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“Alluring Songs Where the Keyword is Back, Vol. 1” features music courtesy of Beyoncé, BJ the Chicago Kid, Chris Lane, Dennis Lloyd, and Iggy Azalea. 

There is no need to be extra like a pack of gum – let’s just cut to the chase.  Alluring Songs Where the Keyword is Back, Vol. 1 is comprised of songs (13) that all have the word ‘back’ in their respective title.  Simple enough, right? Keeping this introductory paragraph short and sweet, ALLURING SONGS WHERE THE KEYWORD IS BACK, VOL. 1 features music courtesy of Beyoncé (“Find Your Way Back”), BJ the Chicago Kid (“Back It Up” with Eric Bellinger), Chris Lane (“Take Back Home Girl” featuring Tori Kelly), Dennis Lloyd (“Never Go Back”), and Iggy Azalea (“Clap Back”) among others.  Without further ado or needless fanfare, here are ALLURING SONGS WHERE THE KEYWORD IS BACK, VOL. 1.

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1. BJ the Chicago Kid & Eric Bellinger, “Back it Up”

1123 • Motown • 2019 // The Rebirth 2 • YFS (Your Favorite Song) / EMPIRE • 2019 

R&B singer/songwriter BJ the Chicago Kid certainly isn’t a headline-grabbing, but he definitely should be.  After a three-year hiatus, the Grammy-nominated artist returned with an excellent sophomore album, 1123 in 2019. As an album, 1123 has no glaring cons.  Among the enjoyable selections on the project is “Back it Up,” a song where BJ the Chicago Kid collaborates with fellow R&B singer/songwriter Eric Bellinger.

In the context of 1123, the sexed-up slow jam “Back it Up” feels like a natural follow-up to the yearning number, “Can’t Wait.” Eric Bellinger sets the tone from the beginning (intro, pre-chorus, chorus, first verse, pre-chorus, and chorus).

“Baby back it up, yeah, yeah
Baby back it up, woah
Baby drop it back on me like a pick-up truck, yeah
All that ass on you, girl, more than enough yeah
Shawty look back at it while you back it up.”

As for BJ The Chicago Kid, he arrives for the second verse and later the bridge, final chorus, and outro (“Beep, beep like a city truck when it’s backing up…”). Also, worth noting, “Back It Up” appears on Bellinger’s album, The Rebirth 2.  One of the best moments are the “yeah, yeah, yeah” backing vocals – a truly superb, sexy touch.

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2. Beyoncé, “Find Your Way Back”

The Lion King: The Gift • Sony • 2019

“Find Your Way Back” is one of many gems that appears on Lion King: The Gift.  The Lion King: The Gift is truly a ‘gift’ from Beyoncé and the various artists inspired by the culture of Africa, and the storylines and wisdom from The Lion King itself.

To provide some context, interlude “The Stars (Mufasa Interlude)” precedes “Find Your Way Back.” Here, Mufasa (James Earl Jones), referencing fatherhood and guidance.

“Daddy used to take me walkin’ down the street
Daddy used to take my hand, say, ‘Follow me’
Daddy used to leave me back home all the time
I got big enough to run around, daddy left me outside.”

As you can ‘put two and two together,’ Beyoncé then follows with the groovy, urban contemporary joint.  “Finding Your Way Back” embodies ‘remembering from whence you came’ and never forgetting those life lessons.  The melody is rhythmic, while Africa remains present with the groove and the supporting vocals.  The centerpiece of the standout is the chorus:

“He said, ‘Find your way back
Big, big world, but you got it, baby
Find your way back
Don’t let this life drive you crazy
Find your way back
Come back home ‘fore the street lights on
Find your way back
Find your way back’.”

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3. Chris Brown, “Back to Love”

Indigo • RCA • 2019

Once more, Chris Brown seemed to be ‘feeling himself’ just a little bit too much.  After releasing the excessively long Heartbreak on a Full Moon, the Grammy-winning R&B singer felt he needed to drop yet another overstuffed album with Indigo in 2019.  Thank goodness Indigo wasn’t three hours long, but it still exceeds two hours.  To the album’s credit, Indigo has its share of moments, led by arguable crowning achievement, “Back to Love.”

 

“But I’ll keep running with my best foot forward / ‘Cause the race to love is never over / I wanna be better for ya / You made me genuinely better.” “Back to Love” shines because it is one of the more thoughtful records from Indigo. The fact that Chris Brown has a thoughtful song sounds almost uncharacteristic of ‘the bad boy’ at this point in his career.  It’s a sleekly-produced urban contemporary joint that features strong vocals.  Hate him or love him, it’s hard to deny the pureness of his instrument, even with effects piled on.  The crème de la crème of “Back to Love” is the chorus and subsequent post-chorus.

“You open my heart, oh
You got me back to love
Back to love
Let’s get back to love
I know I lost it, now I wanna get it back
You know I wanna get it back
There’s a light on the path
And now I found it, here with you is where it’s at
Now I’m never looking back
No, I’m never going back.”

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4. Iggy Azalea, “Clap Back”

In My Defense • Bad Dreams / EMPIRE • 2019

“Need a bad boy ‘cause I’m tryna go Diddy on him / I don’t even have to say shit right here and I shitted on ‘em.” Wow… Anyways, In My Defense was merely an okay project from Iggy Azalea. “Clap Back” was one of the better songs from the album. One of the reasons that “Clap Back” is alluring is because it’s interesting to hear Iggy address and defend herself against things that have been said about her.

 

“I’m clapping, I’m off now, I own all my masters / My downfall, they pray on that shit like a pastor.” This J. White Did It-produced joint finds the Iggy responding to accusations of cultural appropriation and racism:  “‘Cause I talk like this and my ass fat / They be saying Iggy tryna act black / Hatin’ broke hoes get laughed at / All they do is cap like snapbacks.” Naturally, her response is to “Clap back” including the opening lines from the second verse, “They call me racist / Only thing I like is green and blue faces.” Just keep in mind, “Fuck all these other bitches” because Iggy is “the Baddest,” so “From now on, you can call [her] Iggy the savage.” “Clap Back” previously appeared on the playlist 11 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy in July 2019.

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5. Dennis Lloyd, “Never Go Back”

Exident (EP) • Arista / Sony • 2019

“I write my music based off of real emotions and experiences. Writing is therapeutic to me. Sometimes that’s a single song and this time it was four songs.” Genre-crossing Israeli singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Dennis Lloyd is that guy ready to feed your ears some absolutely delicious candy with his debut project, Exident (EP), released in 2019.  In his own words, Lloyd describes Exident: “It’s about the phases I experienced following an intense breakup and I’m hoping those who have experienced heartbreak connect to it in their own personal way.” “Never Go Back” fits the criteria of this ‘back-centric’ playlist.

 

A heartbroken single, “Never Go Back” represents the crowning achievement of Exident.  “Never Go Back” is the first of the four full-length songs on Exident inspired by Dennis Lloyd’s break-up. It earned the Israeli musician plenty of streaming success, not to mention ample critical praise.  Here, Lloyd asserts he’ll ‘never go back’ to the relationship, specifically on the post-chorus, but also exhibits conflicting feelings and actions – “I wanna leave you… But I can’t let go.” Basically, Lloyd paints the picture of a relationship that has grown ineffective and run its course, yet, he struggles to ultimately end things.

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6. Khalid, “Right Back”

Free Spirit • RCA • 2019

“Should we bring it right back? / Honestly, it’s better like that / I know we’ve been falling off track / Bring it right back…” After wowing with his debut album, American Teen in 2017, and tiding over fans with his EP, Suncity in 2018, Grammy-nominated R&B artist Khalid returned with his highly-anticipated sophomore LP, Free Spirit in 2019. Perhaps Khalid is indeed a free spirit, but much of his sophomore album delivered a limited amount of free-spiritedness.  “Right Back,” the song at hand, represents one of the better moments from Free Spirit.

 

Following the likes of “My Bad,” “Better,” and “Talk”, “Right Back” keeps the momentum going, thanks to continual cool, vibe-filled vocals by Khalid.  Also helping Khalid’s cause is terrific production by Stargate, Mike “Scribz” Riley, Charlie Handsome, and Denis Kosiak.  Here, the easy-going, light sound of the record plays in the singer’s favor.  A memorable chorus – excerpted above and continued below – doesn’t hurt the cause either.

“I just let the time roll past
We don't gotta take it too fast
Bring it right back
You don't gotta stay the night
I just wanna take the time
I know all the things you like
Maybe if the mood is right
We can bring it right back.”

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7. Daniel Caesar, “Too Deep to Turn Back”

Case Study 01 • Golden Child Recordings • 2019

Grammy-winning, Canadian standout, Daniel Caesar had some missteps, socially and culturally, post-Freudian (2017). Regardless, musically-speaking, his 2019 sophomore album, Case Study 01, still yielded its fair share of worthwhile moments.  One of those worthwhile moments includes the eight track from the album, “Too Deep to Turn Back.”

 

“So, what’s the price / We’re like mosquitos to light, in a sense / I feed off bioluminescence…” Case Study 01 continues to be complex, yet rewarding project, further evidenced by the lovely “Too Deep to Turn Back.”  Daniel Caesar sounds fantastic, never needing to ‘break a sweat’ to pack a punch.  Here, religion plays a significant role, specifically on the chorus, which features vocals by Arianna Reid, as well as the fourth verse (“I’ve slept like Jacob, a rock for a pillow / Run swift like Elijah, away from the middle”).   

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8. Chris Lane, “Take Back Home Girl”

Ft. Tori Kelly

Laps Around the Sun • Big Loud • 2018 

“You’re a drive real slow, down a no-lane road / To a house on a hill where the wild things grow / … You’re a take back home, home, home girl.” Chris Lane and Tori Kelly – country and pop musicians respectively – combine forces on “Take Back Home Girl”. “Take Back Home Girl” appears on the North Carolinian country singer’s sophomore album, Laps Around the Sun, which was released in 2018.  Laps followed his 2016 debut LP, Girl Problems, an effort that showed Lane as a proponent of new-look/new-school country, embracing pop and urban influences. But let’s keep the eye on the prize, “Take Back Home Girl.”

“Duffle bag, backseat / My dash your feet / Those other side of the highway headlights making you shine / My hand, your leg.” Early on, Chris Lane showcases a beautiful vocal tone.  It doesn’t take long for Tori Kelly to join him, mixed behind his lead vocals.  Despite the fact he’s joined by Kelly, a ‘pop’ artist, “Take Back Home Girl” is firmly planted in country stylistically.

“You’re the kind I wanna take a ride with
Sit by on a Friday night
In the stadium lights, side by side
All the ladies like, ‘Yeah, she doing just fine.’”

On the second verse, Kelly takes lead vocal honors.  Much like her role on the first verse, Lane joins her on the second-half.  While Kelly played more of a backing role, Lane’s vocals are a bit more powerful – packing more punch in the secondary role.  From the second iteration of the chorus, bridge, and final chorus, “Take Back Home Girl” plays out predictably.  Powerful vocals, sound ad-libs from Lane and Kelly, and ultimately, an enjoyable performance.

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9. 5 Seconds of Summer, “Want You Back”

Youngblood • Capitol • 2018

Following a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, Australian pop collective 5 Seconds of Summer returned in 2018 with their third studio album, Youngblood.   Notably, the boys sounded ‘less rock-sounding,’ opting for more modern-pop vibes.  Listeners first got a taste of this with the superb “Girls Talk Boys” from the Ghostbusters soundtrack.  It carried over into Youngblood.  Enough background though, let’s jump into the ‘back’ song, “Want You Back”.

 

Initially “Want You Back” commences with ambient production work, signaling the stylistic transformation for 5 Seconds of Summer.  Lead vocalist Luke Hemmings sings smoothly, matching the cool, calm, and collected production of the first verse, and, for good measure, serving up a casual f-bomb:

“Can’t help but wondering if this,
Is the last time that I’ll see your face,
Is it tears or just the fucking rain?”

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 “Want You Back.”

“And no matter where I go
I’m always gonna want you back
No matter how long you’re gone
I’m always gonna want you back…”

While nothing brand-new or revolutionary, 5SOS clearly articulates their point. Selling points include the groove, the falsetto, and of course, the aforementioned, enjoyable chorus.

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10. Mac Miller, “Come Back to Earth”

Swimming • Warner Bros. • 2018

“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.” Mac Miller returned with arguably his most personal, honest, and mature album of his career with his fifth and final studio album, Swimming. Prior to his tragic death, Miller was in the midst of a storm, filled with regret about the mistakes he’s made. Swimming was clearly influenced by the turbulent year for Miller, which included a break-up with Ariana Grande and an arrest for a DUI and hit and run in California.  Shifting the focus from Swimming as a whole, we examine the record that best fits the parameters of this playlist, “Come Back to Earth.”

“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.”

Talk about a mood, “Come Back to Earth” kicks off Swimming in mellow, yet ‘heavy’ fashion.  Miller clearly seems to be in the midst of that aforementioned storm.  Ultimately, it’s a terrific opener that superbly sets the tone for the album. Sadly, you wish that something could’ve been done to prevent such a talented individual from dying at such a young age. “Come Back to Earth” previously appeared on the playlist, 9 Songs About the Planets and Pluto Too.

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11. Big Sean, “Bounce Back”

I Decided. • GOOD / Def Jam • 2017

Big Sean had an awesome year in 2015, with the release of his third album, Dark Sky Paradise.  Dark Sky Paradise followed a flop for the Detroit MC (Hall of Fame). After earning a platinum plaque, he returned with I Decided. In 2017. Sean is in introspective mode on his fourth studio album, although imperfect and lacking the punch of Dark Sky Paradise, he showcases newfound artistic maturity.

“Bounce Back” is characterized by tight production work – slick drums and dark synths, set in a minor key. As always, the rhymes are agile. His flow continues to be a selling point, delivering compelling wordplay, particularly with “bounce.” The second verse trumps the first, showing a more confident, punchier Big Sean.  The hook is the major selling point:

“Last night took an L, but tonight I bounce back
Wake up every morning, by the night, I count stacks
Knew that ass was real when I hit, it bounce back
(You ain’t getting checks)
Last night took an L, but tonight I bounce back
Boy I been broke as hell, cashed a check and bounced back
D town LAX, every week I bounce back
If you a real one, then you know how to bounce back.”

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12. Reba McEntire, “Back to God”

Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope • Big Machine • 2017

“You gotta get down on your knees / Believe, fold your hands, and beg and plead / Gotta keep on praying / You gotta cry, rain, tears of pain / Pound the floor, and scream his name…” “Back to God” has been a The Musical Hype favorite over the years, appearing on numerous playlists: 10 Powerful Songs Referencing God, 11 Secular Songs That Make Reference to God, and 13 Songs That Show Relentless Faith. The multiple appearances of “Back to God” is justified – it’s a record that’s incredibly faithful, prudent, and superb overall. Reba McEntire blessed the world with her first gospel album in 2017, Sing It now: Songs of Faith & Hope.

 

“Back to God,” naturally, ranks among the most moving moments.  With all the problems that plague the world, Reba asserts, “Can’t go on like this, and live like this / We can’t love like this / We gotta give this world / Back to God.” This is a song that certainly appeals to the Christian base, embracing the power of faith and prayer above all.  Surprisingly, despite how much McEntire makes “Back to God” sound like an original, it is a cover, written and originally performed by Randy Houser back in 2008.

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13. Shawn Mendes, “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back”

Illuminate (Deluxe) • Island • 2017

Pop mega-hit “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” appeared on 2017 editions of Illuminate as the opening song.  Illuminate, of course, was pop heartthrob Shawn Mendes’ highly-anticipated sophomore album, originally released in September 2016. “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” is an energetic, fun pop joint, plain and simple.  Relatively funky, the single enjoys similar infectiousness to previous hits from the pop star.  The premise of the song is that a girl has got Mendes completely crazy – he wants to “follow where she goes.”

On the chorus, he amps up the drama of the effect she has on him.

“Oh, I’ve been shaking
I love it when you go crazy
You take all my inhibitions
Baby, there’s nothing holding me back
You take me places that tear up my reputation
Manipulate my decisions
Baby there’s nothing holding me back.”

 

“There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” previously appeared on the playlist, 13 Songs Trying to ‘Hold’ it Together and 13 Songs Fueled by ‘Nothing’.

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“Alluring Songs Where the Keyword is Back, Vol. 1” [Photo Credits: Arista, Bad Dreams, Big Loud, Big Machine, Capitol, Def Jam, EMPIRE, Golden Child Recordings, GOOD, Island, Motown, Pexels, Pixabay, RCA, Sony, Warner Bros., YFS]

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