13 Rousing Elevator Songs | Playlist

13 Rousing Elevator Songs features music courtesy of Aerosmith, Blu DeTiger, Declan McKenna, Kota the Friend, Outkast, and Tove Lo. 

Forget about those stairs – let’s take the ELEVATOR! The elevator can take us to the top floor. Who wouldn’t want to ride it to the top? And once we reach that illustrious peak, that elevator has the ability to bring us right back down to the bottom floor.  It’s a beautiful thing, isn’t it? So, what better way to celebrate the versatility of an elevator and a playlist that is sure to elevate the spirits, and in some cases, elevate certain parts of the anatomy .  Enough playing around with it… it’s time to let the elevator go to the top, baby! 13 Rousing Elevator Songs features music courtesy of Aerosmith, Blu DeTiger, Declan McKenna, Kota the Friend, Outkast, and Tove Lo among others. One thing is for sure about this playlist.  You probably won’t be able to think of an elevator the same way… they’re not that innocent!

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1. Declan McKenna, “Elevator Hum”  

What Happen to the Beach? // Tomplicated // 2024

“Listen to the elevator hum / The mechanism is breaking down again / Don’t you tell my mum.”  You heard Declan McKenna – DON’T TELL HIS MUM! Those lyrics hail from the end of the second verse of his song, “Elevator Hum.” It is worth noting that the word elevator is only mentioned once in the entire song. “Elevator Hum” served as a single and the second track from the English singer/songwriter’s third studio album, What Happen to the Beach?.  He described the track to Apple Music as ‘a real statement piece for the album’ and asserts, ‘there’s something really freeing about the song.’ McKenna penned the near-four-minute-long record alongside producer Gianluca Buccellati. The production is incredibly colorful with a hard-hitting beat, guitar, and ear-catching synths/programming.  As always, he serves up a respectable vocal, never over-singing, yet playful and potent.  The pen is where McKenna hits hardest, showing off his knack for lyrics. “I can’t quite explain / This hole in my brain that’s some around again,” he sings in the first verse, adding, “Send me to bed and head off out again.” The most memorable section is the chorus where he sings, “‘Cause I want you to believe / You’re just like me / I want you to believe / You’re just like me.” Beyond engaging vocals and songwriting, the instrumental deserves another shout-out, specifically, the instrumental break. It is refreshing and utterly sublime.  Oh, that “Elevator Hum”! 

 

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2. Tove Lo, “Elevator Eyes” 

Dirt Femme (Extended Cut) // Pretty Swede // 2023

“Take in this body / Skin lookin’ salty / Fresh out the sea / Won’t you come taste me?” Come taste you, Tove Lo? Mm, that sounds sexual…. The lyrics appear on the Swedish pop artist’s song, “Elevator Eyes”,  the opener from her 2023 album, Dirt Femme (Extended Cut). She continues singing in the first verse, “I’m on vacation / No obligations / But maybe we’ll fall in love / Let the stars be our audience.” Oh, snap! So, what happens on vacation stays on vacation… or, perhaps not ! Tove Lo penned “Elevator Eyes” alongside producer, Joel Little.

Throughout the course of the record, the listener is blessed with beautiful, well-produced vocals by Tove Lo. Adding to the strength of her lead vocals are harmonized, backing vocals. Oh, the ear candy!  The production is marvelous – smooth, slick, and alluring the ears.  The sound is hypnotic, which seems intentional given the lust and heavy dose of ogling.  See the tuneful centerpiece, the chorus, for confirmation:  

“Elevator eyes 

Elevator eyes 

I’m not surprised 

You’re hypnotized 

Goin’ up and down  

Elevator eyes 

Elevator eyes 

If looks could touch 

No need to rush 

Goin’ up and down.” 

Ooh-wee! Where the first verse and chorus were tamer, The second verse is a bit more risqué. “Go get a rubber,” she tells him, though changes her mind regarding safe sex . “No, never mind that / Cooked your boys in a jacuzzi / Let’s risk it, it’s worth it.” Wow… I’m speechless ! Moving on, there’s fabulous contrast during the bridge section, though it is still related to the verse/chorus. Furthermore, it’s still sexual too (“Our position’s always sittin’ in the back of my head”). Tove Lo has a knack for delivering epic sex songs. “Elevator Eyes” is no exception.  

 Appears in :  

• Tove Lo, Elevator Eyes: Midnight Heat No. 20 (2024) 

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3. Flo Rida, “Elevator” (Ft. Timbaland) 

Mail on Sunday // Atlantic // 2008 

“Got you stuck (Yeah) on my elevator (Uh-huh) / Get it up (Yeah) on my elevator – check it out!” Woo! Being stuck in an elevator is band in most contexts but being stuck on a personal elevator that’s rising up… Sounds pleasing . “Elevator” was one of the gems from Mail on Sunday, the 2008 album by Grammy-nominated rapper, Flo Rida. The third track from Mail on Sunday peaked at no. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually earning platinum certification from the RIAA. It was produced by the one-and-only Timbaland, and Hannon Lane. The sound of “Elevator” is idiomatic of Timbaland given the sick beat and those creative percussive sounds.  

In addition to his work behind the boards, Tim brings ample personality with his vocals in the hella catchy chorus (excerpted above) where the sexual innuendo is through the roof.  He continues melodically rapping, “My first flo’ stuck on the gold digger / Second flo’, stuck on the dime piece /… She’s stuck on my ele-eh-el-eh-vator.” My, my, my! These women! Of course, Flo Rida brings his own personality and swagger to the table, making this elevator joint a surefire vibe.  Case in point, verse one:

“Used to date Kanye, now she want me 

Flo Rida got the juice, wanna take my OJ 

It ain’t her birthday but her name on the cake  

If I ever pay for nookie grade A.” 

Take my OJ, huh? Now that’s just freaky! Flo Rida thinks with his elevator a couple more times throughout “Elevator” (“Plenty ghetto booty, plenty ghetto booty on her” and “She don’t fake, she’ll put it in your face”), but it’s a tamer brand of midnight heat compared to more contemporary rap, pop, and R&B.   

Appears in :  

• Flo Rida, Elevator: Midnight Heat No. 19 (2024) 

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4. Blu DeTiger, “Elevator”  

 “Elevator” // Blu DeTiger LLC / UMG Recordings, Inc. // 2022  

“I go up, go down in my elevator / Don’t wanna talk right now, see you, alligator,” singer/songwriter and bassist Blu DeTiger sings in the utterly infectious, rhythmic chorus of her 2022 song, “Elevator.” She adds, “Load me up in a sling shot, send me over the moon / Baby, I can be a big shot, too, too, too, too.” Woo! DeTiger penned “Elevator” alongside Andrew Jackson, Annika Bennett, and producer, Jorgen Odegard. “Elevator” clocks in under three minutes but the duration is sufficient – DeTiger puts in work.  For one, her bass line is fat – always a win. Further accentuating the sound is a stellar beat and awesome rhythm guitar. Beyond the instrumental, DeTiger serves up energetic, playful vocals with no shortage of personality. The chorus is the section to beat – utterly infectious with rhythmic lines. Even beyond the chorus, the lyrics in the verses and pre-chorus shine too. “I got glitter in my teardrops, kisses on the ground (Drip, drip) / Yeah, you’re talking my ear off, bringing me down,” she sings in the first verse, adding the second, “Road to nirvana / Don’t need no one here in my ele-ele-ele…” “Elevator” = surefire vibe!  

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5. Planet Giza, “ELEVATOR” (Ft. Kojey Radical & Venna) 

Ready When You Are // Quiet Note // 2023

“Can’t get complacent, can’t get cozy / Don’t celebrate me when I’m gone please.” Um, sure, Tony Stone, if those are you final wishes, we must respect them.  He continues singing in the chorus of “ELEVATOR,” “I’m on this elevator with the homies / I can’t do this thing all by my lonely / No…” “ELEVATOR” appears as the seventh track on Ready When You Are, the 2023 album by Canadian hip hop trio Planet Giza (Stone, Rami B, and DoomX). On this three-minute number, Planet Giza enlists British musician Kojey Radical (Luther VanKojey) and Grammy-winning saxophonist/producer Venna for the assist. “ELEVATOR” was produced by Planet Giza, Venna, JMF, and Elijah Mansevani. Sound highlights include lovely piano, a rhythmic beat, and a prominent bass line.  Tony Stone performs the first verse, showcasing an awesome cadence and flow as he raps. “I’m somethin’ special, shorties message me every hour, yeah (Every hour),” he spits, continuing, “You out here wonderin’ who she textin’, don’t worry bout it, uh-uh.” Stone adds:   

“Serve this food for thought, still I got Gallo in my chalice, uh (Yeah) 

Place me anywhere, I’m still aware of my surroundings 

I been in it for a minute, put my ten thousand hours (Uh-huh) 

Everything hits, no wonderlands like Alice, ah.” 

Woo! Kojey Radical raps the second verse. Like Stone, Radical’s cadence and flow are on-point.  He’s transparent as he spits, “Pussy power nearly left me paralyzed.” He adds, “I empty cups and look for answers, what the hell do I know? / Balance life could be a bust, feel like the new soprano / Feel like Sanford, no one know me like my old piano / Now change the channel.” All told, “Elevator” is a vibe!  

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6. Qveen Herby & yoitsCrash, “Elevator”  

“Elevator” // Checkbook // 2020

“Elevator, elevator, elevator to the top / Elevator, elevator, elevator never drop.” WOO! Rappers Qveen Herby (Amy Renee Heidemann Noonan) and yoitsCrash brought the heat on their 2020 collaborative track, “Elevator.” The record commences with that infectious chorus, adding the likes of “Sexy lil mamacita and she made me turn the heat up,” as well as “Ya-ya- ain’t seen, ya ain’t seen nothing like this.” Ooh-wee! This colorful track with a sick, banging-ass beat was produced by Nick Noonan (Herby’s husband and former Karmin co-member) and Pompano Puff.  Following their collaboration in select parts of the chorus, Qveen Herby performs the first verse, while yoitsCrash performs the second.  During her verse, Herby both sings and raps, compelling with both her flow and pitch (“My shit pop like it’s acne / Ate all the candy / I got from my last sugar daddy /Bad bitch, exactly”). I love the masculine-sounding vocals by yoitsCrash who is confident, serving up ample swagger, even if the lyrics are tongue-in-cheek:   

“Young mastery hung like a tapestry 

Sweat like a workout wet like a jet ski 

Ice on Gretzky sport like ESPY’s 

Sleep, bring a wet dream, they can’t forget me.” 

Woo! “Elevator” isn’t deep in the least, but it’s fun to the nth degree!  

 

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7. Robin Thicke, “Elevatas” (Ft. Kid Cudi) 

Sex Therapy: The Experience // Star Trak, LLC // 2009

“Off the ledge now (stop it) / I’m off the edge now (stop it) / I’m in the air now (stop it) / I can’t stop falling.” Ooh-wee, Robin Thicke! “Elevatas” appears as the eighth track on his 2009 album, Sex Therapy: The Experience.  On this four-and-a-half-minute-plus joint, Thicke collaborates with the one-and-only Kid Cudi – always an experience! The track commences with sexy female vocals in the intro (“Oh doctor, what are you doing?”), followed by playful “Na na na na na(s)” by Cudi. Cudi then performs the first verse with his signature rap flow, informing us that “Baby girl on all my balls trying to hold it all.” What more can you say but gah-day-um! Cudder concludes the verse with a bang: “See this is exactly what happens / When girls in the room and the asses and masses.” Asses and masses, huh? Woo!  

From there, Robin Thicke takes the reins. He follows with a short second verse, singing, “Come take a ride these elevators in my mind / Taking you up to floors you’d never thought you’d find…” Ah, the dangers of a wandering mind, particularly sexually. He follows with a pre-chorus where “I can’t stop it, drop it, leave it alone / I can’t use it, abuse it / It’s taking my soul / I can’t stop it…” In the chorus, he admits, “And I’m fallin’ fallin’ / Don’t you give up on me / I keep calling for you, calling for you.” All the while, Thicke is supported by an energetic instrumental (produced by Jeff Bhasker) comprised of banging drums that sound like the pounding of the chest.  Set in a minor key, there are also compelling major-key moments too, even if they are merely temporary. Thicke gets his first full verse on the third verse, where “My guilty pleasures have been outweighing my good health.” In the bridge, he feels a range of things (“Feels like I’m alive /… Feels like I’m going crazy”). Ultimately, “Elevatas” marked another winning moment from Sex Therapy: The Experience, one where the midnight heat was roaring.  

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8. Kota the Friend & Statik Selektah, “Elevator” 

To See a Sunset // FLTBYS Music and Entertainment LLC // 2023

“I’m at the top floor, sittin’ in a cloud / Sippin’ chai, doin’ yoga with my socks off.” Fair enough, Kota the Friend. Please, tell us more. He adds, “I ain’t never with the crowd, all them lil people loud / I don’t shout, but they listenin’ when I talk.” Word. The four-minute-and-change “Elevator” appears as the third track on the 2023 LP, To See a Sunset, a collaborative effort by the rapper and DJ/producer Statik Selektah. “Elevator” features a soulful, hip-hop palette produced by Statik comprised of glorious keys, prominent bass line, and dusty drums. Additionally, there are cool, fluty synths and saxophone that elevate the vibe.  Simultaneously, the listener is ‘elevated’ by the epic and buttery smooth cadence and flow by Kota the Friend. That boy can rap!

“Lately havin’ peace of mind is a better flex 

If them people phony, it matter less that you get respect 

Still had dignity, even when I was check to check 

Niggas out here playin’ chess.”

He spits coolly and confident throughout, making things sound incredibly natural and easy in his hands. Furthermore, the melodic chorus is everything:  

“The elevator don’t go down, yeah

Too bad I don’t got time, yeah

Well, I guess you on your own now, yeah

It’s all up on my side, yeah.” 

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9. Oliver Tree, “Elevator to the Sky” 

Alone in a Crowd // Atlantic // 2023 

“Elevator to the Sky” appears late in the track listing of Alone in a Crowd, the 2023 album by the ever interesting Oliver Tree. Relatively brief, Tree has deep questions, related to the afterlife.  These questions first appear in the intro, returning as the chorus of the song.  “Where do we go in the end?” he sings in the chorus, continuing, “Gone with the wind and never seen again.” Depending upon your beliefs, what happens post-death elicits various perspectives. The chorus is the key section of the song, but there are also two more sections: a recurrent pre-chorus, and a bridge… or is it technically the sole verse? In the pre-chorus, Tree sings, “And we ride / An elevator to the sky / We’re going to the light / Going gently in the night.” As for the odd man out, the ‘bridge,’ death continues to drive the narrative:  

“We disappear when we fall asleep 

You never wake up when you’re six feet deep 

No one can find us on the day we leave 

It’s hard to believe, but it’s not what it seems.”  

Word. Oliver Tree penned and produced “Elevator to the Sky” alongside Whethan.  Despite its morbid lyrics, “Elevator the Sky” sounds exuberant.  The keys and synths are sensationally within the instrumental.  The groove also does its thing – it grooves! Furthermore, Tree sings confidently and expressively, as he sings about “going gently in the night.”  

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10. Renni Rucci, “Elevators” 

Big Renni // Wolf Pack Global Music // 2019

“Bad bitch alert, I’m a walking money bag (Cash) / Get a nigga for his bands, then I go and pop tags (Woo).”  WOO indeed, Renni Rucci!  That’s not the only instance the rapper mentions money on “Elevators,” the tenth and final track from her 2019 album, Big Renni. At the beginning of the second verse, Rucci asserts, “I’m in love with Benjamin Franklin, I’m addicted to him (I need it) / Tat him on my titty with love ‘cause I’m stickin’ to him.” OMG! Of course, it’s more than moola that has Big Renni feeling herself: “Rich bitch, thick bitch, and I got hands on me / Hatin’ bitch in her feelings ‘cause her man on me.” Basically, Renni knows she’s the shit, confirmed by the elevated chorus: “Elevators, elevators / Bad bitches, we like elevators, elevators / Every year, we get another hater, ‘nother hater / ‘Cause we goin’ up like elevators, elevators.” In addition to her cocky, confident bars, laden with bad bitch attitude, “Elevators” is well-produced courtesy of Flaw Da God and Brian Wicker.  That instrumental is not only on fleek, but it matches the bad bitch persona Renni Rucci constructs.  You could say, “Elevators” is bitchin’ – bad bitchin’!  

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11. Eminem, “Elevator”  

Relapse: Refill // Aftermath // 2009

“Elevator” appears exclusively as the fourth track on the Refill portion of Relapse: Refill, released by Eminem in 2009. In the context of Relapse: Refill, the nearly five-minute-long “Elevator” appears as the 24th overall track.  Written alongside Luis Resto, Eminem produced the track.  Following the intro, the rapper delivers the recollective chorus: “He’d [Proof] say, ‘What if you went platinum?’ I’d just laugh at him / ‘That’s not happening, that I can’t fathom’ / Eighty-some million records worldwide later / I’m living in a house with a fucking elevator.’” Word. From there, Eminem does what he does over the course of three verses – shock, shock, shock.  At the end of his first verse, he spits, “Chainsaw slaughters, turn your daughters into sawdust / I never thought it’d come to this, I oughta just be honest, but.”   

In the second verse, Eminem gets far more controversial, asserting, “’Sorry, Lance, Mr. [Adam] Lambert and [Clay] Aiken ain’t gonna make it / They get so mad when I call them both faggots.’” Yikes! Throughout his career, controversy has played a key role, particularly when it comes to the homophobic f-slur.  The verse is also colorful thanks to the fact Em “lashed out at the doctor in my last operation / Shove the Wiener Schnitzel up his ass, hopped away…” and insults other so-called rappers (“I can’t believe I leave for one second / And you pussies queef all over the rap game, naked”).  There’s a third verse too, where again, Eminem mentions “Elevator in my house,” adding, “I blew the fuck up, a hamster in the microwave, I’m / Thinking ‘bout an escalator now, steps, I hate ‘em.” Flex on.  Of course, he also manages to insult another celebrity: “So you can suck my dick with Amy Winehouse’s teeth.” Charming, Eminem… Notably, “Elevator”, a non-single from Relapse: Refill, spent one week on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching no. 67 in 2010.  

 

   Appears in :  

• Eminem, Elevators: Bangerz N Bopz  No. 23 (2024) 

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12. Outkast, “Elevators (Me & You)”  

ATLiens // Arista // 1996 

“One for the money, yes sir, two for the show / A couple of years ago on Headland and Delowe / Was the start of something good.” Indeed, indeed! “Elevators (Me & You)” marks one of the biggest hits by Grammy-winning, Atlanta rap duo, OutKast (André 3000 and Big Boi). It appears on their 1996 sophomore album, ATLiens. ATLiens marks one of several OutKast albums certified multiplatinum by the RIAA.  Focusing on “Elevators (Me & You),” it reached no. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, good enough for their fifth biggest hit in terms of placement on the pop charts.  The single would ultimately be certified gold the same year it was released – a big deal at the time.  OutKast produced the single themselves, sampling a trio of songs: “Blue Suede Shoes” by Carl Perkins, “Black Country Woman” by Led Zeppelin, and “Please Let Me Stay” by The Joneses.  

Simply put, André and Big Boi were on autopilot on “Elevators (Me & You).” 3000 kicks things off with a bang (hence those Perkins sampled lyrics), telling us about the beginnings of OutKast (“Writing rhymes, tryna find our spot off in that light / Light off in that spot, knowing that we could rock”). Big Boi follows up with an equally sick second verse, spitting, “Putting the South up on the map was like Little Rock to banging,” adding, “‘OutKast, yeah, them niggas, they making big noise’ / Over a million sold to this day; niggas, they take it lightly.” Of course, OutKast has far surpassed a million since then! Big Boi delivers a second verse (verse three), where he famously spits, “We moving on up in the world like elevators / Me and the crew, we pimps like ’82.” Likewise, André 3000 drops a second verse – the fourth and final one to be precise.  “I live by the beat like you live check-to-check / If it don’t move your feet, then, I don’t eat, so we like neck-to-neck,” he colorfully raps, adding, “Yes, we done come along way like them slim-ass cigarettes / From Virginia, this ain’t gon’ stop, se we just gon’ continue.” Beyond the honest bars, the centerpiece of this banger is the tuneful chorus, which shines against the distinct instrumental:  

“Me and you 

Your mama and your cousin, too 

Rolling down the strip on Vogues 

Coming up, slamming Cadillac doors.”

“Elevators (Me & You)” is nothing short of a hip-hop classic.   

Appears in :  

• Outkast, Elevators (Me & You): Bangerz N Bopz  No. 21 (2024) 

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13. Aerosmith, “Love In An Elevator”  

Pump // Geffen // 1989

“Love in an elevator / Livin’ it up when I’m goin’ down.” Yes, you should read more into “Love In An Elevator”, one of eight top-10 hits by Aerosmith. Notably, Joe Perry and front man Steven Tyler penned this horny, 1989 rock hit that reached no. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It appears on the band’s album, Pump, which was also released in ’89.  Producing this titillating record about sex in an elevator is Bruce Fairbairn. Tyler not only sings his ass off, but the band – the instrumentalists – kick ass and take names.  The spirit of rock and roll is alive and well!  

In the first verse, we hear Steven Tyler mention his fantasy, but doesn’t serve up any juicy details.  “I really need a girl like an open book / To read between the lines.” Of course, the chorus gives more insight, or at least more for the listener to read into, including references to a freaky place to ‘get it in,’ as well as alluding to oral sex … The second verse is ridiculous, but, again, sexed-up.  Again, the elevator plays a role, and Steven admits, regarding Jackie, “I kinda hope we get stuck.” There’s also a third verse, in which Tyler serves up a couple of notable lyrics including admission to a love affair, and states, “I’ll chase you all the way to the stairway, honey (Whoa) / Kiss your sassafras.” My, my, my! Steven Tyler and Aerosmith get freaky on “Love In An Elevator” and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Rock TF on!  

Appears in :  

• Aerosmith, Love In An Elevator: Throwback Vibez ️ No. 32 (2024) 

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13 Rousing Elevator Songs (2024) [: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Aftermath, Arista, Atlantic, Blu DeTiger LLC, Checkbook, FLTBYS Music and Entertainment LLC, Geffen, Pretty Swede, Quiet Note, Star Trak LLC, Tomplicated, UMG Recordings Inc., Wolf Pack Global Music; Dorothe, Królestwo_Nauki from Pixabay]

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