15 Songs Where Somebody Is in the Title | Playlist 🎧

1. Charlie Puth, “Somebody Told Me”

Voicenotes • Atlantic • 2018

On the up-tempo “Somebody Told Me,” Charlie Puth focuses on matters of the heart.  Earlier on his sophomore LP Voicenotes, he was the party guilty of creeping (“How Long”).  However, here, Puth discovers that his girlfriend was “Just half in love” and “Got another love you’ve been giving it to.”

2. The Chainsmokers, “Somebody”

Sick Boy (EP) • Columbia • 2018

The Chainsmokers return in 2018 with a four-song EP, Sick Boy.  Sick Boy (EP) commences with “Somebody,” featuring Drew Love.  Love is the first voice (and first sound) we hear, singing the chorus in lovely fashion with his pure tenor.  Andrew Taggart handles the verses, clearly contrasting the smoother Love with lower, slightly more weathered vocals. Notably, Taggart and Love duet, beginning subtly on the second verse, and more pronouncedly on the choruses. In regards to production, the record fuses pop, electronic, and elements of urban contemporary.  It’s not a profound record, but enjoyable.

3. Bazzi, “Somebody”

COSMIC • 2018

“Abusing all my authority / Shutting down these sororities / Music is the priority / all the other shit is a minority.” Word. “Somebody” serves as the closing song from COSMIC, the debut album by 20-year old pop singer/songwriter, Bazzi.  Basically, Bazzi sings about his come-up and becoming somebody.

He’s clear, simple, and honest on the chorus:

“We all want to be somebody
We all want to be anybody
We just want to feel something real.”

4. Cole Swindell, “Somebody’s Been Drinkin’”

All of It • Warner Music Nashville • 2018

“Somebody’s been drinkin’ and got to thinkin’ ‘bout us / It’s just the cherry bombs talkin’ when you’re hittin’ me up.” “Somebody’s Been Drinkin’” (All of It) begins relatively mysteriously, with little rhythmic or melodic motion.  Initially, it’s very spare, quiet, and simplistic. Following the mysterious intro, Georgia country singer Cole Swindell enters, setting things in motion.  Gradually, there is more motion and more instrumentation. Ultimately, Swindell sings about romance, even if it’s fueled by a couple of drinks. By the chorus, Swindell lets loose, showcasing the full range of his beautiful, distinct pipes.  The centerpiece is undoubtedly the catchy, memorable chorus, excerpted above.

5. Pentatonix, “New Rules x Are you That Somebody?”

PTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. 1 • RCA • 2018

For Pentatonix, the mash-up of old and new works absolutely brilliantly on “New Rules x Are You That Somebody?” (Pentatonix, PTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. 1). “New Rules” (Dua Lipa) was among the best songs of 2017, while “Are You That Somebody,” the foundation of this mash-up (handled by Matt Sallee and Kevin Olusola), was Aaliyah at her best. The vocal reproduction of the signature Timbaland production work is nothing short of awesome.  At times, Mitch Grassi and Kirstin Maldonado are firmly part of the Dua Lipa camp, while at others, they play a role in the Aaliyah camp. Scott Hoying handles lead vocal duties, killing it as always.

6. Bleachers, “Everybody Lost Somebody”

Gone Now • RCA • 2017

“Everybody Lost Somebody” was among the highlights on Gone Now, the sophomore album by alternative ‘band’ Bleachers (aka Jack Antonoff). “Everybody Lost Somebody” opens mysteriously, with an interlude, coupled with excerpts of the production work, muted in the background.  This foreshadows what’s to come – a beat that hits you right in the chest, jazzy, soulful saxophones, and of course, synth action.  Expectedly, it’s another production showcase for Jack Antonoff.  Vocally, the performance is uneven, yet incredibly playful, incorporating both spoken and sung portions.  All said and done, it’s compelling.

7. Lady Antebellum, “Somebody Else’s Heart”

Heart Break • Capitol Nashville • 2017

“Yeah, we always go there / Down a road that leads nowhere / Somewhere between lovers and just friends.” Uh oh… Lady Antebellum quietly released Heart Break in 2017.  That said, the trio have cooled since hitting the high-water mark with the likes of Need You Now(2010) and Own the Night (2011). But focusing on the song at hand, “Somebody Else’s Heart,” the relationship is clearly flawed, as Charles Kelley highlights above. Hilary Scott follows up (with a portion sung by Kelley), singing, “I wish there was a heart I could borrow just ‘til tomorrow / ‘Cause this is always how it starts.” On the chorus, the two join forces, wanting to make things work for them as a couple.

“…I’ll let you in against my better judgement
Wishing I could love you, love you, love you
With somebody else’s heart.”

8. Justin Moore, “Somebody Else Will”

Kinda Don’t Care • Big Machine • 2016

On the brief  “Somebody Else Will”, which hails from the 2016 album Kinda Don’t Care, country singer Justin Moore packs a significant punch. Set in a minor key, the record has a darker feel. The verses embrace pop-soul cues while the chorus plays true to Moore’s country roots. Living up to the biggest moments, he showcases incredible vocal nuances, particularly the grit he exhibits.

“Somebody else will if I don’t
Walk up and ask you your name right now
Offer to buy you a drink
Sit down and tell you your looks could kill.”

9. The 1975, “Somebody Else”

I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It • Interscope • 2016

I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It.  What a lengthy, if poetic album title The 1975.  One of the highlights from this 2016 alternative gem comes by way of single “Somebody Else.” Essentially, frontman Matthew Healey doesn’t desire his ex-girlfriend physically anymore, but he can’t bear the thought of her being with someone else.

“I don’t want your body
But I hate to think about you with somebody else
Our love has gone cold
You’re intertwining your soul with somebody else.”

10. A Tribe Called Quest, “Lost Somebody”

We Got it from Here…Thank You 4 Your service • Epic • 2016

In 2016, iconic rap collective A Tribe Called Quest made an epic comeback, releasing their final studio album, We Got It from Here…Thank You 4 Your Service, after an 18-year hiatus.  Amplifying the nostalgic appeal is the death of a key member, Malik “Phife Dawg” Taylor, who passed away in March 2016. “Lost Somebody” is a thoughtful, dedication to Phife, featuring Q-Tip and Jarobi handling rapping duties.

Katia Cadet sings the memorializing hook.

“Have you ever loved somebody?
Way before you got to dream?
No more crying, he’s in sunshine.”

11. Queen, “Somebody to Love”

Forever • Hollywood • 2014

“Lord what you’re doing to me / I have spent all my years believing in you / But I just can’t get no relief, Lord.” Wow, the faith of Freddie Mercury and Queen is in a fragile state on “Somebody to Love.” Originally released on the 1976 album A Day at the Races, “Somebody to Love” is among the rock band’s most celebrated classics.  Though Mercury is as enthused as the exuberant, gospel-infused, major-key production, the lyrics are more pessimistic.  Besides the simple but uplifting chorus, arguably the best moment comes with the numerous iterations of the lyric, “Find me somebody to love.”

12. Whitney Houston, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)”

I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston • RCA • 2012

The late, great Whitney Houston sadly lived a brief life with its share of demons.  Shockingly, one of music’s all-time greatest vocalists succumbed to her demons at the age of 48 in 2012.  The same year, compilation I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston arrived.  Among the many gems of the diva’s career appearing on the compilation is “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me),” from the 1987 album, Whitney. This up-tempo joint is fun to listen to – infectious to the nth degree.  It exemplifies the sound of the 80s yet sounds timeless in the modern day.

The best moment – the chorus of course!

“Oh! I wanna dance with somebody
I wanna feel the heat with somebody
Yeah! I wanna dance with somebody
With somebody who loves me.”

13. Gotye, “Somebody That I Used to Know”

Ft. Kimbra

Making Mirrors • Republic • 2011

“But you didn’t have to cut me off / Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing / And I don’t even need your love / But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough.” Gotye won two Grammys for his quirky, incredibly compelling record, “Somebody That I Used to Know.” The Billboard Hot 100 number one hit won the prestigious Record of the Year as well as Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.  That makes his partner in crime, Kimbra, a Grammy winner as well.  Besides being awarded for this superb duet, Gotye would win a third Grammy that same year (2013) for Best Alternative Music Album for Making Mirrors.

As excerpted above, the chorus is the centerpiece.

“No, you didn’t have to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don’t need that though
Now you’re just somebody that I used to know.”

14. Kings of Leon, “Use Somebody”

Only by the Night • RCA • 2008

Only by the Night would end up being the biggest album of King of Leon’s career.  Simply put, the rock band soared with this particular project.  Two songs are responsible for the success of Only by the Night as a whole.  The first is “Sex on Fire”, which earned the band their first of three Grammy wins in 2008 (Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals).  The second, bigger reason for their massive success is the song at hand, “Use Somebody,” which not only earned them consecutive Grammys for Best Rock Performance, but also earned them Record of the Year for 2009.

15. The Killers, Somebody Told Me”

Hot Fuss • Island • 2004

Some of the somebody songs on this list have earned their respective artists Grammys.  That’s not the case for The Killers who were nominated for a Grammy for “Somebody Told Me,” but ultimately didn’t win.  In fact, out of five tries, Brandon Flowers and company have yet to win.  Nonetheless, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to call the shimmering, up-tempo joint one of the band’s iconic songs, not to mention one of the best alternative songs of new millennium.  This is Flowers at his best.

“Well, somebody told me you had a boyfriend
Who looked like a girlfriend
That I had in February of last year
It’s not confidential, I’ve got potential
A-rushing, rushing around.”