13 U Songs Selected with No Rhyme or Reason | Playlist 🎧

1. Cardi B, “Up”

🎵 “Up” • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 2021

“If it’s up, then it’s up, then it’s up, then it’s stuck, huh!” WOO! 🏆 Grammy-winning rap sensation 🎙 Cardi B dropped the short but sweet 🎵 “Up” in February 2021. The record is set in a minor key and features relatively simple but banging production courtesy of 🎛 DJ SwanQo, 🎛 Sean Island, and 🎛 Yung Dza. It’s perfect ⛽ for the 🔥 to say the least.

On “Up,” we get an aggressive, energetic performance by Cardi B.  She’s unapologetic AF, pushing the envelope being utterly risqué: “If I had a dick, you’d probably lick it like a lollipop.”  As to be expected, she delivers some truly colorful rhymes that raise eyebrows and at times, make you either (1) open your mouth with in complete and utter awe or (2) giggle (“He nutted on my butt, I said, ‘I’m glad that you came’”). The hook (appearing at the top) is quite simple, but also catchy, infectious, and incredibly effective. Of course, the hook is part of the controversy surrounding “Up” – plagiarism allegations.  That’s a separate discussion, of course. Ultimately, it’s a banger that you should totally turn ⬆.

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2. Eminem, “Unaccommodating”

Ft. Young M.A

💿 Music to Be Murdered By • 🏷 Shady / Aftermath • 📅 2020

On the banger 🎵 “Unaccommodating,” the second track on 💿 Music to Be Murdered By, 🎙 Eminem enlists tough-minded 🎙 rapper Young M.A. Young M.A drops the first verse over a sick beat, and a hard-nosed, malicious sounding backdrop. One of her best lines is, “Yeah, her ass fake, but she came for real,” a nod to her skills in the bedroom.  Eminem, unfortunately, courts a huge controversy lyrically.

On the second verse, he raps:

“But I’m contemplating yelling ‘Bombs away’ on the game
Like I’m outside of an Ariana Grande concert waiting.”

Yeah – totally not cool Eminem. Of course, he’s true to self being quite unaccommodating, referencing Osama Bin Laden, JonBenét Ramsey, and John Wayne Gacy among others.  Yikes! He’s always been offensive and “Unaccommodating” is a prime example.

3. Tim McGraw & Tyler Hubbard, “Undivided”

🎵 “Undivided” • 🏷 McGraw Music / Big Machine • 📅 2021

“We’ve been hateful long enough / Let the Good Lord reunite / ‘Til this country that we love’s / Undivided.” 🎙 Tim McGraw and 🎙 Tyler Hubbard (of 🎙 Florida Georgia Line fame) definitely have a point. You definitely can’t question the thoughtful, tuneful chorus of their collaborative single, 🎵 “Undivided”. It definitely comes from a good, unifying place, though it fails to change an extremely polarized nation.

“Undivided” is meant to give the feels – incite being better, more thoughtful people.  Fair enough. Supported by rhythmic production work, both McGraw and Hubbard have a respectable canvas to work with.  McGraw ‘draws first blood,’ imparting a tale of Billy who’s been bullied and struggles to fit in. He ultimately states, “I wish that I’d have been the friend / That Billy never knew.” Yeah, we all know a Billy, and should all be regretful we weren’t supportive as we should’ve been.  On the second verse, Hubbard contrasts McGraw with a twang heavy approach.  Hubbard is ‘woke’ to some degree on the lyric, “Why’s it gotta be all white or all black? / And when we gon’ learn to try on someone’s shoes sometimes.” As aforementioned, “Undivided” comes from a good place even if the execution is questionable to some extent. Still, give McGraw and Hubbard some credit.

4. Chloe x Halle, “Ungodly Hour”

💿 Ungodly Hour • 🏷 Parkwood Entertainment/Sony • 📅 2020

🎵 “Ungodly Hour” appears as the sixth track on 💿 Ungodly Hour, the brilliant sophomore by 🏆 Grammy-nominated R&B sister duo, 🎙 Chloe x Halle.  The longest song on the album, “Ungodly Hour” is the sole record that surpasses four minutes in length. Sigh, the ladies have more to say over the sleek backdrop produced by 🎛 Disclosure.  Expectedly, the results are glorious, perfectly attuned to such youthful, yet highly skilled pipes. Disclosure always ‘gets it done’ blending electronic, pop, and R&B seamlessly (Remember the 🎙 Mary J. Blige bop, 🎵 “Right Now” from 💿 The London Sessions?). The chorus is absolutely golden – 💯.

“When you decide you like yourself (Holler at me)
When you decide you need someone (Call up on me)
When you don’t have to think about it
Love me at the ungodly hour.”

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5. Joji, “Upgrade”

💿 Nectar • 🏷 88rising / 12Tone Music • 📅 2020 

“Won’t you upgrade? I know it hurts / You deserve it, I know your worth…” On the brief 🎵 “Upgrade” – which is more interlude than song – 🎙 Joji (George Miller) asks her (whoever she may be) to ‘upgrade’ and be with him.  Fair enough, considering, “the heart wants what it wants.” While he seems to question how they fit with one another, he definitely wants them to become an item.  We’ve all been there, right?

“Upgrade,” of course, appears as the fifth track off of 💿 Nectar, the sophomore album by the alternative R&B artist.  It’s written 🎼✍ and produced 🎛 by a team comprised of Miller, James Alan Ghaleb, Rickard Görannson, and Tobias Karlsson. Interestingly, it’s sandwiched between a pair of surefire standouts: 🎵 “Daylight” and 🎵 “Gimme Love”. Nonetheless, it’s a potent listening experience also worthy of totally turning ⬆.

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6. Alicia Keys, “Underdog”

💿 Alicia • 🏷 RCA • 📅 2020

🎵 “Underdog”, a standout single from 💿 Alicia, stylistically encompasses pop, adult contemporary R&B, and singer/songwriter. Rather than embracing a piano backdrop, 🏆 Grammy-winner 🎙 Alicia Keys is accompanied by a rhythmic acoustic guitar backdrop on this 🎼✍ Ed Sheeran co-write. Emphasis should be placed on the singer/songwriter vibes lyrically.  Keys and her co-writers have a socially conscious mindset.  This is best exemplified on the song’s centerpiece, the chorus.

“So, I sing a song for the hustlers trading at the bus stop
Single mothers waiting on a check to come
Young teachers, student doctors
...This goes out to the underdog.”

Of course, Alicia Keys sets up the underdog on both of the verses superbly.  The big takeaway is the end of both verses, where she suggests, “One conversation, a simple moment / The things that change us if we notice / When we look up sometimes.” The theme of “Underdog” latches from the onset. She sings this record well, providing some flashy ad-libs towards the end.

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7. Mark Ronson, “Uptown Funk”

Ft. Bruno Mars

💿 Uptown Special • 🏷 Sony • 📅 2015

Five words: “Don’t believe me, just watch!” HYFR! 🎙 Mark Ronson = the FKN man. 🎙 Bruno Mars = also, the FKN man. Put them together, and da-yum, do you have a FKN awesome record! The dominant, no. 1 hit 🎵 “Uptown Funk” appeared on Ronson’s funky 2015 album, 💿 Uptown Special.  The best song from the album hands down, “Uptown Funk” is triumphant, fun, and soulful to the nth degree.

The catch phrase that Bruno Mars serves up on “Uptown Funk” are filled with swag.  Beyond “Don’t believe me, just watch,” we also get the fantastic “Girls hit your hallelujah” and “I’m too hot (hot damn)!”  The record sounds right out of the 70s when funk was king.  This isn’t surprising with Ronson working the boards. Mars as well as 🎛 Jeff Bhasker help construct this vintage sound that was easily fresh enough to hand mid-2010s.

8. John Legend, “U Move, I Move”

Ft. Jhené Aiko

💿 Bigger Love • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 2020

“When you move, I move (I move) / Move (I’m caught in your groove).” 🎵 “U Move, I Move” appears as the seventh track on 💿 Bigger Love, the 🏆 Grammy-winning R&B album by 🏆 12x-Grammy winner 🎙 John Legend.  Yes, the man is decorated with award hardware – he’s got the EGOT going for him. Here, Legend is assisted by 🏆 6x-Grammy nominee 🎙 Jhené Aiko, who reciprocates an appearance by Legend on her own 2020 album, 💿 Chilombo (🎵 “Lightning & Thunder”).

“When I’m lost, you give me order
Pull me back and push me forward
Take me in and hold me, hold me closer
I’ll follow you up and over
You control me, fast and slow.” 

The resulting duet is beautiful and soundly executed.  Legend takes first blood, performing the first verse, pre-chorus, and chorus.  Aiko then takes the second verse, and duets with Legend the rest of the song (pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, chorus) save for the outro.  Ultimately, “U Move, I Move” isn’t game changing, nor necessarily among the most elite moments of Bigger Love, but it’s enjoyable and totally respectable by all means.

9. The Weeknd, “Until I Bleed Out”

💿 After Hours • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2020

“I wanna cut you outta my dreams / ‘Til I’m bleeding out / ‘Til I’m bleeding out.” Well, that’s disturbing, and definitely morbid with the “bleeding out” part.  Of course, that’s 🏆 Grammy winning Canadian R&B superstar 🎙 The Weeknd for you, sigh.  He concludes his best album to date, 💿 After Hours, dramatically with 🎵 “Until I Bleed Out.” Worth noting, the deluxe edition of the album adds three more additional tracks beyond the track on hand.

The aforementioned lyrics hail from the chorus, which sums up the song to a T.  The chorus continues as follows:

“I wanna cut you outta my mind
‘Til I’m bleeding out
‘Til I’m bleeding out.”

Pessimistic (more often than not the case on After Hours), the pain of Abel Tesfaye is our pleasure.  Oh, the schadenfreude!

10. Kanye West, “Use This Gospel”

Ft. Clipse & Kenny G

💿 JESUS IS KING • 🏷 Getting Out Our Dreams / Def Jam • 📅 2019

🎵 “Use This Gospel,” the penultimate track from the critically mixed, 2019 🎙 Kanye West album, 💿 JESUS IS KING, ranks among the best of the LP.  While most of JESUS IS KING approaches ‘gospel’ and religion at a surface level, “Use This Gospel” packs a much more respectable punch overall. The production shines thanks to repurposing – sampling and interpolation.  Here, West notably samples 🎙 Two Door Cinema Club (🎵 “Costume Party”).

Singing the chorus, he sounds respectable, striking gold with one of the more memorable hooks:

“Use this gospel for protection
It’s a hard road to Heaven
We call on your blessings
In the Father, we put our faith
King of the kingdom
Our demons are tremblin’
Holy angels defendin’
In the father, we put our faith.”

West is joined by 🎙 Clipse, with 🎙 Pusha T rapping the first verse, while 🎙 No Malice takes the second.  Maybe most surprising is a 🎷 saxophone solo by the one and only 🎙 Kenny G, which follows No Malice’s verse.  Go figure! Following G’s solo, the groove kicks back in – pretty sick.

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11. Omar Apollo, “Useless”

💿 Apolonio • 🏷 Warner • 📅 2020

“‘Cause I’m useless when you’re stuck in my mind / I’ve been foolish, think of you all the time.” In 2020, the gifted, ascending musician 🎙 Omar Apollo released an awesome, eclectic mini album, 💿 Apolonio. In addition to his musical skills, the open-minded Mexican American musician is pretty easy on the eyes – just saying (you see the Apolonio artwork, right).  Anyways, remaining focused on “U,” following a Latin turn on the album (🎵 “Dos Uno Nueve (219)”), Apollo sings exclusively in English once again on 🎵 “Useless.”

“Useless” is funky, in an indie-pop, indie rock sort of way.  It’s a record that still invites the soul crowd, but also welcomes alternative music fans.  The guitars are assertive, while the falsetto vocal layers on the chorus, the centerpiece, are utterly beautiful.  The falsetto vocals are a stark contrast from the verses, sung in a lower register, with a more even keel approach.

“And you said I was your soulmate, but that was just a lie (Ooh)
It’s alright, we're way too young to be givin’ out advice.” 

12. Toni Braxton, “Un-break My Heart”

💿 Secrets • 🏷 LaFace • 📅 1996

“Un-break my heart / Say you’ll love me again / Undo this hurt you caused / When you walked out the door / And walked out of my life.” 🎵 “Un-Break My Heart” was easily one of the best songs of the 1990s, period. 🎙 Toni Braxton possesses one of the most distinct and rich voices of all time, period (Hey, she hasn’t won 🏆 multiple Grammys for no reason). She was at her best in the 1990s releasing two LPs: the self-titled, 1993 album, 💿 Toni Braxton, and her biggest album, 💿 Secrets from 1996.

“Un-cry these tears
I cried so many nights
Un-break my heart.”

The 🏆 Grammy-winning, sultry, heartbroken ballad spent 11 weeks at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.  This record ranks among the most dominant no. 1 singles in music history. 🎼✍ Diane Warren put in work with her pen, while 🎛 David Foster put in work behind the boards.  As for Toni, she’s nothing short of a superstar.

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13. Kings of Leon, “Use Somebody”

💿 Only By the Night • 🏷 RCA • 📅 2008

💿 Only by the Night would end up being the biggest album of 🎙 King of Leon’s career.  Simply put, the rock band soared with this particular project.  Two songs are responsible for the success of Only by the Night as a whole.  The first is “Sex on Fire”, which earned the band their first of three 🏆 Grammy wins in 2008 (Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals).  The second, bigger reason for their massive success is the song at hand, 🎵 “Use Somebody.”

“I’ve been roamin’ around, always lookin’ down at all I see
Painted faces fill the places I can’t reach
You know that I could use somebody...”

“Use Somebody” kept the Grammy hardware coming for Kings of Leon 💪. They earned consecutive Grammys for Best Rock Performance, which is definitely a big deal. Furthermore, the Followill bros (and cousin) the highly coveted award for Record of the Year for 2009. Sure, “Used Somebody” is a relatively simple record but also, it’s incredibly memorable and highly effective.  Great overall sound and great vocals.  What more could you want?

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