15 Riveting Songs About Boys

Reading Time: 15 min read

15 Riveting Songs About Boys features music courtesy of Ari Lennox, Dove Cameron, Drake, Omar Apollo, and PinkPantheress among others.

Ah – it is the music list that you have all been waiting for! 🎧 15 Riveting Songs About Boys is all about B-O-Y-S! The boys – men, honestly – covered in this musical compendium range from boyfriends, broke boys, pretty boys, and those sus fuckboys! Furthermore, there is a mix of alternative, pop, rap, and R&B, as well as musicians who identify as members of the LGBTQ community. What I am saying is, these BOYS are giving a little bit of everything! 🎧 15 Riveting Songs About Boys features music courtesy of 🎙 Ari Lennox, 🎙 Dove Cameron, 🎙 Drake, 🎙 Omar Apollo, and 🎙 PinkPantheress among others. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into these compelling songs about boys, shall we!

1. Ari Lennox, “Boy Bye” (Ft. Lucky Daye)

💿 age/sex/location • 🏷 Dreamville / Interscope • 🗓 2022

“Boy, bye / Thinkin’ you gon’ come inside / Boy, bye / Not tonight…” One partnership that always yields greatness is 🎙 Ari Lennox and 🏆 Grammy-winning R&B artist, 🎙 Lucky Daye. On 🎵 “Boy Bye,” a highlight from her 2022 sophomore album, 💿 age/sex/location, Lennox and Daye make sweet, sweet music. Unfortunately, it’s not quite paradise in this duet between lovers.

Ari doesn’t seem to trust him or his intentions. Daye, meanwhile, tries to convince her he’s totally into her. What is neat about this record is the mix of colorful interludes, profanity, and elite singing, of course. The concept is brilliant. Exhibit A, folks: “Oochie-wally, make it gushy with the lights out / I make a promise, keep you bouncing on your feet.” Ooh-wee!

2. Myylo, “Pink Boy Heart”

🎵 “Pink Boy Heart” • 🏷 Myylo • 📅 2022

“Baby I wasn’t joking / I want to hold you tight / I feel my pink boy heart exploding / Whenever you stay the night.” Those lyrics could hail from nobody else but the handsome, talented, LGBTQ+ pop sensation – 🎙 Myylo! The entertaining musician comes through with another bop, 🎵 “Pink Boy Heart”, that keeps it G-A-Y but should be an enjoyable addition to any playlist.

Myylo links up with 🎼 ✍ Christian Fiore (songwriting), with positive results – an understatement! The theme isn’t far-fetched from past music, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. I mean, wouldn’t there be something wrong if Myylo weren’t writing great songs about desiring boys (“Wrap me up in your arms / I want to be where you are”)? He does a nice job of balancing the tongue-in-cheek and legitimate desire/love goals here (“Just kiss my cheeks / With that sick technique / Then you’ll tuck me in /With my rug burn knees”). Instrumentally, there’s welcome contrast compared to previous singles, which is a win by all means. The mark of a good musician is one who evolves, and I hear the evolution in “Pink Boy Heart.” Also, can’t fail to mention that fun music video! Woo! All told, “Pink Boy Heart” is well-sung, well-written, well-produced, and entertaining, all in a tight, two-and-a-half-minute package.

Appears in 🔻:

3. Dove Cameron, “Boyfriend”

🎵 “Boyfriend” • 🏷 Disruptor / Columbia • 📅 2022

In her song 🎵 “Boyfriend,” 🎙 Dove Cameron urges a girlfriend who has a boyfriend to, um, change sides. “I could be a better boyfriend than him,” she sings in the chorus, continuing, “I could do the shit that he never did / Up all night, I won’t quit /… Plus, all my clothes would fit.” Ooh-la-la! “Boyfriend” brought excitement to playlists everywhere in 2022. Even better, Dove Cameron wasn’t straight about the excitement, if you catch my drift.

She’s excited her and her prospect are alone in the first verse, asserting in the first pre-chorus, “The universe must have divined this / What am I gonna do? Not grab your wrist?” She gives sound advice, at least from her perspective, in the second verse, singing, “I would leave with me tonight.” Dove sees that her boyfriend isn’t treating her right, and, she knows she could atone and be better than he ever could. It’s an absolutely intriguing theme. Furthermore, Dove sounds great over a jazzy, vintage-pop infused backdrop (shout out to producer 🎛 Evan Blair).

Appears in 🔻:

4. brakence, “fuckboy”

💿 Punk2 • 🏷 Columbia • 🗓 2020

“Fuckboy tryna play my homie / But 2020 I’ma take time on me / Out the window where my mainline goes / This is sacrilegious how I’m gon’ fade off IG.” What better than a then teenager (🎙 brakence) who can express pain? Angst is a potent and powerful thing! Even better is the fact that he not only reflects on loss (“Heartache comes in many forms” or “This shit ain’t the same if I can’t breathe your air”) but strives to be a better person. That means, some tough decisions, which he opens up about on the second verse (“Shouldn’t fall in love and I shouldn’t go to college.”

Besides the honest, and ‘swagger-laden’ lyrics, “fuckboy” features unique production work. It’s best characterized as pop, but not straightforward. The beat adds a hip-hop sensibility, as do the pitch-shifted vocals. A fuckboy definitely has a negative connotation, but this 🎵 “Fuckboy” (💿 Punk2) is pretty sweet!

Appears in 🔻:

5. PinkPantheress, “Boy’s a liar”

🎵 “Boy’s a liar” • 🏷 Warner Music UK Limited • 📅 2022

“Take a look inside your heart, is there any room for me? / I won’t have to hold my breath till you get down on one knee.” Oh my – interesting. After impressing with her short but sweet single, 🎵 “Do you miss me?”, 🎙 PinkPantheress dropped a compelling follow-up with 🎵 “Boy’s a liar”. “Boy’s a liar” keeps things short – two minutes and change – and sweet, of course!

“What’s the point of crying? It was never even love

Did you ever want me? Was I ever good enough?”

PinkPantheress begins singing abruptly – there’s no intro to acquaint the listener with what’s to come. No problem as the record is a surefire vibe from the onset. The listener is treated to a great groove and plenty of exceptional production touches led by keys and synths. As always, PP has a beautiful voice that’s light and airy. The vocal production is a big selling point too. Other selling points include the quick melodic lines and how they correspond with the tempo. There are also some nice overlapping and layered vocals. Fittingly, the chorus – brief and uncomplicated – is #winning too (“Thе boy’s a liar, the boy’s a liar / He doesn’t see ya, you’rе not looking at me, boy”). All told, PinkPantheress brings the heat. “Boy’s a liar” features great production, a memorable chorus, and a sweet performance by PP.

6. Omar Apollo, “Pretty Boy”

💿 Ivory **(Marfil) • 🏷 Warner • 🗓 2022**

“Pretty boy / Pretty like the ocean and the sky at night / And I fell in you / Right after we made love on a starry night.” What I personally love about Mexican American musician 🎙 Omar Apollo is the fact that he is true to himself in his music. Rather than conforming or merely creating more linear, exclusively heterosexual-themed songs, Apollo is unafraid to deliver music that’s sexually fluid, and often, queer. Everyone desires musicians to label themselves, but my question is, why is it so important? 🎵 “Pretty Boy” from 💿 Ivory (Marfil), is queer and it’s absolutely beautiful.

“‘Cause the way you talk, makes me undress / Think of times we can’t relive…” At this point, Omar Apollo has alluded to sexual experiences and relationships with men. Here, he recounts a past experience, one that seemed truly special. “I just dream of you (dream of you),” he sings in the first verse, adding, “When you’re not around I picture you next to me / And it hurts to think that someone else might love you like I do.” The thing is, even though it’s clear that the perspective is from one male to another, it doesn’t matter. These are relatable feelings regardless of sexual preference.

“Just know that I’m missing you

Stole my heart (Stole my heart) and made me run

You’re so beautiful (Your skin so smooth)

You stole my heart (Stole my heart) and made me run to you

Baby, it’s us.”

Appears in 🔻:

7. Demi Lovato, “My Girlfriends are my Boyfriend” (Ft. Saweetie)

💿 Dancing with the Devil… The Art of Starting Over • 🏷 Island • 📅 2021

“I found the love of my life (I found the love of my life) / Wait, I mean the loves of my life (I mean the loves of my life)…” Uh-oh – Oh, $hi†! In 2021, 🏆 Grammy-nominated pop artist 🎙 Demi Lovato returned with her seventh studio album, 💿 Dancing with the Devil… The Art of Starting Over. Given the trials and tribulations experienced, what better way for her to share her story than with music? While Dancing with the Devil…The Art of Starting Over has heavier moments, there are also fun, lighter moments like 🎵 “My Girlfriends are my Boyfriend” featuring rapper,  🎙 Saweetie.

“Don’t need a ring or a vow / I got my day ones around / They’re perfect, they’re priceless / Forever like diamonds.” Now that’s a mic drop if I do say so myself! The infectious “My Girlfriends are my Boyfriends” is a modern pop joint, set in a minor key. Demi delivers relatively cool vocals. She sounds as if she barely breaks a sweat through most of the record. Even so, she makes it clear that no boys are allowed on this one – it’s all about her girls! In the chorus, she asserts, “My girlfriends are my boyfriend / Ain’t nobody know me better / ‘Til forever do us part / Yeah, we’ll be partying together.” Woo! Her point is, she can depend on her girlfriends to support her through thick and thin. The same can’t be said of these lame-ass boys! Anyways, Saweetie joins the mix on the third verse, adding more swagger and freshness to this vibe: “Cop whatever for my ladies ‘cause they D4L (Facts) /They my wifeys for lifey, they my BFFL’s (Mwah!).”

Appears in 🔻:

Boyfriend: 5ive Songs No. 75 (2022)

8. Harry Styles, “Boyfriends”

💿 Harry’s House • 🏷 Erskine / Columbia • 📅 2022

🎵 “Boyfriends” appears as the penultimate track on 💿 Harry’s House. Harry’s House, of course, is the third studio album by 🏆 Grammy-winning pop superstar, 🎙 Harry Styles. It’s unsurprising that Styles had a dominant debut on the Billboard 200 – he’s kind of a big deal! While the expectation in a song like “Boyfriends” is that Harry is going to tease us one more about his sexuality, that’s not the case this time!

“Boyfriends” finds Mr. Styles speaking about the bad boyfriends of others. He speaks to the girlfriends who, “Love a fool who knows just how to get under your skin.” Oh my! Give him credit for the theme, thoughtfulness, and perhaps most of all, his gorgeous vocals. Perhaps “Boyfriends” isn’t the crowning achievement from Harry’s House (there are so many bops), but it’s another notable, well-rounded moment.

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9. Badflower, “Fukboi”

💿 This is How the World Ends • 🏷 Big Machine / John Varvatos • 📅 2021

“He could be anyone’s mistake / Just say your boyfriend’s out of town / Don’t let him bum a cigarette.” 🎵 “Fukboi” appears as the second track on 💿 This is How the World Ends, the sophomore album by L.A. rock collective, 🎙 Badflower. For 🎙 Josh Katz and company, the colorfully titled record marks the third single from the LP. Produced by Katz, 🎛 Scott Borchetta, and John Varvatos, the two-minute-and-forty-second cut marks a bright spot for the underrated band.

As you’d expect, Mr. Katz isn’t a fan of fuckboys, evidenced in several instances:

“Respect? No Way!

He’s from California

Show up! Get Laid!

They can’t all ignore ya

La- La- La- La- La- La- La- La- La-

Good luck, fukboi

No one’s rooting for ya.”

Katz highlights the ‘fuckboy playbook’ and how utterly shameless they are. What really sells “Fukboi” are the aggressive, expressive vocals. He’s proven to be an animated, electrifying front man. A section worth noting, I like the change of pace on the bridge before Katz and company rachet up the aggressiveness once more. Also, “Fukboi” isn’t merely about those godawful f-boys, or those filthy f-bombs uttered. There’s a compelling instrumental supporting Josh, comprised of driving bass, aggressive guitars, and pummeling drums. Woo!

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10. Ariana Grande & Social House, “Boyfriend”

💿 Everything Changed… • 🏷 SRV LabelCo • 🗓 2019

Post-thank u, next 🏆 Grammy winner 🎙 Ariana Grande dropped the single, 🎵 “Boyfriend” with rising duo, 🎙 Social House. “Boyfriend” ultimately appears on Social House’s EP, 💿 Everything Changed… “Boyfriend” gives her, as well as the duo, a high-flying, totally sick pop single embracing urban and hip-hop sensibilities. From the jump, she’s fierce and unapologetic AF. “I’m a motherfuckin’ train wreck,” is the first lyric she sings, instantly setting the tone. If further confirmation was needed that she was pissed off, well, she asserts, “And you don’t seem to give a fuck.”

With a straightforward form, Grande sings the first verse, followed by the pre-chorus, and an absolutely infectious chorus:

“You ain’t my boyfriend

And I ain’t your girlfriend

But you don’t want me to see nobody else

And I don’t want you to see nobody

… But you don’t want me to touch nobody else

Baby, we ain’t gotta tell nobody.”

Interesting turn of events, right? 🎙 Mikey Foster sings the second verse and pre-chorus, playing off of what Grande performed previously. Like her, he’s also “a train wreck” and he “lose(s) my mind when it comes to you.” 🎙 Scootie arrives for the third verse, followed by a bridge sung alongside Grande. Perhaps the pop wheel isn’t reinvented with “Boyfriend” but it’s solid.

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11. The Other Realm, “All The Cute Boys Are Robots”

🎵 “All The Cute Boys Are Robots” • 🏷 Big Hat Club • 🗓 2022

“All the cute boys are robots / None of these boys are real.” That’s a mic-drop moment right there! 🎙 The Other Realm definitely has a point. If you’ve ever messed around with dating apps, you totally understand the sentiment he serves up on 🎵 “All The Cute Boys Are Robots”. He continues in the chorus, “All the cute boys have metal hearts / That were never programmed to feel.” Also, true. While The Other Realm is pessimistic for much of the chorus, he looks on the bright side towards the end: “But I shouldn’t let it steal my joy / Cuz one of these days I’ll fall in love / And it won’t be with some stupid wind-up toy.”

The chorus of this pop track summarizes “Cute Boys Are Robots” perfectly. But, the verses deserve to be highlighted as well. In the first verse, The Other Realm seems to be looking for validation from these lame-ass boys. “My hair’s pulled back, my chest’s puffed out / And my eyes are open way too wide,” he sings, later adding, “I just want validation that random strangers think I’m cute / I’m trynna get over heartbreak…” Essentially, these lyrics provide more nuance to the reason for the pursuance, if you will. In the second, there’s more insight into the heartbreak, including his ex-boyfriend “Send me photos of his latest fuckboy mistakes / So I go online because I don’t go out /… Yeah, I go online because I want someone to kiss.” Of course, we ultimately know that cute boys are robots, and nothing going to come from a wind-up toy. All told, 🎵 “All The Cute Boys Are Robots” is another wonderful addition to the LGBTQ+ musical catalog. The Other Realm nails it on this incredibly enjoyable and honest pop joint.

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12. PmBata, “I hate her boyfriend’s face”

🎵 “I hate her boyfriend’s face” • 🏷 300 Entertainment LLC • 📅 2022

“She’s in love with a guy I keep seeing every day.” Oh, really, 🎙 PmBata? Are you cheating on her, or something! Please, explain! “In my camera, in my mirror, and I hate his fuckin’ face.” Okay, so, no cheating because it is clear you do NOT like this guy. Still, more information needed, please! “But she’s in love with his eyes, this boy is everything she needs / But everything means nothin’ if I can’t love him / The same way she loves me.” Oh, man – that hits deep!

On 🎵 “I hate her boyfriend’s face,” the person that PmBata hates is himself. He’s her boyfriend and clearly, she thinks the world of him. The problem is, he does not like himself. Essentially, in order for him to love her, he must love himself. “I knew from the start I was broken, hopeless, darlin’ it’s over,” he sings in the second verse, concluding, “I hope this gives closure.” In some ways, this is a sad scenario. The singer has someone who adores him, yet, he’s getting in his own way. At least he admits to his issues and ultimately doesn’t want to make her suffer because of his issues. This brief record is perfect food for thought.

Appears in 🔻:

Boyfriend: 5ive Songs No. 75 (2022)

13. Asbjørn, “STB x Boyfriend”

💿 Boyology • 🏷 Embassy of Music • 🗓 2022

“Love never kills in Beverly Hills / Long as it ends in dollar bills / Let’s do a swap; money for feels.” 🎵 “STB x Boyfriend” – aka soon-to-be ex-boyfriend – appears as the third track on 💿 Boyology. Boyology marks the third studio album by Danish LGBTQ pop musician, 🎙 Asbjørn (Asbjørn Toftdahl Terkelsen).

In the context of Boyology, “STB x Boyfriend” keeps things going strong. Asbjørn references the ‘perfect’ state of California, or at least, the illusion of perfect. Despite the perfection of the places he describes, Terkelsen is struggling with finding and retaining love: “You might as well know how it will end before we start.” He asks his potential, short-term suitor, “Do you wanna be / My soon-to-be ex-boyfriend? / All the power vested in me / I give it to you, no defense.” Despite the fact things are soon to end, “STB x Boyfriend” is a surefire fun pop joint.

14. Drake & 21 Savage, “Broke Boys”

💿 Her Loss • 🏷 OVO • 📅 2022

🎙 Drake and 🎙 21 Savage are a match made in heaven… in the most hellish way possible. The 🏆 Grammy-winning rappers always seem to bring the heat when they link up, hence, why their joint 2022 album, 💿 Her Loss, ended up being a massive success. Joining a list filled with boys of all sorts – boyfriends, fuckboys, and pretty boys – the duo highlights 🎵 “Broke Boys” on the 11^th track from Her Loss.

“Broke Boys” is a two-part rap banger. In Part 1, Drake is the aggressor initially, performing the first verse and the chorus. On autopilot, with no shortage of confidence, Drizzy references lux foreign ride and mentions the 6 (of course). In the chorus, that confidence soars, capped off by the final two lines, “You boys gettin’ ready to diss, but don’t even mention the O / And don’t even mention a foe unless you boys tryna go broke.” Oh, $hi†! 21 Savage takes the second verse, spitting ether in his aggressive, deadpan style, asserting, “She called me mucus, I stay in her throat / Stick hit that boy, got his ass hittin’ notes.” Da-yum! As for Part 2, Drizzy dominates, dropping one verse and emphasizing throughout, “I can’t talk to broke boys.” Among his most potent lines: “Nigga went and bought a house when he coulda bought a verse / Niggas dumb as fuck, imagine if I did that stupid shit when I was comin’ up.” Woo!

Appears in 🔻:

Drake & 21 Savage, “Broke Boys”: Rap BNGRZ 🔥 27 (2022)

15. JBACH, “fuckboy”

🎵 “fuckboy” • 🏷 The Krusty Krab • 📅 2021

“I gave a fuckboy my heart.” Alas, 🎙 JBACH, that was a gargantuan mistake. He continues singing on 🎵 “fuckboy,” “My friends they tried to warn me / Somehow they knew from the start.” Clearly, the Chaldean (Iraqui) American LGBTQ musician was blinded by what he perceived to be love on this brief, two-minute ballad. Of course, the dashingly handsome Detroit, Michigan native was burned. That, of course, is what those no-good fuckboys do!

Despite his pain from being burned, JBACH sings in a soft, beautiful, and expressive voice – angelic to be honest. He’s accompanied by guitar primarily, with the production expanding as the record progresses. That said, the production is much more ‘non troppo’ than overblown. Naturally, he sings about falling for too easily and giving his all for little in return. Ultimately, he asserts, “Don’t know why, I do such dumb shit for love.” The truth is, don’t we all or have at some point in our lives? It’s easy to be blinded by an illusion, and that’s exactly what this fuckboy was to JBACH. You live, love, and learn, right?

Appears in 🔻:

15 Riveting Songs About Boys [📷: 300 Entertainment LLC, Big Hat Club, Big Machine, Brent Faulkner, Columbia, Disruptor, Dreamville, Embassy of Music, Erskine, Interscope, Island, John Varvatos, The Krusty Krab, The Musical Hype, Myylo, OVO, SRV LabelCo, Warner, Warner Music UK Limited, Daria Liudnaya, Edgar Santos T., Kwesi Badu, Pexels, Yasin Aydın]