13 Songs About and/or Associated with Nighttime features songs courtesy of Bring Me the Horizon, Ella Mai, Greyson Chance, Kehlani, and Khalid. 

Question: what are some words that you associate with night? Answer: darkness, the moon, the stars, sleep, the bedroom, bed, nudity, sex, and perhaps going to the club among other things.  The point is, when nighttime comes to mind, there are plenty of things that can be associated in some form and fashion.  Previously, The Musical Hype already published a several playlists about or related to night: 17 Songs That Were Made for the Night specifically, and more loosely associated, 11 Songs About Nightmares and Suspect Dreams, 15 Songs Associated with the Bed, and 11 Songs That Center Around Sleep.  Even with night covered so well, there’s room for a new night-centric playlist – 13 Songs About and/or Associated with Nighttime.

So, what’s the difference between 13 Songs About and/or Associated with Nighttime and the other playlists associated with night? Well, the majority of the songs on this playlist haven’t been featured elsewhere, thought admittedly, we borrow a couple from previous lists – they just fit so well! Still, this playlist is about 85% fresh, so, that counts for something, right? 13 Songs About and/or Associated with Nighttime features music courtesy of Bring Me the Horizon (“In the Dark”), Ella Mai (“Naked”), Greyson Chance (“Black on Black”), Kehlani (“Nights Like This”), and Khalid (“Saturday Nights”) among others.

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1. Kehlani, “Nights Like This” (Ft. Ty Dolla $ign)

While We Wait • Atlantic • 2019

Association with night: night itself

“But all that glitters isn’t gold, I was blinded / Should have never gave you my heart on consignment.” Grammy-nominated R&B singer Kehlani gets the assist from the ever-ubiquitous Ty Dolla $ign on “Nights Like This”, the crown jewel of her 2019 mixtape, While We Wait. There’s plenty to sink your teeth into the night-centric “Nights Like This.” Contextually, like everything that precedes “Night Like This,” her tone and overall performance are a massive selling point. In addition to a sensational, nuanced vocal, “Nights Like This” benefits from its production work. It’s idiomatic of a modern R&B record, yet also has the classical cues that made contemporary R&B pop in the 90s and 00s.

Adding to the excellence is respectable songwriting this is relatable.  The pre-chorus and chorus sections are among the highlights:

“On some nights like this, shawty, I can’t help but think of us

I’ve been reminiscin’, sippin’, missin’ ya

Can you tell me what’s with all this distant love?

If I called, would you pick it up?

On some nights like this, I just wanna text you, but for what

You gon’ say you want me, then go switch it up

Just gon’ play with my emotions just because, no.”

All in all, Kehlani is on-point with “Nights Like This,” with no glaring flaws to be found.

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2. Khalid, “Saturday Nights”

Free Spirit • RCA • 2019

Association with night: night itself, specifically, Saturday night

After securing a double-platinum debut album (American Teen), earning multiple Grammy nominations, and collaborating with numerous musicians, Khalid established himself as a bona fide superstar.  In October 2018, adding to a gargantuan list of achievements, Khalid released his second project, a seven-song, 21-minute EP, Suncity. The night-centric song at hand, “Saturday Nights,” first appeared on EP, while also making a reprisal on Khalid’s 2019 sophomore album, Free Spirit. 

On “Saturday Nights” Khalid works with a moderate pace, while remaining chill, easy-going, and relaxed.  As always, his voice shines above everything else, in all its distinct and nuanced glory. “Saturday Nights” itself benefits from its rhythmic, cool melodic lines on the verse, not to mention its memorable chorus.  Essentially, in the hands of Khalid, “Saturday Nights” never felt or sounded better.

“All the things that I know

That your parents don’t

They don’t care like I do

Nowhere like I do.”

Also, worth noting, there is a remix of “Saturday Nights” featuring an unlikely collaborator – country singer/songwriter Kane Brown.

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3. Greyson Chance, “Black on Black”

Portraits • GCM / AWAL • 2019

Association with night: strip club, sex

Eight years after releasing his debut full-length album (Hold On ‘til the Night), Greyson Chance returned, as a 21-year old adult, with his sophomore LP, Portraits. Plenty has changed for the former cute little middle school boy that appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.  One notable happening? Well, he came out.  Why mention his sexuality, unless it has relevance to his music? Well, in this particular case, sexuality plays a role.  Also, why add a song entitled “Black on Black” which makes no direct reference to night or nighttime? Just keep reading.

On the interlude/skit prior to “Black on Black” (“Lights”), Greyson Chance asks a woman “What’s the best strip club in Vegas?” As you can imagine, sex comes into play, and obviously, Chance illustrates the type of guy that gets him going.  More often than not, we associate sex with nighttime, even if there are plenty of folks who might swear by other times of the day, or no specific time at all. Safe to say, Greyson Chance embraces his status of being a red-blooded adult man eager to have some fun.  He’s more suggestive leading up to the bridge. But the bridge signifies the moment where his horniness reaches new fucking heights, literally.

“California kid, you’re a nasty punk

Smoking them cigs, smoking all them blunts

M6 riding and you got that cash

Rock that black on black

California kid, you’re a fucking sleaze

But damn, boy, you got me fucking on my knees

M6 riding, making out in the back

Rock that black on black on black.”

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4. Bring Me the Horizon, “In the Dark”

Amo • Sony Music • 2019

Association with night: darkness

After a four-year hiatus, English rock band Bring Me the Horizon returned in 2019 with an alluring, bold, and incredibly eclectic sixth studio album, amo. Clearly, with amo, listeners are given a much different listening experience compared to say, Sempiternal (nothing quite along the lines of “Shadow Moses” appears here).  Luckily, Oli Sykes provides us with the perfect song associated with night – “In the Dark.”

In the context of amo, “In the Dark” is more accessible compared to the song that precedes it, the lengthy “Nihilist blues.”  As referenced earlier, “In the Dark” remains much kinder and gentler than the music Bring Me the Horizon has delivered in the past.  The ‘pop’ is amped-up, the rock turned down, yet the results are successful.  The chorus is simply irresistible:

“So, don’t swear to God, He never asked you

It’s not his heart you drove a knife through

It’s not his world you turned inside out

Not his tears still rolling down

Jesus Christ, you’re so damn cold…”

Is “In the Dark” tied directly to night or nighttime? Of course not, but it’s loosely associated – it’s dark at night, right? Right!

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5. Lil Pump, “Stripper Name” (Ft. YG & 2 Chainz)

Harverd Dropout • Warner Bros. • 2019

Association with night: strip club, sex

18-year-old rapper Lil Pump definitely exemplifies the characterizing label ‘polarizing.’ He exploded with his 2017 flex-fest “Gucci Gang”, and his profile has only expanded since then. After releasing numerous singles in 2018, he released his sophomore album, Harverd Dropout, in February 2019. While this album full of bangers is short on substance, as well as a clear-cut, night-centric record, we have one loosely-associated song on hand, “Stripper Name.” Face it, we associate strippers with nighttime, hence “Stripper Name” sort of fits 13 Songs About and/or Associated with Nighttime. Furthermore, since sex is involved in the equation, that’s also often associated with night.  And depending on how far the stripper – Patricia in this case – is willing to go, perhaps she’s more accurately characterized as a ‘lady of the night.’

“Let me tell you somethin’ ‘bout me / Thick white bitch sitting in the front seat / Ridin’ ‘round, 488 ‘Rari / Sippin’ on drank while I’m on a jet ski…” Say what? Focusing on “Stripper Name,” Lil Pump enlists the services of West Coast rapper YG and southern rapper 2 Chainz. It should go without saying that “Stripper Name” goes hella dumb.  At the same time, the record ‘earns its stripes’ as one of the more memorable moments from Harverd Dropout.  The aforementioned Lil Pump hook continues, “I don’t know the bitch, but I know her stripper name.” This definitely isn’t an anthem for feminists… just saying. YG and 2 Chainz match the tastelessness of Lil Pump.  YG describes what he prefers regarding her private parts, as well as what he’s going to ‘do’ with his own.  As for 2 Chainz, well, her references a “necklace,” and likely, it’s a pearl necklace.  We’ll leave that at that…

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6. Nicki Minaj, “Bed” (Ft. Ariana Grande)

Queen • Young Money / Cash Money • 2018

Association with night: sex

“Got a bed wit’ your name on it / Wit’ your name on it / Got a kiss wit’ your name on it / Wit’ your name on it / Love me good, love me down, don’t turn me down / Got a bed wit’ your name on it / Wit’ your name on it.”  One thing that’s definitely associated with nighttime is the bedroom, more specifically, the bed. “Bed” appears on Queen, the long-awaited, highly-anticipated fourth studio album by Nicki Minaj. Here, Minaj enlists the vocal talents of Grammy-winning pop singer Ariana Grande.

“Bed” commences with Grande singing the intro, which ends up being part of the chorus (the aforementioned lyrical excerpt).  Grande delivers low-key vocals, performed in her lower register, with effective results.  She finally ‘lets loose’ more on the final chorus. As for Minaj, she pop-raps on a relatively brief first verse, referencing Tha Carter III and “Back shots to the beat of ‘A Milli’.” Yeah, “A Milli” arrived a good decade before “Bed” but it’s still a kickass rap banger. Anyways, the second verse is more melodic, mentioning “strawberry lingerie” and sex. Fair enough. The third and final verse is the most assertive, finding Ms. Minaj dropping un-pitched bars.  Of course, she gets provocative with it:

“I like his hang time, he said his head right
I said go all the way down and then head right
I watch him fuck it up, look at him luckin’ up
I said, ‘You need some thick skin, baby, suck it up.’”

Notably, “Bed” appears on another playlist on The Musical Hype, 15 Songs Associated with the Bed.

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7. Stephen Puth, “Sexual Vibe”

Sexual Vibe [Single] • Arista • 2018

Association with night: sex

“Your effort so effortless / So, don’t move too fast / Cause I like it when ya / Fuck with me reckless / And I’mma give it right back / Make the tension last like…” Pop musician Stephen Puth, the younger brother of Grammy-nominated pop musician Charlie Puth, introduced himself to the world with “Sexual Vibe”. The young Puth separates himself from his older bro instantly, unafraid to dive into sexual matters.  Where does night come into play? Well, sex is more often than not associated with nighttime, so… there’s that!

Beyond the sex (and f-bombs), Stephen Puth also separates himself vocally from Charlie in other ways.  His vocals are noticeably deeper, characterized by more bass and a more masculine quality (no offense to Charlie, of course).  His tone definitely stands out, definitely making “Sexual Vibe” appealing. Furthermore, his approach to the performance is rather chill and effortless, never over-singing or over-indulging.  Definitely ‘sexual,’ and it’s a ‘vibe,’ Stephen Puth gets off to a respectable start, while also showcasing the fact that he has plenty of room to grow artistically.  He can do so and continue to sing about sex… just saying!

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8. Hayley Kiyoko, “Sleepover”

Expectations • EMPIRE • 2018

Association with night: sex

“I’m just feeling low, feeling low / Even when you’re next to me / It’s not the way I’m picturing… / You wanna be friends forever? / I can think of something better… / But will you ever mess with me?” Ah, Hayley Kiyoko, aka Lesbian Jesus, is ‘crushing hard’ and experiencing a robust case of sexual tension. Kiyoko is fearless when it comes to sexuality throughout the course of her debut album, Expectations.  A perfect example of being open and sexy comes by way of the album’s fourth song, “Sleepover.”  Naturally, when you think sleepover, you associate it with the nighttime.  In this case, Kiyoko takes the sleepover to the next level, or at least, she really wants to, seeking to be more than friends.

On the chorus, Hayley Kiyoko sings:

“But at least I got you in my head, oh yeah

At least I got you in my head, in my head

Sleepovers in my bed, oh yeah

At least I got you in my head, in my head.”

Seems like they’ll merely have to suffice right now, sigh. BTW, Noah Michelson (of HuffPost) dubs Kiyoko “The Unapologetically Queer Pop Star We’ve Been Waiting For”.  Doesn’t seem unreasonable. Also, worth mentioning, “Sleep” appears on another playlist, 11 Songs That Center Around Sleep.

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9. Ella Mai, “Naked”

Ella Mai • 10 Summers / Interscope • 2018

Association with night: nudity

“Are you ready to fight just to see what’s lost behind my flaws? / Can you love me naked?” Sometimes, associations can be extremely loose. That’s definitely the case with “Naked,” the closing bonus track that appears on Ella Mai, the debut studio album by Ella Mai.  Here, Mai isn’t really referencing physical nudity, which we often associated with nighttime.  I mean, it’s not far-fetched, speaking from the male perspective, to ditch the shirt and strip down to the undies come bedtime, among other enjoyable happenings.  But again, Ella Mai is talking about love beyond imperfections – revealing her flaws and her man loving her beyond them.

Ultimately, “Naked” is an easy-going, soulful, and super-smooth urban contemporary gem. Sure, Ella Mai is stacked with more high-profile hits such as “Boo’d Up”, “Trip”, and “Shot Clock”, but that doesn’t keep “Naked” from being quite the heavy-hitter in its own right. Here, Mai sings expressively without ever having to break a sweat.  Her runs are smooth, while even her profane, feisty statements feel natural and never forced.  Sure, ‘night’ only has so much to do with this one but anytime such a thoughtful, well-penned song like “Naked” has even a shot at being featured on a playlist, it totally should be.

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10. Lil Wayne, “Dark Side of the Moon” (Ft. Nicki Minaj)

Tha Carter V • Young Money • 2018

Association with night: the moon, love

“Intergalactical love / The sky is falling, intergalactical, intergalactical love / And I’ll be waiting for you, for you, for you / On the dark side of the moon.” Nicki Minaj joins Lil Wayne on the R&B-infused, melodic rap of “Dark Side of the Moon.” “Dark Side of the Moon” appears on the long-awaited, highly-anticipated Tha Carter V, which arrived a whopping seven years after Tha Carter IV!  Moving beyond such a long wait for Weezy fans, “Dark Side of the Moon” does loosely fit 13 Songs About and/or Associated with Nighttime. How? The moon arrives during the nighttime, of course!

Enough small talk, let’s focus on the content of “Dark Side of the Moon.” While Lil Wayne’s vocals are a bit sketchy, the vibes of this record make it a highlight.

“The quiet calms my quasars, the eclipse is eclipsin’

My astronaut helmet kinda shifted, full of lipstick

Planet of the aches, and she is my prescription

We out of this world, baby, we have been evicted.”

Many times, Nicki Minaj is criticized for her singing vocals, but she sounds fabulous here, definitely eclipsing the slightly-faded sounding Wayne.  There are definitely times on her 2018 album, Queen, where you wish she sounded this strong.

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11. Post Malone, “Spoil My Night” (Ft. Swae Lee)

Beerbongs & Bentleys • Republic • 2018

Association with night: night itself, partying

“I don’t have much to say, I’ll be out front / Won’t you come spoil my night? / Feelin’s come into play and I’m thinkin’ this happens every time.” On “Spoil My Night,” a highlight from the Grammy-nominated album beerbongs & Bentleys, pop-rapper Post Malone and fellow pop-rapper Swae Lee (of Rae Sremmurd) join forces.  Lee, who assists on the chorus and delivers the first verse, sounds characteristic – airy, chill, laid-back, and incredibly mellow.

The first verse is all about flexing, partying and sex:

“My cup was too toxic

I took the robe off

I couldn’t get her off me

Dropped plenty money on her thighs…”

As for Post Malone, he has a bit more bite to his flow. What is the reason his night is going to spoiled? His unfaithful ways are being shared on social media, and his bae is going to find out.

“Now she whippin’ out her phone and I know

Damn, how many videos you gon’ post?

Everybody on the ‘Gram gonna know

My girl at home now my line about to blow

I know what I’m doin’ ain’t right

But ain’t no need to spoil my night, no need, no need.”

If nothing else, this night-centric number, which needs no further explanation, is clearly a vibe.

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12. Ice Nine Kills, “Stabbing in the Dark”

The Silver Scream • Fearless • 2018

Association with night: murder 

“Your kids won’t make it home tonight / With a madness void of reason / I kill with every strike / I’ll haunt you day after day / Knife after knife…”  Clearly, murder is on the minds of Ice Nine Kills on “Stabbing in the Dark.” “Stabbing in the Dark” appears as the third song from The Silver Scream, the metalcore collective’s fifth studio album. The majority of the album is steeped in horror, featuring songs such as opener “The American Nightmare,” The IT inspired “IT is the End,” and among the most colorful, “Merry Axe-Mas.”

As the aforementioned lyrics from the second verse suggest, the songwriting is creepy and ‘killer’ to the nth degree.  Furthermore, the dramatic music matches the unsettling nature of the lyrics, flourishing in a most damned minor key.  After a relatively slow, enigmatic start, the beginning with a breakdown following the chorus, Ice Nine Kills grow utterly hellish, chocked-full of aggression that is far removed from heaven.  Of course, the connection with night is both darkness and of course, murder, which often occur during the nighttime hours.  The chorus is a big-time selling point.

“When the hands of fate

Fall on the midnight hour

Behind the mask of hate

I don the devil’s power

If there’s life in the shadows

Let the knife leave its mark

When the certainty of safety feels like stabbing

Stabbing in the dark.”

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13. Joji, “Slow Dancing in the Dark”

BALLADS 1 • 88rising / 12 Tone Music • 2018

Association with night: sex

On the downtempo “Slow Dancing in the Dark”, a highlight from the 2018 album BALLADS 1, alt-R&B artist Joji deals with matters of the heart.  Call “Slow Dancing in the Dark” a heartbreak-tinged slow jam. As usual, he sings in an undertone initially, exhibiting chill, laid-back, and somewhat somnambulant vocals.  Speaking of darkness and being somnambulant, both are typically associated with the night, hence, the appearance on 13 Songs About and/or Associated with Nighttime. Joji perfectly captures a nighttime vibe.

Eventually, the listener is treated to clearer, more assertive vocals from Joji. “Slow Dancing in the Dark” finds Joji breaking up with his girlfriend as the relationship has run its course. On the second pre-chorus, not only does he reference the emotional aspects of a relationship, but also his desire for sex, even though it clearly won’t atone for their incompatibility. On the chorus, he sings:

“Give me reasons we should be complete

You should be with him, I can’t compete

You looked at me like I was someone else, oh well

Can’t you see?

I don’t wanna slow dance

In the dark.”

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[Photo Credits: 10 Summers, 12 Tone Music, 88rising, Arista, Atlantic, AWAL, Cash Money, EMPIRE, Fearless, Greyson Chance Music (GCM), Interscope, RCA, Republic, Sony Music, Warner Bros., Young Money]

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