15 Songs Filled with Hope | Playlist 🎧

🎧 15 Songs Filled with Hope features music from Dusty Springfield, Gabby Barrett, iann dior, NF, Orville Peck & Panic! At the Disco.

Do you find yourself in need of HOPE? Well, look no further than 🎧 15 Songs Filled with Hope! 🎧 15 Songs Filled with Hope combines two previous miniature lists: 🎧 Hope: 5ive Songs No. 45 (2020) and  🎧 Hope: 5ive Songs No. 14 (2022).  Besides those 10, hope-driven songs, we’ve added five more for a grand total of 15. That’s a lot of HOPE! This hopeful musical compendium features tunes courtesy of 🎙 Dusty Springfield, 🎙 Gabby Barrett, 🎙 iann dior, 🎙 NF, 🎙 Orville Peck, and 🎙 Panic! At the Disco among others.  Just within those five highlighted musicians, we have a plethora of musical styles: blue-eyed soul, country, rap, pop/rock, pop, alternative, alternative pop, and alternative country! So, without further ado, let’s jump right into this hopeful playlist!

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1. NF, “HOPE”

💿 HOPE • 🏷 NF Real Music, LLC • 🗓 2023 

“Nate, you’ve had a great run / But it’s time to / Give the people somethin’ different.” So, what exactly is rapper 🎙 NF (Nate Feuerstein) giving that is different? He is giving 🎵 “HOPE”, of course! “HOPE” marks the opening track and a single from his 2023 fifth studio album, also titled, 💿 HOPE.  Clearly, Feuerstein has been through a lot in his life, something he has been honest about on multiple albums.  There has been plenty of darkness that has troubled him.  “To be the greatest version of yourself, sometimes you got to be someone you’re not to hear the voice of reason.”  THAT PART! Nate Feuerstein is now embracing the light – hope as opposed to the pessimism!

Per the first verse of “HOPE,” NF asserts, “I done did things that I regret, I done said things I can’t take back / Was a lost soul at a crossroad who had no hope, but I changed that.” That is a win.  In the second verse, he is candid about mental health, and how it affected him: “Some would say having a mental breakdown is a negative thing / Which on one hand, I agree with / On the other hand, it was the push I needed.” Beyond those lyrical highlights, one of the best moments of “HOPE” comes on the outro, as the rapper gets “Thirty years” of various adversity, hardship, and negatives off his chest.  Ultimately, he has decided, “I’m taking the Reins.” Helping to fuel NF’s fire, of course, is production by himself, 🎛 Tommee Profitt and Jeff Sojka. 🎵 “HOPE” = positive, uplifting rap banger.  The music video is clever – incredibly dope!

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Appears in 🔻:

• NF, “HOPE”: Rap BNGRZ 🔥 13 (2023)

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2. Panic! At the Disco, “High Hopes”

💿 Pray for the Wicked • 🏷 Fueled by Ramen • 🗓 2019

“Have to have high, high hopes for a living / Shooting for the stars when I couldn’t make a killing / Didn’t have a dime, but I always had a vision / Always had high, high hopes…”  🎵 “High Hopes” by 🎙 Panic! At the Disco, is the type of energetic, positive, and uplifting record that easily atones and assuages. “High Hopes” ranks among the highlights on the 🏆 Grammy-nominated band’s 2018 album, 💿 Pray for the Wicked.  Arguably, it is the crowning achievement.  It kicks off with driving brassy, exuberant production work, set in a major key. After setting the tone with the intro, 🎙 Brendon Urie unveils the optimistic, chorus, singing in his powerful upper register.  Following the initial burst excitement, he settles into the first verse.  He speaks of destiny, dreams, and “rewriting your history,” as advised by his mom. Later, in the second verse, he speaks about being true to self, personally and musically.

“It’s uphill for oddities

The stranger crusaders

Ain’t ever wannabes

The weird and the novelties

Don’t ever change.”

“High Hopes” is an anthem for dreamers – encouragement for the non-conformists of the world.

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Appears in 🔻:

• 14 Songs Sure To Lift You Higher (2019)
• Panic! At the Disco High Hopes: Terrific Tuesday No. 2 💎 (2020)
• Weekly Gems 💎 2: Week of 4-6-2020
• Day 9: Panic! At the Disco, High Hopes | 30-Day Song Challenge 🎶 (2020)
• 30-Day Song Challenge 🎶: The Playlist, Pt. 1(2020)
• 30-Day Song Challenge 🎶: The Complete Playlist (2020)
• Epilogue: 21 Incredible Highlights from Weekly Gems (2020)
• Hope: 5ive Songs No. 45 (2020)

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3. Olivia Rodrigo, “hope ur ok”

💿 SOUR • 🏷 Geffen • 📅 2021

“I knew a boy once when I was small / A towhead blond with eyes of salt /… His parents cared more about the Bible / Than being good to their own child…” 🎙 Olivia Rodrigo witnessed her debut album, 💿 SOUR, earned several 🏆 Grammys, including Rodrigo’s biggest win being the Grammy for Best New Artist.  The teen concludes her debut LP with a thoughtful record, 🎵 “hope ur ok”. Rodrigo wrote “hope ur ok” with 🎼 ✍ 🎛 Daniel Nigro, who also produces the record.

“And somehow, we fell out of touch

Hope he took his bad deal and made a royal flush

Don’t know if I’ll see you again someday

But if you’re out there, I hope that you’re okay.”

“Hope ur ok” references the plight of some LGBTQ+ 🏳️‍🌈 individuals. It also references dysfunctional family units, and honestly, some truly insightful, realistic happenings.  This is the perfect closer to a truly well-rounded debut album.  “Hope ur ok” gives chills – those goosebumps.

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Appears in 🔻:

• Hope: 5ive Songs No. 14 (2022)
• Incredible LGBTQ Songs, Young & Old, Vol. 3 (2022)

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4. Dusty Springfield, “Wishin’ and Hopin’”

💿 Stay Awhile / I Only Want To Be With You • 🏷 UMG Recordings Inc. • 🗓 1964

On her 1964 classic, 🎵 “Wishin’ and Hopin’”, the late, great 🎙 Dusty Springfield (1939 – 1999) provides a reality check regarding love. “Wishin’ and hopin’ and thinkin’ and prayin’,” she sings, continuing, “Plannin’ and dreamin’ each night of his charms / That won’t get you into his arms.” Amen 👏, sister, Amen 👏! Basically, on this 🎼 ✍ Burt Bacharach / Hal David-penned gem, the blue-eyed soul singer encourages action if you want to get what you want. And the want – the desire – is LOVE.  On this playful, tongue-in-cheek hit (no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100), Dusty encourages women to “Hold him and kiss him and love him / And show him that you care.” Furthermore, she adds, “Wear your hear just for him.” Playing devil’s advocate 😈, the argument against this song, which hails from the 1960s, might be that Springfield is encouraging the girls to do too much – being too submissive.  Personally, I think the takeaway is about the strategy to take to get what you want which is in this case, a hot guy 😍.  Dusty Springfield shines bright like a diamond on this joint right here! Also, it should be noted, while the subject of “Wishin’ and Hopin’” is clearly a guy, Springfield was a member of the LGBTQ 🏳️‍🌈 community. 

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5. iann dior, “hopeless romantic” (Ft. Travis Barker)

💿 on to better things • 🏷 10K Projects • 🗓 2022

I’d argue that Puerto Rican-American musician 🎙 iann dior is both versatile and difficult to characterize.  In my eyes, both things can be true. Sometimes, he’s more hip-hop oriented while at other times, he leans more pop/rock. On 🎵 “hopeless romantic,” the closing cut from his 2022 album, 💿 on to better things, dior embraces his pop/rock side – sort of pop-punk, emo… He’s assisted by the ubiquitous 🎙 Travis Barker, who produces alongside pop guitar resurrectionist, 🎛 Omer Fedi.

Again, I’ll emphasize the versality of iann dior, who comfortably navigates this ‘pop’ record – or, perhaps, melodic rap? Anyways, iann exemplifies being a hopeless romantic.  In the first verse, he sings, “If you keep running / I’ll keep running with you / I don’t think this is healthy / Can’t keep doing this with you.” Well, at least he admits it’s probably not healthy.  Of course, in the chorus, dior keeps on doing his thing, hopelessly romantic:

“Wherever we go, wherever the wind blows

I’ll be here to walk you through the meadow

Whenever life gets too much to handle

I’ll be here to give you what you as for.” 

Does iann dior go deep here? Eh, it is what it is, and perhaps, depth is perceived differently by different folks. Food for thought! If nothing else, consider it a vibe with driving guitars and of course, the tuneful chorus.

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Appears in 🔻:  

• 12 H Songs: No Rhyme or Reason, Vol. 2 (2022)

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6. Lana Del Rey, “Hope is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me to Have – But I Have It”

💿 Norman Fucking Rockwell! • 🏷 Interscope • 🗓 2019

“‘Cause hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have / Hope is a dangers thing for a woman like me to have.”  Yep, the title of the record is just what you think it is – 🎵 “Hope is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me to Have – But I Have It”. Damn, that’s one long song title!  Yes, 🏆 Grammy-nominated, alternative pop standout 🎙 Lana Del Rey dropped the rare song that features 16 words (!) in its title.  As ‘extra’ as the title may be, Del Rey definitely comes through on this ballad – a highlight from 💿 Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019) –  including literary and cinematic references.

The ever-expressive Lana Del Rey sounds as chilling and enigmatic as ever.  Her tone is stunning.  Among her best moments come at the end of the record when she flaunts her falsetto.   Beyond her inspired vocal performance, there’s also the stripped, yet gorgeous nature of this five-and-a-half-minute ballad.  The production keeps things hella simple, comprised of piano accompaniment.  Even working with such a lengthy duration, it’s perfect fuel for the fire of Del Rey, who manages to keep things colorful with some profane lyrics, such as “I’ve been tearing up town in my fucking nightgown / Like a goddamn-near sociopath.” Wow. Ultimately, with the threat of ‘hope’ in her hands on this song, Lana del Rey does what she does best – delivers an expressive, moody, well-rounded record.

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Appears in 🔻:

• 11 Songs That Are Dangerous, Violent, or Otherwise (2019)
• 11 Songs Where the Threat is Real (2019)
• 15 Marvelous Songs About Women (2019)
• Hope: 5ive Songs No. 45 (2020)
• 51 Best Songs of 2019
• 13 Amazing, Must HAVE Songs (2022)

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7. Orville Peck, “Hope to Die”

💿 Pony • 🏷 Sub Pop • 📅 2019

“Take me back to the time / I was yours, and you were mine.” Sounds like the end of a relationship, 🎙 Orville Peck!  By the way, if you’ve never heard Peck’s music, you are totally missing out.  The Canadian-based gay 🌈 alternative/country music musician, who always wears a fringed masked, dives into a complicated romance between two cowboys on 🎵 “Hope to Die”,  which appears on his 2019 debut album, 💿 Pony.  How complicated was it? “I had to whisper / Because you liked it that way,” suggests the relationship was secret aka remaining ‘closeted.’

There are other hints of the complicated nature of this union, which seems to parallel gay relationships, particularly depending on where they occur.  “Take me back to the world I know/ You were crying / They don’t cry where we go.” The part of that lyric that stands out most is “They don’t cry where we go” which could reference toxic masculinity and the idea that men don’t cry and aren’t allowed to exhibit emotions or show vulnerability.  Also, it might reference the idea that some gay men are viewed as effeminate, not manly enough, and not respected.  Crying cowboys? They don’t exist, right? Secrecy and, say, ‘being discreet’ is key to “Hope to Die,” evidenced by the titular lyric, “Cross my heart, now I hope to die.”

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Appears in 🔻:

• Orville Peck, “Hope to Die”: LGBTQ Bopz 🌈🎶 16 (2022)
• Incredible LGBTQ Songs, Young & Old, Vol. 3 (2022)
• 15 Epic Songs Worth Dying For (2023)

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8. Joji, “High Hopes” (Ft. Omar Apollo)

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

“She wanna know which way I’m leanin’ / Am I really made of this? Am I really made of that?” 🎵 “High Hopes” is a highlight from 💿 Nectar, the 2020 studio album by 🎙 Joji.  The record pairs Joji with one of the most talented risers in the game, 🎙 Omar Apollo – don’t get me started on him 😍.  Anyways, the resulting record is quirky but captivating.  🎛 The Donuts and Bēkon handle the production, fueling the creative fire.

“High hopes / High hopes…” Joji dips into his falsetto on the chorus, while employing his middle register on the first verse (“But love is so blind when you feel it (so blind) / Can’t defeat it, hope you feelin’ good”).  As for Omar, he’s true to self in the second verse – ‘alternative’ to the nth degree.  There’s some hip-hop, some melody, and a heaping dose of confidence and swagger.

“I don’t think you good at keepin’ secrets

All the bags on the floor make you heated

Blind my eyes, boy too bright, he got them sequins

Man, I hope you comin’ back to cop that free shit

Back to cop that free shit, that’s elite shit.”

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Appears in 🔻:

• Hope: 5ive Songs No. 45 (2020)

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9. Nessa Barrett, “I hope ur miserable until ur dead”

💿 pretty poison (EP) • 🏷 Warner • 📅 2021 

“I hope you never fall in love again / I hope you be yourself and lose your friends / I hope they call you out for shit you said / I hope you’re miserable until you’re dead.” Woo! Well, it’s safe to say that 🎙 Nessa Barrett isn’t happy on 🎵 “I hope ur miserable until ur dead.” She’s bitter AF on the standout from her debut EP, 💿 pretty poison.  Basically, she wants this person to suffer until they’re no longer living!

Calling this pop/rock song aggressive would be an understatement.  From the jump, Nessa is angry, which she admits as she sings, “But you drag me through mud, here I come, now I’m petty as fuck.” In the second verse, she asserts, “Been keeping your shit to myself / If I said it out loud, you’d be burning in hell.” Geez    ! She closes out the verse with the observation “One day it’ll come around but fuck you for now.” Clearly, whatever this nameless person did to Nessa, they totally pissed her TF off! Her bitterness and pain is our listening pleasure!

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Appears in 🔻:

• Hope: 5ive Songs No. 14 (2022)
• 15 Epic Songs Worth Dying For (2023)

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10. Atlus, “You’re a Fucking Bitch Hope You Know That Shit”

💿 Low Expectations • 🏷 Independent / Amuseio ABB • 📅 2021 

🎵 “You’re a Fucking Bitch Hope You Know That Shit.”  WOW – that’s some song title right there! 🎙 Atlus certainly doesn’t hold back or sugarcoat anything on this ‘alternative’ standout from 💿 Low Expectations. Bluntness is the modus operandi.  Even if it’s profane with three swear words in the title alone, “You’re a Fucking Bitch Hope You Know That Shit” is enjoyable and entertaining.

So, what causes Atlus to use such strong language? For one, she’s cheating on him: “I smell his cologne on your shirt, it’s hard to breathe in.” Even so, she won’t tell the truth and continues to go about the usual romancing: “And you whisper sweet nothings in my ear / But I can’t trust a word you said.” Of course, this, and a second verse deflecting the blame, leads to the explicit chorus we all came for:

“You’re a fuckin’ bitch, hope you know that shit

You can never trust a ho, had to learn that quick

How many others are you sleepin’ with?

All I know is I don’t deserve this.”

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Appears in 🔻:

• Hope: 5ive Songs No. 14 (2022)
• 15 More Songs, Clearly For Under Consent of the King (2022)

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11. Halsey, “Hopeless” (Ft. Cashmere Cat)

💿 Hopeless Fountain Kingdom • 🏷 Astralwerks • 🗓 2017

“‘Cause you know the good die young, but so did this / And so it must be better than I think it is / Gimme those eyes, it’s easy to forgive.” Alternative pop artist 🎙 Halsey concludes her 2017 sophomore album, 💿 Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, ‘hopelessly romantic’ you might say. 🎵 “Hopeless,” featuring 🎙 Cashmere Cat, finds Halsey capturing ‘hopelessness’ on the dramatic chorus. During the chorus, Halsey’s vocals are drenched in effects: “Oh-oh-oh / I hope hopeless…” It’s a unique sound – polarizing and not for everybody.  Still, Halsey clearly makes her point regarding matters of the heart in the verses and pre-chorus that precede. 

Appears in 🔻:

• Hope: 5ive Songs No. 45 (2020)

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12. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, “Hope the High Road”

💿 The Nashville Sound • 🏷 Southeastern • 🗓 2017 

🎙 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit take on an edgier sound on “Hope the High Road,” a highlight from their 🏆 Grammy-winning album, 💿 The Nashville Sound.  What’s responsible for the edgy sound?  Gritty guitars, not to mention the subject matter of the record itself. Throughout the verses, Isbell depicts a series of unfortunate happenings.  During the second verse, these happenings include the turbulent 2016, which he describes as “a son of a bitch.” That sounds about right. Anyways, despite the adversity, on the chorus, 🎙 Jason Isbell states, “I hope the high road leads you home again / To a world you want to live in.”

Appears in 🔻:

• Hope: 5ive Songs No. 45 (2020)

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13. Gabby Barrett, “I Hope”

💿 Goldmine • 🏷 Warner Music Nashville • 📅 2020

“I, I hope she makes you smile / The way you made me smile on the other end of a phone / In the middle of the highway driving alone.” Aw, that’s so thoughtful of you 🎙 Gabby Barrett! The country singer goes on to sing, in the chorus, “I hope you’re both feelin’ sparks by the end of the drive / I hope you know she’s the one by the end of the night.” So far, still positive – so great that Barrett wishes her ex the best!

Of course, the tide changes on 🎵 “I Hope”, the biggest song from her 2020 debut album, 💿 Goldmine.  I mean, you didn’t expect her to wish happiness on this no-good man who wronged her, right? The second half of the chorus is where she hopes karma comes into play:

“I hope she comes along and wrecks every one of your plans

I hope you spend your last dime to put a rock on her hand

I hope she’s wilder than your wildest dreams

She’s everything you’re ever gonna need

And then I hope she cheats

Like you did on me

And then I hope she cheats

Like you did on me.”

Woo! Barrett wrote “I Hope” alongside 🎼 ✍ Jon Nite and Zachary Kale. Notably, there’s a remix with 🎙 Charlie Puth.

Appears in 🔻:

• Hope: 5ive Songs No. 14 (2022)

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14. Jake Bugg, “Love, Hope and Misery”

💿 On My One • 🏷 Virgin EMI • 📅 2016

“Crying for the one who doesn’t love you / All you feel is pain,” 🎙 Jake Bugg sings authentically on 🎵 “Love, Hope and Misery.” “Love, Hope and Misery” marks the crème de la crème of the British singer/songwriter’s under-appreciated 2016 LP, 💿 On My One.  He continues singing, “You know why he doesn’t want you / He hasn’t called for days.”

Bugg has never possessed the smoothest set of pipes.  That said, his coarseness is part of the charm, particularly on this balld.  Thoughtful production (🎛 Jacknife Lee) and orchestration also makes “Love, Hope and Misery” incredibly sweet. I mean, incorporating strings alongside vintage gritty bass and old-school, distorted guitars – celestial! The centerpiece of this love-hope-misery-driven song should come as no surprise – the chorus!

“They say it comes in threes: love, hope, and misery

And the first two are gone and tell me if I’m wrong

I hope that I am, and you don’t hate me

Don’t be mad, I’m just a man

And I know, and I know, and I know, and I know

And I know, and I know that you must hate me.”

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15. Cole Swindell, “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight”

💿 Cole Swindell • 🏷 Warner Music Nashville • 📅 2014

“I could go for a tipsy tailgate kiss / Baby taste the moonshin’ off of your lips / I want to see that ‘want ya’ smile / Still got me hooked, been hooked for a while.”  Sometimes, country artists don’t come right out and say what they want to ‘do’ like pop, R&B, and hip-hop artists.  That said, clearly, 🎙 Cole Swindell wants some passionate love with this girl on 🎵 “Hope You Get Lonely Tonight,” a standout from his 2014, 💿 self-titled album.

Read through the lyrics and it’s clear that everybody’s favorite country ginger is both infatuated and horny.  He essentially says it on the chorus, where he plans on blaming “the whiskey” for what’s about to go down.

“If you’re feelin’ what I’m feelin’ let’s mix it up

You got my number baby hit me up

If you need a little late night pick me up

I, hope you get lonely tonight

We ain’t gotta make up, just kiss me

We could straight up blame it on the whiskey

You ain’t gotta wake up and miss me, no

I hope you get lonely tonight.”

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15 Songs Filled with Hope [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; 10K Projects, 12Tone Music, 88rising, Amuseio ABB, Astralwerks, Fueled by Ramen, Geffen, Independent, Interscope, The Musical Hype, NF Real Music, LLC, Southeastern, Sub Pop, UMG Recordings Inc., Virgin EMI, Warner; Myicahel Tamburini via Pexels]

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