13 Truly Close, Intimate Songs

Reading Time: 14 min read

13 Truly Close, Intimate Songs features music courtesy of Clairo, Elton John, Nick Jonas, Next, and Saweetie.

Oh, to be truly CLOSE with someone – how we all long for the closeness! Intimate moments – whether sexual or nah – can be truly special. This playlist, 🎧 13 Truly Close, Intimate Songs, explores matters of closeness. Songs on this musical compendium feature synonyms or associated/related words to CLOSE. That means, close, closer, familiar, inseparable, intimate, and intimacy are all acceptable words to be featured in the respective song titles. 🎧 13 Truly Close, Intimate Songs features music courtesy of 🎙 Clairo, 🎙 Elton John, 🎙 Nick Jonas, 🎙 Next, and 🎙 Saweetie among others. So, go on and cozy up to your partner (if you have one 😢) and jump right into these truly close, intimate songs!

1. Elton John & Britney Spears, “Hold Me Closer”

💿 The Lockdown Sessions • 🏷 Mercury • 📅 2021

“Hold me closer, tiny dancer,” 🎙 Elton John sings memorably on his 1972 hit single, 🎵 “Tiny Dancer”. Everyone and his brother and sister know and love the iconic titular line from “Tiny Dancer” despite the fact it was only a moderate success. After seeing renewed chart success with 🎵 “Cold Heart”, which repurposes classics by the 🏆 Academy and Grammy-award winning icon, John does it again, repurposing “Tiny Dancer” and tapping 🎙 Britney Spears for the assist. 🎵 “Hold Me Closer” marks the first time Spears recorded in years. Making a comeback with a musical legend is fitting especially given Spears’ own status as one of the biggest pop stars of the late 90s and 00s. “Hold Me Closer,” produced by 🎛 watt and Cirkut, is patterned after the successful formula fueling “Cold Heart.” “Hold Me Closer” also samples the no. 1 Elton John hit, 🎵 “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” and 🎵 “The One”. Vocally, there are plenty of effects in play, which plays into the club/dance aesthetic. This isn’t the type of record that, say, screams vocal masterclass. It’s intended to be fun and, obviously, unite two of pop’s greatest stars. Released in 2022, it eventually appeared as a bonus track on John’s 2021 album, 💿 The Lockdown Sessions.

Appears in 🔻:

2. Kleeer, “Intimate Connection”

💿 Intimate Connection • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 1984

“Bear-skin rug, fireplace / I rub my fingers all over your face.” Ooh la la 😈! One thing is crystal 🎙 Kleeer on the 1984 electro-funk classic, 🎵 “Intimate Connection” (💿 Intimate Connection): The sex is lit 🔥! “Secrets learned, secrets to keep,” 🎙 Woody Cunningham continues singing sensually in the first verse, “With one concern, we have no time for sleep.” Hmm, wonder why there is no time for sleep 🤔. Well, something tells me that “Cling to me for the magic ride” has nothing to with a car…

Anyways, “Intimate Connection” is the definition of a vibe. As silky smooth and sexy as Cunningham’s vocals are, so is the sound of the backing instrumental. Those synths (🎙 Norman Durham) and drum programming – those glorious boxy sounding drums – are as important to the success of the track as Cunningham is. As playful and tastefully titillating as the verses are (“Dawn decorates a night of ecstasy / A breakfast menu of you and me”), it is the chorus that is the centerpiece – the crowning achievement: “Intimate connection, baby (serious) / Oh, baby.” Sure, the chorus is simple but there’s just something so electric about those harmonized backing vocals emphasizing just how serious this intimate connection is. Such a shame that 🎵 “Intimate Connection” did not chart on the pop charts, sigh. It did achieve success on the R&B chart, as well as being the sample of choice for the 🎙 2Pac classic, 🎵 “California Love (Remix)”.

Appears in 🔻:

3. Saweetie, “Closer” (Ft. H.E.R.)

🎵 “Closer” (Ft. H.E.R.) • 🏷 ICY / Warner • 🗓 2022

🏆 Grammy-nominated rapper 🎙 Saweetie is scoring hits while simultaneously receiving criticism. Regardless of the skeptics, she continues to release music including a single with 🏆 Academy/Grammy award winner 🎙 H.E.R. 🎵 “Closer” appears on the rapper’s 2022 debut album, 💿 Pretty Bitch Music. It falls in line with several pop-oriented records from female rappers. In her performance, H.E.R. embraces those light, sexy, feel-good vibes. Saweetie brings a more aggressive, biting approach to her rhymes in the verses, contrasting the smooth backdrop (🎛 DJ Swish, Kaine, Mike Crook, and Ryan Ogren). The rhymes encompass sex mostly (“Take them eight-inch out them drawers / Da Vinci dick, come paint these walls”), with some drip mixed in (“I got ‘em sending Birkins on my birthday”). Is it effective? It works, though it’s nothing brand-new necessarily.

Appears in 🔻:

4. Nick Jonas, “Close” (Ft. Tove Lo)

**💿 Last Year Was Complicated • 🏷 Island • 📅 2016**

“Oh damn, oh damn, oh damn / I’m so perplexed / With just one breath, I’m locked in.” Well Damn, this girl has got 🎙 Nick Jonas all hot and bothered 🥵. Get him a drink because the boy is thirsty 🥤! He adds on 🎵 “Close”, a highlight from his 2016 album, 💿 Last Year Was Complicated, “Cause if I want you, then I want you, babe / Ain’t going backwards, won’t ask for space / Cause space is just a word made up by someone who’s afraid to get too…” Best you can’t fill in the ellipsis 😝! Yup, Nick was feeling totally twitterpated. Cutting to the chase of “Close,” it’s going down… FOR REAL!

So, here’s the thing, tho. All of this horniness and lust occurs before featured guest, Swedish pop singer/songwriter 🎙 Tove Lo puts her two cents in 🤯! “Oh, man, oh, man, I am not / Really known for ever bein’ speechless,” she asserts in the second verse. Obviously, she’s into him too and they want to be incredibly CLOSE together – 👉👈 – if you catch my drift. The centerpiece is the – wait for it – close-knit chorus 😝. Reiterated again is what Nick and Tove Lo sang in the pre-chorus: “‘Cause ‘space’ was just a word made up / Someone who’s afraid to get / Close.” This sensual pop duet, written by Tove Lo, 🎼 ✍ Justin Tranter, Julia Michaels, Mattias Larsson, and Robin Fredriksson (Larsson and Fredriksson also produce as 🎛 Mattman and Robin). 🎵 “Close” peaked at no. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it one of Jonas’ biggest hits as a solo artist. Closeness, hence, pays TF off!

Appears in 🔻:

Nick Jonas, Close: Midnight Heat 🕛 🔥 57 (2023)

5. Years & Years, “Intimacy”

💿 Night Call • 🏷 Polydor • 🗓 2022

“It’s too late to get off this road, I want ya / But I’m not one for casual intimacy.” 🎙 Olly Alexander (🎙 Years & Years) desires more than a casual, sexual relationship in the future on 🎵 “Intimacy”, the standout fourth track from 💿 Night Call (2022). Even so, for now, he wants this guy so much, he has no plans to stop ‘being with’ him. In the chorus, he continues, “Maybe one day something will change in me / Intimacy.” What’s interesting is that Olly views intimacy in two different ways. Casual intimacy is associated with casual sex, which he references throughout “Intimacy” positively and negatively. “No need to be pampered to be your man,” Olly sings, continuing, “If all you got is under the covers then I’m good with that.” Of course, he also desires something deeper, even if he’s giving mixed messages: “Your sex is heaven / As far as I’m concerned / I want you to stay / But I don’t want you to be another lesson learned.” “Intimacy” gives us the best of both worlds from Years & Years. Sure, there’s awesome sex, but also, it explores going deeper, transcending sex.

Appears in 🔻:

6. Isaac Dunbar, “intimate moments”

💿 evil twin • 🏷 RCA • 📅 2021

“I’m scared to love and bare the rest.” That is an honest and authentic lyric from alternative pop wunderkind, 🎙 Isaac Dunbar. It’s also incredibly relatable. The contents of those lyrics seem representative of 🎵 “intimate moments”. Dig deeper into this highlight from Dunbar’s 2021 album (EP), 💿 evil twin, and he reveals his fears: “And I might cry but I’ll never show it / Can’t let you down, can’t let you down / I have a fear of intimate moments / If you’re around, why am I down?” So, he has a partner, at least in the context of the song, but he also has anxiety? Yes, that is the situation and honestly, no, it is not far-fetched or unusual. It speaks to how complicated relationships are and how tough it is to for some people to be vulnerable – be an open book.

With a stellar theme and thoughtful and emotional songwriting, there is no shortage of positive attributes that make “intimate moments” a winner. The production (🎛 Joel Little) , sound, and aesthetic are terrific. Dunbar, of course, is incredibly gifted, shining with a calm, cool, collected brand of vocals in the verses. Generally, in the verses, he sings in his lower register, in more of an undertone, which is win. Even so, he impresses with a tuneful melody, particularly in the chorus. Speaking of the chorus, Dunbar rises to the occasion vocally sans over singing. The bridge marks a welcome contrast, though doesn’t depart too far from what Dunbar established through most of 🎵 “intimate moments”. All told, it is a terrific song.

Appears in 🔻:

7. Liam Payne & J Balvin, “Familiar”

💿 LP1 • 🏷 Hampton • 📅 2019

Ah, familiar – a synonym for the word, intimate 🤓! Who brings the familiarity on 🎧 13 Truly Close, Intimate Songs? Why, that would be polarizing, 🎙 One Direction member, 🎙 Liam Payne. On his sexy, Latin pop single, “Familiar”, he enlists unlikely partner, Colombian reggaetón singer, 🎙 J Balvin. “It’s simple, you dip low / Your hips roll, you do the Calypso / An intro is all that I need, oh, yeah.” Woo! As unlikely it may be, “Familiar” is one of few successful moments from his flop-tastic, 2019 album, 💿 LP1. The reggaetón sound works sufficiently for Payne as is a natural fit for J Balvin – DUH! The groove is infectious, the songwriting is simple and repetitive (“Can we get famili-famili-famili-familiar?”), while both musicians deliver respectable, well-rounded performances.

8. Clairo, “Closer To You”

💿 Immunity • 🏷  Fader • 📅 2019

“You called me late at night, I pick up every time / Wish that I could rewind, get some peace of mind.” 🎵 “Closer to You” arrived as the second single from 💿 Immunity, the debut album by 🎙 Clairo (Claire Cottrill). Cottrill penned “Closer to You” alongside 🎼 ✍ 🎛 Rostam Batmanglij, who also produces this gem which features excellent, electro-/alt-pop production cues (synths and drum programming). “Closer” deals with matters of the heart, as evidenced by the excerpt from the first verse. In the second verse, Clairo sings, “Know I’m standing here by choice / And I can’t hear the background noise anyway.” Throughout, Cottrill delivers lovely vocals, even with some vocal effects in play. Speaking of those vocals, harmonies enter into the mix beginning on the pre-chorus. The following chorus provides Cottrill with another well-executed, memorable section. Further amplifying the ear-catching excellence is the thoughtful addition of guitar. “Closer to You” sounds like a hit the first time you hear it – simple enough, but highly effective.

Appears in 🔻:

9. The Chainsmokers, “Closer” (Ft. Halsey)

💿 Collage (EP) • 🏷 Disruptor / Columbia • 📅 2016

🎵 “Closer” (💿 Collage (EP)) has a strong case as the crowning achievement of 🎙 The Chainsmokers’ career. “Closer,” which features 🏆 Grammy-nominated alternative pop artist, 🎙 Halsey, spent 12 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. The blend of 🎙 Drew Taggart’s deeper vocals and the upper register synths used with the backdrop is radiant in the first verse. Halsey enters in the second verse, providing contrast and delivering more scrumptious ear candy. The chemistry between Taggart and Halsey is strong, specifically during the build-up section towards end. Prior to that, however, the centerpiece of the record, the chorus, totally rocks:

“So, baby pull me closer in the backseat of your Rover

That I know you can’t afford

Bite that tattoo on your shoulder

Pull the sheets right off the corner

Off the mattress that you stole

Form your roommate back in Boulder

We ain’t ever getting older.”

All told, “Closer” is incredibly enjoyable, benefiting from its catchy lyrics and, solid performances from Drew and Halsey.

Appears in 🔻:

Closer: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 55 (2023)

10. Natalie Cole, “Inseparable”

💿 Inseparable • 🏷 Capitol • 📅 1975

“Inseparable / That’s how we’ll always be / Inseparable / Just you and me.” Damn, I want a love like that 🎙 Natalie Cole! The late, great 🏆 Grammy winner ranks among the most versatile musicians of the all-time encompassing jazz, pop, and R&B/soul. 🎵 “Inseparable”, from the 1975 album of the same title, this record is considered one of her best – a gorgeous, love-filled ballad. Cole sings with incredible authenticity and finesse – she’s a class act. This soulful, well-written record was penned and produced by 🎼 ✍ 🎛 Charles “Chuck” Jackson and her ex-husband, Marvin Yancy. On this brief, two-and-a-half-minute record, Natalie ensures we understand how deep this bond is.

“We’re like a flower to a tree

Like words to a melody of love

There’s no way we could break up

No words that could make us blow our thing

We are just

Inseparable.”

Other shout-outs include the lush backdrop (the keys, the strings), the harmonic progression, and the aesthetic and vibe. 💿 Inseparable is an awesome album! Furthermore, “Inseparable” is also an awesome song. It starts and ends with the treasure that was Natalie Cole.

Appears in 🔻:

11. Next, “Too Close” (Ft. Vernell “Vee” Sales)

💿 Rated Next • 🏷 Arista • 📅 1997

“I wonder if she could tell I’m hard right now.” Damn, that’s an eyebrow raising lyric, from the intro of the 🎙 Next classic, 🎵 “Too Close”. Honestly, the transparency regarding a boner sets the tone for this beloved, naughty contemporary R&B cut from 1997 album, 💿 Rated Next. As a child – and a naïve child at that – when “Too Close” reached no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, I didn’t catch all the sexy references. As a fully matured adult, starting with the opening boner, the intimacy, or desire for intimacy, is fully erect – through the roof!

The chorus alone was enough to send “Too Close” to the top of the charts. Even to this day, this is one of the more memorable choruses of the 1990s. What is interesting, however is, per Genius verifications from members of Next, most people butcher the words of this particular song 🤯. With that considered, I don’t feel as bad experiencing the eye-opening experiencing of reading what the lyrics accurately say, particularly the often flubbed opening lyric of the chorus:

“Baby, when we’re grindin’, I get so excited

Ooh how I like it, I try but I can’t fight it

Oh, you’re dancin’ real close, plus it’s real, real slow

You know you’re makin’ it hard for me.”

With grindin’ being confirmed, that explains the excitement. Of course, the verses emphasize the desire, the lust, the sheer horniness – sex is uttered in both. Perhaps more erect is the pre-chorus, when 🎙 Vernell “Vee” Sales sings, “Step back, you’re dancin’ kinda close / I feel a little poke comin’ through on you.” What more is there to be said thematically? Musically, 🎵 “Too Close” benefits from smooth, rhythmic production (🎛 Kay Gee) that helps to fuel its sensual fire. This joint remains sexy AF to this day.

Appears in 🔻:

Next, Too Close: Midnight Heat 🕛 🔥 56 (2023)

12. Nine Inch Nails, “Closer”

💿 The Downward Spiral • 🏷 Interscope • 🗓 1994

“You let me violate you / You let me desecrate you / You let me penetrate you / You let me complicate you.” Violate? Desecrate? Penetrate? Complicate? Sheesh – it’s self-explanatory why 🎵 “Closer” (💿 The Downward Spiral, 1994)is dubbed as controversial, right? Clearly 🎙 Nine Inch Nails’ 🎙 Trent Reznor has constructed a character who is in an animalistic, lustful, and deviant state of mind. The first verse is a perfect example of a suspect mindset when it comes to sex. Sex, we find out, is only one component of “Closer,” even if Reznor asserts on the chorus: “I wanna fuck you like an animal / I wanna feel you from the inside.” Yes, that’s thinking with the D for sure!

The first pre-chorus tells more than the overt sex references over the industrial-sounding backdrop. Here, Reznor’s character is a broken man with no morals. He ‘gives no fucks’ about the acts he’s going to commit sexually, because “I broke apart my insides” and “I’ve got no soul to sell.” So, essentially, he didn’t sell his soul to the devil because he had none to begin with. Savage! The sex is a way to cope to some extent (“Help me get away from myself”). He suggests flaws can be ‘sexed away’, including isolation and absence of faith. ‘You make me perfect / Help me become somebody else,” he sings in the second pre-chorus. A key statement closes out the chorus: “My whole existence is flawed / You get me closer to God.” Woah! Of course, it’s hard to see Trent Reznor, as a spiritual being. In the equally controversial music video 🎶📼, there is a lot of weird shit going on. A live monkey tied to a cross (WTF), a boar’s head, a naked woman, an eel (?), maggots, Trent licking what resembles a nipple… The video raises more questions and amplifies the controversy. Even so, “Closer” also kicks some serious ass. It’s dark, but there’s a beauty and high level of musicianship beyond the darkness.

Appears in 🔻:

13. Eddie Kendricks, “Intimate Friends”

💿 Slick • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 🗓 1977

“Your love, takes me higher / My life, you inspire / Fill me with love and desire / Your love takes me higher.” For legendary soul singer, 🎙 Eddie Kendricks, his relationship with his lover is lit 🔥. Clearly, the former Temptations standout is I-N-F-A-T-U-A-T-E-D on 🎵 “Intimate Friends”, which graces his 1977 album, 💿 Slick. ‘Slick’ “Intimate Friends” is in numerous ways. For one, the production by 🎛 Leonard Caston and David Van dePitte is soulful to the n^thdegree. It is worth noting, in 2005, 🎙 Alicia Keys reminded us how awesome the instrumental from this song is, sampling it in her 🏆 Grammy-nominated hit, 🎵 “Unbreakable”. “Intimate Friends” is also slick considering the theme and lyrics. 🎼 ✍ Gary Glenn composed a gem which Kendricks does a fabulous job of bring to life. Intimate friends feels like something more than platonic friends.

To his credit, Kendrick never mentions the word sex. That said, does he need to? Intimacy can mean different things, but it is easy to infer that making love is part of the script. In the second verse, Eddie sings, “Our love shines brighter, than the morning sun / Two hearts together becoming as one.” Yes, they are in a long-term, committed relationship. Also, they seem to be, ‘making to do’ as well. The big takeaway, however, is that this is terrific soul classic, one that doesn’t earn the same acclaim as the bigger, better known hits, including his own no. 1 hit, 🎵 “Keep On Truckin’”.

Appears in 🔻:

13 Truly Close, Intimate Songs [📷: Brent Faulkner/The Musical Hype; Arista, Atlantic, Capitol, Hampton, Island, Motown, The Nucleus, Polydor, RCA, UMG Recordings, Inc.; Gustavo Fring, Ketut Subiyanto, Mikhail Nilov, Ron Lach, Sarah Chai, Wilker Lauriano from Pexels; Monika from Pixabay]

13 Truly Close, Intimate Songs | Playlist 🎧

Published by the musical hype on July 17, 2023July 17, 2023