15 Ultra Compelling HOW Songs

Reading Time: 15 min read

15 Ultra Compelling HOW Songs features music courtesy of BLACKPINK, Charlie Puth, Sam Smith, The Weeknd & Whitney Houston.

HOW??? That’s what I wanna know! It’s the perfect adverb, wouldn’t you agree? If you haven’t noticed, there are lots of songs that feature this common word. Because there is a musical connection, it is our obligation to construct a compendium – that’s what we do baby! The result, hence, is 15 Ultra Compelling HOW Songs. #ThisIsHowWeDoItMontellJordan! This playlist features music courtesy of BLACKPINK, Charlie Puth, Sam Smith, The Weeknd, and Whitney Houston among others. All told, we’ve got experimental rock, K-Pop, pop, rap, and R&B in the mix. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into the HOW of it all!!!

1. The Weeknd, “How Do I Make You Love Me?”

Dawn FM • Republic • 2022

“I’ll fix you mushroom tea / And cross the restless sea.” Mushroom tea, huh? Sounds like The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) is serving up drugs on “How Do I Make You Love Me?”, one of many gems from the Grammy winner’s 2022 album, Dawn FM. Of course, the ultra-slickly produced (Tesfaye, Oscar Holter, Matt Cohn, Swedish House Mafia, Max Martin and Oneohtrix Point Never) synthpop gem isn’t about psychedelic mushrooms but rather about winning her affection. According to Tesfaye, he’s willing to “teach you how to shine.” Woo! He later adds, “Light you up again / Like embers of a fire.” The Canadian R&B/pop superstar is on autopilot. One of the coolest aspects of “How Do I Make You Love Me?” is how the groove segues into one of the album’s best songs, “Take My Breath”. Of course, we should highlight that infectious chorus too!

“How do I make you love me?

How do I make you fall for me?

How do I make you want me

And make it last eternally?”

Appears in :

13 More Songs Filled with Considerable Love

2. BLACKPINK, “How You Like That”

The Album • YG Entertainment / Interscope • 2020

“How You Like That” opens The Album, the debut LP by all-girl K-Pop collective, BLACKPINK, with a surefire bop. It commences with an aggressive, dramatic-sounding intro, which sets the tone superbly. Beyond the initial ear candy, the production of “How You Like That” is superb. Slick, ear-catching, and near-perfect, K-Pop backdrops are always on-point. Beyond the marvelous sounds, BLACKPINK delivers powerful vocals that cut through and pop out of the production. I live for the energy and sass these girls bring to the table. Even with the Korean lyrics, that energy and vibe bridge the language barrier. If nothing else, the chorus and post-chorus sections are EVERYTHING. Furthermore, the bridge section brings excellent contrast, which segues into an outro – a breakdown section – for the ages!

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3. Lil Baby & Lil Durk, “How It Feels”

The Voice of the Heroes • Quality Control Music / Alamo / Motown • 2021

“I know how it feel when you broke, and them bills past due (Yeah) / Oh, you thought this shit was a joke? We on your ass too!” Lil Baby and Lil Durk, two of the most popular rappers of the 2020s, collaborated on the 2021, gold-certified album, The Voice of the Heroes. One of the best moments is the banger, “How It Feels”, which feels pretty damn good! Noah Pettigrew, Section 8, and Chi Chi ‘kick ass and take names’ from a production standpoint. If nothing else, those rhythmic 808s runs are the sugar honey iced tea! So are the flows by both Lil Baby and Lil Durk.

Baby gets first blood, as well as the best part of the song besides that epic production – the chorus:

“I know how it feel to think everybody against you

I know how it feel to watch bullets go through a windshield

I know how it feel when you try your best to be real

I know how it feel when you think no one understands you.”

He follows the chorus with a lit verse, compelling with that masterful, electrifying flow we’ve come accustomed to. No worries as Durk isn’t overshadowed. He doesn’t get as much airtime but both complements and contrasts Lil Baby exceptionally well. Durk’s melodic approach is always a treat even when he’s being hard-nosed. Again, how does it feel? Pretty damn good! Also, shout out to the music video!

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4. Lana Del Rey, “How to Disappear”

Norman Fucking Rockwell! • Interscope • 2019

“This is how to disappear.” “How to Disappear” features a lilting, compound-duple meter. The record appears on Norman Fucking Rockwell!, the Grammy-nominated 2019 album by Lana Del Rey. Here, in the context of NFR!, Del Rey keeps the tempo on the slower side of the metronome. Lana delivers a compelling story about ‘John,’ who is different from the other guys (“You just crack another beer / And pretend that you’re still here”) and ‘Joe’ who she knows is (“In over his head”). Besides the tales of John and Joe, Del Rey escapes to her future self:

“I’ve got a kid and two cats in the yard

… I watch the skies getting light as I write

As I think about those years

As I whisper in your ear.”

Appears in :

Disappear: 3BOPS No. 42 (2021)

5. Trey Songz, “2020 Riots: How Many Times”

Back Home • Atlantic • 2020

“2020 Riots: How Many Times” ( Back Home) marks an uncharacteristic song by Trey Songz. This powerful record finds him perturbed and totally angry about the racial injustice that has come to head in 2020, due to the senseless, unjust deaths of black men and women. “2020 Riots: How Many Times” superbly captures the frustration and the pain. Songz opts for an old-school vibe with a dash of gospel sensibilities. Troy Oliver and Troy Taylor give him fuel for his fire, alongside the troubling happenings themselves. Songz cuts straight to the chase on the somber chorus, asking, “How many mothers have to cry / How many brothers gotta die? How many more times?” In the verses, he drives the narrative of injustices, referencing details that occurred to those slain and calling for action. “2020 Riots: How Many Times” was one of the best songs of 2020 thanks to being authentic, heartfelt, thoughtful, and woke.

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6. Whitney Houston, “How Will I Know”

Whitney Houston • Arista • 1985

“There’s a boy I know, he’s the one I dream of /… When I wake from dreaming, tell me, is it really love?” ‘Boy, oh, boy’ did Janet Jackson pass up an awesome record! No problem as Whitney Houston earned a no. 1 hit with “How Will I Know”. “How Will I Know,” written by George Merrill, Shannon Rubicam, and Narada Michael Walden (who also produces) is the quintessential 1980s record. It successfully straddles pop and R&B, a place where Houston would often find tremendous success as well as an identity crisis.

This innocent record appears as the sixth track on Houston’s 1985 debut album, Whitney Houston. It commences with an inescapable, electrifying groove. Bright and exuberant, this major key joint never grows old. The chorus is incredibly memorable, including Whitney’s own background vocals:

“How will I know if he really loves me?

I say a prayer with every heartbeat

I fall in love whenever we meet

I’m asking you what you know about these things

How will I know if he’s thinking of me?

I try to phone, but I’m too shy (Can’t speak)

Falling in love is so bittersweet

This love is strong, why do I feel weak?”

Houston sings like an angel, owning this memorable gem from the start. Also, like so many of the 80s songs, “How Will I Know” gives us a modulation – aka a key change. Also, shout out to the music video – #ICONIC!!!

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7. Sam Smith, “How Do You Sleep?”

Love Goes • Capitol • 2020

“I’m done hatin’ myself for feelin’ / I’m done cryin’ myself awake.” Those lyrics excerpted appear on, “How Do You Sleep?” from Love Goes, the third studio album by Sam Smith. Lyrically, thematically, and vocally, the Academy and Grammy award winner is true to themself, while the production ( Ilya Salmanzadeh) is sleeker and more modern compared to past releases. Smith continues to do a fine job singing about matters of the heart. The pre-chorus and chorus are where Smith’s bread is buttered. In the catchy pre-chorus, they ask, “What have I become now / Lookin’ through your phone / Oh now, love to you is just a game…” After continuing to build up the case against their lover (or whatever he is to Smith), they drop the crowning achievement, the chorus:

“Baby, how do you sleep when you lie to me?

All that shame and all that danger

I’m hopin’ that my love will keep you up tonight

Baby, how do you sleep when you lie to me?

All that fear and all that pressure

I’m hopin’ that my love will keep you up tonight.”

Appears in :

BED : 5ive Songs No. 41 (2021)
HOW: 3BOPS No. 2(2020)

8. The Flaming Lips, “How??”

Oczy Mlody • Warner • 2017

“How??”, a highlight from The Flaming Lips’ 2017 album, Oczy Mlody, commences enigmatically – shocker. A spacy joint, “How??” sounds druggy, embracing psychedelia to the utmost. The single is unique lyrically, though not deep by any means. Front man Wayne Coyne kicks things off interestingly in the first verse: “White trash rednecks, earthworms eat the ground / Legalize it, every drug right now.” Wow ! Vocally, Coyne sounds true to himself. An interesting moment occurs at the close of the first verse where he sings: “Kill your rock n roll, motherfuckin’ hip-hop sound.” Smartly, the record embraces that sensibility at that moment (production). Even though TFL have been around since the 1980s, it’s interesting that they manage to make “How??” so unique and distinct. The pre-chorus is both catchy and memorable: “I tried to tell you, but I don’t know how!” The bridge packs-even-more punch, adding more sounds and intensity from Coyne:

“Back when we were young, we killed everyone

If they fucked with us, with our baby guns

We were young with our baby guns

We were young with our baby guns.”

A question mark of question marks, the mysteriousness of “Oczy Mlody” is what makes it a memorable highlight. TFL are true to themselves.

9. Jeremy Zucker & Chelsea Cutler, “this is how you fall in love”

brent ii • Republic • 2021

“This is how you fall in love / Let go and I’ll hold you up.” Aww, what better subject matter than love for a pop duet? Continue with that excerpt, please! “So, pull me tight and close your eyes /Oh, my love, side to side.” Ah – chorus that exemplifies sheer perfection to the nth degree! On “this is how you fall in love” from brent ii, Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler join forces delivering a radiant song all about L-O-V-E. The chemistry between the two is superb, while separately, they sound sweet as well. Zucker and Cutler both wrote and produced this sub-three-minute gem.

On “this is how you fall in love,” Zucker delivers a gorgeous vocal performance; his tone is impeccable. He sings with incredible authenticity; he sounds expressive, nuanced, and tender. One of his best moments is incredibly subtle, when he sings “Oh” on the pre-chorus (it recurs post-second verse). The same praise can be bestowed upon Cutler, who appears in the second verse. Notably, she has an expanded sound palette accompanying her, as well as getting a lift via layered vocals. Cutler’s second verse serves as the transition to loftier heights for “this is how you fall in love.” Even as the record ascends to a fever pitch, Zucker and Cutler’s ‘duet section’ intentionally brings things back down – a great thoughtful touch. “This is how you fall in love” possesses both a degree of simplicity as well as a degree of utter satisfaction.

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10 .Miguel, “How Many Drinks”

Kaleidoscope Dream • RCA • 2012

Grammy-winning R&B singer/songwriter Miguel ‘brought the heat’ on his 2012 album, Kaleidoscope Dream. Among many elite moments from that elite album is the gem, “How Many Drinks.” Here, Miguel has a contemporary groove, intact with a production featuring electric piano, a big bass line, and 808 thuds. Add a soulful sample ( “We’ve Only Just Begun” by O’Donel Levy), and you have a stupendous backdrop ( Salaam Remi).

Miguel’s falsetto is wide, and his vocal nuances soar above the production. The songwriting compels in this ditty about taking a girl back to the crib after getting her wasted, even if the subject is commonplace. Miguel allows himself to sweat on the spoken bridge section:

“No, no, no

I ain’t judgin’

If you decide that you might be fuckin’ tonight, what?

More power to you if you decide that you might be fuckin’ tonight

Le-le-let me dig that out like a fossil

Damn baby, that ass is colossal

Pilates a mill did that body so good

You’ve gotten a pair I wish I could…”

Get it, Miguel! Also, there’s a remix with the one only Kendrick Lamar!

11. Teyana Taylor, “How You Want It?” (Ft. King Combs)

The Album • Getting Out Our Dreams, Inc. / Def Jam • 2020

“How You Want It” is one of the highlights from The Album, the third album from actress/R&B singer Teyana Taylor. “How You Want It” appears near the end of this lengthy affair and enlists the services of King Combs (son of Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs). Now, the question is how the recipient wants to receive his “gift!”: “You my MVP / Tonight, I plan on fucking you to sleep / Too, to, to put it deep / Baby, you know I’m a different type of freak.” Woo!

“How You Want It?” has some of that 90s New Jack Swing nostalgia, only it’s updated for 2020. There’s no letdown on Taylor’s end – she remains locked TF in within the context of The Album. The aforementioned verse shows you exactly where she’s coming from, and the chorus only continues the freaky experience.

“Tell 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)
What’s the quickest way to turn you on?
I’m on it, middle of the night
Tell me what you want.”

Following a number of solo cuts, after the beginning of The Album is dominated with features, it’s actually refreshing to get the Combs feature. He asserts, so ‘tastefully,’ “I’ma stand in that pussy, have you folding up (Uh-huh) / Face down, ass up, girl, you know what’s up.” Wow!

Appears in :

15 Songs Where Want, or Lack Thereof, is Real

12. Al Green, “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart”

Let’s Stay Together • Fat Possum • 1972

It’s a tall task to cover a brilliantly penned and performed song. Bee Gees ‘put in work’ on “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart”, a surefire gem from Trafalgar (1971). However, Grammy-winning soul icon Al Green transformed the pop ballad into a Memphis soul ballad. In the process, Green extended the length of the song to north of six minutes, changed the time signature to a lilting, compound meter, and gave it a more relaxed, unhurried vibe. The melody is intact mind you, but this 1972 version from his legendary Let’s Stay Together is truly his own.

What makes “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” special in Green’s hands is the same reason it’s special in Bee Gees’ hands honestly – the voice. The Brothers Gibb lean on their remarkable tone and seamless harmonies. For Green, it’s also a distinct, ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ tone, as well as his expressive, at times, playful approach to the vocals. The ad-libs are potent, bearing a fierceness that only Green could deliver. While he has no bros to harmonize with, he does have spirited backing vocals, which remind us of the glorious sounds that dominated 70s soul. Add in that Memphis soul palette, including guitar, organ, and strings and its further evidence that Green kills it – there’s no other way to characterize it!

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13. Bee Gees, “How Deep is Your Love”

Timeless – The All-Time Greatest Hits • Capitol • 2017

“How deep is your love / How deep is your love / I really mean to learn …” “How Deep is Your Love” is an iconic song – a classic. Bee Gees were an iconic pop collective, with the height of their fame occurring during the 1970s. “How Deep is Your Love” famously appeared on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, still among the best soundtracks of all time. So, what makes “How Deep Is Your Love” one of the greatest songs ever performed and written? Stellar vocals and harmonies, first and foremost. The song itself checks off all the boxes: memorable lyrics, relatable theme, gorgeous, tuneful melody, and ear-catching, lush production work. Though effectively by numerous artists, none eclipse the original.

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14. Charlie Puth, “How Long”

Voicenotes • Artist Partner Group • 2018

“How Long” ( Voicenotes) shows the expansion of adorkable Grammy nominee, Charlie Puth artistically – at least to a certain degree. The production moves beyond the safety of his oft-sanitized debut LP, Nine Track Mind. “How Long” features a funky, soulful backdrop which thrives off groove and complements the light, airy nature of Puth’s voice. As angelic as Puth and “How Long” sounds, Charlie has been a naughty boy. He’s been creeping: “I’ll admit, I was wrong, what else can I say, girl? Can’t you blame my head and not my heart? I was drunk, I was gone, that don’t make it right, but / Promise there were no feelings involved.” Unfortunately, he broke the seventh commandment – Thou shall not commit adultery. Rightfully, his bae is pissed, feeling the effects of his adulterous ways. Shame on you, you adorkable, cute cheater you (see the GIF )!

“How long has this been goin’ on?

You’ve been creepin’ ‘round on me

While you’re callin’ me, ‘baby’.”

Appears in :

11 Songs in It for the Long Haul, Vol. 1

15. D’Angelo, “Untitled (How Does It Feel)”

Voodoo • Virgin • 2000

“I’d love to make you wet / In between your thighs ‘cause / I love when it comes inside you.” WOW! Cutting straight to the chase, D’Angelo delivered one of the sexiest, most soulful gems of all time with “Untitled (How Does it Feel)”. Yes, the music video stole plenty of attention, and how could it not? A nude, chiseled D’Angelo was certainly a sight to behold . That said, no matter how fine D was, the song itself is the crowning achievement. Listening to “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” you can’t help to feel a bit guilty. Why? Well, D’Angelo goes all in on the neo-soul sound, meaning the influence of gospel music is crystal clear. Some of the most soulful R&B hearkens back to the sounds of the church with big bass lines, marvelous piano riffs, harmonized vocals, and the groove. “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” checks off those boxes, adding guitar to the mix. Those layered harmonized vocals are utterly sublime! As heavenly as this seven-minute aughts R&B classic sounds, there’s nothing godly about this record. Mr. Archer is all about S-E-X. Yes, there’s dedication too, but “I can provide everything that you desire” certainly indicates plans to stick [his] key in [her] ignition. Also, later, he asserts, ‘Let me take off your clothes…” All told, on “Untitled (How Does it Feel)”, D’Angelo sings his ass off, and understandably, women (and men too) felt ‘some type of way’ listening to this one.

Appears in :

D’Angelo, “Untitled (How Does it Feel)”: After Dark 34 (2021)

15 Ultra Compelling HOW Songs [: Brent Faulkner/The Musical Hype; Alamo, Arista, Artist Partner Group, Atlantic, Capitol, Def Jam, Fat Possum, Getting Out Our Dreams, Inc., Interscope, Motown, Quality Control Music, RCA, Republic, Virgin, Warner, YG Entertainment; Andrea Piacquadio, Anna Shvets, RODNAE Productions, Talal Hakim via Pexels; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Gerd Altmann via Pixabay]

15 Ultra Compelling HOW Songs | Playlist

Published by the musical hype on January 20, 2023January 20, 2023