15 Epic Songs Fueled by DANCE 🕺🪩

Reading Time: 16 min read

15 Epic Songs Fueled by DANCE features music courtesy of Ava Max, BTS, Dominic Fike, Jake Shears, P!nk, and Whitney Houston.

Folks, get your DANCING shoes on! 🎧 15 Epic Songs Fueled by DANCE 🕺🪩 is comprised of 15 songs that feature some form of the word DANCE in their respective titles. Not only is the word DANCE featured in the song titles, but all of the songs also make some reference to dancing in some capacity. Sure, the dancing can be literal or figurative, but the point is, these songs all implore us to ‘cut a rug,’ baby! Cutting straight to the chase, 🎧 15 Epic Songs Fueled by DANCE 🕺🪩, the long awaited sequel to 🎧 11 Songs Fueled by Dance (2018), features music courtesy of 🎙 Ava Max, 🎙 BTS, 🎙 Dominic Fike, 🎙 Jake Shears, 🎙 P!nk, and 🎙 Whitney Houston among others. So, grab those dancing shoes and let’s get lit on the dance floor🕺!

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1. P!nk, “Never Gonna Not Dance Again”

💿 TRUSTFALL • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 2023

If you need a feel-good anthem in your playlist and more importantly, your life, look no further than 🎵 “Never Gonna Not Dance Again.” “Never Gonna Not Dance Again” served as the uplifting promo single from 💿 TRUSTFALL, the ninth studio album by 🏆 Grammy-winning pop superstar, 🎙 P!nk (Alecia Moore). From the start, “Never Gonna Not Dance Again” is a surefire vibe. Produced by the talented team of 🎛 Max Martin and Shellback, P!nk gets a hella exuberant, groovy backdrop that is perfect fuel for the fire. The message, along with an assertive, inspired vocal performance, is what truly sells this joint. Even if things are bad AF, Moore refuses to quite dancing – she’s going to persevere on! In typical P!nk fashion, she’s lit 🔥 when she drops the bomb: “I want my life to be a Whitney Houston song (I wanna dance) / I got all good luck and zero fucks, don’t care if I belong, no.” Woo! #Never Gonna Not Dance Again!

Appears in 🔻:

13 More Dazzling NEVER Songs (2023)

2. Ricco Barrino, “Lets Dance” (Ft. Fantasia)

🎵 “Lets Dance (Radio Edit)” • 🏷 Ricco Barrino Muzic • 🗓 2023

🎙 Ricco Barrino, the brother of 🏆 Grammy-winner 🎙 Fantasia, released 🎵 “Lets Dance” in 2017. The original was produced by Ricco and 🎛 DJ Laphelle. The sound is a blend of old-school, neo-soul, and fresh contemporary R&B. Barrino sounds soulful, easily encouraging the dance to go down. In 2023, a remix arrives featuring his sister. The result? A song that feels brand-new. Why? (1) The addition of Fantasia carries substantial weight, and (2) there are many folks who never heard the original. Beginning with the ‘good bones’ about “Let’s Dance,” the production is fantastic. That bass line is enough to solidify the BOP status of this record. As already mentioned, Ricco Barrino ‘does the damn thing’ on the vocals, particularly sounding epic on the infectious, utterly tuneful chorus. Of course, it is the addition of the powerhouse, Fantasia, that kicks things up a notch. Her distinct, nuance vocals both complement and contrast her brother. Contrast that complements is what all duets should seek to achieve. The chemistry already established as siblings is further solidified through the meshing of voices. Although 🎵 “Lets Dance” is old, this joint right here is a surefire, 2023 summer vibe. Add this one to your playlists, folks!

Appears in 🔻:

Awesome Songs: June 2023

3. Dominic Fike, “Dancing in the Courthouse”

💿 Sunburn • 🏷 Sandy’s Boys, LLC / Columbia • 🗓 2023   

“Weather controls your day / People make up your mind / Until you can’t even tell / When someone gives you a sign.” Bummer! Alternative, genre-bending standout 🎙 Dominic Fike urges us to focus on the things we can control and embrace the positives and opportunities in life. The Floridian has us all 🎵 “Dancing in the Courthouse” (💿 Sunburn), a single that shows him moving beyond adversity, which him and his family have experienced their fair share of. Life hasn’t been easy, however, he’s a prime example of overcoming as that this song superbly conveys.  

The best moment” is the chorus, where the lyrics captivate, and the melody is tuneful:   

“Put ‘em on trial (On trial)  

Make ‘em dance for it in the courthouse  

Make a stand for it or it don’t count (Or it don’t count)  

Be the landlord of the whole town (Of the whole town)  

Put ‘em on edge (On edge)  

Make the judge jump and hit the two-step (Yeah, hit the two-step)  

And make the jury come up with two guesses (Up with two guesses)  

And lose interest, then they make up a new sentence.”  

Beyond theme, lyrics, and an intriguing music video, the sound is stunning too.  The warmness of the guitar at the onset is a stellar touch.  Furthermore, the prominence of guitar throughout is awesome 🤘. Of course, from a vocal standpoint, Fike sounds authentic, honest, and expressive.  His instrument has the ability to deliver sheer beauty as well as grittier moments.  Fike definitely has ample light to share with the world. 

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4-5. Ava Max, “Diamonds & Dancefloors” / Dancing’s Done”

💿 Diamonds & Dancefloors • 🏷 Atlantic • 🗓 2023

“Is diamonds and dance floors in every dream / I miss the music surroundin’ me.” WOO! 🎵 “Diamonds & Dancefloors” arrives as the seventh track on 💿 Diamonds & Dancefloors, the utterly superb sophomore album by 🎙 Ava Max. “Drown me in glitter, glitter and gold / All that I ask for, ask for, ask for / Diamonds and dance floors.” So, why is Max so eager to be back on the dancefloor? The COVID-19 pandemic, period. Although “Diamonds & Dancefloors” is brief, it continues the consistency and excellence of the LP. “Diamonds” commences warmly, serving up a chill vibe and lovely aesthetic. Max sings in a minor key, which seems to be her lane. She is backed by a lit beat and driving rhythmic synths (🎛 Cirkut). Over the backdrop, she sings effortlessly, as if she’s floating in the air.

“I wanna give into your dark temptation / I wanna touch you like nobody does, oh.” Ava Max does NOT tame things down on 🎵 “Dancing’s Done”. A vibe from the onset, it all begins with the picturesque sound palette courtesy of 🎛 BURNS and LOSTBOY. The musical cues set up Max for ample success, penned alongside BURNS and LOSTBOY as well as 🎼 ✍ R.I. Pablo and Sean Douglas. The chorus, the centerpiece, continues, “People like you and me were born to run / So where we going when the dancing’s done?” It is a legit question, right? Beyond the memorable, melodic chorus, and superb, slick production work, Max sings proficiently, bringing punch to this dance-pop cut. She is firmly in command from the onset, elevating her game to higher heights in the chorus. The verses are short but enticing, followed by a pre-chorus that sets up the chorus. Clocking in under three minutes in duration, “Dancing’s Done” is of reasonable length, with Max and company successfully delivering the goods – awesome production, stellar vocals, and an infectious chorus.

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6. BTS, “Permission to Dance”

🎵 “Permission to Dance” • 🏷 BIGHIT MUSIC • 🗓 2021

“I wanna dance / The music’s got me going / Ain’t nothing that can stop how we move, yeah.” Throwback. That is a fine way to characterize 🏆 Grammy-nominated K-Pop boy band 🎙 BTS, who have carved out legitimate success in the United States. Sure, they also represent the modern boy band, but they also brilliantly highlight the positive elements of boy bands past. Seeking 🎵 “Permission to Dance”, what more is there to say but, PERMISSION GRANTED! All in all, “Permission to Dance” has lots of pros. Number one, it’s clean, innocent, and inoffensive pop. In an age where f-bombs and being sexed-up are the trend and represent conformity, BTS non-conforms, scaling back innuendo in favor of fun and positive vibes. Sure, it’s corny and schmaltzy to an extent in the age of bluntness (“When your heart’s just like a drum / Beating louder with no way to guard it”), but I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Next, the production remains a selling point, with K-Pop being renowned for its colorful backdrops. As far as the vocals, the boys are locked in, executing the English-exclusive lyrics well. Furthermore, those lyrics are catchy by design, particularly the pre-chorus, chorus, and post-chorus. Cons? None that are glaring, save for the fact “Permission to Dance” isn’t new or particularly deep conceptually, and certainly not starkly different from the English-exclusive singles the band’s dropped lately. Ultimately, “Permission to Dance” is another clean-cut, feel-good pop record from BTS. Compared to the pop that dominates US radio, “Permission to Dance” is a throwback to a more innocent time, which is refreshing. On the other hand, if you’re not/weren’t a fan of the bubblegum pop days, this ‘naïve’ cut probably won’t be you cup of tea. As for me, I find it enjoyable and well-produced, though not ‘the second coming.’ Still, it’s infectious to the nth degree.

7. Luther Vandross, “Dance with My Father”

💿 Dance with My Father • 🏷 Sony Music Entertainment • 📅 2003

🎙 Luther Vandross was one of the smoothest vocalists in the game, period. The 🏆 Grammy-winning R&B artist had his fair share of success. Vandross’ final studio album, 💿 Dance With My Father, earned him the no. 1 spot on the Billboard 200, as well as double-platinum certification – the biggest album of his career. Sadly, his health was poor when Dance With My Father was released. Just two years later, Vandross died at 54. The biggest song from Dance With My Father is 🎵 “Dance with My Father”, which earned some success on the Billboard Hot 100 as well (peaked at no. 38).

“Back when I was a child / Before life removed all the innocence / My father would lift me high / And dance with my mother and me and then…” “Dance with My Father” recounts the joyous times that Vandross experienced with his late father. It is a celebratory record that longs for one more dance – one final time spent with him, best exemplified by the chorus:

“If I could get another chance

Another walk

Another dance with him

I’d play a song that would never ever end

How I’d love, love, love

To dance with my father again.”

Vandross never seems to break a sweat as he sings, performing with incredible finesse, refinement, and utmost sophistication. Even when “Dance with My Father” integrates a modulation (key change), Luther retains a sense of poise. He’s commanding throughout “Dance with My Father” even if he eschews gospel histrionics and endless vocal runs. Further making this Grammy-winning record epic beyond the songwriting (Vandross and 🎼 ✍ Richard Marx), and elite vocal performance is the production (Vandross), which is firmly planted in adult contemporary R&B. All told, this is an excellent, incredibly moving, and thoughtful record – one of the best of the Luther Vandross discography.

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8-9. Jake Shears, “Last Man Dancing” / “Devil Came Down the Dance Floor” (Ft. Amber Martin)

💿 Last Man Dancing • 🏷 Boys Keep Swinging Inc / Mute Artists Ltd. • 🗓 2023

Just know, “At the end of the night / Underneath the strobe light / I’m gonna be / The last man dancing,” 🎙 Jake Shears asserts on 🤩 🎵 “Last Man Dancing”, the final advanced single and sixth track on his sophomore album, 💿 Last Man Dancing.  Produced by 🎛 Le Chev and Boys Noize, Shears brings the goods. “Last call for finding someone / Last call we’ve had so much fun / Last call the DJ’s done.” An electrifying groove and slick backdrop fuel Shears’ fire.  Jake impresses with his youthful sound (he’s pushing 45 🤯), particularly his signature falsetto. Thematically, “Last Man Dancing” is being resolute about having fun, even if you’ve got to do it all by yourself.  Sure, it would be more fun with someone else – “I’m packing up my problems and / Leaving in someone else’s / Someone else’s mind” – but the plan is to dance TF out! Beyond the production, the voice, entertaining songwriting, and the underpinnings (regarding the harmonic progression), make “Last Man Dancing” interesting.

Another magnificent single, 🤩 🎵 “Devil Came Down the Dance Floor” also makes 💿 Last Man Dancing the triumph that it is. 🎙 Amber Martin gets first blood on this contemporary disco gem. Her gritty, robust vocals give chills over the course of two verses. Her most memorable lyric appears in the second verse, where she asserts, “You know I’m a woman / And I won’t play the fool / For no basic man, no, no, no, no / I can feel the shit coming on / All over my body.” WOO! Her and Shears also exhibit impressive chemistry in the chorus, one of the very best of the album:

“The devil came down the dance floor

With burning cinder eyes

He sang to me in a real deep voice

Until I harmonized…”

Once more, Le Chev and Boyz Noize kick ass and take names behind the boards. No permission needed to D-A-N-C-E – just do it!

10. Yung Gravy, “Dancing in the Rain”

💿 Marvelous • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2022

“Dancing in the rain, I cannot refrain / From sliding in your dame, I get change / Dancing in the rain, can’t fuck with these lames / I cannot complain, I get change.” Woo! The Midwest is in the house! Better yet, 🎙 Yung Gravy (Matthew Hauri) is in the house! Backed by slick production work courtesy of 🎛 dwilly and Nick Seeley, Hauri smoothly delivers his sugar honey iced tea on 🎵 “Dancing in the Rain” (💿 Marvelous, 2022) – like G-R-A-V-Y, baby! After a soulful, feel-good intro, the knocking beat enters, making this a surefire rap banger. As previously stated, Yung Gravy brings smoothness to his rhymes. He’s chill and easy-going yet has no shortage of personality – he’s entertaining to the n^th degree! “Bitch, I’m dead fresh, I might pull up in the hearse truck/ Gravy been a dog, Lisa Ann was my first love.” Oh, $hi†! It doesn’t stop there of course: “Juice, sauce, little bit of guala / Oops, just, super soaked your momma.” Gah-day-um! The chorus, of course, is where the bread is truly buttered – infectious as hell!

“50k for a show, and a hunnid for my wrist

Hundred fifty for my skrrt

Couple milli at the crib

Ain’t your baby, baby

You can keep the gravy out your lips

Ain’t no way that Baby Gravy gonna change the way he live.”

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11. Lady Gaga, “Just Dance” (Ft. Colby O’Donis)

💿 The Fame • 🏷 Interscope • 📅 2008 

“I had a little bit too much, much / All of the people start to rush,” 🎙 Lady Gaga asserts in the first verse of her 2008, debut single, 🎵 “Just Dance”. The 🏆 Academy/Grammy award winner continues singing, “A dizzy twister dance, can’t find my drink or man / Where are my keys? I lost my phone, phone.” Clearly, Lady Gaga is drunk AF, having a little too much fun at the club.  Her inebriation is our listening pleasure.  She’s assisted by 🎙 Colby O’Donis on this 💿 The Fame standout. Following the success of “Just Dance,” Lady Gaga’s ascended and remains electric to this day.   

The production by 🎛 RedOne is the perfect fuel for Gaga’s fire.  Unsurprisingly, the biggest moment of “Just Dance” – where everyone wants to take their booty to the dance floor – is the chorus.  Basically, after getting drunk, she’s going to dance, baby! 

“Just dance 

Gonna be okay, da-da-doo-doot-n 

Just dance 

Spin that record, babe, da-da-doo-doot-n…”  

As you can imagine – or listen/read the lyrics – more craziness happens at the club.  In the second verse, she questions “How’d I turn my shirt inside out?” Colby arrives in the third bringing some swagger and trying to get some, of course: “I’ma hit it, I’ma beat it up, latch onto it until tomorrow, yeah / Shorty, I can see that you got so much energy / The way you twirlin’ up them hips ‘round and ‘round / And there is no reason at all why you can’t leave here with me.” Oh, sugar-honey-iced-tea! All told, 🎵 “Just Dance” had a huge impact on pop and dance in the 2000s.   

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12. Dua Lipa, “Dance The Night (From Barbie The Album)”

💿 Barbie The Album • 🏷 Atlantic / Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. • 📅 2023

“Baby, you can find me under the lights / Diamonds under my eyes.” Ooh-la-la, 🎙 Dua Lipa! Those lyrics hail from the first verse of 🎵 “Dance The Night”, a highlight, and first single, from the various artists compilation, 💿 Barbie The Album. “Dance The Night” finds Dua Lipa being true to self. How so? Well, the record sounds as if it could’ve easily appeared on her 🏆 Grammy-winning sophomore album, 💿 Future Nostalgia. “Dance The Night” features danceable, picturesque production thanks to an all-star team: 🎛 Mark Ronson, Picard Brothers, and Andrew Wyatt. Perhaps it is those jubilant, flirty strings that make the backdrop so electrifying!

“Turn the rhythm up, don’t you wanna just / Come along for the ride?” Dua Lipa continues singing in the first verse. As always, the singing is solid – we expect no less from a vocalist as talented as her. Furthermore, those vocals are playful and flirty, delivered with plenty of personality. She’s not lying when she asserts, “I can take the heat, baby, best believe / That’s the moment I shine,” or “When the night’s here, I don’t do tears / Baby, no chance.” Ow! In addition to fun lyrics and a well-rounded vocal, the tunefulness of the melody further amplifies this surefire catalyst for a dance floor. Honestly, is there any way you can sit on you’re a$$ while Dua Lipa implores us to 🎵 “Dance The Night” away? Hell nah – of course not! After all, “I stay on beat, you can count on me / I ain’t missin’ no steps!” Furthermore, Dua Lipa say it best in the chorus: “My heart could be burnin’, but you won’t see it on my face / Watch me dance (dance), dance the night away.”

Appears in 🔻:

Dua Lipa, “Dance The Night”: Dance Gemz 🕺 💎 🎶 11 (2023)

13. Men Without Hats, “Safety Dance”

💿 Rhythm of Youth • 🏷 UMG Recordings • 📅 1983

“We can dance if we want to.” That’s right! “I say, we can go where we want to.” Totally agree! “I say, we can act if we want to!” Hell yeah! Are you catching the drift? Have I illustrated clearly quoting 🎙 Men Without Hats? Men Without Hats give us a bible of sorts. No, not Biblical with a capital B, but definitely a compelling source to listen to regarding nonconformity. Basically, the Canadian new wave collective encourages us to do whatever the hell we want to on their 1983 classic, 🎵 “Safety Dance.” The mindset is screw what any- and everybody else says – I’m going to do my own thing. This, of course, is best exemplified by the chorus where Men Without Hats are going to dance, dammit!

“I say, we can dance, we can dance

Everything is out of control

We can dance, we can dance

We’re doing it from pole to pole

We can dance, we can dance

Everybody, look at your hands

We can dance, we can dance

Everybody’s taking the chance

Safe to dance

Well, it’s safe to dance

Yes, it’s safe to dance.”

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Safety is the Priority on These 11 Songs (2021)

14. Whitney Houston, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)”

💿 Whitney • 🏷 Arista • 📅 1987

“Oh, I wanna dance with somebody / I wanna feel the heat with somebody / Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody / With somebody who loves me.” Woo, that’s #ICONIC!!! She just wants to dance and be in love with someone, sigh (understandable and relatable). The late, great 🎙 Whitney Houston sadly lived a brief life with its share of demons. One of music’s all-time greatest vocalists succumbed to those demons, aged 48, in 2012 😭. Despite an untimely death, her musical legacy endures, given a catalog filled with hits, including the beloved 🎵 “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)”. “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me),” written by 🎼 ✍ Shannon Rubicam and George Merrill, graces Houston’s sophomore album, 💿 Whitney, released in 1987. Spending two weeks at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” is one of 11 no. 1 hits, and 23 top 10 hits by Houston. Impressive!

It goes without saying that “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” is an incredibly fun and infectious listen. It is up-tempo, and the minute the song begins playing, it is instantly recognizable. One of the quintessential numbers of the 1980s, it never loses its luster beyond the decade, which is a testament to its legendary, classic status. As excerpted, the chorus is the centerpiece – the crème de la crème. Houston shows off her immense musicianship, singing with ample energy, showing off an incredible personality, and most of all, wowing with THE VOICE. Beyond the elite singing, and the chorus, the verses, and the pre-choruses are memorable too, setting up that magnificent chorus. In the second verse, she asserts, “I’ve been in love and lost to my senses / Spinnin’ through the town / Sooner or later, the fever ends / And I wind up feelin’ down.” Again, relatable – who doesn’t want to find love to rid of loneliness? The sound is also marvelous, featuring arranging and production by the great 🎛 Narada Michael Walden. All told, 🎵 “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” speaks for itself – a true pop classic. Honestly, “Don’t you wanna dance? Say you wanna dance…” C’mon, baby!

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15. ABBA, “Dancing Queen”

💿 Arrival • 🏷 Polar Music International AB • 📅 1976

“You can dance, you can jive / Having the time of your life / Ooh, see that girl, watch that scene / digging the dancing queen.” Oh, the vibes, the vibes, the vibes! 🎼 ✍ Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Stig Anderson composed a masterpiece with 🎵 “Dancing Queen”, period. This was by far the biggest hit by 🎙 ABBA. The Swedish collective brought this unique, Europop / Euro disco hit to worldwide success, including no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Surprisingly, “Dancing Queen” is the only song by ABBA to reach the penthouse 🤯.

What makes “Dancing Queen” the sugar honey iced tea? Honestly, it is all the details – every musical cue soundly assembled. The arrangement and production are nothing short of immaculate. The groove established by the drums is noteworthy itself, with the song drawing inspiration from the drumming from the 1972 Dr. John album, Gumbo. Also, another disco hit, 🎵 “Rock Your Baby” by 🎙 George McCrae serves an influence. Beyond the drums, the keys are gorgeous, the bass line fat, and the strings soar. Of course, the bright vocals of 🎙 Anni-Frid Lyngstad and 🎙 Agnetha Fältskog play a huge role in the success, particularly in the chorus, among the best, most exuberant, and catchiest of all time. 🎵 “Dancing Queen” gets the job done, easily making you want to dance whether you are a girl or boy, young or old. Nearly five decades later, “Dancing Queen” remains a huge hit. Artists who have covered the record include 🎙 A*Teens and another icon herself, 🎙 Cher.

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15 Epic Songs Fueled by DANCE 🕺🪩 [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Arista, Atlantic, Interscope, BIGHIT MUSIC, Boys Keep Swinging Inc / Mute Artists Ltd., Columbia, Polar Music International AB, RCA, Republic, Ricco Barrino Muzic, Sony Music Entertainment, UMG Recordings, Inc., Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.; cottonbro studio, Gaith Reo, Jansel Ferma, Wesley Davi from Pexels; Rainbow Art from Pixabay]

15 Epic Songs Fueled by DANCE 🕺🪩 | Playlist 🎧

Published by the musical hype on July 7, 2023July 7, 2023