominated R&B musician, 🏆 BJ the Chicago Kid.  All in all, this is a beautiful, soulful ballad that reminds us how much of a treasure Stevie Wonder is.  One of the greatest musicians of all time.

13. Prince and the Revolution, “Purple Rain”

💿 Purple Rain • 🏷 Warner • 📅 1984

In its updated 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, Rolling Stone dubbed 🎵 “Purple Rain,” the 🎙 Prince and the Revolution classic, the 18^th best song.  That’s high praise, no doubt, but even that feels low for the biggest song in the 🎙 Prince catalog.  Simply put, songs like “Purple Rain” come merely once in a lifetime, and “Purple Rain” more than ‘kicks ass and takes names.’

It’s rare that extended length songs are as successful as “Purple Rain” was for the late musician.  It failed to reach no. 1 on the Hot 100, but no. 2 ‘ain’t bad,’ particularly for a near-nine-minute juggernaut.  Worth noting, “Purple Rain” (the song) won Prince an 🏆 Academy Award (Best Original Song) and a 🏆 Grammy. Throughout the course of the song, Prince gives us some of his best vocals, EVER.  None soar higher than his ripe falsetto, sigh.  Of course, the crowning achievement is the chorus, among the greatest, most memorable, and most recognizable of all time:

“Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
I only want to see you
Only want to see you in the purple rain.”

Also, shout out to Prince’s prodigious guitar skills! R.I.P. legend!

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 11 Songs That are Purple Through & Through
🔗 🎧 15 Soul Oldies That Tickle My Fancy