13 Scandalous Songs About Cheating

Reading Time: 14 min read

13 Scandalous Songs About Cheating features music courtesy of Arctic Monkeys, Beyoncé, Carrie Underwood, Luther Ingram, and Ñengo Flow x Bad Bunny.

Don’t be a dog 🐕! Cheating and infidelity are NOT cool 💯! What is cool, however, are the countless number of songs that have been recorded about C-H-E-A-T-I-N-G. On 🎧 13 Scandalous Songs About Cheating, we explore just 13 of them. Cheating is the theme – the modus operandi – though the word does not need to be featured in the song title. 🎧 13 Scandalous Songs About Cheating features music courtesy of 🎙 Arctic Monkeys, 🎙 Beyoncé, 🎙 Carrie Underwood, 🎙 Luther Ingram, and 🎙 Ñengo Flow x 🎙 Bad Bunny among others. This musical compendium is giving alternative, R&B, country, soul, and Latin music – pretty cool! So, without further ado, let’s step into the lens of infidelity, shall we?

1. Usher, “Boyfriend”  

🎵 “Boyfriend” • 🏷 mega / gamma. • 🗓 2023  

“Somebody said that your boyfriend’s lookin’ for me / Oh, that’s cool, that’s cool.” Hmm, really 🎙 Usher, is that cool? 🎵 “Boyfriend” marks the third single in 2023 by the 🏆 Grammy-winning R&B artist.  “Boyfriend” draws more attention than the previous singles thanks to the appearance of 🎭 Keke Palmer in the music video, following the shaming incident with her boyfriend, Darius Jackson. Perhaps it’s a coincidence, but besides the video, the lyrics from the chorus only add fuel to the fire – surefire shadiness! But, let’s focus on the song itself…     

“Well, he should know I’m pretty easy to find / Just look for me wherever he sees you.” H “Boyfriend” features slick production work courtesy of a star-studded team: 🎛 James “JLack” Lackey, Rico Love, DJ Camper, Believve, Tricky Stewart, and Laney Stewart. The record has a fun, playful aesthetic. The keys, synths, and the stuttering drums / incredibly rhythmic groove are all selling points.  Furthermore, “Boyfriend” embraces modern R&B.       

“Daydreamin’ about me, oh  

Tryin’ to be on your best behavior  

Lovin’ me on the low  

The taste of your thoughts I can’t wait until it’s over (Oh, oh).”     

Ooh, wee – she wants him badly! Vocally, Usher is awesome as always, serving up an expressive, nuanced, playful, and well-rounded performance.  He has tuneful melodies to work with from the onset, beginning with the chorus, and continuing in the verses.  Of course, the chorus is the crème de la crème. 🎵 “Boyfriend” gives Usher another bop.  

Appears in 🔻:

Awesome Songs: August 2023

2. Beyoncé, “Hold Up” 

💿 Lemonade • 🏷 Parkwood Entertainment / Sony • 📅 2016 

“I don’t wanna lose my pride, but I’ma fuck me up a bitch.” Wow – “Hold up” – them’s fighting words! On the colorful standout 🎵 “Hold Up,” 24-time 🏆 Grammy winner 🎙 Beyoncé oscillates between emotional uncertainty (“What’s worse, lookin’ jealous or crazy”) and real talk/reality (“Hold up, they don’t love you like I love you…what a wicked way to treat the girl that loves you”).  All of the aforementioned, of course, is part of the cheating narrative of 💿 Lemonade.  That narrative isn’t pure fiction either. IRL, we know that 🎙 Jay-Z actually did cheat on Beyoncé, something he addresses on his own highly personal album, 💿 4:44 released a year later.  Bey’s anger and pain are definitely our listening pleasure on “Hold Up.” 

Appears in 🔻:  

3. Arctic Monkeys, “Body Paint”

💿 The Car • 🏷 Domino • 🗓 2022  

“So predictable, I know what you’re thinking.” After a four-year hiatus, 🏆 Grammy-nominated alternative collective 🎙 Arctic Monkeys returned with their seventh studio album, 💿 The Car. 🎵 “Body Paint” served as the absolutely, utterly stupendous second single. The music is gorgeous, with warmer keys (and synths), strings, and eventually, a more raucous electric guitar. Arctic Monkeys never fail in the instrumental department.  Furthermore, 🎙 Alex Turner serves up sublime vocals and colorful lyrics.  Honestly, not just anybody could commence a record with, “For a master of deception and subterfuge / You’ve made yourself quite the bed to lie in.” It doesn’t stop there either.  In the second verse, “My teeth are beating, and my knees are weak / It’s as if there’s something up with the wiring.” Yep, that is some serious pain, particularly that toothache! Uniquely, the chorus is one line – “So predictable, I know what you’re thinking” – while there is also a bridge, instrumental break, and a refrain.  What is Turner getting at thematically? It seems to be a mix of covering up and masking feelings, deception, and cheating. All told, 🎵 “Body Paint” is a cleverly written, well-performed, and well-produced.   

Appears in 🔻:   

4. Carrie Underwood, “Before He Cheats” 

💿 Some Hearts • 🏷 19 Recordings • 📅 2005  

“And he’s thinking that he’s gonna get lucky / Right now, he’s probably dabbing on / Three dollars’ worth of that bathroom cologne / Oh, and he don’t know…” Uh-oh – 🎙 Carrie Underwood is about to ‘set it off!’ Following her win on 📺 American Idol (season four), Underwood would become one of a select few alums of who was able to transcend the television show itself.  Underwood has won eight 🏆 Grammys (as of publication date), including a win at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards for the song at hand, 🎵 “Before He Cheats.” “Before He Cheats” appeared on her 2005, multiplatinum debut album, 💿 Some Hearts. There’s no question why Underwood was able to lock down a Grammy for “Before He Cheats.” She delivers an energetic vocal performance that’s feisty as hell, chocked-full of ‘that attitude.’ There’s nothing worse than a woman scorned, and Underwood exemplifies it through and through.  The best example is the centerpiece, which serves as more than enough of a reason why The Recording Academy couldn’t deny Underwood: 

“Oh, that I dug my key into the side 

Of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive 

Carved my name into his leather seats 

I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights 

Slashed a hole in all four tires 

Maybe next time, he’ll think before he cheats.”  

Appears in 🔻:

11 Songs Where the ‘Before’ is Key 🔑 (2019)

5. Jay-Z, “4:44”

💿 4:44 • 🏷 Roc Nation • 📅 2017 

In 2017, 🎙 Jay-Z returned following a four-year hiatus. Prior to 💿 4:44, he’d release 💿 Magna Carta Holy Grail in 2013. While Magna Carta Holy Grail  had its moments, it was one of his weakest, least memorable albums.  The same can’t be said of 4:44, which lacked clear-cut radio hits, but is better for it due to being personal with more substance than most of the albums in his discography. 🎵 “4:44” features one of the most awesome samples of the album, courtesy of British soul singer 🎙 Hannah Williams & the Affirmations (🎵 “Late Nights & Heartbreak”).  Notably, 🎙 Kim Burrell provides additional vocals, which fit seamlessly into the music. Interestingly, the title track was conceived at 4:44 A.M. While the production and overall sound are radiant, the message is truly ear catching.  Jay-Z apologizes to Beyoncé for his infidelity – starting from the opening tip. 

 “Look, I apologize, often womanize 

Took for my child to be born, see through a woman’s eyes 

Took for these natural twins to believe in miracles 

Took me too long for this song, I don’t deserve you.”

Ultimately, “4:44” is the crown jewel – the crème de la crème.

Appears in 🔻:  

6. The Weeknd, “I Heard You’re Married” (Ft. Lil Wayne) 

💿 Dawn FM • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2022

“And I know this is a fling / But you’re hidin’ someone’s ring / It hurts to think I’m sharin’ you.” Woo!  On 🎵 “I Heard You’re Married,” a highlight from his 2022 LP, 💿 Dawn FM, 🎙 The Weeknd enlists 🎙 Lil Wayne for the assist. Before Weezy ever spits a bar, The 🏆 Grammy-winning Canadian R&B artist has this groovy joint on lockdown, singing the rhythmic, tuneful lines with ease.  The centerpiece is the chorus, which ranks among the catchiest of the LP: “Ooh, I heard you’re married, girl / I knew that this was too good to be true / Ooh, I heard you’re married, girl, oh, oh, oh.” As for Weezy, a 🏆 Grammy winner in his own right, he’s true to self in the third verse: “I heard you’re married / I bet he treats you like Virgin Mary / You like it dirty and I’m Dirty Harry.” Lord! It is worth noting, in the outro, The Weeknd makes it clear, he can’t be with her… Makes perfect sense… she married!  

Appears in 🔻:  

7. Luther Ingram, “(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right”

💿 Absolutely the Best of Luther Ingram • 🏷 Airline • 🗓 2010 

“If loving you is wrong I don’t wanna be right / If being right means being without you / I’d rather live a wrong, doing life.” Love will make you do crazy things, including things you know aren’t right.  In the case of the soul classic, 🎵 “(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right”, 🎙 Luther Ingram commits infidelity 😈. Well, if you’re going to be unfaithful, at least do it with a soul classic that topped the pop charts, right (no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100)? 

“Your friends tell you it’s no future 

In loving a married man 

If I can’t see you when I want to 

I’ll see you when I can.” 

Luther was dead wrong, but he perfectly captures how affairs work.  The guilty parties have to sneak around, which should signal how criminal what they’re doing is.  Ingram questions his behavior throughout “(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right,” but finds it hard to give up his ‘side piece,’ despite “Knowing I got a wife and two little children / Depending on me too.” You dog! Besides the expressive lead vocals and scandalous yet pitch-perfect lyrics, the music is epic.  That signature guitar line, those horns – the ripe soulful aesthetic! A surefire vibe! More than 50 years after its release, 🎵 “(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right” remains fresh, relevant, and timeless.  One of soul music’s crown jewels. Expectedly, many have covered this classic. The question is, has anybody outperformed the original version? 

Appears in 🔻:  

8. Ñengo Flow & Bad Bunny, “Gato de Noche” 

🎵 “Gato de Noche” • 🏷 Rimas Entertainment • 🗓 2022  

Ah, there is nothing like a steamy, scandalous pop song! Latin music standouts 🎙 Ñengo Flow and 🎙 Bad Bunny drop a surefire steamy, scandalous reggaeton gem with 🎵 “Gato de Noche”.  If you know some basic Spanish or remember your cognates, that title translates as “Night Cat” – meow 🐈! If you are familiar with the Bad Bunny catalog, you are well versed in his penchant for sex, so, it should not surprise you in the least what he is getting at with the cat references. Admit it – we all love a bad boy, particularly when he’s hot and spitting pure game! Post- 🎵 “Safaera”, Ñengo Flow and Bad Bunny make a formidable team.  Check out the English translation and it is clear that the experience is a sinful one involving a taken woman! Expectedly, there are references to her booty and how potent ‘the stick’ is. This is fitting subject matter for these artists, making for an entertaining listening experience.  The production is fire, courtesy of 🎛 Smash David and Foreign Teck. From the first listen, 🎵 “Gato de Noche”  hits, with no extensive analysis necessary.

Appears in 🔻:  

9. Eamon, “F🤬ck It (I Don’t Want You Back)”  

💿 I Don’t Want You Back • 🏷 Zomba • 🗓 2004

“You played me; you even gave him head.” Well, Holy F🤬ck (not the band, honestly)! Pardon my French but there is a f🤬ckton of f-bombs on 🎵 “Fuck It (I Don’t Want You Back)” – see what I did there? R&B singer 🎙 Eamon may be chief amongst one-hit-wonders, but we still remember that one hit from his 2004 album, 💿 I Don’t Want You Back.  Surprisingly, “Fuck It (I Don’t Want You Back)” was a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100… with ample bleeps, of course.    

“Fuck what I said, it don’t mean shit now  

Fuck the presents, might as well throw ‘em out  

Fuck all those kisses, they didn’t mean jack  

Fuck you, you ho, I don’t want you back.”    

Four fucks in four lines – my, my, my! As rough around the edges as “I Don’t Want You Back” is, Eamon is at least honest about his feelings. You might say, he doesn’t f🤬ck around 😉😜 – gotta love offensive slang and Urban Dictionary! One thing’s for fuckin’ sure: he doesn’t want her back!   

Appears in 🔻:   

10. Blu Cantrell, “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)”

💿 So Blu • 🏷 Arista • 📅 2001 

“While he was schemin’ / I was beamin’ in the Beamer just steamin’ / Can’t believe that I caught my man cheatin’ / So, I found another way to make him pay for it all.” Oh, snap 🫰🏿, 🎙 Blu Cantrell! The R&B singer broke through big time with 🎵 “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)”.  The 2001 gem appears on her debut album, 💿 So Blu. Make no mistake about it, “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)” was a gargantuan hit, peaking at no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and helping So Blue secure gold certification. The record samples Frank Sinatra (🎵 “The Boy’s Night Out”), giving it some jazziness for a contemporary R&B joint.  “Hit ‘Em Up Style” was produced by 🎛 Dallas Austin. So, what’s the premise? Basically, Blu’s no-good man is cheating on her and she makes him pay by spending his money! Essentially, she’s a woman scorned but she’s not leaving empty-handed (“(Oops!) For all the lies you told / This is what you’re owed”).  In the second verse, she sells his stuff, pays the bills late, and puts on a show to make him cease his cheating ways.  Of course, nothing is more effective than the chorus, which after more than two decades, remains potent: 

“Hey ladies, when ya man wanna get buck wild 

Just go back and hit ’em up style 

Get your hands on his cash and 

Spend it to the last dime for all the hard times 

Oh, when you go, then everything goes 

From the crib to the ride and the clothes 

So you better let ’em know that 

If he mess up, you gotta hit ’em up.” 

Appears in 🔻:  

11. Mario Winans, “I Don’t Wanna Know” (Ft. Enya & P. Diddy) 

💿 Hurt No More • 🏷 Bad Boy • 🗓 2004 

“Somebody said they saw you / The person you were kissing wasn’t me…” 💔 In 2004, 🎙 Mario Winans, the secular member of the Winans’, struck gold with his second album, 💿 Hurt No More. It debuted strongly at no. 2 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold.  It performed so well thanks to  the no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, gold certified single, 🎵 “I Don’t Wanna Know”. “I Don’t Wanna Know” marked Winans’ sole entry on the pop charts. He produced the track himself. Fueling the fire of the production are two 1980s samples: 🎵 “Boadicea” by 🎙 Enya (hence her writing credit/guest appearance), and 🎵 “You’re a Customer” by 🎙 EPMD.  The repurposing of an Enya song is crucial to the success of this single, truly contributing an enigmatic vibe as well as lushness.  Given the fact that Winans is a modest vocalist, the sample complements his chill, smooth, and soft instrument.  

Of course, it’s not all the sound of the record. Mario Winans was made for this particular record.  The melodies are lovely and tuneful, on the verses, chorus, and bridge.  The chorus, of course, is where his bread is buttered – the part everyone remembers!

“I don’t wanna know 

If you’re playin’ me, keep it on the low 

‘Cause my heart can’t take it anymore 

And if you’re creepin’, please don’t let it show 

Oh, baby 

I don’t wanna know.” 

Thematically, Winans finds out his lady is stepping out on him, and while it’s bothering him something fierce, he don’t wanna know! Well… by the bridge, however, he’s definitely NOT okay with it telling her to “Don’t come back to me” and “Stay away from me, baby.” Diddy serves up the third and final verse, which fits the vibe yet doesn’t step on Mario’s toes (“Made you hot like the West Indies (That’s right) / Now it’s time you invest in me / ‘Cause if not, then it’s best you leave / Holla, yeah”).  Ultimately, it is the sound and the chorus that make 🎵 “I Don’t Wanna Know” the fabulous one hit wonder that it is. 

Appears in 🔻:  

12. Sam Smith, “I’m Not the Only One”  

💿 In The Lonely Hour • 🏷 Capitol • 📅 2014 

“You and me, we made a vow / For better or for worse…” Uh-oh – where are you going with this 🎙 Sam Smith? “I can’t believe you let me down / But the proof’s in the way it hurts.” Ah, on 🎵 “I’m Not the Only One,” we’ve got a case of cheating.  The 🏆 Academy and Grammy-award-winning singer superbly expresses their anger and pain on this standout from his 2015 tour de force, 💿 In The Lonely Hour.   The chorus superbly sums up Smith’s feelings regarding infidelity: 

“You say I’m crazy 

‘Cause you don’t think I know what you’ve done 

But when you call me baby 

I know I’m not the only one.”

The solid, personal songwriting doesn’t stop there.  Sam keeps it personal during the second verse, singing, “You’ve been so unavailable / Your heart is unobtainable / Even though Lord knows you kept mine.”  Besides the theme and lyrics, the production and the soulful aesthetic are big selling points.  There’s a marvelous gospel vibe, which reaches full fruition following the bridge.  

Appears in 🔻:  

13. Billy Paul, “Me and Mr. Jones”

💿 360 Degrees of Billy Paul • 🏷 Epic • 🗓 1972

“Me and Mrs. Jones / We got a thing going on.” Ooh-wee, 🎙 Billy Paul (1934 – 2016)! It doesn’t take long on 🎵 “Me and Mrs. Jones”, the crowning achievement of the late, great soul singer’s career, to see that cheating is going down.  The chorus of the highlight from the 1972, gold-certified album, 💿 360 Degrees of Billy Paul, continues, “We both not that it’s wrong / But it’s much too strong / To let it go now.” A no. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, “Me and Mrs. Jones” earned gold certification from the RIAA, as well as his sole 🏆 Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male. Paul’s electrifying vocals, alongside songwriting encompassing infidelity, in all its scandalous nature and sexiness 😈, help make “Me and Mrs. Jones” a certified classic. But, there is more credit to give where credit is due.  

Billy Paul is part of one of the best movements in soul music: Philly soul! Paul was born in Philadelphia, a place rich in music history and talent.  “Me and Mrs. Jones” was written by 🎼 ✍ Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert – that’s a heavyweight team.  Of course, Gamble and Huff produce, providing that gorgeous, lush, backdrop that made Philly soul, and 70s soul in general, king 👑.  Focusing once more on Paul, he gives his all on this ballad, as him and his mistress navigate their bad behavior. In the first verse, “We meet every day at the same café – 6:30 /… Holding hands, making all kinds of plans.” In the second verse, “We gotta be extra careful / That we don’t build our hopes too high.” Indeed.  It’s dead wrong, but wrong never sound better and more sensual than on 🎵 “Me and Mrs. Jones”, among the best of the best when it comes to soul classics, and oldies in general.  

Appears in 🔻:

Billy Paul, Me and Mrs. Jones: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 143 (2023)

13 Scandalous Songs About Cheating (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; 19 Recordings, Airline, Arista, Bad Boy, Domino, Epic, mega / gamma., Parkwood Entertainment / Sony, Republic, Rimas Entertainment, Roc Nation, Zomba; Ron Lach from Pexels]

13 Scandalous Songs About Cheating | Playlist 🎧

Published by the musical hype on September 25, 2023September 25, 2023