9 Songs About the Planets and Pluto Too | Playlist

9 Songs About the Planets and Pluto Too features music courtesy of Gallant, Lady Gaga, Mac Miller, and Sufjan Stevens among others.  

Science! Mythology! Astrology!  All three of these topics are covered on this unique, nine-song playlist, 9 Songs About the Planets and Pluto Too.  As the title suggests, the eight planets of our solar system, plus that dismissed dwarf planet, Pluto, are represented musically on this list. Artists providing the soundtrack to this planetary list include Gallant, Lady Gaga, Mac Miller, and Sufjan Stevens among others.

1. Ghostemane, “Mercury: Retrograde”

HEXADA • GHOSTEMANE • 2017

Planet: Mercury

“Ask me if a give a fukk about a clique, aye / Ask me if I give a fuck about a diss, yuh / Ask me if I give a fuck about fame, yuh / Recently I just don’t give a fuck about a thing, yuh.” Yeah, Florida rapper and producer Ghostemane says it best himself – he doesn’t “give a fuck about a thing.” Okay, that’s fine, but the question is, what does that have to do with Mercury? According to Genius background and annotations, the title is based off of Mercury retrograde, which ‘astrologically’ is a time where “Mercury rules communication, travel, and technology”. Scientifically speaking, according to Newsweek, the Mercury Retrograde refers to a weird, ‘retrograde’ movement by the planet.

“I just decided by the grace of the god Poseidon / That you’re so dead to me I dug a hole for you to lie in.” Hmm, Ghostemane also seems to be addressing beef with someone. He definitely plays into both the astrological and scientific perspectives of the Mercury retrograde throughout the record. Of course, the title naturally opens up many cans of worms. “I better get back to the black hole sun / Leaving my gun, I don’t need it for this one” not only references science, but also a beloved Soundgarden classic.  A brief record with chilling production and plenty of straightforwardness beyond a singular verse, “Mercury: Retrograde” is intriguing.

2. Lady Gaga, “Venus”

ARTPOP • Interscope • 2013

Planet: Venus

On “Venus,” Lady Gaga admits she’s NOT from planet earth.  Well, she doesn’t really, but perhaps she should as “Venus” is an intriguing, yet strange record.  Essentially, the song is one of many centered upon many people’s favorite three-letter word – sex.  Even though Lady Gaga certainly has a way with words, after listing the planets during the bridge section, she places emphasis on Uranus: “Uranus! / Don’t you know my ass is famous?”

Sigh, there are also other references to sex, notably during the second verse when she sings “Have an oyster, baby / it’s Aphrod-i-sy / act sleazy / Venus…” The point? Oysters are supposed to be an aphrodisiac.  Despite the fact the song is named “Venus,” she’s not really referencing the planet.  Think more along the lines of the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite (Venus in Roman mythology).

3. Mac Miller, “Come Back to Earth”

Swimming • Warner Bros. • 2018

Planet: Earth

“My regrets look just like texts I shouldn’t send / And I got neighbors, they’re more like strangers / We could be friends / I just need a way out of my head / I’ll do anything for a way out / Of my head.” Talk about a mood, “Come Back to Earth” kicks off Swimming, sadly the final studio album by Mac Miller, in a mellow, yet ‘heavy’ fashion.  Clearly, prior to his tragic death, Miller was in the midst of a storm, filled with regret about the mistakes he’s made.

“Oh, the things I’d do

To spend a little time in hell

And what I won’t tell you

I prolly never even tell myself.”

“Come Back to Earth” is a terrific opener that superbly sets the tone for Swimming. Sadly, you wish that something could’ve been done to prevent such a talented individual from dying at such a young age.

4. Jay Sean, “Mars” (Ft. Rick Ross)

Neon • Cash Money • 2013

Planet: Mars

Urban contemporary artist Jay Sean has a brief run in the U.S., mostly thanks to a number one hit single, “Down.” Unfortunately, Sean never captured the same degree of success, even with his terrific single “Mars,” which hails from his 2010 album, Neon. “Mars” was easily the best moments from Neon, which as a whole, found Sean experiencing some artistic identity issues and lacking outright hits. Exemplary of R&B ala 2013, “Mars” felt like a perfect fit.

Here, Jay is as ‘high as a kite,’ exhibiting a stoner vibe perfectly.

“I’m so high

I’m wasted, I don’t wanna come down

Let me take you to Mars girl

We’ll make love on a star girl…”

Yep, trees have been smoked.  Oh, and as for featured guest Rick Ross, he’s right at home spitting bars on the third verse. There aren’t any scientific specifics about the red planet, but who cares? Faded, making love – it’s a vibe man!

5. Gallant, “Jupiter”

Ology • Warner Bros. • 2016

Planet: Jupiter

“So many others tried to crack your heart / Weak defenses are the only things you’ve got.” Hmm, poetic. From Jay Sean we move onto another urban contemporary artist, Grammy-nominated Gallant.  Gallant has a sick falsetto that many of his contemporaries would kill for.  Dude can S-A-N-G for sure.  He does just that on “Jupiter,” the twelfth track from his debut album, Ology.

This is a record centers around love, specifically, a relationship that’s NOT going to become a reality.

“And I was blaming you – an ego so inflated

And red infatuation so strong

Decades overdue…

Regretting all the patience

I’m sorry that I waited too long.”

The key lyrics that signal acceptance of the end appear on the second verse, and once again at the end.

“So, if Jupiter is finally fading out this time

Let the fairytales we wrote about go black and white.”

6. Marilyn Manson, “Saturnalia”

Heaven Upside Down • Loma Vista • 2017

Planet: Saturn

“Saturnalia” is the lengthiest song from Heaven Upside Down, the 2017 album by Marilyn Manson. Just how long is “Saturnalia?” It’s nearly eight minutes!  Beyond its length, it also happens to be the most experimental of the album.  Given its ambition, the more accessible “KILL4ME” serves as great lead-in.

The ambition encompasses referencing Roman mythological god, Saturn, and the respective festival, Saturnalia. During Saturnalia the festival, roles reverse.  According to Encyclopædia Britannica, “Slaves were given what they liked, and certain moral restrictions were eased.” Role reversal definitely fits the vibe of Heaven Upside Down. A key lyric from the song? “And I was invited to eat the young.” Yep, totally Marilyn Manson.

7. James McAlister, Bryce Dessner, Sufjan Stevens & Nico Muhly, “Uranus”

Planetarium • 4AD • 2017

Planet: Uranus

“You sexless fraud / From chaos choreographed / Defiled us in a fit of rage / The earth will find its way.” Wow, okay. In 2017, four great musicians came together to compose an album centering on the planets as well as incorporating Roman mythology.  Those four musicians are James McAlister, Bryce Dessner, Sufjan Stevens, and Nico Muhly.  Obviously, since Planetarium represents each of the eight planets as well as Pluto, we could’ve picked any planet to be represented.  Uranus got the nod with “Uranus,” the fifth track (Note: Planetarium doesn’t go in the order of the planets).

“Uranus” is characterized by its colorful production – the orchestration is delightful, while the sounds are mysterious and fittingly ‘spacy.’ As always, Sufjan Stevens’ vocals are restrained, yet jam-packed with emotion.  The lyrics incorporate references to the planet (“Violent storm, from mysterious vengeance lies”), as well as to astrology (“Aquarius, the scorpion”), and of course, the Greek mythological god of the sky (“Castrated by your son / The odd spring scattered on the deep”).

8. Brian Fallon, “Neptune”

Sleepwalkers • Island • 2018

Planet: Neptune

“And maybe we believed in very, very foolish things / Maybe these songs kept us breathing another tomorrow / And we were always very sure we were never gonna change the world…” “Neptune” appears as the tenth song on Sleepwalkers, the sophomore solo album by The Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon.  On “Neptune,” Fallon is energetic, with the coarseness of his vocals on full display.

Perhaps taken out of context, some of the elements that tie “Neptune” to the rest of the album don’t necessarily make sense.  For example, Fallon mentions Lily throughout the album, as well as on his debut solo album, Painkillers (“Among Other Foolish Things” is the example connecting to this record).  Neptune is mentioned on the bridge in the context of Roman Mythology as opposed to the eighth planet in our solar system. Neptune was the god of the sea.

“She said, ‘tonight, my love, I declare this war for your falling from grace with me’

While Neptune rolled out a carpet made of gold for the mermaids he drowned in the sea

It’s been a long time since I kept any pictures

And it’s been a long night, I don’t know where to find her.”

9. Hot Mulligan, “Pluto Was Never Really a Planet Either Even”

Pilot • No Sleep • 2018

Planet: Pluto

“Help me call you back / ‘Cause I’m afraid of the ringing / I know I’m fucked, but I’m still steadily fixing / The gears in my guts, ‘cause they’re all twisted up.” Okay… Sometimes, a song title has little or nothing to do with its subject matter.  That’s partially the case with “Pluto Was Never Really a Planet Either Even,” an expressive record by rising emo/pop-punk band Hot Mulligan.

The Michigan collective released their debut album, Pilot, via No Sleep Records in 2018.  Arguably, frontman Chris Freeman make some loose parallels EMOtionally to Pluto being ousted from planetary fame, as well as always being isolated from the other planets, but its more ‘reading into it’ than anything else.

Photo Credits: 4AD, Cash Money, GHOSTEMANE, Interscope, Island, Loma Vista, No Sleep, Pixabay, Warner Bros.