13 Songs That Turn Da BASS Up | Playlist

13 Songs That Turn Da BASS Up features music courtesy of Britney Spears, John Summit, Meghan Trainor, Merkules, Nicki Minaj, and PaulWetz.

This playlist is dedicated to the lowest sounds – the bass! That includes the rad string instrument! The awesome, rarer voice type! The musical subgenre! And, in some cases, the butt ! In most cases on 13 Songs That Turn Da BASS Up, low sounds get their just due – well-deserved love! 13 Songs That Turn Da BASS Up features music courtesy of Britney Spears, John Summit, Meghan Trainor, Merkules, Nicki Minaj, and PaulWetz. So, won’t you join us in embracing dat “big fat bass?!” C’mon, let’s make it clap – I mean – make it slap !

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1. John Summit, “EAT THE BASS”

2.Excision & Sullivan King, “Bass To The Dome”

3.Nicki Minaj, “Super Bass”

4.Meghan Trainor, “All About That Bass”

5.PaulWetz, “Ode an den Bass”

6. DEV & The Cataracs, “Bass Down Low”

7. Kyle Exum & Shawn Wasabi, “Bassthoven”

8. BONNIE X CLYDE, “Bass Jam”

9. Merkules, “Bass” (Ft. Tech N9ne & Hopsin)

10. Bear Grillz & LAYZ, “BASS FACE”

11. Britney Spears, “Big Fat Bass” (Ft. will.i.am)

12. Rick Ross, “Movin’ Bass” (Ft. Jay-Z)

13. Johnny Cash, “Daddy Sang Bass”

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1. John Summit, “EAT THE BASS”

“EAT THE BASS” // Experts Only // 2024

“I wanna feel your body / Don’t want romance.” So, sex? Well, now… “I just need to eat the bass / So let me dance.” Ah, so, no sex? Not, per John Summit on “EAT THE BASS”. The body feels that is desired here aren’t sexually driven – they are driven by dancing.  Nothing wrong with that! The electronic music producer and DJ ‘puts in work’ on “EAT THAT BASS” producing the track. The groove is infectious, and the synths are scintillating. There are harder synths, kinder, gentler synths, and bass-heavy synths. It’s a winning formula. Summit composed “EAT THE BASS” alongside Eddie Jenkins and Elkka. The result is a stellar gem readymade to dance your booty off – electronic style, of course! Providing the vocals is Emma Kirby.  She nails it, singing those dance-yearning lyrics like a champ. Like most EDM tracks, the lyrics are limited and repetitive. That’s ideal, playing to the minimalism that Summit explores, and, is explored within dance and electronic music. No need for poetry when you’re moving those feet and other body parts, right? Right! “EAT THE BASS” = SUREFIRE VIBE.

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2.Excision & Sullivan King, “Bass To The Dome”

“Bass To The Dome” // Subsidia // 2023

Sounds, sounds, and more sounds! That’s what Canadian DJ/producer Excision (Jeff Abel) and American DJ/metal musician Sullivan King (Keaton Prescott) deliver on their 2023 collaborative single, “Bass To The Dome.” The sounds aren’t just any sounds.  They are enormous, heavy, in-your-face sounds ! The drums hit you in the chest.  The guitars are jagged and menacing, while the synths are bold, dizzying, and edgy. “Bass To The Dome” has a few quieter moments but overall, it rocks hard with little let-up. Stylistically, the song incorporates dance, metal, and rock. It’s not all instrumental on “Bass To The Dome.” There are lyrics! However, the lyrics are simple and repetitive.  That’s perfect for a dance record! “Bass to the dome, like / Dome like, dome, like.” “Bass To The Dome” is best listened to rather than analyzed and explained.

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3. Nicki Minaj, “Super Bass”

Pink Friday // Young Money / Cash Money // 2010

“This one is for the boy with the boomin’ system / Top down, AC with the cooler system.” Nicki Minaj gives the bass love early on “Super Bass”. “Super Bass” was a hit from her 2010 debut album, Pink Friday. How big was the bass on “Super Bass?” HUGE. It peaked at no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has been certified 12x platinum by the RIAA as of 2024. Revisiting it, it’s understandable why it is the most successful hit of her career, outperforming her more recent number-one singles.  The instrumental is crucial to the song’s success. It features a bright, exuberant backdrop by Kane Beatz. The beat and rhythmic, shimmering synths are everything.  Kane Beatz is also credited as a writer with Nicki and Ester Dean.

The instrumental is fabulous, but Nicki Minaj is the star. She says it best herself: “Somebody please tell ‘em who the F I is / I am Nicki Minaj, I mack them dudes up / Back coupes up and chuck the deuce up.” Oh, snap ! She brings an electrifying flow, filled with energy. Her rhymes are fun. She knows what she wants in her men: “He could ball with the crew, he could solo / But I think I like him better when he dolo / And I think I like him better with the fitted cap on.” Furthermore, her melodic, poppy vocals shine in the infectious, unforgettable chorus:

“Boy, you got my heartbeat runnin’ away

Beatin’ like a drum and it’s comin’ your way

Can’t you hear that

Boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass?

He got that super bass.”

BOOM ! Her rapping is her best attribute, but on “Super Bass,” the singing is a vibe too. Ultimately, “Super Bass” reminds you how fresh Nicki was back in the day.

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4. Meghan Trainor, “All About That Bass”

Title // Epic // 2015

“I’m bringing booty back / Go ahead and tell them skinny bitches that,” Meghan Trainor sings on her Billboard Hot 100 no. 1 hit, “All About That Bass.” Oh, snap ! So, no skinny bitches allowed ? The Grammy winner continues singing in the second verse, “No, I’m just playing, I know you think you’re fat / But I’m here to tell you / Every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top.” The diamond-certified, retro-pop song is uplifting touting body positivity. It says, ‘Women, embrace your body image!’ Trainor penned this infectious song alongside producer Kevin Kadish.  He fabulously plays multiple instruments and constructs a fitting backdrop for Trainor to paint her distinct vocals. There are plenty of memorable lines, including “‘Cause I got that boom boom that all the boys chase / And all the right junk in all the right places.” The section to beat, of course, is the chorus where she asserts, “I’m all about that bass, ‘bout that bass, no treble.” This will forever be the Meghan Trainor song to beat – it’s a classic!

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5. PaulWetz, “Ode an den Bass”

“Ode an den Bass” // Columbia // 2024

“Nur der Bass (Bass) / Vertreibt den Kummer und den Hass / Hier regiert der Bass.” English translation, please? PaulWetz is singing on “Ode an den Bass” (“Ode to the Bass”), “Just the bass (bass) / Dispels the sorrow and the hatred / The bass reigns here.” The German musician wrote and penned this 2024 song with Johannes Römer and Johannes Madl. The bass is prominent from the beginning which feels fitting.  The groove builds excellently.  PaulWetz delivers beautiful vocals. Without being fluent in German, the lyrics are hard to decipher. Still, the melodies are tuneful. Dive into the translated lyrics and the text is engaging. Highlights include [translated] “One hundred and thirty decibels, no one speaks / We dive down and can’t see anything because the fog is too thick,” and “Endorphins are boiling in our veins / Our drugs are the melodies / I never feel as good as I do today.” Ah, the power of the bass! Of course, the chorus, excerpted at the top, is the section to beat on “Ode an den Bass”:

“And the bass

Dispels the sorrow and the hatred

Kick drum reigns supreme all night long

Everyone here is arm-in-arm

The whole crowd jumps to the beat

Forty degrees, the floor sticks, the ceiling is wet, yes-yes

Just the bass

Dispels the sorrow and the hatred

The bass reigns here.” 

The dancefloor is lit , and the bass is turned up on the electrifying “Ode an den Bass.”

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6. DEV & The Cataracs, “Bass Down Low”

“Bass Down Low” // Universal Republic // 2010

“If you wanna get with me / There’s some things you gotta know,” Dev sings in the chorus of her 2010 single, “Bass Down Low”.  She adds, “I like my beats fast and my bass down low / Ba-ba-bass, bass, bass down low.” “Bass Down Low” features The Cataracs who produced the track.  The instrumental is sleek, led by the bass, rhythmic synths, and drum programming.  Where do The Cataracs’ vocal contributions come in? The pre-chorus, where “Yeah, I like it loud, and I’ll make you shout / Give you that Black Eyed Peas / You know that Boom Boom Pow.” Word! The chorus, as well as the post-chorus, are Dev’s biggest moments.  That said, she drops a pair of colorful verses and a bridge.  In the first verse, she raps, “Fish tank this thing along with four more shots of Patron / Don’t give a fuck about going home.” In the second, she asks, “Can I get a little Goose in my O.J.?” “Bass Down Low” isn’t deep (an understatement) but it’s fun and infectious, more than a decade after it was released.  If nothing else, Dev touts a big fat bass line!

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7. Kyle Exum & Shawn Wasabi, “Bassthoven”

“Bassthoven” // Kyle Exum // 2020 

“I’m like Beethoven with the bass on him.” That is a statement, Kyle Exum! Ludwig Van Beethoven was a musical genius; one of the giants of classical music. Sampling the Beethoven classic, Für Elise, the YouTuber and musician cooks .  He drops a superb flow, confident tone, and captivating bars on his 2020 single, “Bassthoven”. “Bassthoven” is brief, merely crossing the two-minute.  That’s ample time for him to kill it. He’s assisted by Shawn Wasabi who produced the track.  That trap beat sounds dope against the beloved Beethoven bagatelle.

Naturally, “Bassthoven” contains cool references to Beethoven (“Deaf to the hate, I won’t stop”) as well as Mozart (“Me and Mozart got bars, we got bops” and “And if Mozart comes at me with the diss track) and Bach (“The next Johann, call me 2Bach”).  Exum also drops clever, sick musical references (“Ninety-nine problems, my pitch ain’t one” and “A major G, watch your tone here”).  Exum is self-assured, entertaining, and locked-in on “Bassthoven”.

Appears in :

• Kyle Exum, Bassthoven: Bangerz N Bopz 46 (2024)

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8. BONNIE X CLYDE, “Bass Jam”

Wanted (EP) // Interscope // 2017

“We play bass jams, in the basement / And I don’t know, I don’t know where do we go from here.” DJ duo BONNIE X CLYDE – Daniel Litman and Paige Lopynski – wrote and produced “Bass Jam.” “Bass Jam” is the second track on their 2017 EP, Wanted.  It thrives thanks to a bright, enthusiastic instrumental. Fittingly, it features a robust bass line. Lopynski handles the vocal duties. “Stay up all night, ‘til the sunlight /And we don’t know what time it is,” she sings in the second verse, continuing, “Playing bass jams, getting wasted / And we don’t know, we don’t know.” During the verses, the song sounds more driving.  During the dynamic chorus, “Bass Jam” embraces dubstep and more of a half-time feel. The big takeaway from “Bass Jam” is the bass! “I’mma let the bass, take me away!”

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9. Merkules, “Bass” (Ft. Tech N9ne & Hopsin)

Special Occasion // Merkules Music // 2019

“They throwing dirt on my name, I might just burst into flames (Burst into flames) / They tryna surf on my wave, I ain’t gon’ turn down the bass (Turn down the bass).” Woo ! Canadian rapper Merkules brings the heat on “Bass”, a banger from his 2019 album, Special Occasion.  He gets awesome assists from rappers Tech N9ne and Hopsin.  From the get-go, the fire fires on all cylinders on “Bass.” It begins with the enigmatic instrumental intro. Sleekly produced by Pops, it’s anchored by a knocking beat.  Merkules sets the bar high in the first verse, killing it with his electrifying flow. “Made it out the hood, now these motherfuckers act like I didn’t work for it,” he spits.  He adds, “You think you hot, but you’re not, ‘cause your shit’s all ass like Nicki Minaj.” All ass like Nicki Minaj? Oh, snap ! He also kicks ass and takes names in the chorus, excerpted at the top.

Tech N9ne takes the second verse. He delivers his signature, hella fast-paced flow:  “How can a hater say I’m irrelevant? / Speakin’ before you check it out is never intelligent.” Facts! He also references the band, Queen, spits, “Fuckin’ Dingo Dong, you a Hostess,” and asserts, “Niggas forever no like me, atsa matta for you.”  Hopsin drops the final verse. His tone stands out, including colorful vocal inflections.  Like his fellow MCs, he has his fair share of highlights, including the flex, “And you know that the pussy is fire, that’s why they throw it at me like a Molotov.” All told, “Bass” is a surefire rap banger.  Merkules, Tech N9ne, and Hopsin ‘put in work.’ 

Appears in :

• Merkules, Bass: Bangerz N Bopz 47 (2024)

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10. Bear Grillz & LAYZ, “BASS FACE”

“BASS FACE” // Rude Service // 2024

“Get crunk in this motha fuckin’ club / What’s up? What’s up?” Ooh-wee! What’s up is Bear Grillz who gets hype AF on “BASS FACE.” “Throw yo fuckin’ bass face! / Bass face (what the).” What the indeed! On “BASS FACE,” Bear Grillz collaborating with LAYZ.  The result is an aggressive,  bold, fierce, and heavy dance single.  The production is badass with its hard-nosed synths and a beat that hits you right in the chest. Boom! With few lyrics, those lyrics are often repeated.  They are potent and match the song’s energy and unapologetic, partying spirit.  Ultimately, “BASS FACE” is a song with aggressive vocals against an equally aggressive backdrop.

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11. Britney Spears, “Big Fat Bass” (Ft. will.i.am)

Femme Fatale // JIVE // 2011

“I can be your treble, baby, you could be my bass.” Noted, Britney Spears! The lyrics hail from the chorus of “Big Fat Bass,” the 8^th track from her 2011 LP, Femme Fatale.  On “Big Fat Bass,” Britney collaborates with will.i.am.  Not only does he produce the track, but he also contributes his vocals.  His performance begins in the intro, where he repeats the titular lyric, filled with vocal effects. It sets the tone for the quirky track. Later, in the third verse, will.i.am raps, focused on sound: “Yo, it’s the kick drum, come and get some,” “They sit and wait and listen / For the kick drum, for the kickdrum / … for the big, big, fat, fat, bass, rocking all in your face,” and “This beat right here’s gigantic.” Indeed, the beat is sick, screaming dancefloor.  Likewise, the bass and synths are fierce too.

Will.i.am puts his stamp on “Big Fat Bass.” But, Britney is the star.  Her vocals are repetitive, gimmicky, and filled with effects.  It’s no vocal masterclass, but her performance catches the ears. Beyond the chorus, she serves up two colorful verses and a ‘refrain.’ A shared lyric in the verses and refrain: “It’s getting bigger, the bass is getting bigger.” Ooh-wee! Otherwise, she sings, “I want you to take me higher / ‘Til I can’t take it no more,” and “I wanna have me a good time / The bass is feeling nice.” The bass is ‘bassing’ on “Big Fat Bass” more than a decade later.

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12. Rick Ross, “Movin’ Bass” (Ft. Jay-Z)

Hood Billionaire // Def Jam // 2014 

“You see them plaques on a nigga wall / We still movin’ bass / Got them records jumpin’ off the store / And we still movin’ bass.” WOO! Grammy-winning rapper Jay-Z performs the chorus of “Movin’ Bass.” He’s not the lead artist, however.  Those honors belong to Grammy-nominated rapper, Rick Ross. “Movin’ Bass” is the 9^th track on Hood Billionaire, his second album released in 2014. Timbaland and J-Roc produced the track anchored by sick, ultra-rhythmic drum programming. It begins with a spoken word intro by Kenneth Williams, accompanied by that magnificent groove. Soon enough, Ross takes the reins, showing off his electrifying flow throughout three verses. In the first verse, he asserts, “We movin’ weight, I’m at a different pace / I’m out in Haiti with my lady screamin’ n’ap boule’.” By weight, Ross isn’t referencing his weight, of course. Backtracking, by movin’ bass, Rick isn’t talking about adjusting the levels on the stereo bass! He has to watch for the feds in the second verse. “Feds stay up the street / Know they tailin’ us close, so we leak what we wanna leak.” Word.  In the third and final verse, although he’s achieved commercial success, he still ‘hustles’: “You see the plaques on the wall but the yayo still in the spot.” The bass ‘hits different’ on this track.

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 13. Johnny Cash, “Daddy Sang Bass”

The Holy Land // Sony Music Entertainment // 1969 

“I remember when I was a lad / Times were hard and things were bad / But there’s a silver lining behind every cloud.” Oh, the positivity, Johnny Cash! The late country music icon is renowned for a slew of hits.  Among them is “Daddy Sang Bass” written by Carl Perkins. Cash’s version was the first released though many artists have covered the brief but potent classic.  While “Daddy Sang Bass” missed the top 40, it reached no. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969.

“Daddy sang bass, mama sang tenor / Me and little brother would join right in there / Singing seems to help a troubled soul.” The chorus is the centerpiece – the crème de la crème – of “Daddy Sang Bass.” Here, Cash gets the assist from his background singers (including June Carter Cash). The voice types are dramatized – a fitting, cool effect. That is not the only intriguing part of the chorus, however. Notably, it features an interpolation from The Carter Family, “Can the Circle Be Unbroken” dating back to 1935 (the hymn is known as “Will The Circle Be Unbroken?”).  Cash and his supporting cast sing, “No the circle won’t be broken / By and by, Lord, by and by.” Beyond the choruses, Cash shines with his exquisite, rich baritone in the verses.  In the second, he recollects the past: “Now little brother has done gone on / But I’ll rejoin in a song / We’ll be together again up yonder in a little while.” “Daddy Sang Bass” remains awesome, nearly 60 years after its release.  The simple accompaniment and production (Bob Johnson) is sufficient to fuel the iconic musician’s fire.

Appears in :

• Johnny Cash, Daddy Sang Bass: Throwback Vibez 81 (2024)

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13 Songs That Turn Da BASS Up (2024) [: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Cash Money,  Columbia, Def Jam, Epic, Experts Only, Interscope, JIVE, Kyle Exum, Merkules Music, Rude Service, Sony Music Entertainment, Subsidia, Universal Republic, Young Money; Amr Osman from Pexels; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Gordon Johnson, Jennifer R., OpenClipart-Vectors, RadiantMuse0, Sascha from Pixabay]

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