13 Songs Where It’s All in a Kiss 😘

Reading Time: 14 min read

13 Songs Where It’s All in a Kiss features music courtesy of Angie Stone, Empress Of, Holly Humblestone, Kadie Elder, and Stephen Sanchez.

Never underestimate the power of a kiss ! There is a reason why so many songs have been written about kisses and kissing – it’s potent and relatable. In the past, on The Musical Hype, we’ve unveiled a couple of playlists where kisses are kind of a big deal: 17 Songs Where the Kisses are Everything (2018) and Kisses: An Intriguing Compendium of Kiss Songs (2021). Now, we’re back with ANOTHA ONE in 13 Songs Where It’s All in a Kiss ! 13 Songs Where It’s All in a Kiss features music courtesy of Angie Stone, Empress Of, Holly Humblestone, Kadie Elder, and Stephen Sanchez among others. With this musical compendium, have the kisses ever felt sweeter? Absolutely not!

1. Empress Of, “Kiss Me” (Ft. Rina Sawayama)

“Kiss Me” • Major Arcana / Giant Music • 2023

“Kiss me, kiss me slowly, slowly / Whisper, whisper, show me / Show me / That I’m your one and only.” Aww , so romantic, Empress Of (Lorely Rodriguez)! The Honduran American pop musician released the single, “Kiss Me”, in 2023, tapping the talented Rina Sawayama for the assist. Rodriguez and Sawayama wrote “Kiss Me” alongside Kyle Shearer, Nate Campany, and BJ Burton. Valley Girl – Campany and Shearer – produce this bop. One of the key features, instrumentally of “Kiss Me” is the piano . The production sounds warm, fitting for an amorous cut. Empress Of delivers fabulous vocals throughout the record with her tone and upper register shining. It doesn’t hurt that the melodies are tuneful throughout, as well as the fact that “Kiss Me” has a clearly defined form (verse/pre-chorus/chorus). Empress Of takes first blood, performing the first verse, pre-chorus, and chorus. She asserts in the first, “If this is love, I’ll settle down / Just tell me to,” following up in the pre-chorus, “Just touch my lips and pull my hair / To come with you, I’d go anywhere.” WOO! Sawayama echoes similar sentiments in the second verse, singing, “And when I breathe, I’m breathin’ life / Into our wings.” She sings the final pre-chorus, before joining forces with Empress Of in the final chorus. It’s followed up by one final section, the outro, which is S-W-E-E-T. All in all, Empress Of is definitely an empress when it comes to “Kiss Me”.

2. Stephen Sanchez, “Send My Heart with a Kiss”

Angel Face • Stephen Sanchez / Mercury / Republic • 2023

“Send my heart with a kiss, if ever I need to / I can feel your love when I cannot be with you.” Aww ! “Send My Heart with a Kiss” concludes Angel Face, the debut album by Steven Sanchez. Sanchez is young – 20-years-old as of publication time (born in November 2002 ). Even so, he gives off the old soul vibes, hearkening back to the pop of the past – think 1950s. Furthermore, throughout Angel Face, Sanchez incorporates a conceptual narrative, which is capped off on the two-and-a-half minute “Send My Heart with a Kiss.” “Send my heart with a kiss, if I ever need an ember / To warm my lonely soul in the middle of winter,” he sings in the second verse, continuing, “What more could offer this? / So, please send my heart with a kiss.” #Angel Face. On this beautiful song, the protagonist, ‘The Troubadour Sanchez,’ is dying after being shot, and he professes his love to Evangeline, who has appeared throughout the album. Sanchez’s voice is pure; he sings authentically, expressively, and with ease. It’s giving 50’s crooner. He penned “Send My Heart with a Kiss” alongside Ian Fitchuk. Fitchuk also produces alongside Konrad Snyder.

3. Angie Stone, “Kiss You”  

Love Language • Conjunction Entertainment / SoNo Recording Group • 2023 

“Ooh, boy your lips (Boy your lips), the way they sittin’ (Sittin’) / I can’t focus, I can’t even pay attention.” Grammy-nominated R&B singer/songwriter Angie Stone is clearly turned TF on by this boy on “Kiss You”, a highlight from her 10th studio album, Love Language. She continues in the steamy pre-chorus, “I lick my lips (Lick my lips), they start to glisten (Glisten) / You wanna bite ‘em every time they’re in your vision.” Woo! So enticing! For “Kiss You,” Stone samples the Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, “I Miss You”.  A popular source for many contemporary R&B/neo-soul joints, with the help of the producers, “Kiss You” gets some modern swagger thanks to those epic drums anchoring things down . “Kiss You” is a classy sex song. In the verses, Stone establishes sensual vibes.  In the first, she wants his hands on her body – ooh la-la! In the second, she wishes to “go somewhere low-key and private.” Hmm, wonder why! In the third, this man has her feeling some type of way – “I find it hard to keep my composure.” Angie, a good man will do that to you… or so I’ve heard!  

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4. The Isley Brothers, “Body Kiss” 

Body Kiss • SKG Music L.L.C. • 2003  

When R. Kelly wrote and produced music for The Isley Brothers in the aughts, it tended to be risqué.  Ronald Isley embraces singing about sex . In 2003, he continued his sexual endeavors on “Body Kiss”, the fourth and title track from Body Kiss. Kelly provides a shout out in the intro, while Lil Kim amplifies the sexed-up joint in the third verse (“Let me dance like a stripper in the club”).  Ron, in his early 60s at the time, doesn’t hold back from indulging: “Now, we about to play this game / This freaky, freaky game / And I’m gonna let you win.”  That game, of course, is “Body Kiss,” laid out clearly in the chorus: 

“Baby, body kiss 

Meaning anywhere you want it 

I will kiss 

From your head down to your toes 

Just make one wish 

And I will kiss, from your…, and your … 

From you …, to your …”   

My favorite line appears in Ron’s second verse: “Turn around and see that rear, embrace it now / I’m about to lay you down and taste it now.” Damn, that’s freaky! If there were any doubt that the older folks can’t be sexy and straight-up sexual, Isley shuts that down OLD, BUT STILL LIT !  

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5. Holly Humblestone, “Kissing in Swimming Pools”

Paint My Bedroom Black • Holly Humberstone • 2023

“When you found me, I was a train wreck / You gathered my bones in a blanket,” English singer/songwriter Holly Humberstone, sings in the first pre-chorus of “Kissing In Swimming Pools”. The nearly five-minute single appears as the fourth track from her debut album, Paint My Bedroom Black. Humberstone penned “Kissing In Swimming Pools” alongside producer, Rob Milton. All told, “Kissing In Swimming Pools” is a strong musical offering from a rising star.

“Kissing In Swimming Pools” commences with guitar accompaniment, keeping things relatively simple. Humberstone serves up sweet vocals. Her tone is excellent, and she never over sings. There are two consecutive verses, with musical cues helping to differentiate both. For example, the addition of drums and bass up the ante in the second verse. “Kissing In Swimming Pools” encompasses matters of the heart. In the first verse, she sings, “I wanna know if you think about me that way.” In the second, she asserts, “I wanna be the one that gets to fix you, honey / I wanna sleep to your sound.” The third, which appears later, may be the most colorful: “Call me up and tell me I’m pretty / Then we’ll get drunk, and I’ll give you, my body.” Ooh-la-la! Of course, the biggest, most important moment of “Kissing In Swimming Pools” is the chorus:

“So, can we kiss your swimming pool?

In this bathing suit, I would die for you

Maybe I don’t have to leave so soon

You look heavenly in this shade of blue

We don’t have to complicate it

I just wanna be alone with you

I – I just wanna be alone with you.”

Also helping the chorus to shine is a more robust sound. Still, even as things grow, Humberstone never overdoes it. All told, “Kissing In Swimming Pools” is gorgeous – a winner through and through.

6. Myylo, “Kissing on Your Dad”

My EP Era is Over Now • Myylo • 2021

“Came over to play Xbox / I didn’t think I’d meet a sexpot…” Oh snap! Myylo lusts for daddy on the fantastic, absolutely laugh out loud hilarious “Kissing on Your Dad”. Originally released in 2020, “Kissing on Your Dad” ends up on his 2021 EP, My EP Era is Over Now. “…He came upstairs from his man cave / I had to tell myself to behave.” He takes us on a flirtatious trip where, expectedly, we get a description of the hot dad making young Myylo feel some type of way – “And he’s so damn tall call him Megatron / Votes democrat with the mail-in.” Wow! That said, can you blame him for being turned on? “I want to be the one he’s nailing” summed up quarantine horniness perfectly.

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7. Cher, “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss)” 

Love Hurts • UMG Recordings, Inc. • 1991

With a lack of success with the original “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss)” (Poor Merry Clayton), Betty Everett earned success with her rendition.  How could she not? “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss)” is infectious to the nth degree.  That said, unless your musical upbringing was in the early 1960s, it’s unlikely you associate “The Shoop Shoop Song” with Everett – sorry girl! There have been a variety of covers, including the 1991 rendition by Cher. Worth noting, the iconic, Academy Award/Grammy-winner has had bigger hits.  It was moderately successful on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at no. 33.  Regardless, this gem from her 1991 album, Love Hurts, just feels right. Cher possesses a distinct, powerful voice, and her one-of-a-kind timbre sounds incredibly ear-catching on this novel cut.  Compared to the Everett version which predates nearly 30 years, the Cher edition gets updated production work. Even so, it still captures the charm of the original, including crucial background vocalists.  As the kids like to say today, “The Shoop Shoop Song” in Cher’s hands is a vibe! 

Appears in :

Betty Everett vs. Cher: Head 2 Head ️ No. 8 (2022)

8. Eli Lieb, “Kissing Your Tattoos”

The Nights We Lived • Eli Lieb • • 2017

“Yeah, I think it’s just a one-night thing / Sorry if you wanted more from me.” Apology accepted, Eli Lieb, I suppose . On “Kissing Your Tattoos” ( The Nights We Lived, 2018), the openly gay pop musician asserts he and his lover are ‘temporary’ – merely hooking up for one passionate evening, if you will. “Maybe just some midnight rendezvous / But I’ll stay here kissing your tattoos.” Well, we can infer the sex is lit , right, particularly with those hot tattoos fueling the fire ! “I’m touching every inch of you in the dark,” Lieb sings honestly, continuing, “Sometimes I don’t know when to stop.” Ah, the power of horniness, particularly between two horny guys . Self-control must be minimal in that scenario. Worth noting, prior to that line, Eli legitimately considers, “Do you have a lot of one-night-stands?” The answer seems obvious (HELL YES), though we hope the man is being safe. Ultimately, the honest, relatable “Kissing Your Tattoos” is what it is – SEX. Sexual preference doesn’t matter. Basically, to quote Yung Joc, “It’s Goin Down”.

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9. Kadie Elder, “First Time He Kissed a Boy”

BOY • Nordic Music Society • 2016

“First time he kissed a boy / He had never, never known / ‘Cover up’ is what they told / Feel so cold.” Ugh, homophobia is far too prevalent. While boys kissing boys has become more accepted since Kadie Elder released their single, “First Time He Kissed a Boy” on October 11, 2014, it’s still not smooth sailing for gays and other members of the LGBTQ community. Cover up should NOT be the answer, yet that’s what he’s been directed to do by society, unfortunately. Back up to the first verse of this slickly produced, fabulously performed record, and the protagonist tries to use music as an escape: “Troubled face / Headphones on / Forgetting time and place / All he wanted.” Of course, you can only escape so much before it all catches up and comes to a head, sigh.

Ultimately Anders Rask (singer and songwriter) and Morten Kærup Hjort (guitarist, songwriter, and producer) would release “First Time He Kissed a Boy” as the fifth and final track on their 2016 EP, BOY – the duo’s most popular song. Rask and Hjort penned the song, while Hjort produces alongside Søren Vestergaard. The second verse is both poetic and sad: “Keeping back / The ghost inside / Locked him in a pack / All his life / All his life.” Homophobia hits different this round – internalized. Shame is far too prevalent in the LGBTQ community, and the second verse captures unhealthy supersession. The good news is, watching the awesome music Video , the two boys ultimately take a leap of faith and share a kiss , and the song itself also moves past detrimental homophobia with the lyrics, “Get lost, get lost, get lost, get lost.” “First Time He Kissed a Boy” is the perfect song to celebrate National Coming Out Day and to embrace and remember that love is love, PERIOD.

Appears in :

Kadie Elder, First Time He Kissed a Boy: LGBTQ Bopz No. 33 (2023)

10. David Shawty & Yungster Jack, “Kiss My Own Dick”

“Kiss My Own Dick” • nitemarepacc • 2020

“Aw, fuck, I kissed my own dick, damn.” Well, that’s, um, a skill, I suppose. “Kiss My Own Dick” by David Shawty and Yungster Jack, lacks substance – an understatement. There’s not much here, but it’s (1) ear-catching, (2) entertaining, and (3) worth commentating on. Basically, David Shawty and Yungster Jack are concerned about their penis , specifically, receiving pleasure. That’s the SIZE of it ! After Shawty delivers the excerpted gem from the intro, he ‘launches the rocket’ in the chorus:

“Kiss my own dick

Then she suck me in the bathroom, ate her own kids

Nutted in her mouth, then I kissed her

Think I shot it on her face like some glitter.”

JESUS !!! He goes on to drop more ‘erect’ bars in the verse, which initiates with “She drinkin’ nut, fill up a pitcher.” O…M…G… Apparently, to ‘enjoy himself,’ Yungster Jack had his “ribs removed” – Yikes ! Of course, it’s not only up to him to create pleasure: “She’s throwin’ that neck like a hula hoop” and “She-she-she just, she just sucked my dick in a Honda.” What else is there to say?

Appears in :

David Shawty & Yungster Jack, Kiss My Own Dick: After Dark No. 11 (2021)

11. Dermot Kennedy, “Kiss Me”

Sonder • Riggins / Interscope / Island • 2022

“When our love gets stolen / ‘Cause there’s no exception / And I know time will take you far from me.” Aww – I don’t want to think about that time, Dermot Kennedy! The Irish singer/songwriter understands that life can be bad, cruel, and fleeting, but remembering its best days – those where love rules and things feel perfect – is where it’s at. Of “Kiss Me,” a highlight from his 2022 album, Sonder (rereleased in 2023), Kennedy tells Apple Music:

This is based on an idea that I saw in the book Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In that book, a psychologist falls in love with one of his patients and they have these incredible, beautiful days and then other days that are absolutely chaotic and horrific. On one of the good days, when everything seems perfect, she says to him to remember that even on the really, really bad days, this version of me and us still exists.

Love that! ️ the song too, particularly the chorus: “So kiss me the way that you would / If we die tonight / Hold me the way that you would / For the final time…” Kennedy sings expressively on this gem penned with Dan Smith, KOZ, and Steve Mac. KOZ and Mac produce this thoughtful joint alongside Scott Harris. The kisses are SOOO sweet!

12. Frankie Goes To Hollywood, “Krisco Kisses”

Welcome to the Pleasuredome • ZTT Records Limited • 1984

Apparently, Crisco isn’t only used for cooking . That’s right, Frankie Goes to Hollywood teaches us another way to use it. It should come as no surprise that the other use is associated with sex. If you thought “Relax” was something else, what about another eyebrow-raising joint from Welcome to the Pleasuredome, “Krisco Kisses”? Holly Johnson openly shares what’s ‘going down’ – rather, what is ‘going up.’

Bitmoji Image “With a fist way past the wrist / Take it to the top.” Yep, Johnson is referencing fisting [an educational link, FYI], a sexual act performed by some in the gay community, that can be a heterosexual activity, too). Of course, if you do a Google search, you’ll likely run into some pornographic results , which should tell you it’s popular in the adult entertainment industry… The point is, Johnson, ever the provocateur, embraces X-rated-ness without being profane. “You fit me like a glove, my love /… Take it to the top, my love.” Gah-day-um! If you haven’t figured it out still, out of naivety, shock, or your mind is blown , the “krisco” serves as lubricant…

“Krisco kisses (kisses!)

Never misses (misses!)

Krisco kisses (kisses!)

You can take it, take it up, up and up…”

Frankie Goes To Hollywood band was certainly ahead of its time, particularly with LGBTQ themes still very much taboo in the 80s. Furthermore, songs about fisting are rare despite a growing catalog of unapologetically queer music.

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13. The Crystals, “He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)”  

Da Doo Ron Ron: The Very Best of The Crystals • Phil Spector • 2011   

“He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)” is a problematic song title – PERIOD!!! Perhaps had The Crystals’ 1962 classic ended up being metaphorical lyrically (say, the kiss had gargantuan impact like a knockout punch ), we’d let the song title slide.  The problem is, “He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)” is literal, hence, understandable why it raised eyebrows and caused an uproar upon release. Oh, the controversy when abuse conflated with love comes into play! Amazingly, this record came from two of music’s most elite songwriters, once husband/wife team Carole King and Gerry Goffin . “He hit me, and it felt like a kiss / He hit me but it didn’t hurt me.” Well, he should’ve never put his hands on you, Barbara Alston! Sadly, Alston and The Crystals add, “He couldn’t stand to hear me say / That I’d been with someone new / And when I told him I had been untrue…” While the infidelity is a bad look, the hitting part remains #PROBLEMATIC.  Furthermore, the victims think it’s okay, blaming themselves for being hit – “He hit me and I knew he loved me.” BULL! As troubling as “He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)” is to listen to, it’s based on a real-life experience.  As the story goes, King/Goffin’s babysitter, singer Little Eva, was honest to them about being hit by her boyfriend and rationalizing it as his love for her.  Yikes!  

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13 Songs Where It’s All In a Kiss (2023) [: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Conjunction Entertainment / SoNo Recording Group, Eli Lieb, Holly Humberstone, Interscope, Island, Major Arcana / Giant Music, Mercury, Myylo, nitemarepacc, Nordic Music Society, Phil Spector, Republic, Riggins, SKG Music L.L.C., Steven Sanchez, UMG Recordings, Inc., ZTT Records Limited; furkanfdemir, Leelo Thefirst, Los Muertos Crew, Pavel Danilyuk, Tim Mossholder, Uriel Mont, Vera Arsic, Yaritza from Pexels]

13 Songs Where It’s All in a Kiss | Playlist

Published by the musical hype on October 16, 2023October 16, 2023