13 Worthwhile, Incredibly Telling Songs features music courtesy of Avril Lavigne, Bryson Tiller, Future, Mitchell Tenpenny, and Tove Lo.
Lauryn Hill once asserted a need to āTell him, I need him / Tell him I love him / And itāll be alright.ā As for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Anthony Kiedis sang, āTell me baby / Whatās your story / Where you come from / And where you want to go this time, oh.ā So, telling, right? Right! Then thereās Jeremih who stated that, her āBody like the summer, fuckinā like no other / Donāt you tell āem what we do.ā Thatās pretty steamy telling right there.
Okay, so whatās the common thread between āTell Himā (The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, 1998), āTell Me Babyā (Stadium Arcadium, 2006), and āDonāt Tell āEmā (Late Nights: The Album, 2015)? All three songs are very ātellingā because they feature some form of the word ātell.ā Thatās also the theme of this playlist, fittingly titled ā13 Worthwhile, Incredibly Telling Songs.ā Songs must feature ātell,ā ātellsā, ātellingā, or ātoldā within their respective title or else they donāt qualify! Musicians credited to this playlist include Avril Lavigne (āTell Me Itās Overā), Bryson Tiller (āSomethin Tells Meā), Future (āPlease Tell Meā), Mitchell Tenpenny (āTelling All My Secretsā), and Tove Lo (āDonāt Ask Donāt Tellā) among others.
1. Future, āPlease Tell Meā
Save Me ā¢Ā Epic ā¢ 2019
Future is quite prolific, at least when it comes to quantity.Ā The song at hand, āPlease Tell Me,ā arrives on the rapperās second project of 2019, Save Me.Ā Save Me keeps things brief, comprised of merely seven tracks and clocking in at a tight 20 minutes.Ā Even so, Save Me very much finds Future being ātrue to selfā including āflexing on herā on āPlease Tell Me.ā
āPlease / Please tell me I can throw the sauce on you / Please tell me all the fuckinā bosses want you / Please tell me I can buy Chanel for you / Please tell me one Rolex wonāt do.ā The key word is clearly āpleaseā if you didnāt catch on to that from the chorus.Ā āPlease Tell Meā is quite repetitive (typical), finding Future worrying about pretty much everything she does. On the first verse, he begins several lines with shawty, she, and put ā so much variety.Ā All of it comes down to spoiling her as well as his own drip.
āShawty want big dog status Shawty want big boy carats Shawty rock big boy Pateks She aināt never had my status.ā
2. Avril Lavigne, āTell Me Itās Overā
Head Above Water ā¢Ā Avril Lavigne / BMG Rights Management ā¢Ā 2019
After a six-year hiatus, Avril Lavigne returned with her highly-anticipated sixth studio album, Head Above Water, in 2019 From the onset, itās clear that Head Above Water is in many ways a stark contrast to previous albums by the Canadian pop star.Ā The majority of the project eschews the bratty, whiny pop of her past, opting for more maturity ā exhibiting resilience.Ā Head Above Water is no tour de force, but it has no shortage of strong moments including the ātellingā song at hand, single āTell Me Itās Overā.
āBut every time that you touch me / I forget what weāre fighting about / Oh, you come and you leave / Shame on me for believing every word out of your mouth.ā Avril Lavigne totally surprises on āTell Me Itās Overā. Here, she dives into soul music, or at least soulful, urban-pop, marking yet another career departure.Ā Honestly, who ever thought theyād hear the day that Lavigne was accompanied by horns or choral, gospel-infused vocals.Ā But itās not only the brilliant production work that stands out, but also those high-flying vocals from Lavigne.Ā The aforementioned lyrics from the pre-chorus are a perfect example of the emotions she superbly conveys. Sheās incredibly believable on this break-up gem, which is summed up simply, yet masterfully on the chorus.
3. James Blake, āTell Themā (Ft. Moses Sumney & Metro Boomin)
Assume Form ā¢ Polydor ā¢ 2019
āYouād like to stay long, through youāre a wanderinā soul / And youāve got to move on from the squandered soilā¦ā One of the hippest musicians in the game is none other than British electronic artist, James Blake. Blake is hip thanks to his unique style of production, not to mention his distinct voice, particularly his sweet falsetto.Ā In addition to great production and vocal skills, he is versatile when it comes to genre ā he fits just about wherever he needs to.Ā His own albums tend to be experimental and exemplify innovative spirit.Ā His marvelous fourth studio LP, Assume Form is no exception. Ā The song that matches the ātellingā criteria of this playlist? āTell Themā.
In the context of Assume Form, āTell Themā marks a second consecutive number featuring Metro Boomin (āMile Highā), and welcoming Moses Sumney to the fold.Ā Sumney performs the first verse (excerpted above and continued below) and refrain, while also contributing to the pre-chorus and outro.
āā¦When you get what you came fore Will you leave in the dead of night? In the hall is a wall of horrors Youāre the yonder light.ā
As for Blake, he performs the majority of the pre-chorus (āI didnāt plan to stay longā¦ā) and chorus (āHeart, tell them what you came forā) ā there is only one verse.
4. Marshmello, āTell Meā
Joytime II ā¢ Marshmello ā¢Ā 2018
āRelatively anonymousā DJ/producer Marshmello impresses on the brief, instrumental record, āTell Meā, a single from his 2018 sophomore album, Joytime II. āTell Meā is definitely a jam-packed, two-and-a-half-minute joint. The first thing any listener will notice about āTell Meā is how bright the sound is.Ā Itās all feel-good, major-key vibes delivered by the DJ.Ā Sure, there are minor chords within the progression, but this record is truly āat homeā in major, sigh.Ā Marshmello keeps things interesting with pummeling, hard-hitting drums, while balancing kinder, gentler, soft synths with more biting, edgier, hard ones.
Layering ideas upon ideas, āTell Meā builds and builds dynamically over its brief duration. Letās throw a little bit of music theory in.Ā When it seems as if the tonic (primary note of the scale) is going to be the final one, the DJ surprises us at the last second (the fourth).Ā Itās a bit odd, but definitely maintains the colorful nature of the record. Marshmello reminds us how captivating instrument records can be on āTell Me,ā conveying a lot of musical ideas successfully.
5. Macy Gray, āTell Meā
Ruby ā¢Ā Mack Avenue ā¢ 2018
āI have a secret, if I told you, would you keep it? / Would you post it, would you tweet it, would you run?ā Macy Gray has never been able to recapture the glory days of Ā her Grammy-winning pop hit āI Tryā, but that hasnāt stopped the distinct-voiced R&B singer from releasing music regularly.Ā On 2018 she quietly released her 10th studio album, Ruby, which has had a couple of songs appear on other playlists, most notably single āSugar Daddyā (11 Songs All About Dads & Fathersā¦ To an Extent). Now, we have the telling āTell Meā appear on 13 Worthwhile, Incredibly Telling Songs.
āTell Meā fully embraces retro-soul ā no doubt about.Ā Actually, the colorful record takes things a step further, embracing jazz, intact with a big band (horns, string bass, etc.). Ā Macy Gray has the perfect voice in all its nuanced glory to give this record the attitude, feistiness, and tongue-n-cheek sensibilities it deserves.
Of course, the premise seems to be a one-sided crush/love on Grayās end of things:
āI have a secret, this time Iāll keep it I know you donāt feel the same, mmm But everything, it changes And dreams do come true, donāt they? So, maybe one day, youāll tell me.ā
6. Mitchell Tenpenny, āTelling All My Secretsā
Telling All My Secrets ā¢ Riser House Entertainment, LLC / Sony ā¢Ā 2018
āWell, I donāt deal with bitches no more / I could call you crazy, curse your name / Throw your shit out the door / But I donāt deal with bitches no more.ā Unfortunately, Mitchell Tenpenny, āBitchesā just doesnāt fit the criteria of 13 Worthwhile, Incredibly Telling Songs ā yeah, thatās a ābitchā right there.Ā But, of course, that uncharacteristic, explicit country record definitely raised some eyebrows, appearing on Tenpennyās 2018 debut album, Telling All My Secrets.Ā If you couldnāt ātellā by the album title, the song that we are analyzing is ā drum roll please ā āTelling All My Secrets,ā the penultimate title track.
The majority of Telling All My Secrets features accessible songs that donāt run more than three-and-a-half minutes, including the aforementioned āBitches.ā However, Mitchell Tenpenny bucks the trend on āTelling All My Secretsā which extends beyond the five-minute-mark.Ā Even so, the penultimate number ends up being well worth it.Ā First and foremost, Tenpenny has a fantastic voice ā his tone is absolutely beautiful. Adding to the list of pros is excellent production that transcends beyond country music without alienating its traditionalists, and well-rounded songwriting, summed up brilliantly on the chorus.
āGirl, you got me tellinā all my secrets Promise me youāll keep āem And Iāll let āem loose Baby, you must be my weakness Usually, Iām speechless Bulletproof, oh yeah Well girl, you got me tellinā all my secrets Tellinā all my secrets to you.ā
Ā 7. Demi Lovato, āTell Me You Love Meā
Tell Me You Love Me ā¢Ā Island / Hollywood ā¢Ā 2017
āBad at love, no, Iām not good at this / But I canāt say Iām innocent / Not hardly, but Iām sorry.ā āTell Me You Love Meā, the superb title track from the Tell Me You Love Me, features top-notch production work, particularly during the rousing chorus. Beyond the production work comes the voice, as Demi Lovato delivers a terrific performance filled with powerful, heartfelt, high notes.Ā The premise? That familiar four-letter word, love.
āOh, tell me you love me / I need someone on days like this, I do / On days like this.āĀ The verses capture your attention (the end of the first verse was excerpted at the beginning), while the chorus hits you right in the chest, face ā everywhere.Ā By the time you get to the final iteration, you personally want to tell Demi Lovato, āI love you.ā
8. Bryson Tiller, āSomethin Tells Meā
True to Self ā¢ RCA ā¢Ā 2017
āSomethin Tells Meā serves as the final full-length song on True to Self, the sophomore album by Louisville, Kentucky rapper and singer Bryson Tiller. āSomethin Tells Meā features excellent production work, firmly planted in a lethargic, urban contemporary sound.Ā The use of synths and slick drum programming are perfect fuel for Tillerās fire vocally.Ā Like most of True to Self, āSomethin Tells Meā isnāt deep. Regardless, itās one of the best, if not the best song from the album.
The theme of āSomethin Tells Meā is clearly defined by title, and the catchy, simplistic chorus: āYeah somethinā tells me / We aināt gonā last babyā¦ā Bryson Tiller is both enticed and disillusioned with women on the first verse, asserting, āRubbing shoulders with bitches I used to put on pedestals / But still I keep it professional.ā He uses multiple examples where she entices him, yet doesnāt want to fulfill his fantasies so to speak: āShower with the door open, why you do that? /ā¦And I canāt concentrate while youāre standing there naked.ā On the second verse, he bears some of the guilt for why they aināt gonā last.Ā The most notable reason is because heās slept around:
āYou found a Magnum inside of my bag Donāt know how to explain this That was in there way before we started dating This the only music I hate facing, oh.ā
Yeah, āsomethin DEFINITELY tells meā¦ā
9. Tove Lo, āDonāt Ask Donāt Tellā
Blue Lips (Lady Wood Phase II) ā¢ Universal AB ā¢ 2017
āAnd baby, donāt ask, then donāt tell / Already know youāre fucked up / And itās cool with me / My past and donāt ask and donāt tell / No need to share too much / Come on, let it be, ah.ā Tove Lo is known for being on the āunapologeticā side of pop/alternative pop. I mean, her sophomore album was titled Lady Wood, while Blue Lips (lady wood phase II) features songs named āDisco Titsā and āBitchesā. Surprisingly, āDonāt Ask Donāt Tellā is less risquĆ© than weāve come to associate with the Swedish artist, even as she drops that f-bomb on the chorus.
If you prejudged āDonāt Ask Donāt Tellā to be associated with the now defunct, controversial policy, itās not.Ā There are parallels though as Tove Lo doesnāt want her and her lover to dwell on the past, specifically past mistakes (āWeāve both seen the world / Live and learn / Donāt know what you heard / But it, but it canāt be worse than I knowā).Ā Essentially, her point is that everybody has messed up in various regards in the past, but she wants to focus on ānowā and being in love.
On the bridge, she sums it up brilliantly:
āThereās nothing I donāt wanna know, yeah And I donāt believe in lies Baby, weāre so good together Does it matter what we hide?ā
10. Miguel, āTold You Soā
War & Leisure ā¢ RCA ā¢ 2017
Grammy-winning R&B artist Miguel shined on his fourth studio album, War & Leisure, which was released near the end of 2017. Among the best moments is the brilliant single, āTold You Soā, which showcases the musician at his grooviest.Ā While there are synths in play, the pop/rock guitars still play a big role in the success and overall production approach.
The influence of Prince is loud and clear here. While āTold You Soā sounded fresh in 2017, it also easily couldāve been at home in the 1980s, nearly three decades prior.Ā Throughout the course of āTold You So,ā Miguel is incredibly soulful, commanding, and clearly on autopilot.Ā Thematically, amplified by the accompanying music video, this is no ādance partyā ā it goes deeper. Ā āTold You Soā made an appearance on the 100 Best Songs of 2017.
11. The Weeknd, āTell Your Friendsā
Beauty Behind the Madness ā¢Ā Republic ā¢Ā 2015
āIām that nigga with the hair / Singinā ābout poppinā pills, fuckinā bitches, livinā life so trill.ā Safe to say, The Weeknd doesnāt tend to sugarcoat anything – UNDERSTATEMENT. He certainly didnāt on his 2015 album, Beauty Behind the Madness, which would earn him the Grammy for Best Urban Contemporary Album (he also won Best R&B Performance for āEarned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)ā). The song at hand, āTell Your Friendsā is blunt AF ā straight to the point.Ā The above-mentioned lyrics, excerpted from the chorus, make that abundantly clear.
Backtracking, on the first verse, The Weeknd asserts, āThat money is the only thing Iām chasinā / And some dope dimes on some coke lines.ā Yeah, heās been singing about drugs for a long, long time. He continues, in sexual fashion, singing, āGimme head all night, cum four times.ā The Weeknd and sexual subject matter? Also, no surprise.Ā Again, heās street-smart and brutally honest on this ātell-allā urban contemporary gem.
12. Kanye West, āCanāt Tell Me Nothingā
Graduation ā¢ Roc-a-Fella ā¢Ā 2007
āLa, la, la-la / Wait ātil I get my money right / La, la, la-la / Then you canāt tell me nothing, right?ā For the penultimate song on this playlist, we head back into the 00s, sigh. Kanye West has said lots and LOTS of messed up things ā UNDERSTATEMENT.Ā While Justin Bieber (no angel mind you) onceĀ denounced the fact that West was anĀ asshole, one wondersā¦ Regardless, West admits himself that you ācanāt tell [him] nothingā on his hit, āCanāt Tell Me Nothingā from his third studio album,Ā Graduation (2007).
The infectious chorus, excerpted above, continues to sum up āCanāt Tell Me Nothingā:
āā¦Excuse me, was you saying something? Uh uh, you canāt tell me nothing You canāt tell me nothing Uh uh, you canāt tell me nothing.ā
Throughout the verses, Kanye flexes, and flexes, and then, he flexes some more.
āI had a dream I could buy my way to heaven When I awoke, I spent that on a necklace I told God Iād be back in a second Man, itās so hard not to act reckless.ā
Also quoting West directly, āNo one man should have all that powerā.
13. The Killers, Somebody Told Meā
Hot Fuss ā¢Ā Island ā¢ 2004
Finally, we end this playlist with a most ancient song all the way back from 2004ā¦ Yeah, that was the year I graduated high school.Ā Anyways, The Killers who were nominated for a Grammy for āSomebody Told Me,ā which appeared on their debut album, Hot Fuss.Ā Despite the fact that Brandon Flowers and company have yet to win a Grammy, it wouldnāt be far-fetched to call the shimmering, up-tempo āSomebody Told Meā one of the bandās iconic song. Take it a step further, and letās go on and crown āSomebody Told Meā as one of the best alternative songs of new millennium.
āWell, somebody told me you had a boyfriend Who looked like a girlfriend That I had in February of last year Itās not confidential, Iāve got potential A-rushing, rushing around.ā
This is Brandon Flowers at his best yāall.Ā āSomebody Told Meā was previously featured on the playlist 15 Songs Where āSomebodyā Is in the Title.
13 Worthwhile, Incredibly Telling Songs [Photo Credits: Avril Lavigne, BMG Rights Management, Epic, Hollywood, Island, Island, Mack Avenue, Marshmello, Pexels, Pixabay, Polydor, RCA, Republic, Riser House Entertainment LLC, Roc-a-Fella, Sony, Universal AB]