13 Truly Killer Songs | Playlist

13 Truly Killer Songs features music courtesy of Eminem, Kali Uchis, Kanye West, Shinedown, and YUNGBLUD among many others.  

As Brendon Urie of Panic! At the Disco once sung, “Let’s kill tonight / Kill tonight! / Show them all you’re not the ordinary type!” Hell yeah – that’s some killer stuff right there!  This particular playlist, 13 Truly Killer Songs is all about killing things.  Obviously, the ‘killer’ occurrences depend on the context, but the key requirement for every song on this playlist is featuring some form of the word ‘kill.’ Artists contributing to this murderous list include Eminem, Kali Uchis, Kanye West, Shinedown, and YUNGBLUD.

1. Eminem, “KILLSHOT”

KILLSHOT – Single • Interscope • 2018

“…So just leave my dick in your mouth and keep my daughter out of it.” On the unfortunate diss track “Rap Devil”, Machine Gun Kelly left plenty of ammunition for Eminem to kick his ass. That’s where “KILLSHOT” comes in, literally killing the rapper. “Stan, Stan, son, listen, man, Dad isn’t mad / But how you gonna name yourself after a damn gun / And have a man-bun?” Eminem references Kelly’s lyrics from “Rap Devil” on the intro (mockingly), the first sign that he’s about to absolutely destroy him. He delivers interesting flows throughout – some quicker and others choppier and more broken up.  Regardless, he takes plenty of notable shots towards MGK.

 “But I’m 45 and I’m still outselling you / By 29, I had three albums that had blew.”  Yeah, it’s petty AF, but Eminem is telling the truth.  Age continues to factor in as he spits, “Younger me? No, you’re the wack me, it’s funny but so true / I’d rather be 80-year -old me than 20-year-old you.” Later, remaining petty, he also makes an accurate assertion:

“My biggest flops are your greatest hits

The game’s mine again and ain’t nothin’ changed but the locks

So, before I slay this bitch I, mwah, give Jade a kiss.”

Continuing to bite back, he’s obsessed with references to penises, including the devastating line,  “You look up to me and for the record / You would suck a dick to f**kin’ be me for a second / Lick a ball-sack to get on my channel.” Phallic to say the least.  One of the more eyebrow-raising lyrics involves MGK’s boss – Diddy. Eminem raps:

“Killshot, I will not fail, I’m with the Doc still

But this idiot’s boss pops pills and tells him he’s got skills

But, Kells, the day you put out a hit’s the day Diddy admits

That he put the hit out that got Pac killed, ah!”

 “KILLSHOT” definitely kills the ‘Rap Devil’ “deader than four o’clock.”

2. Kali Uchis, “Killer”

Isolation • Virgin • 2018

“Baby, have you got no soul? / Is your heart a gaping hole? / How come I didn’t see that in you? / …And if you loved me, you’d never do this.” On “Killer,” the final cut on the stellar 2018 LP, Isolation, Kali Uchis depicts a bad relationship that nearly killed her.  “Forever is for dreamers / And it’s foolish to not know you’re a schemer,” she sings on the second verse, later adding, “Our future’s battered and bloody, you’re so f**king ruthless.”  While seeing Uchis experience pain of any sort isn’t the least bit pleasing, the soulful record is ultimately a ‘killer’ way to conclude Isolation.

3. YUNGBLUD, “Kill Somebody”

21^st Century Liability • Geffen • 2018

“Today you made me feel irrelevant / Twisted my intelligence / Made it seem there’s no brain in my head / I’m like a skeleton, I can’t shut my eyes.” Shame on you, you bully!  On the violent “Kill Somebody,” YUNGBLUD (Dominic Harrison) expresses his desires to kill someone who brought him down badly. “All I wanna do is kill somebody / Kill somebody / Kill somebody like you.” Ouch! It’s metaphorical in the big scheme of things, but, Harrison wishes to emphasize the reality that can come of such a scenario.

“And yeah, you may think, you may think this is a metaphor

Something you’ve never heard before

A note I found on the floor

And subconsciously pinned to the door

But then you motherf**kers could cross a mountain

And I still wouldn’t believe what you thought.”

4. Kanye West, “I Thought About Killing You”

Ye • GOOD/Def Jam • 2018

The ever-polarizing Kanye West commences his brief, 2018 album, Ye, with a bang. The bang is the rather off-putting, bluntly-titled “I Thought About Killing You.” This is creepy, particularly if you’ve read about the mindset of psychopaths and serial killers – not suggesting that West falls in that category, of course. Still, during the spoken word portion, one has to wonder what West is thinking.  Is he really exploring premeditated murder or does this tie in with his bipolar disorder?  The most sensible answer is he’s referencing his mental health.  He goes on to rap one big verse, incorporating ample wordplay, referencing how others describe and view him, as well as how he views himself.  It’s odd, but certainly interesting, if for no other reason than attempting to get into his headspace.

5. Russ, “Kill Them All”

ZOO • Columbia • 2018 

“Yeah. This beat is crazy, shout out to me… and little clickbait-ass journalists and shit, Y’all can suck my dick.” Sigh, one has to roll their eyes as Russ feels himself on the intro of “Kill Them All.” To his credit, “Kill Them All” represents one of the better moments of ZOO, and album that is so-so at best.  Russ’ flow works in his favor here, and while the production keeps things simple, it is pretty sweet.  As always, he raps with a “chip on his shoulder” about how hated he is.

“I wonder why these f**kin’ grown men always talkin’ like bitches / Y’all so obsessed with me, I’ve never even talked to you bitches / I’d run you over with my Lambo, wouldn’t stop for you bitches / I’m at my breaking point, I can wave and point…”

6. Shinedown, “Kill Your Conscience”

ATTENTION ATTENTION • Atlantic • 2018

“So, you kill your conscience, cry yourself to sleep / Kill your conscience, better you than me / You’re all plugged in, ready and rehearsed / Do your best, do your worst, show me where it hurts.” Hmm, what exactly is Shinedown getting at on “Kill Your Conscience?” According to a track-by-track guide by frontman Brent Smith published on Louder Sound, the record is:

“About that dynamic where you’re looking at your smartphone 23 hours a day, and everyone has an opinion, and everyone says what they need to say…often without thinking before they speak.”

That makes sense. “Kill Your Conscience” appears on the first half of their 2018 album, ATTENTION ATTENTION.  At first, it seems as if “Kill Your Conscience” isn’t going to rock nearly as hard as some of the other tracks from the album, given the enigmatic, electro-infused cues.  Totally not the case.  By the time the above-mentioned chorus arrives, Smith and company are turned all the way up, truly ‘killing’ it.

7. Franz Ferdinand, “Slow Don’t Kill Me Slow”

Always Ascending • Domino • 2018

“Slow, don’t take it slow when you put on that hat / That black velvet cap / Well, this is that long-due occasion you can wear it at / Don’t send this invite back.” Okay… I think… After opening lengthily with the title track, Franz Ferdinand closes their 2018 album, Always Ascending, lengthily with a ballad, “Slow Don’t Kill Me Slow.” Like the majority of the album, the production and vocals are major selling points. Frontman Alex Kapranos sounds particular strong on the chorus and bridge sections.

“Slow, don’t kill me slow, don’t kill me slow

No, never, never, no, don’t kill me slow

No, never, never, kill me quick

Kill me quicker if you can, I cannot take it slow

Don’t kill me slow.”

8. Marilyn Manson, “KILL4ME”

Heaven Upside Down • Loma Vista • 2017

“Let’s grab our gold switchblade / And make us a blood pact, babe / To love and to f**k and to only see ourselves / And remember this.” “KILL4ME”, the second single from Heaven Upside Down sounds more accessible compared to the album as a whole. Mid-tempo, from the start, the record never feels rushed. It commences with an excellent groove. The sound is dark, expectedly in a minor key, featuring an instrumental that establishes the song. Marilyn Manson delivers strong, dark, devilish vocals.  Even with his signature, coarse pipes, he manages to keeps things in control.  There’s even more of a pop element, particularly on the chorus, with the addition of the electronic sounds.

“Would you kill, kill, kill for me?

I love you enough to ask you again

Would you kill, kill, kill for me?

You won’t be kissing me unless you kill for me

Kill, kill, kill for me.”

9. Logic, “Killing Spree” (Ft. Ansel Elgort)

Everybody • Def Jam • 2017 

For “Killing Spree,” Grammy-nominated rapper Logic tapped Gus from The Fault in Our Stars as a featured guest. In all seriousness, we’re referencing  actor-musician Ansel Elgort, who sings the second verse. In the context of Everybody, the violent “Killing Spree” features some of the hardest hitting production of Everybody. It serves a perfect fuel for the fire for Logic, who is on autopilot.  His autopilot status is solidified on the hook, where he criticizes society’s shallowness as a whole: “Ass, titties, pussy, money, weed / Everywhere I look a killing spree / All the things they wanted me to e / Is all the things that I turned out to be.”

Throughout the course of the song, he contrasts legit concerns with first world problems:

“Real shit goin’ on in Lebanon

But I don’t give a f**k, my favorite show is coming on

Hashtag pray for this, pray for that

But you ain’t doing shit, get away from that.”

See just how dangerous and violence this record is? Man, oh man!

10. Young Thug, “Killed Before”

SUPER SLIMEY • Epic • 2017

“Got my money went ludicrous / Give some racks to a hood bitch / Give some racks to a pulpit / Look at the grain, it’s wood bitch!” On their joint mixtape SUPER SLIMEY, Future and Young Thug both also have their respective solo spots. Young Thug rides solo on the lush “Killed Before,” which arrives towards the end of the album. The urban contemporary production work – namely the soulful guitar – is a selling point.  Also, Thug’s signature melodic approach to rap works out okay for the most part.  Still, his unique take remains an acquired taste as opposed to being universally acclaimed.

“Everybody know I’ve been killed before

I’ve been bent like a centerfold

I crap with my money, no-oh

Drop the top get a breeze, ohh-oh

Got four million in jewelry, ohh-oh

Let that money fly to the ceiling, whoa-oh

Did you pay someone’s tuition, no-oh / Do you own a store, no-oh.”

11. Selena Gomez, “Kill Em With Kindness”

Revival • Interscope • 2015

“This world can be a nasty place / You know it… / We don’t have to fall from grace / Put down the weapons you fight with.”  Whoa, that’s pretty peaceful, prudent speak for a song that appears on a playlist that centers on killing! On her 2015 hit “Kill Em With Kindness,” pop star Selena Gomez is definitely more pacifist than warmonger.  Rather than shooting, she repeated asserts it’s better to “Kill ‘em with kindness.”  Okay, it’s incredibly simplistic, made even more so by the danceable, easy-going groove, but hey, Selena has a point – “Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead now.”

12. Grimes, “Kill V. Maim”

Art Angels • 4AD • 2015

“I got in a fight, I was indisposed / I was in, despite all the wicked prose / But I’m only a man, and I do what I can.” Okay… Sometimes, when you listen to a truly unique album, you have to ask yourself exact what the f**k is going on. “‘Cause I’m only a man, do what I can, oh.” Yeah… that’s sort of the case with the ambitious, confusingly-brilliant, 2015 LP, Art Angels, arriving courtesy of Grimes.  Deservingly, the project ended up on many ‘best of lists’ at the end of 2015. One of the most ambitious, manic moments comes via “Kill V. Maim,” characterized by the many changing inflections and sounds of Grimes’ voice.  The pre-chorus and chorus are the highlight:

“B-E-H-A-V-E

Arrest us

Italiana mobster

Looking so precious…I don’t behave, I don’t behave.”

13. Marilyn Manson, “Killing Strangers”

Killing Strangers • Loma Vista • 2015

“And we got guns, we got guns / Motherf**kers better, better run.”  Those lyrics appear on the bridge of the vengeful, violent Marilyn Manson song, “Killing Strangers” from the 2015 album, The Pale Emperor. When you think about it, there are few weapons more frightening than guns because of the understanding that in the wrong hands and the right aim, death is a strong possibility. “Killing Strangers” speaks to how heartless killers, particular spree killers and mass murderers tend to be.  Truly, “Motherf**kers better, better, run.”

Photo Credits: 4AD, Atlantic, Columbia, Def Jam, Domino, Epic, Geffen, GOOD, Interscope, Loma Vista, Pixabay, Virgin