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“9 Songs About Clothes and Shoes” features music courtesy of blackbear, Migos, Ryan Beatty, and Taylor Swift among others. 

“(Tell me your name, not your brand) / Clothes don’t make a man.” Totally agree Angie Stone, and the same goes for women as well! This playlist is all about articles of clothing – jeans, shirts, dresses, suits, and shoes.  Furthermore, the brand (such as Balenciaga or Timberland) or a pattern/design (camouflage), are also incorporated into 9 Songs About Clothes and Shoes.  This isn’t a definitive list in the least. No, it’s a small sample of songs associated with clothing.  Artists featured on this modest playlist include blackbear, Migos, Ryan Beatty, and the sole girl other than a shout-out to Angie, Taylor Swift.  Let’s get dressed…or undressed in some cases!

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1. Ryan Beatty, “God in Jeans”

Boy in Jeans • Boy in Jeans • 2018

“God is real, he was sleeping in my bed last night / We were naked with the radio on / Played him my favorite song.” Hmm, Ryan Beatty, not quite the same as the hymn “Yes God Is Real” that my grandfather used to sing at church… just an observation.  Definitely don’t think sex is mentioned in that hymn tune.  Anyways, the pop musicians obviously gets ‘blasphemous’ on the chorus of “God in Jeans,” one of a countless number of highlights from his debut album, Boy in Jeans.  Sorry God… but I’mma have to “yield to temptation” for this bop.

“God in Jeans” features a sick, hard-hitting, soulful beat.  This provides as a great anchor to the alt-pop/rock sound. Notably, it’s different from anything else on Boy in Jeans.  Besides the aforementioned, there are more spiritual references on the verses including prayer, joy, preaching, and choir. On the second verse, he seems to address both his boyfriend, and judgmental people as he sings, “Oh my God, you know I need ya / If I’m going to hell, I’m taking you with me.”  There are Christians (not all) who don’t approve of homosexuality, and consider it a ticket to hell.  We don’t have a visual, unfortunately, but the boy definitely wears those jeans well – at least if we go by the audio.

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2. Justin Timberlake, “Flannel”

Man of the Woods • RCA • 2018

“Right behind my left pocket / That is where you’ll feel my soul / It’s been with me many winters / It will keep you warm.” Man of the Woods, the highly-anticipated comeback album by Justin Timberlake, is an enjoyable and inoffensive effort that suffers from blurry vision. “I think the album has a wide range of sonics to it, but, I guess I would describe it as modern Americana with 808s.” Hmm… You can decide for yourself if the album is nearsighted or farsighted or perhaps worse, like myself, has an astigmatism. The Americana concept doesn’t work consistently.  That said, we do get some Americana flavor, much closer to the ‘JT vision,’ on “Flannel.”

“And in her face, she knew I wasn’t staying / I was leavin’ with my flannel on.”  Initially, Timberlake serves this record up without any pop trickery – it sounds purely country. Soon enough, the trickery – 808s – come in.  During the last minute-and-a-half of “Flannel,” his wife, actress Jessica Biel, provides additional narration during an enigmatic, unexpected production switch-up.

“Do you see? / Look at all of it from up here / It’s beautiful, it’s beautiful / Do you see it?”

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3. Marlon Williams, “Beautiful Dress”

Make Way for Love • Dead Oceans • 2018

“Didn’t you lay beside me / In my mother’s home? / Hung like a pendant / My little heart of stone.” Oh, how poetic Marlon Williams – sigh. The soulful “Beautiful Dress” commences with guitar, a key instrument throughout Williams’ awesome sophomore LP, Make Way for Love.  On this gorgeous ballad, Williams paints the backdrop with his buttery-smooth, dignified, pipes.  After exhibiting restraint throughout the first verse and chorus, the intensity picks up on the second – more oomph dynamically, instrumentally, and vocally.  The chorus is a major selling point.

“Ooh! / Let me wear you like a beautiful dress / Let me love you / Let me wear you like a beautiful dress, yes!”

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4. Cheat Codes, “Balenciaga”

Level 1 (EP) • Too Easy / 300 Entertainment • 2018

“I wonder, baby, do I even bother? / Do you ever think about me? / Bought you Balenciaga and Prada / That boujee kinda love ain’t cheap.” The lux clothes are in play, courtesy of Los Angeles production team Cheat Codes (Trevor Dahl, Kevin Ford, and Matthew Russell). “Balenciaga”  tends to favor the smooth vibes of urban contemporary/urban-pop music, though still firmly under the umbrella of dance music.  Thematically, this luxurious song focuses on materialism and superficiality, regarding a man buying expensive things for his girl. The instrumental section, post-drop, is clearly EDM-oriented – readymade for the dance floor. Notably, the synths are hard and biting, particularly one patterned after low brass.  Furthermore, Cheat Codes anchors things down with a punchy, danceable beat.  Dance on bros, dance on.

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5. Blackbear, “Bright Pink Tims”

Ft. Cam’ron

Cybersex • Interscope • 2017

“Yeah, I make money, I start trends / My first car, it was a Benz / My whole closet, your whole crib / See through shirt on, bright pink Tims.” Blackbear gets specific about his clothing on banger “Bright Pink Tims”, among the highlights from his 2017 mixtape, cybersex. “Bright Pink Tims” opens with dark, mysterious, foreboding production work, including trap drum programming. Ultimately, the backdrop sets the tone for the record.  As aforementioned, blackbear flexes from the jump.  He pop-raps the first verse. While he doesn’t offer anything groundbreaking, he’s effective with the cocky, confident hip-hop clichés (“Your main chick a 6, a 7 at best / She leave with me, she turned to a 10…”).  The chorus is confident and assured, intact with blackbear’s natural vocals, as well as pitch-shifted, hip-hop vocals. Cam’ron drops the second verse, starting slow at first, before coming into his own including, “And don’t even ask / These shoes I got on, you could never pronounce.”

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6. Taylor Swift, “Dress”

Reputation • Big Machine • 2017

There’s been a lot of dudes on this list, but girls enjoy their clothes as well – or at least songs named after articles of clothing.  Getting right down to it, Taylor Swift gets sexy on “Dress.” Yes, you read correctly, but just in case you missed, I’ll repeat myself.  Taylor Swift gets sexy on “Dress.” Got it now? Here, the pop artist asserts that she “Only bought this dress so you could take it off / Take it off, o-o-off.”  Before reputation, Swift had never been so overt.  Still, no reason to overreact or over sensationalize. Yeah, she’s being suggestive, but she definitely does it tastefully without explicitly crossing any lines. She’s much classier than some of her contemporaries, that’s for sure.

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7. Tuxedo, “Fux with the Tux”

Tuxedo II • Stones Throw • 2017

“You got to fux with the tux / Are you ready?” Or course Tuxedo, of course! Any time that an album opener begins with a profane song title that also includes profanity lyrically, it’s all good!  Sure, the catchphrase that the R&B duo (Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One) devised is risqué, but it’s also absolutely clever.  For a throwback, funky R&B joint, “Fux with the Tux” is chocked-full of swagger, amplified by an appearance by the one-and-only Snoop Dogg. According to Snoop, “‘Cause the only time you wear a tuxedo / Is when it’s time to party / You don’t need to flex / It’s just the T-U-X / Ho!” If you didn’t know who Tuxedo were prior to the ‘fux-ing,’ well, you know them now.

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8. Migos, “T-Shirt”

Culture • 300 Entertainment • 2017 

“Mama told me not to sell work / Seventeen five, same color T-shirt.” “T-Shirt” is the second and final hip-hop joint on this apparel-themed list (following blackbear and Cam’ron on “bright pink tims”). Who better to rap us out than the Migos, schoolings us on the Culture? “T-Shirt” features slick production work, embracing the southern hip-hop sound that is naturally drenched swag. The production is malicious sounding, featuring a hard-hitting beat.  Essentially, the M.O. is a tough-minded, gives no flips, sound. Notably, Takeoff raps the first verse, approaching it in a broken, staccato style of rap.

“Neck water faucet, mockingbirds mocking (woo) / Act pint, stocking, nats keep thotting (nat) / Wrist on hockey, wrist on rocky (rocky) / Lotta n***as copy (huh), name someone can stop me (no one).”

Ultimately, it’s a solid banger – a great example of Culture (the album of course).

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9. Ryan Beatty, “Camo”

Boy in Jeans • Boy in Jeans • 2018

With god sounding so fierce in the jeans, we had to bring back Ryan Beatty for another clothes-oriented number.  “God in Jeans” was the best example from Boy in Jeans, but we also have single “Camo”, which actually precedes “God in Jeans” on the track list. Production is huge selling point on the record, where Beatty is depressed about his lot in life as a high school student/young adult. Essentially, he experiences an existential crisis and isn’t free to be true to himself (Context: Boy in Jeans explores sexuality). Despite questioning his identity, he impresses vocally, particularly the agility he exhibits on the rhythmic melody. The chorus is deep despite its simplicity.  This is where the camouflage comes into play.

“Camo print depression / I keep my feelings hidden / No pills, no thrills / I’m not used to winning / But that’s life, that’s life”

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Photo Credits: 300 Entertainment, Big Machine, Boy in Jeans, Dead Oceans, Interscope, Quality Control, RCA

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