Alone | 5 Gems

Alone: 5 Gems features songs by Halle, Michael Jackson, Reneé Rapp, The Dynamic Superiors, and Tom Nethersole. 

Oh, snap! You know, in real life, I wouldn’t have the balls to say this to someone.  Sigh, I guess that’s why nice guys finish last 😜! But, credit Reneé Rapp for being so unapologetic and giving no fux on her intriguing alone song. Loneliness has graced The Musical Hype in full-fledged playlists in the past.  But, for now, the alone-ness reappears in a miniature, bite-sized list: Alone: 5 Gems. Alone: 5 Gems features songs by Halle, Michael Jackson, Reneé Rapp, The Dynamic Superiors, and Tom Nethersole. So, without further ado, let’s embrace being alone! D-d-damn, that sounds depressing!

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~ Table of Contents ~

1. Reneé Rapp, “Leave Me Alone”	2. Tom Nethersole, “meant to be alone”	3. Halle, “alone” (Ft. Mariah the Scientist)
4. Michael Jackson, “You Are Not Alone”	5. The Dynamic Superiors, “Leave It Alone”

 

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1. Reneé Rapp, “Leave Me Alone”

BITE ME » Interscope » 2025

Woo! Reneé Rapp is locked 🔒 in and loaded from the jump on “Leave Me Alone”, the opener from her 2025 album, BITE ME. The brief single catches on the first time you hear it. “I’m a real bad girl but a real good kisser,” she asserts in the first verse, adding, “Wear my jeans so low, show my little back dimple,” and, “Even line my lips just to match my nipples.” Damn! Rapp co-wrote the infectious, naughty gem with Alexander 23 (Alexander Glantz), Julian Bunetta, Omer Fedi, and Steph Jones. Fedi, Bunetta, and Alexander 23 contributed the brilliant production.

“Leave Me Alone” is striking initially thanks to the badass, sickening beat. Matching the energy of the groove and energetic music backdrop is Reneé Rapp, who brings plenty of attitude. She’s feisty and playful as fu—. “Sign a hundred NDAs, but I still say something / Leave me alone, bitch, I wanna have fun,” she sings in the second verse, continuing boldly, “I took my sex life with me, now the show ain’t fucking / Leave me alone, bitch, I wanna have fun.” Rapp’s vocals are tongue-in-cheek, mixing talk-singing and traditional, pitched vocals. Beyond the song’s most memorable line, the titular lyric, the chorus is tuneful:

“Can I tell you a secret?

I’m so sick of it all (Uh-huh)

Come get wet in the deep end

T-t-t-take it off, c-c-c-cannonball.”

Reneé Rapp ‘does the damn thing’ on the spicy, biting “Leave Me Alone”.

Appears in:

A Laudable List of L Songs (2025) 60 Best Songs of 2025

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2. Tom Nethersole, “meant to be alone”

“meant to be alone” » Tommy Boy » 2023

Oh, Tom Nethersole, you handsome 😍 and talented Melbourne, Australia-based “TWINK” 😜 🤭, I agree wholeheartedly! “Meant to be alone”, the single at hand, released in 2023, predates Nethersole’s wishes to “Show me what it means to be your perfect little twink” 😈.  “Meant to be alone” marked his third release.  He wrote and produced the track himself.  Gotta love DIY!

There’s a lot to ❤️ about “meant to be alone.” Backed by light, warm musical accompaniment set in a major key that’s non troppo (not too much), Tom Nethersole delivers emotional yet gentle and tender vocals.  He sings with incredible ease and poise. Generally, he never gets too high or forces things; he remains cool, calm, and collected.  Still, you feel the gravity and impact of the lyrics he sings. “‘Cause I’ve been falling off and waiting here / Thinking that I’ll change next year,” he sings in the first verse, and continues, “But I’m still the mess I am / We don’t share an address or tram.” Ah, those matters of the heart, as well as not being where he wants to be as a person, rear their ugly head. Despite his loneliness and shortcomings, Nethersole shares plenty of clever, striking moments, asserting in the second verse, “I’m not one for chasing stars / But I’ve found myself on Mars / So, please / Stay in my orbit / If you need space then I’ll be here.”  The third verse is particularly emotional, particularly the end:

“But I’ll meet him at the airport

In the viewing area, I’ll wait

Watch planes I wish would take me off

With a man who’s not a mate

I wanna die

For just tonight

Just tonight.”

A meaningful, poetically penned, and thought-provoking record, a young Tom Nethersole does his big one on “meant to be alone”. Is it relatable? You bet it is!

Appears in:

Tom Nethersole, alone: Beaming with Pride No. 1 (2026)

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3. Halle, “alone” (Ft. Mariah the Scientist)

love?… or something like it » Parkwood Entertainment LLC / Columbia » 2025

Damn right, Halle (Halle Bailey)! Loneliness can be a total bi-otch! There is good news for the Grammy-nominated R&B singer-songwriter, however.  She collaborates with fellow R&B standout, Mariah The Scientist (Mariah Amani Buckles) on “alone”! A duet strips away some of the loneliness, right? Right! “Alone” is the seventh track from Halle’s 2025 debut album, love?… or something like it. Halle and Mariah penned the brief, 2:11 cut alongside producers Needlz and D. Phelps.

“Alone” kicks off beautifully with a striking, detuned piano patch. It is a key part of the success of the musical accompaniment, which is sleek and well-produced (Get it Needlz and D. Phelps). Fittingly, Halle draws first blood, delivering a beautiful, refined vocal performance.  Doing the heavy lifting, she performs the tuneful chorus (excerpted earlier), first verse, bridge, and successive choruses.  In the chorus, she continues, “I’ve been working on my own, without you / Damn, I can’t leave you alone.” Again, I say damn right!  In the first verse, she’s taken by him: “When I go to bed, when I lay my head / I just want my daddy.” In the bridge, she touts her strength, but adds, “But there’s something ‘bout your love / That’s just got me, babe.” Mariah The Scientist performs most of the second verse, contrasting yet complementing Halle. “I wanted love, I wanted patience / You were a drug, I was a patient,” Buckles sings, and continues, “You filled all of my prescriptions / Damn, I’m so addicted and / Now we in love, that’s what you call it.”  Interestingly, the relationship appears to have ended, but both ladies conclude the verse, singing, “Somehow I’m still wishing I had you, yeah.” Halle concludes “alone” and performs most of the final chorus, with a few small contributions from Mariah (solo and collaboratively). Short but sweet, Halle and Mariah The Scientist shine on this R&B joint.

Appears in:

Halle & Mariah The Scientist, alone: Dazzling Duets No. 1 (2026)

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4. Michael Jackson, “You Are Not Alone”

HIStory – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE – BOOK I » MJJ Productions, Inc. » 1995

The late, great Michael Jackson sang those lyrics, which hail from his 1995 song, “You Are Not Alone”. “You Are Not Alone” appears on the second disc of HIStory – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE – BOOK I, also released in 1995 (the ninth track).  Another rare song not written or co-written by Jackson, the songwriter might blow your mind: R. Kelly. You Are Not Alone” not only peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week, but it was the first song in history to debut at number one. Notably, it became the final number one hit of Jackson’s illustrious career.

“You Are Not Alone” showcases the sheer beauty of Jackson’s voice.  Michael excelled at up-tempo pop records, but this smooth pop/R&B ballad reminds us how stellar he was with fewer BPMs.  His tone is celestial as he brings Kelly’s melodies to life effortlessly.  In the first verse, loneliness saddens the King of Pop, or the perspective of the person he sings from.  “You never said goodbye, someone tell me why / Did you have to go and leave my world so cold?” In the second verse, he thinks he hears his lover cry, and affirms, “I can hear your prayers, your burdens, I will bear / But first, I need your hand, then forever can begin.” In the pre-chorus, the question is, what happened to the love? Where did it go? In the chorus, excerpted earlier, he and his lover are together, despite being separated physically and by distance: “Though we’re far apart, you’re always in my heart / For you are not alone.” Aww 🥰!  Beyond the elite vocals, memorable melodies, and love-centric lyrics, the musical backdrop sounds fresh and smooth, ushering in the new era of R&B mid-90s.  The sound is a contrast compared to MJ’s other songs, yet it works seamlessly. “You Are Not Alone” earned Jackson one of his 38 Grammy nominations, of which he won 13. In the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 38^th Annual Grammy Awards, he lost to an even bigger, unbeatable song: “Kiss From A Rose” by Seal.  Still, this fabulous mid-90s ballad, with its key changes and those once-in-a-lifetime MJ vocals, deserves its flowers.

Appears in:

Michael Jackson, You Are Not Alone: Throwback Vibez No. 102 (2025)  11 Thrilling ARE Songs, Part 3 (2025)

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5. The Dynamic Superiors, “Leave It Alone”

The Dynamic Superiors » UMG Recordings, Inc. » 1975

Not all soul groups achieved rousing success.  That was the case with the Washington, D.C.📍 Motown quintet, The Dynamic Superiors. The Dynamic Superiors charted only one song on the pop charts: “Shoe Shoe Shine”,  which peaked modestly at number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Despite the lack of commercial success, The Dynamic Superiors were a respectable, well-rounded 70s Motown collective. Tony Washington (d. 1989), the lead singer, was openly gay.  That was a big deal for Motown and the 1970s. However, most important is the talent that Washington and his fellow bandmates brought to the table. Focusing on the song at hand, “Leave It Alone” is the third track from their self-titled 1975 album.  It was written and produced by Motown royalty: Nikolas Ashford (1941 – 2011) and Valerie Simpson (b. 1946), best known as Ashford & Simpson.

“Leave It Alone” is a glorious soul record.  It features great production and sublime orchestration.  Not only are the ears treated to a tight rhythm section, but the orchestral music cues that dominated 70s soul are alive and well.  Tony Washington brings it on lead vocals.  He is dynamic, expressive, nuanced, and soulful to the nth degree.  “And I guarantee / Beyond a shadow of a doubt,” he sings in the first verse, continuing, “If you’ve been closed up too long / I got the love that will bring you out.” Ooh-la-la! Similarly, in the second verse, he  touts, “When life gets heavy on your shoulders / Don’t worry ‘bout the rescue / ‘Cause I’ll be there, I’ll be right there to take it over.” Washington sounds particularly elite when he dips into his falsetto during the chorus, excerpted earlier.  Listening to “Leave It Alone”, a song with rich harmonies, top-notch songwriting, and tuneful melodies, it is sad that it didn’t achieve greater attention.  Notably, it has been sampled a few times.

Appears in:

The Dynamic Superiors, Leave It Alone: Throwback Vibez No. 81 (2025)

 

~ Table of Contents ~ » ~ intro ~

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Alone: 5 Gems 2 (2026) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Columbia, MJJ Productions, Inc., Parkwood Entertainment LLC, UMG Recordings, Inc.; Gordon Johnson, OpenClipart-Vectors, 建鹏 邵 from Pixabay]

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