WANT 2.0: 15 Songs Where Want, or Lack Thereof, is Real features songs from Fiona Apple, Juice WRLD, Luke Bryan, Teyana Taylor & Snoh Aalegra.
Ah want â what does it mean? According to Merriam-Webster, want has several meanings, including âto desire to come, go, or be.â On this playlist, as the title makes crystal clear, that WANT is key. There are no deep messages or hidden frills â this list truly is what it is.Â
After unleashing 9 Songs Focused on âWantâ back in 2018, I drop the updated, expanded version of the list, WANT 2.0 â 15 SONGS WHERE WANT, OR LACK THEREOF, IS REAL. While WANT 2.0 brings some of the original songs back, it also cuts a few in favor of some intriguing newbies. WANT 2.0 features songs courtesy of Fiona Apple, Juice WRLD, Luke Bryan, Teyana Taylor, and Snoh Aalegra among others. Prepare to want to spin these songs over and over!
1. Juice WRLD, âI Want Itâ
Legends Never Die âą Interscope âąÂ 2020
âFuck on a private jet, ainât nowhere safe now / Baby, hold me down and stay down / Goinâ in raw, want you to feel me, Iâm not playinâ around / Your heart is my safe house.â Juice WRLD tragically passed away in December 2019 just days after his 21st birthday. It seems as if the popular rapperâs demise came at the hands of one of his demons, drugs. Even though he is no longer with us, his music and his spirit live on. Tans and stans get a huge treat with the release of his posthumous album, Legends Never Die, which easily debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard 200. Furthermore, the late rapper provides us with a fitting entry on 15 SONGS WHERE WANT, OR LACK THEREOF, IS REAL: âI Want It.â
âBaby girl, donât run from me, donât run, I want it.â Thatâs about the size of it on âI Want It.â Here, Juice WRLD likens drugs and infatuation.
âI know you donât trust me Iâm sedated, baby, baby, did you drug me?â
Wow! He asks this question on the pre-chorus that precedes the aforementioned chorus where he makes it crystal clear, he âwants it.â
2. Teyana Taylor, âHow You Want It?â
Ft. King Combs
The Album âą Getting Out Our Dreams, Inc. / Def Jam âą 2020
âHow You Want Itâ is one of the highlights from The Album, the third album from actress/R&B singer Teyana Taylor. âHow You Want Itâ appears near the end of this lengthy affair, and enlists the services of King Combs. If the last name âCombsâ sounds familiar, well, thatâs because King just happens to be the song of hip-hop royalty, Puff Daddy (Sean Combs). Now, the question is how the recipient wants to receive his âgift!â
âYou my MVP Tonight, I plan on fucking you to sleep Too, to, to put it deep Baby, you know Iâm a different type of freak.â
Woo! âHow You Want It?â has some of that 90s New Jack Swing nostalgia, only itâs updated for 2020. Thereâs no letdown on Taylorâs end â she remains locked TF in within the context of The Album. Â The aforementioned verse shows you exactly where sheâs coming from, and the chorus only continues the freaky experience.
âTell me what you want (How you want it?) Ass up and face down with the loving Baby, let me know when you need it Four-course meal, chow down when you eat it Make me curl my toes (Tell me) Whatâs the quickest way to turn you on? Iâm on it, middle of the night Tell me what you want.â
Following a number of solo cuts, after the beginning of The Album is dominated with features, itâs actually refreshing to get the King Combs feature. Â He asserts, so âtastefully,â âIâma stand in that pussy, have you folding up (Uh-huh) / Face down, ass up, girl, you know whatâs up.â Wow!
3. Luke Bryan, âWhat She Wants Tonightâ
Born Here Live Here Die Here âą Capitol Nashville âą 2020
âShe gets what she wants / And I get to be what she wants tonight.â Sounds ideal, Luke Bryan! On his seventh studio album, Born Here Live Here Die Here, the country star delivers a respectable if safe and un-innovative effort â just being honest. That said, âWhat She Wants Tonightâ is among the better songs on this short album.
In the context of Born Here Live Here Die Here, âWhat She Wants Tonightâ feels like a fitting follow-up to âKnockinâ Bootsâ. Â Sure, âher wantsâ are probably best executed in the hands of her, a woman, but Bryan successfully paints a picture of a woman whoâs an absolute badass. To be fair, Hillary Lindsey serves as a co-writer, bringing the femininity into the mix. Basically, this girl is in charge and Luke is all-in.
4. Fiona Apple, âI Want You to Love Meâ
Fetch the Bolt Cutters âą Epic âą 2020
From the start of Fetch the Bolt Cutters, the long-awaited, comeback album by Grammy winner Fiona Apple, the LP is quite a listening experience. Â According to Apple (Vulture), âI Want You to Love Meâ is something of a ânonspecific love songâ â âThe songs change who theyâre about.â As the title suggests, Fiona wants him to love her, something she poetically expresses throughout.
Apple is quite aggressive about her desired on the bridge:
âAnd I know that you know that you got The potential to pick me up And I want you to use it, blast the music Bang it, bite it, bruise it Whenever you want to begin, begin We donât have to go back to where weâve been.â
Besides love, Apple makes references to a life changing meditative experience, which she also opens up about to Vulture. Musically, the instrumentation is minimal â piano/keyboard, bass, and drums. This is very much art pop, exemplified especially by the distinct, playful ending.
5. Post Malone, âTake What You Wantâ
Ft. Ozzy Osbourne & Travis Scott
Hollywoodâs Bleeding âą Republic âą 2019
Hollywoodâs Bleeding â certainly a dramatic album title by Post Malone to say the least. Post amplifies the pop more pronouncedly on Hollywoodâs Bleeding compared to his debut, Stoney, or sophomore LP, Beerbongs & Bentleys. One of the awesome songs on Hollywoodâs Bleeding highlighted previously in September 2019 is âTake What You Want.â
âI feel you crumble in my arms down to your heart of stone / You bled me dry just like the tears you never show / Why donât you take what you want from me?â âTake What You Wantâ pairs Post Malone with Ozzy Osbourne (!) and Travis Scott. Can you say vibes? Ozzy Osbourne sounds particularly awesome here, singing the aforementioned chorus at the beginning and following Travis Scottâs verse (verse two). Of course, Post sings the first verse and his own version of the incredibly catchy chorus following his verse. Easily among the crĂšme de la crĂšme of Hollywoodâs Bleeding and a pretty rad song outside the confines of the album. âTake What You Wantâ also previously appeared on 15 T Songs Selected with No Rhyme or Reason.
6. Snoh Aalegra, âI Want You Aroundâ
-Ugh, those feels again âą Artium Recordings, LLC / AWAL Recordings America, Inc. âą 2019
R&B is worldwide baby! Yes, we already knew this, but what better way to affirm such than by example. Snoh Aalegra was born in Sweden to Iranian parents â quite interesting if I do say so myself. Furthermore, sheâs now based in the City of Angels, Los Angeles. When you think of Sweden or Iran, R&B definitely isnât the style of music that comes to mind, yet, thatâs what Snoh Nowrozi brings us, and it is LIT. A prime example of this LIT-ness occurs on âI Want You Aroundâ from her 2019 sophomore album, -Ugh, those feels again.
âI know that I donât make things clear (No) / I fall for you every time I try to resist youâŠâ Honestly, âI Want You Aroundâ is self-explanatory. Matters of the heart have Snoh Aalegra in her feels, just as her album title suggests. She tries to play coy and resist him and his moves, asserting, âI donât wanna kiss you yet / I just wanna feel you / Feel you.â Ultimately, she simply canât resist him, no way, no how â sheâs infatuated to the nth degree:
âAnd sit right next to you, you I try not to show how I feel about you Thinkinâ we should wait, but we donât really want to I just wanna get away And sit right next to you, you.â
7. 5 Seconds of Summer, âWant You Backâ
Youngblood âą Capitol âąÂ 2018
Initially âWant You Backâ commences with ambient production work. This ambient production signals the stylistic transformation for 5 Seconds of Summer on their third studio album, Youngblood. Luke Hemmings sings smoothly, matching the cool, calm, and collected production of the first verse.
âCanât help but wondering if this Is the last tie that Iâll see your face Is it tears or just the fucking rain?â
Following the mellower, smooth first verse, the chorus is driven by a more commanding groove, which continues for the remainder of the song. Likewise, Hemmings becomes more aggressive vocally. The chorus is the centerpiece of âWant You Back.â
âNo matter where I go Iâm always gonna want you back No matter how long youâre gone Iâm always gonna want you back I know you know I will never get over you No matter where I go Iâm always gonna want you back Want you back.â
While nothing brand-new or revolutionary, 5SOS clearly articulates their point. Selling points include the groove, the falsetto, and an enjoyable chorus.
8. BĂRNS, âI Donât Want U Backâ
Blue Madonna âą Interscope âą 2018
âI shouldâve known better when youâre coming to bed at four in the morning / I shouldâve taken your eyes avoiding me as a warning.â Uh-oh â relationship issues! Michigan bred, Cali-based alternative musician BĂRNS nails it on âI Donât Want U Backâ, a single from his 2018 sophomore album, Blue Madonna. The biggest selling point of âI Donât Want You Backâ is his distinct, beautiful voice.
BĂRNS exhibits a beastly, yet radiant tone with his high-pitched vocals. The falsetto is masterful to say the least. Additionally, the production shimmers, while the songwriting is both memorable and thoughtful, particularly the chorus.
âI sleep better than every night you were lying next to me Donât wanna see your face, you need to face the facts I donât want you back.â
Also, worth noting, âI Donât Want U Backâ received music theory analysis from myself in a short-lived column, and has managed to appear on multiple playlists including 9 Songs Focused on âWantâ and 100 Best Songs of 2018.
9. Taylor Swift, âCall It What You Wantâ
Reputation âą Big Machine âą 2017
âMy castle crumbled overnight / I brought a knife to a gunfight / They took the crown, but itâs alright / All the liars are calling me one / Nobodyâs heard from me for months / Iâm doinâ better than I ever wasâŠâ Oh boy⊠âCall It What You Wantâ features a nice introduction to set the tone of the record, which is cool, calm, and collected. Taylor Swift delivers sexy vocals. While she doesnât go âabove and beyondâ or do anything special vocally, she meets expectations on this standout from Reputation. It sounds as if she never has to break a sweat, but still nails that romantic, intimate sound. In addition to the vibe and pleasant vocals, sheâs backed by sleek, modern and, balanced production work, with the drum programming and synths leading the charge.
The catchy chorus is one of the best features of âCall It What You Want.â Swift references her boyfriend and being in a happy place following adversity.
âMy babyâs fit like a daydream Walking with his head down Iâm the one heâs walking to So, call it what you want, yeah Call it what you want to My babyâs fly like a jet stream High above the whole scene Loves me like Iâm brand new...â
10. Russ, âWhat They Wantâ
Thereâs Really a Wolf âą Columbia âą 2017
âWhat they want, what they want, what they want / Dollar signs, yeah, I know itâs what they want.â Thereâs Really a Wolf marked the debut album by do-it-yourself, rapper and singer Russ, who has carved success in the industry slowly but steadily. âWhat They Wantâ serves as the crowning achievement from his debut LP.
Ultimately, âWhat They Wantâ is a relatively brief, simplistic record with minimal production. Nonetheless, itâs charming, unveiling the rationale for its success. Once more, Russ touts his self-made status â his âstart from the bottom.â
âI Been at this shit for nine years, now they start to call Iâm a DIY pioneer, they try to get involved.â
11. P!nk, âWhatever You Wantâ
Beautiful Trauma âąÂ RCA âą 2017
âRunning like a dog / Fighting like I bitch too much / And you just canât stand it baby / Even when I fall / You donât seem to give two shitsâŠâ Thatâs P!nk in all of her glory! On the pop starâs Beautiful Trauma hit single, âWhatever You Wantâ, the pros are ample. Look no further than the aforementioned lyrics, which exude attitude and toughness. That attitude and toughness is further exemplified through gritty vocals.
In addition to a consistent, powerful vocal, the production has more of rock-oriented pop sound. In the context of Beautiful Trauma itself, this contrasts the urban-pop sound of âRevengeâ. Some other cool happenings include a dash of parallel minor during portions of the chorus (itâs in a major key) and of course, the chorus itself.
âI feel like our shipâs going down tonight But itâs always darkest before the light And thatâs enough for me to try Whatever you want Whatever you need Whatever you do, ah-ah-ah Even if I say that itâs over now Even if we want to move on somehow And just like that we come alive Whatever you want (ah) Whatever you need (yeah) Whatever you do, ah-ah-ah.â
12. Jason Derulo, âWant to Want Meâ
Everything is 4 âą Warner âąÂ 2015
âGirl, youâre the one, I want to want me / And if you want me, girl, you got me.â Simple, but Jason Derulo easily makes his point. An artist known for his success with singles as opposed to albums, thatâs the case once more on his 2015 LP, Everything is 4. Donât get it twisted â itâs a well-rounded affair â but itâs clearly highlighted by Top-five Hot 100 hit, âWant to Want Me.â
For a man who has no shortage of hits, âWant to Want Meâ is among the best by Jason Derulo. âWant to Want Meâ is successful thanks to its infectious, upbeat vibes, not to mention some of the most elite falsetto of his entire career.
13. Sufjan Stevens, âAll of Me Wants All of Youâ
Carrie & Lowell âą Asthmatic Kitty âąÂ 2015
âAll of Me Wants All of Youâ maintains the consistency of Sufjan Stevensâ emotional 2015 album, Carrie & Lowell. Heâs emotional because heâs reflecting on his relationship with his estranged mother, as well as her death. Throughout the majority of his career, Stevens hasnât ârocked the boatâ with much with profanity or sexual matters. It was shocking when he sung, âIâm not fucking aroundâ on the âI Want to Be Wellâ from his Age of Adz album.
Once again, Sufjan raises eyebrows, but not with any four-letter words: âYou checked your texts while I masturbated.â While on the surface level itâs sexual, in the bigger scheme of things, itâs another emotional reaction from Stevens regarding the relationship and lack thereof he experienced with his mother. That relationship lacked closeness â lacked the intimacy it shouldâve possessed.
14. Eamon, âFuck It (I Donât Want You Back)â
I Donât Want You Back âą Zomba âąÂ 2004
âYou played me; you even gave him head.â #TMI. Itâs safe to say that R&B singer Eamon was a one-hit wonder. Canât be stated enough. Whatâs surprising is the song that ended up being a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100: âFuck It (I Donât Want You Back).â Six years before CeeLo Green changed the game with âFuck Youâ, music was even less explicit, so the success of a raunchy joint like âFuck It (I Donât Want You Back)â was a total shocker.
âFuck what I said, it donât mean shit now Fuck the presents, might as well throw âem out Fuck all those kisses, they didnât mean jack Fuck you, you ho, I donât want you back.â
Eamon says âfuckâ so much it makes any and everybody who hears it want to say it⊠maybe⊠maybe not⊠One thingâs for sure, he makes it âfuckingâ clear that he doesnât want her back. Think about it â âFuck It (I Donât Want You Back)â mightâve had even bigger success in 2010s, where songs with f-bombs prominently displayed in their titles became less taboo. Regardless, it shined in 2004, making the f-bomb, well, prominent in mainstream music. It should come as no surprise that this record previously appeared on 25 Colorful Songs, Clearly for Under Consent [of the] King.
15. Queen, âI Want to Break Freeâ
Bohemian Rhapsody (The Original Soundtrack) âą Hollywood ⹠2018Â
âGod knows, God knows I want to break free.â âI Want to Break Freeâ is undoubtedly one of the greatest hits by Queen. Amazingly, the Freddie Mercury fronted rock collective NEVER won a Grammy â ainât that a big, fat, stinky load of đ© ? Focusing on the song at hand, âI Want to Break Freeâ brought the band some controversy.
Itâs not the escapist lyrics that are controversial â many people can relate to those in some capacity. Itâs the music video, where the band famously dressed up as the cast of the British soap opera, Coronation Street (us Americans are more familiar with Victor Newman and The Young and the Restless, of course). Flamboyant, as we often associate with Freddie, we come to find out the liberating music video wasnât actually his idea â now that is shocking. Unique video aside, the song is Queen through and through with powerful vocals and a rocking backdrop.  âI Want to Break Freeâ previously appeared on the playlist Free đ 3.0: A Compendium of 30 Songs.