15 Compelling Name Songs | Playlist 🎧

1. Lil Nas X, “MONTERO (Call Me by Your Name)”

💿 MONTERO • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 2021

“I’m not fazed, only here to sin / If Eve ain’t in your garden, you know that you can…” 🏆 Grammy-winning, openly gay 🏳️‍🌈 pop artist 🎙 Lil Nas X returned in 2021 with a controversial single, 🎵 “MONTERO (Call Me by Your Name)”, the title track from his debut album, 💿 MONTERO. Here, he reflects on his own experiences with his sexuality. Fueling the fire musically is sleek production courtesy of 🎛 Roy Lenzo, Omer Fedi, and Take A Daytrip. It’s the lyrics, narrative, and music video that make the record ‘controversial.’

“MONTERO (Call Me by Your Name)” shares experiences associated with many gay men at some point. Lil Nas X expresses desire: “I wanna feel on your ass in Hawaii / I want that jet lag from fuckin’ and flyin’ / Shoot a child in your mouth while I’m ridin’.” He’s a man who wants to have sex, but plenty of folks are quick to criticize him for ‘promoting a gay agenda.’ Gay sex remains taboo, sadly.  Another interesting lyric – “Never want the niggas that’s in my league / I wanna fuck the ones I envy, I envy” – is ear-catching because of its layers.  While ‘incredibly gay’ to those who aren’t gay, Nas X speaks about crushing on someone more fit, handsome, as well as potentially hetero- as opposed to homo- sexual. Furthermore, he expresses the plight of being gay, whether it’s being trapped in the closet, religious tension, and other factors. You know what created an even bigger stir than the song? The music video 🎶📼, which is unapologetic indeed!

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2. Wale, “Name Ring Bell”

💿 Folarin II • 🏷 Warner • 📅 2021

“Anyway, you catch me any day / Sippin’ Hennessey, all of my peeps got heavy chains / Who name bell ring? What / Who name bell ring?” Need a compelling flow? Well, 🎙 Wale always seems to deliver in that department.  The Washington D.C. rapper brings hella confidence on 🎵 “Name Ring Bell,” which appears as the second track on his 2021 LP, 💿 Folarin II.  It also doesn’t hurt that producer 🎛 Trizzy sets him up with an electrifying, groovy backdrop that plays to his strengths.  Notably, “Name Ring Bell” samples 🎵 “Ting-A-Ling” by 🎙 Shabba Ranks.

“A lot of my haters is mad but I forgive ‘em,” Wale asserts on the first verse, adding, “‘Cause every bad bitch in the city tatted ‘Ambition’.” If you didn’t catch it, he’s referencing his 2011 album, 💿 Ambition, which marked his breakthrough moment.  The point is, he’s confident AF, something that continues on the second verse: “Soldiers on the way if you wan’ play ‘cause I ain’t playful / I got bitches, I got paper, but I’m great ‘cause I got favors.” Also, he drops the gem, “Say I got a ego, I deserve a EGOT.” Woo! “Who name bell ring?”

3. Mitski, “Remember My Name”

💿 Be the Cowboy • 🏷 Dead Oceans • 📅 2018

“‘Cause I need somebody to remember my name / After all that I can do for them is done / I need someone to remember.” Sigh, those are some powerful, emotional, and ambitious lyrics from Japanese American singer/songwriter 🎙 Mitski.  Mitski keeps things short but incredibly sweet on 🎵 “Remember My Name,” which graces her 2018 album, 💿 Be the Cowboy.

As to be expected from a singer/songwriter, the lyrics are superb. On the sole verse, Mitski reflects on giving her all to her craft (“I gave too much of my heart tonight”) and needing love that she can “Save ‘till tomorrow’s show.” After the excerpted pre-chorus, on the chorus, she goes ‘big.’ How so? Well, she needs “Something bigger than the sky.” Ultimately, she goes onto question, “Just how many stars will I need to hang around me / To finally call my name.” There’s no doubt whatsoever that the singer/songwriter wants to be remembered forever.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Remember My Name: 3BOPS No. 51 (2021)

4. Justin Bieber, “Name”

Ft. Tori Kelly

💿 Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe) • 🏷 Def Jam • 📅 2021

If you didn’t hold out for the Complete or Triple Chucks Deluxe edition of 💿 Justice, the 2021 album by 🎙 Justin Bieber, chances are, you’ve never heard 🎵 “Name.” “Name” pairs the 🏆 Grammy-winning pop superstar with another 🏆 Grammy winner, 🎙 Tori Kelly.  The resulting duet is sweet, ultimately. Thematically, two former lovers reminisce about their now defunct relationship.  Even as both still experience feelings, they understand it’s over.

“You’re making promises to someone else’s face / If those should break, call out my name,” Kelly sings on the first verse.  Similarly, Bieber sings on the second, “Cards on the table that we never got to play / Oh, what a shame, call out my name.” Bieber also comments on Kelly’s new flame (her character, of course), saying, “I bet he’s cool, but I put fire in your veins.” Even if both “think about laying side by side / On the Goodwill couch,” they also admit, “We’re only getting better at pretending we’re okay.” Just clocking in at over two-and-a-half minutes, “Name” is potent – enjoyable.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Name: 5ive Songs No. 92 (2021)

5. Asbjørn, “Remember My Name”

🎵 “Remember My Name” • 🏷 Embassy of Music • 📅 2021

“But you’re gonna remember my name / The boy that got away / You’re gonna remember my name / You’re gonna be so happy soon…” 🎵 “Remember My Name” is a triumphant record from Danish pop musician 🎙 Asbjørn (Asbjørn Toftdahl Terkelsen).  The production work is picturesque – sleek to the nth degree. There’s ample R&B influence on this pop cut, that has more of that urban feel. Also, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that the sound is reminiscent of the late 90s/early aughts.  Terkelsen sings with a beautiful tone and performs confidently.  His vocal ad-libs are on point, as is the vocal production. In addition to the lead vocals, there is some fantastic vocal harmonization.

What else makes “Remember My Name” a bop? There’s the memorable, tuneful chorus. In addition to the chorus, the melody on the verses is also tuneful and rhythmic.  I love how the bridge section distinguishes itself from the rest of the record; it’s a sublime, unpredictable change of pace. The lyrics are also awesome. Asbjørn serves up sharp songwriting. Terkelsen continues to enhance and successfully expand the LGBTQ+ 🏳️‍🌈 catalog.  “Remember My Name” fits the catalog perfectly given the ex-lover tilt while also fitting the broader idea that one day, he’ll be acknowledged and remembered.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Remember My Name: 3BOPS No. 51 (2021)

6. Lord Huron, “Ancient Names, Pt. I” & “Ancient Names, Pt. II”

💿 Vide Noir • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2018 

Indie-rock collective 🎙 Lord Huron made a compelling return on their 2018, conceptual studio album, 💿 Vide Noir.  Fulfilling the NAME criteria, we get a two-for-one from Vide Noir: 🎵 “Ancient Names, Pt. I” and 🎵 “Ancient Names, Pt. II”. “Ancient Names, Pt. I” commences relatively slowly and enigmatically, musically portraying mysticism.  After the relaxed pace of the intro, the groove, tempo, and vocals kick in. The sound palette is a selling point, with guitar, bass, and drums, as well as keyboards and a variety of sound effects.  Narratively speaking, 🎙 Ben Schneider’s character goes to see a fortune teller and seems totally freaked out by the results.  On the chorus, he asserts, “I gotta get away from here.” Following most of the record being rollicking and up-tempo, things mellow out and the pace slackens.

Lord Huron keeps the momentum going on the brief, energetic “Ancient Names, Pt. II,” which commences abruptly. Vocally, it’s a bit difficult to decipher due to heavy vocal distortion. Schneider kicks things off with the chorus.  Fearing inevitable death, the verses focus on the protagonist’s existential crises.

“I live my life like this
Just to prove to the world that I still exist
I don’t believe in life
And I won’t believe in death ‘til I die.”

Also appears on 🔽:

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7. Alicia Keys, “You Don’t Know My Name”

💿 The Diary of Alicia Keys • 🏷 RCA • 📅 2003

“Baby, baby, baby / From the day I saw you / I really, really wanna catch your eye.”  On 🎵 “You Don’t Know My Name,” 🏆 Grammy-winning R&B singer/songwriter 🎙 Alicia Keys had a serious crush.  The problem? He doesn’t notice her or know who she is! “Will you ever know it? / No, no, no, no, no, no, no.”  “You Don’t Know My Name” ranks among the biggest hits of Keys’ career, peaking at no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Furthermore, the song, written alongside 🎼✍ Harold Lilly, 🎼✍ J.R. Bailey, 🎼✍ Kanye West, 🎼✍ Ken Williams, 🎼✍ Mel Kent, won the 🏆 Grammy for Best R&B Song.  Worth noting, 🎛 Kanye West produced this neo-soul gem, which samples 🎙 The Main Ingredient (🎵 “Let Me Prove My Love to You”).

The good news about this 💿 The Diary of Alicia Keys standout is that Keys ensures he DOES know her name! Check out the music video and Keys’ crush frequents the coffeehouse where she works.  So infatuated, Keys informs us that, he “always orders the special.”  She eventually reveals her feelings via cell, eventually securing the date during the spoken word interlude (“I know girls don’t usually do this / But I was wondering if maybe we could get together / Outside the restaurant one day”).  Ultimately, “You Don’t Know My Name’ is a fabulous song about crushing on someone.  Furthermore, it’s one of the finest songs of the aughts.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Name: 5ive Songs No. 92 (2021)

8. Trey Songz, “Neighbors Know My Name”

💿 Ready • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 2009

“I be the neighbors know my name.” Well, in many circumstances, if you’re a social being, the neighbors likely do know your name and know something about you, 🎙 Trey Songz.  Of course, on 🎵 “Neighbors Know My Name,” a highlight from the 2009 album, 💿 Ready, Songz isn’t referencing knowing his name through mere acquaintance.  The neighbors know his name because of the killer sex him and his girl have been having – loud, raw relations to say the least.  After all, “Sometimes, she call me Trigga ‘cause I make her body bust / He might think my name is ‘Oh shit,’ I make her cuss.” Woo!

“I bet the neighbors know my name
Way you screaming, scratching, yelling
Bet the neighbors know my name
And they be stressing while we sexing
Bet the neighbors know my name
My name, my name
I bet the neighbors know my name
My my my.”

The chorus is the centerpiece, but the verses provide more description of the act on this sensual slow jam. “Girl, your legs keep shaking and I swear / We breaking our new headboard, headboard,” Trey asserts freakily on the first verse.  On the second verse, he sings, “Girl, your body’s a problem, they call me the problem solver.” Man, oh man, he’s confident of what he’s giving, that’s for sure!  And of course, the neighbors are annoyed by their passion: “While I’ll be banging on your body, they be banging on our wall / While they dreaming, you be screaming now they banging on our door.” The sex is lit, period.

9. The Weeknd, “Call Out My Name”

💿 My Dear Melancholy, [EP] • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2018

“We found each other / I helped you out of a broken place,” 🎙 The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) sings on 🎵 “Call Out My Name,” continuing, “You gave me comfort / But falling for you was my mistake.” 🎵 “Call Out My Name” opens the 🏆 Grammy winner’s 2018 EP, 💿 My Dear Melancholy, in moody fashion. Adding to the mood, “Call” is set in a minor key.

The production work by 🎛 Frank Dukes helps to establish the vibe, particularly the piano, dark synths, and the soulful drum groove.  After exhibiting more poise and restraint on the first verse, the chorus soars, incorporating some distorted vocals, expanded vocal range, and more oomph all around.

“So, call out my name (Call out my name)
Call out my name when I kiss you so gently
I want you to stay (Want you to stay)
I want you to stay even though you don’t want me.”

Listening to “Call out My Name,” the authenticity and emotion shown by The Weeknd is indisputable.

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10. Ed Sheeran, “Remember the Name” (Ft. Eminem & 50 Cent)

💿 No.6 Collaborations Project • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 2019

🎵 “Remember the Name,” the eighth track, is among those enjoyable moments of 💿 No.6 Collaborations Project (2019). No.6 Collaborations Project arrives as the fourth studio album by 🏆 Grammy-winning pop singer/songwriter 🎙 Ed Sheeran.  Here, Sheeran enlists 🎙 Eminem (their second collaboration, following “River” from 💿 Revival) and 🎙 50 Cent for the assist.

“Remember the Name” thrives off its groove, infectiousness, and swagger.  Sheeran raps the first verse, commencing with the line, “Yeah, I was born a misfit.” Fair enough!  Eminem takes the reins on the second verse, reminiscing on his come up (“From Taco Bell to TRL”), while 50 Cent arrives on the final verse (“Bitch, we be ballin’ out, the king bring you 50 bottles”). The best part of the record is the chorus, hands down – it easily gets stuck in one’s head!

“You know it ain’t my time to call it a day
I got rap locked and I’m already paid
But it’s ‘bout time you remember the name
Ayy, ayy.” 

Also appears on 🔽:
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🔗 🎧 Name: 5ive Songs No. 92 (2021)

11. Charlie Wilson, “Charlie, Last Name Wilson”

💿 Charlie, Last Name Wilson • 🏷 Zomba Recording LLC • 📅 2005

“Hey girl, how you doin’ / My name is Charlie, last name Wilson.” 🎙 Charlie Wilson deserved to have a song written for him with his name in the title, period! 🎵 “Charlie, Last Name Wilson” appears on his 2005 solo album, fitting titled 💿 Charlie, Last Name Wilson. While the former illustrious career of 🎼 ✍ R. Kelly is finished, he managed to give Uncle Charlie one a truly satisfying bop. 

Wilson uses his ‘John Hancock’ to help him ask out a lady he’s feeling on “Charlie, Last Name Wilson,” best exemplified by the chorus:

“Hey girl, how you doin’
My name is Charlie, last name Wilson
I was wonderin’ if I could take you out
Show you a good time, invite you to my house
Here is my number, girl you can call me
And don’t forget it baby, the name is Charlie.”

Charm, indeed, goes a long way. Wilson also asserts, “Being in love is good for your health.” But going back to his contact information, Uncle Charlie makes it clear that this fine specimen can get in contact with him any and everywhere.  In an outgoing chorus that only R. Kelly could pen, Charlie sings, “Here is my number… My manager’s number… My studio number… Even momma’s number…” My, my, my!

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 13 More Songs That Feature Names in Their Titles

12. Highly Suspect, “My Name is Human”

💿 The Boy Who Died Wolf • 🏷 300 Entertainment • 📅 2016

“I’m feeling the way that I’m feeling myself / Fuck everyone else.” Safe to say, Highly Suspect front man 🎙 Johnny Stevens truly gives zero fucks.  If one f-bomb wasn’t enough, Stevens offers more later, on the second verse of the band’s standout song, 🎵 “My Name is Human”: “I’m ready for love, and I’m ready for war / But I’m ready for more / I know that nobody’s ever been this fucking ready before, hey.” “My Name is Human” kicks off 💿 The Boy Who Died Wolf, the sophomore album by 🏆 Grammy-nominated rock band magnificently. It features enigmatic opening production, which percolates into a truly dark quality.  Throughout the course of “My Name Is Human,” it features a religiously skeptical message.

“Get up off your knees, girl
Stand face to face with your God
And find out what you want.” 

Stevens delivers rhythmic vocals possessing a hip-hop-sensibility without compromising rock in the slightest. The lyrics are biting, and the vocals are incredibly aggressive. The chorus – varied in a couple of instances – represents the best moment of “My Name Is Human”:

“I’m up off my knees, girl
I’m face to face with myself
And I know who I am
(Hello, my name is human)
I stole my power from the sun
I’m more than just a man
no longer disillusioned).”

Also appears on 🔽:
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13. Rihanna, “What’s My Name?” (Ft. Drake)

💿 Loud • 🏷 The Island Def Jam Music Group • 📅 2011

“Oh na-na, what’s my name? / Oh na-na, what’s my name?” Your name is 🎙 Rihanna, Rihanna! One of the 🏆 Grammy winner’s most easily recognizable bops is none other than this question song, 🎵 “What’s My Name?” Helping to answer her question is a fellow 🏆 Grammy winner, 🎙 Drake.  “What’s My Name?” features nice though repetitive production work.  Regardless, the beat is potent from start to finish.

Following the simple but infectious chorus by Rihanna, Drake performs the first verse.  The gist of his verse? Partying and more importantly, the afterparty, which involves a three-letter word.  “The square root of sixty-nine is eight somethin’, right? ‘Cause I’ve been tryna work it out, oh.” We see what you did there Drizzy… With Drake being naughty, Rihanna isn’t any better, honestly.  “Not everybody / Knows how to work my body,” she sings on the second verse, adding, “Knows how to make me want it / But boy, you stay up on it.” Hmm, “stay up on it,” huh? She goes on to sing, “Hey boy I really wanna see if you / Can go downtown with a girl like me…” Woo! The sexual innuendo is ripe AF on “What’s My Name?” and there’s no other way to describe it!

14. Rage Against the Machine, “Killing in the Name”

💿 Rage Against the Machine • 🏷 Sony Music Entertainment • 🗓 1992

“Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!” Woo – that’s a bold statement 🎙 Zack de la Rocha! Honestly, the entirety of 🎵 “Killing in the Name”  is bold by 🎙 Rage Against the Machine.  This angry, high-energy rap-rock record protests police brutality.  The most famous song of their career arrived in 1992 on their self-titled album, following the infamous Rodney King incident.  Prior to the scathing “fuck you,” de la Rocha asserts on the chorus, “Those who died are justified / For wearing the badge, they’re chosen white.” Wow – potent and sadly, relevant 30 years after the arrival of the record.

Zack de la Rocha is the star, painting a damning picture of racists and in this case, the police: “Some of those that work forces / are the same that burn crosses.” Besides a dynamic, turned-up performance by de la Rocha, guitar god 🎙 Tom Morello shines, delivering kick-ass jagged riffs and a stellar guitar solo.  Before de la Rocha even performs a note, Morello helps establish the ferocious tone of this 90s classic. Expectedly, a profane rock record protesting police brutality is going to earn a controversial badge and require censor-shit.  More interesting is the controversy surrounding “Killing in the Name” in the 2020s.  How? Well, shockingly, Trump supporters misinterpreted the lyrics, which goes against EVERYTHING they stood for (Blue Lives Matter, the republican party, and people like Trump himself). Ultimately, “Killing in the Name” marks one of the greatest songs of the 90s.

Also appears on 🔽:

• Rage Against the Machine, “Killing in the Name”: Outlandish Rock 🎸🤘 No. 7

15. Kirk Franklin, “Something About the Name Jesus”

💿 The Nu Nation Project • 🏷 GospoCentric • 📅 1998

💿 The Nu Nation Project is one of my, if not my favorite 🎙 Kirk Franklin albums. Sure, it arrived back in 1998 but it’s an album that doesn’t sound like it’s more than two decades old.  One of the very best songs from this stacked affair is 🎵 “Something About the Name Jesus.” The late, great 🎙 Bishop Rance Allen sings lead on this epic affair, showing off truly anointed pipes.

What stands out about Allen’s performance is both his upper register as well as the grit he sings with.  He nails a high Ab with ease when the key modulates from C major to Db major, one of the signature moments of the record.  Furthermore, he’s able blend and oscillate between falsetto and grittier, cutting edge vocals seamlessly – musically impressive while also being spiritually fulfilling and refreshing.  Beyond Allen’s vocals, the songwriting is ‘pitch perfect’ as well.  The gist of the song is how awesome Jesus is, even the mere mention of his name.

“Something about the name Jesus
Something about the name Jesus
It is the sweetest name I know
Oh how I love the name Jesus
Oh how I love the name Jesus
It is the sweetest name I know.”

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