13 Songs That Totally Have It MADE features Eminem, Eurythmics, H.E.R., Panic! At the Disco, Taylor Swift & Teyana Taylor.
So, have you ever heard the expression βIβve got it made?β Well, thatβs the deal with this list of 13 songs! Today, ladies and gentlemen, we present to you the fabulous, 77th playlist of 2021 on The Musical Hype, 13 Songs That Totally Have It Made. The keyword on this compendium is none other than M-A-D-E, made! All songs feature the adjective in their respective song titles.
As always, with 13 Songs That Totally Have It Made, we strive to keep things diverse. Ths compendium features musicians such as Eminem,
Eurythmics,
H.E.R.,
Panic! At the Disco,
Taylor Swift, and
Teyana Taylor among others. So, wonβt you join us for a reading and listening experience that is sure to make your day?
1. H.E.R, βWe Made Itβ
Back of My Mind β’
RCA β’
2021
Multi-award-winning R&B singer/songwriter
H.E.R. gets off to an awesome start on her debut album,
Back of My Mind, with
βWe Made Itβ. Early on, the instrumental shines, taking nearly a minute to simmer. I heart the production by
DJ Camper and
Flippa. Once Wilson begins singing, sheβs βon-point,β never over-singing, delivering expressive and nuanced vocals; the richness of tone is stunning.
Beyond the picturesque backdrop and sweet vocals, thereβs also strong songwriting. Wilson mixes contemporary, love-motivated, reflective, and gratitude within the same song. There are several key moments, including a favorite:
βThey said I wonβt come up with the family and cop a couple of Grammys
All the things they said I canβt be, revenge taste just like candy.β
To reiterate, βWe Made Itβ is an awesome way to start off Back of My Mind. Furthermore, itβs awesome standalone record.
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2. Panic! At the Disco, βHey Look Ma, I Made Itβ
Pray for the Wicked β’
Fueled by Ramen β’
2018
Panic! At the Disco β specifically
Brendon Urie β flexes in the most alt-pop way possible on single
βHey Look Ma, I Made It.β βHey Look Ma, I Made Itβ is a highlight from the bandβs sixth studio album,
Pray for the Wicked. Essentially, this bright, fun, major-key gem finds Urie celebrating becoming successful in the music industry.
On the horn-filled chorus, he simply lays it out there.
βHey, look ma, I made it
Hey, look ma, I made it
Everythingβs cominβ up aces, aces
And if itβs a dream, donβt wake me
I said, hey, look ma, I made it.β
On the verses, listeners are treated to cleverer, left-of-center lyrics associated with the band. In the context of Pray for the Wicked, this standout keeps the momentum going strong.
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3. Chris Stapleton, βDevil Always Made Me Think Twiceβ
Starting Over β’
Mercury β’
2020
βAnd mama always set a good example / Daddy always gave me good advice / Jesus tried to steer me in the right directionβ¦β Hmm, I wonder how the chorus concludes from
βDevil Always Made Me Think Twice.β Well, honestly, itβs as youβd expect: βBut the devil always made me think twice / Devil always made me think.β Here,
Grammy-winning country singer/songwriter
Chris Stapleton covers himself.
How does Mr. Stapleton manage to cover himself? Well, βDevil Always Made Me Think Twice,β the second track from 2020βs Starting Over, was originally recorded by
Hailey Whitters. Even so, Stapleton wrote the song alongside
Al Anderson. The resulting record is a high energy, traditional country record where Stapleton is assertive, infusing ample spirit into the performance.
βAnd when Iβm standinβ at the gate
Theyβll tally up my sins, they wonβt let me in.β
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4. Bryson Tiller, βSelf-Madeβ
True to Self β’
RCA β’
2017
On
βSelf-Made,β
Bryson Tiller has no shortage of confidence. Honestly, he exudes confidence (and perhaps, some cockiness), boasting, βIβve been balling like Iβm Curry, need a jersey for myself.β βSelf-Madeβ appears on Tillerβs 2017 sophomore album,
True to Self. While respectable, True to Self was ultimately unremarkable. That said, the song at hand marks one of the better moments.
Compared to the songs preceding it on True to Self, βSelf-Madeβ has more drive β itβs more assertive. With much of True to Self being built around lushness and physical pleasure, βSelf-Madeβ goes harder, even where sound is concerned. This is fitting giving the heat that Tiller serves up. Yeah, heβs a bit arrogant, but going back to that Curry quote, letβs not forget, the Kentuckianβs debut, T R A P S O U L, blew up.
5. Taylor Swift, βLook What You Made Me Doβ
reputation β’
Big Machine β’
2017
ββIβm sorry, the old Taylor canβt come to the phone right now.β / βWhy?β / βOh, βcause sheβs dead!ββ
βLook What You Made Me Doβ (
reputation) was unlike anything else that
Grammy-winning superstar
Taylor Swift had released β completely left-of-center of the country-pop that made her famous. βLook What You Made Me Doβ marked her at her darkest, making the boldest statement of her career. Vocally, she sounds about the same, but favors a darker tone. The backdrop features urban-pop production work, comprised of dark synths, drum machines, and a minor key.
Adding to the shock of βLook What You Made Me Doβ are her unpitched, tongue-n-cheek vocals on the titular line:
βOoh, look what you made me do
Look what you made me doβ¦β
Swift wasnβt playing around β she was as angry as a four-letter word. The source of her anger? Well, those rivals who shall remain nameless were prime candidates. If nothing else, revisiting βLook What You Made Me Do,β the attitude and feistiness exhibited are quite respectable.
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6. The 1975, βLove It If We Made Itβ
A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships β’
Interscope β’
2018
βWeβre fucking in a car, shooting heroin / Saying controversial things just for the hell of it.β Prior to the first of many incredibly loud, edgy moments from
βLove It If We Made Itβ,
The 1975 do a great job of establishing a driving rhythm on the highlight from their 2018 album,
A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships. This isnβt a fast cut, but the rhythm helps to keep things moving.
Another selling point is the energy of front man, Matthew Healy. Sure, heβs overindulgent and too loud, but at least heβs exuberant in his execution. This is particularly great on the simple, but effective chorus (βAnd Iβd love it if we made it / Yes, Iβd love it if we made itβ). Maybe the record feels crammed with too much β thereβs very little breathing space and not enough dynamic variation β but itβs still a worthwhile MADE song.
Worth noting, Rina Sawayama covers βLove It If We Made Itβ on the deluxe edition of her 2020 debut album,
SAWAYAMA.
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7. Playboi Carti, βRockstar Madeβ
Whole Lotta Red β’
AWGE / Interscope β’
2020
Playboi Carti has proven himself to be a βone of a kindβ rapper. Is that a positive description? In some ways, yes, it is, while in other words, not necessarily. Nonetheless, his 2020 studio album,
Whole Lotta Red, has its fair share of intriguing moments including
βRockstar Made.β
Carti kicks off Whole Lotta Red with the wild number. His energy is unquestionable. The same can be said regarding his sexual appetite:
βShe suckinβ my dick (What?), she eat it for lunch (What? Uh)
I hit it from the back (What?), yeah, Iβm beatinβ it upβ¦β
Wow. Just wow. I guess it goes with the territory. Rappers canβt rap without being open about their sexual encounters. βRockstar Made!β
8. Teyana Taylor, βMade Itβ
The Album β’
Getting Out Our Dreams, Inc. / Def Jam β’
2020
βGirl you workinβ with some ass, yeah, youβre bad, yeah / Make a nigga spend the cash, yeah, his bag, yeah.β After releasing the brief
K.T.S.E. during the
Kanye West mini-album run of 2018,
Teyana Taylor atoned on her 2020 album,
The Album. The Album is the total opposite of K.T.S.E. running 80 minutes in duration! Even though itβs too long, itβs a high-quality affair. One of the best songs from The Album is undoubtedly,
βMade It.β
βItβs been a long time cominβ
All these blessings rollinβ in, I ainβt even see βem cominβ
β¦Built this shit up on two by twos
I want it now, I paid too many dues.β
Taylor saves two of the albumβs very best songs for the end, including the 22nd track, βMade It.β βMade Itβ brings nostalgia utilizing a Juvenile sample (
βBack That Azz Upβ). This joint checks off all boxes for Taylor. Great vocals, attitude, a catchy chorus, intriguing lyrics overall, and superb production (
BoogzDaBeast,
NOVA WAY, and
Kanye West).
9. Marc E. Bassy, βMade Love Firstβ (Ft. Kehlani)
Gossip Columns β’
Republic β’
2017
βBefore I knew your maiden name or even had your picture framed / I knew your body told me thing, but shit, I shouldβve picked your brainβ¦β Kβ¦For many folks, the world was introduced to
Marc E. Bassy in 2016, when he dropped his second EP,
Groovy People. Difficult to classify or pigeonhole, Bassy proved himself to be eclectic. Stylistically, he incorporates pop, urban, and singer/songwriter cues into his music. This makes him quite the compelling artist. In 2017, Bassy released his enjoyable, well-rounded, full-length debut album,
Gossip Columns, which includes our βfirstβ song at hand,
βMade Love First.β
On βMade Love First,β Bassy βgets a little help from his friend,β Grammy-nominated R&B artist,
Kehlani. βMade Love Firstβ finds Bassy lamenting the fact that he and his girlfriend complicated their relationship by hooking up first before connecting emotionally. On the chorus, he regretfully sings:
βI wish we didnβt make love first
You know that tore apart everything from the start
I wish we didnβt make love first
We know that body does claim that we fell in love
I wish we didnβt make love first
You know you let me hit, that donβt mean this is it, yeah
I wish we didnβt make love first
Baby our time was wrong, but as soon as you hear this song
I hope you let me.β
Well, with the cliffhanger of the final line of the chorus, naturally thereβs a post-chorus. Furthermore, itβs sexually charged: βLet me hit it like the first night.β The theme itself is a relatable one, particularly in a hook-up dominated culture. Both Bassy (verse one, chorus) and Kehlani (verse two) shine.
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10. Nancy Sinatra, βThese Boots Are Made for Walkinββ
Boots β’
Boots Enterprises Inc. β’
1966
βAre you ready, boots? Start walking!β
Nancy Sinatra is the daughter of an iconic musician,
Frank Sinatra. Furthermore, sheβs a musician herself, among many other accomplishments and accolades. As a musician, Nancy is renowned for one song in particular:
βThese Boots Are Made for Walkinβ.β The classic appears on her 1966 album,
Boots.
βThese Boots Are Made for Walkinββ is a prime example of a novelty song. Itβs that βonce in a lifetimeβ number thatβs cutesy, corny, and schmaltzy, yet incredibly irresistible. Sinatra is even playful in her vocal performance, amplifying the tongue-n-cheek sensibilities. βYou been messing where you shouldnβt have been messing,β she sings on the first verse, continuing, βAnd now someone else is getting all your best.β Those vibes continue as the song progresses, with Sinatra asserting on the second verse, βYou keep saming when you ought to be changing.β Itβs far more violent on the third verse, where, βIβve just found me a brand new box of matches, yeah / And what he knows you ainβt had time to learn.β Of course, the crΓ¨me de la crΓ¨me β the crowning achievement β is the chorus where:
βThese boots are made for walking
And thatβs just what theyβll do
One of these days these boots
Are gonna walk all over you.β
Worth noting, Jessica Simpson covered βThese Boots Are Made for Walkinβ.β Itβs an interesting interpretation
.
11. Eminem, βWe Made Youβ
Relapse: Refill β’
Shady / Aftermath β’
2009
One thing that
Eminem never has a short supply of is controversy. Honestly, if you look up the word controversy in the dictionary, Iβm sure youβll find his picture. I say all that to say, his 2009
Grammy-winning album,
Relapse (later expanded as
Relapse: Refill), featured ample controversy. Mind you, Marshall Mathers has never generated the same amount of controversy as when he was at the height of his career, but Relapse still has no shortage of eyebrow raising moments. One of the more entertaining moments from the LP is the song at hand,
βWe Made You.β
βWhen you walked through the door
It was clear to me
Youβre the one they adore
Who they came to see,
Youβre a rock star (Baby)
Everybody wants you
Player, who can really blame you?
Weβre the ones who made you.β
The chorus is golden, performed mostly by Charmagne Tripp. Also, the production, by
Dr. Dre and Eminem, is superb too. That leaves on the Midwest rapper to βdo the damn thing,β which he absolutely does. His rhymes are agile, sharp, and most of all crude. As expected, Eminem offends to the nth degree, and we expect no less. On the first verse, he calls Kim Kardashian a man, asks Lindsay Lohan to return to dating men as opposed to women, and insults her girlfriend. On the second verse, his pop cultural assault includes Ellen DeGeneres, Sarah Palin, Britney Spears, John Mayerβ¦ The third verse includes Jessica Alba, Elvis, and Amy Winehouse. The big thing Iβd tell anyone regarding Eminem: take him with a grain of salt.
12. Eurythmics, βSweet Dreams (Are Made of This)β
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) β’
Sony β’
1983
βSweet dreams are made of this / Who am I to disagree?β One word: ICONIC.
βSweet Dreams (Are Made of This)β is by far the biggest hit from
Eurythmics. If
Annie Lennox and
Dave Stewart hadnβt recorded anything besides this 1983 classic, their legacy would be secure, NO CAP. This is the quintessential 80s record, one that no dream-centered or made-centric list should ignore.
βSweet Dreamsβ shines for several reasons. The Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) highlight features awesome production by
Stewart β the rhythm, the synths! Meanwhile, Annie Lennox shines from a vocal perspective, infusing personality to match the lyrics. Her robust pipes have always been formidable. Lyrically, this isnβt a complex song but the few lyrics used pack a mean punch.
βSome of them want to use you
Some of theme want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused.β
Woo! As Lennox finishes the chorus (excerpted at the top), βIβve traveled the world and the seven seas / Everybodyβs lookinβ for something.β Indeed! This has become an oft-covered song, with the most notable interpretations coming from Marilyn Manson and
BeyoncΓ©.
13. Marvin Sapp, βNever Wouldβve Made Itβ
Thirsty β’
RCA β’
2007
βNever would have made it / Never could have made it without you / I would have lost it all / But now I see how you were there for me.β Itβs incredibly rare that a contemporary gospel song impacts the pop charts. Thatβs exactly what happened with the inspirational, spiritually charged, totally uplifting
Marvin Sapp hit,
βNever Would Have Made Itβ (
Thirsty).
As Sapp sings, his passion and relentless faith is easily perceptible to the listener. Among the best moments are the likes of, βI am stronger / I am wiser / And now I am better / so much better.β Sigh, the reading the lyrics alone pack a mighty, reverent, and totally moving punch. Speaking to the pop success of the record, it peaked at no. 82 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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