Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: April 2021 | Playlist 🎧

1. The Isley Brothers, “Friends & Family”

🎵 “Friends & Family” • 🏷 R. I. Top Ten • 📅 2021 

Iconic R&B collective 🎙 The Isley Brothers (🎙 Ron Isley and 🎙 Ernie Isley) shine on their classy, feel-good, soulful comeback single, 🎵 “Friends & Family”. “Friends & Family” screams family gathering – barbecue and cookout vibes. This joint definitely appeals to lovers of old-school R&B. No, The Isley Brothers don’t take it back to their ‘truly old-school days,’ but the sound still hearkens back to a previous era of contemporary R&B.  The moment I heard “Friends & Family,” it reminded me of the 💿 Chocolate Factory era of 🎙 R. Kelly. Kelly also wrote many songs for the collective during the aughts.

This sound is a sweet spot for Ron Isley, one where he’s able to show off that silky smooth tenor and continue to compel with a ripe falsetto.  The record is incredibly feel-good, groovy, and very clean-cut.  Sure, 🎙 Snoop Dogg, not the cleanest musician ever, guests, but he keeps things classy and ‘classic,’ riding the beat with ease.  Ultimately, we get classy songwriting, awesome vocals – Ron is pushing 80 – and classy production (big bass line, horns, keys). #Vibes

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2. serpentwithfeet, “Same Size Shoe”

💿 DEACON • 🏷 Secretly Canadian • 📅 2021

“Can’t love no man ‘til I measured his feet,” alternative R&B artist 🎙 serpentwithfeet (Josiah Wise) asserts on 🎵 “Same Size Shoe”. “Same Size Shoe” is arguably the best song from his sophomore album, 💿 DEACON.  Later, Wise heeds the advice of his aunt singing, “My auntie’s right, don’t fuck a man / If his shoes are two times the size of your hands.” Woo!

Besides the unique lyricism of the record, serpentwithfeet delivers an expressive, nuanced, and truly refined vocal performance. His best moments include the ad-libs, the bridge where he asks for his trumpet (you just have to hear it for yourself), and of course, the chorus.  The chorus, as to expected, is infectious to the nth degree: “Me and my boo wear the same size shoe.” Additionally, the production (Wise, 🎛 Brandon Juhans, and 🎛 Batu) allures as well.

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3. Doja Cat, “Kiss Me More”

Ft. SZA

🎵 “Kiss Me More” • 🏷 Kemosabe / RCA • 📅 2021

Back with another hit, Grammy-nominated artist 🎙 Doja Cat taps a fellow Grammy nominee, 🎙 SZA for the assist on 🎵 “Kiss Me More”. The first time you hear “Kiss Me More,” it’s infectious to the nth degree.  There are a number of reasons why this joint is so successful.  For one, it goes to the track’s underpinnings – the harmonic progression used is pretty sweet.  Furthermore, the lush production work awesomely supports sweet vocal performances by both Doja Cat and later, SZA. Worth noting, an 🎙 Olivia Newton-John classic, 🎵 “Physical”, further fuels that fire.

Doja Cat both sings and rap, showing off her incredible versatility. She brings the heat on her rhymes coming over aggressive and sexed-TF-up (“I, I feel like fuckin’ somethin’” and “Niggas wishin’ that the pussy was a kissin’ booth”).  Furthermore, she remains playful.  As for SZA, she brings vocal contrast on the third verse, matching the aggressiveness of Doja (“Pussy like holy grail, you know that / You gon’ make me need bail, you know that”). Once more, Doja Cat has constructed another surefire bop – it screams H-I-T / B-O-P!

4. Olivia O’Brien, “Sociopath”

🎵 “Sociopath” • 🏷 Island • 🗓 2021

“How do you feel nothing / When I feel it all?” Pop artist 🎙 Olivia O’Brien goes on to characterize her lover as a sociopath on her single, 🎵 “Sociopath”.  On this two-and-a-half-minute joint, she paints over a fiery backdrop constructed by 🎛 “Downtown” Trevor Brown and 🎛 Zaire Koalo.

“Hands on my neck, but you’ve got no regrets / For the marks that you left.” Woo – that’s um troublesome! O’Brien definitely brings attitude to “Sociopath.” Honestly, how couldn’t she? Sociopathy is quite disturbing subject matter, and the lyrics – the clever songwriting –capture it perfectly. Part of the attitude she brings is a perfectly timed f-bomb: “Your empathy’s lacking / and I don’t know how the fuck this could’ve happened.” Even so, she doesn’t have to curse to be effective, with numerous profanity-devoid lines packing a mighty punch. She paints an ugly portrait of her utterly insane boyfriend – “A cold-blooded sociopath” – but blames herself for falling for him: “Well, I guess it’s what I get.” Sociopathy is nothing to be played around with, mind you, but in terms of this particular fancy-tickling song, it definitely superbly fuels the fire.

5. Polo G, “RAPSTAR.”

🎵 “RAPSTAR” • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 2021

🎙 Polo G doesn’t slow down in the least in 2021 judging by his terrific new single, 🎵 “RAPSTAR”. “RAPSTAR” shines from the get-go.  Well produced, 🎛 Einer Bankz and 🎛 Synco definitely set up Polo G for success.  The backdrop balances the best of both worlds – it goes hard yet also brings a more chill, mellow vibe too.

As for Polo, he blesses us with both a sweet, rhythmic flow as well as a melodic rap performance.  What I love about his performance is how we naturally get this contrast of the street/toughness with sheer beauty – harmoniousness.  With Polo remaining ‘on’ throughout the course of “RAPSTAR,” his best moment is undoubtedly the chorus, which screams H-I-T. Ultimately, “RAPSTAR” marks another strong showing for the rapper, who definitely brings great personality, rhymes, and a sweet melodic approach to the table.

6. The Offspring, “We Never Have Sex Anymore”

💿 Let the Bad Times Roll • 🏷 Wabi Sabi Worldwide LLC / Concord • 📅 2021

“We never have sex anymore / We never roll around on the floor like we did so long ago.” Hmm, intimacy issues, 🎙 The Offspring? Perhaps. The veteran band’s single, 🎵 “We Never Have Sex Anymore”, appearing on their 2021 album, 💿 Let the Bad Times Roll, continues with more things that have changed within the relationship beyond the matters of the bedroom: “You never yell at me anymore / You never want to even the score like you did so long ago / But you’re still with me so I guess I’m not complaining / And you always leave my dinner on the stove.”

Basically, it sounds as if the singer (or his character) and his wife are in a rut.  It’s not that they don’t love and care for each other, but even the good and bad times have sort of just become neutral.  I mean, 🎙 Dexter Holland go so far as to sing, “Baby please! / If you won’t love me, will you hate me? / If you won’t violate me, well, will you just at least aggravate me?” He’s not seeking out abuse but rather desires more oomph, life, and within the relationship, like they once had.  Of course, as couples get older, one of the first things that falls by the wayside is sex, hence why The Offspring key-in on this.

“We used to do it constantly
We used to have a ball
We used to do it everywhere
We never do it at all.”

Besides he fun, sexless lyrics, the sound of the record is pretty rad, with colorful sounds courtesy of horns and piano in addition to standard rock instrumentation.

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7. Queen Naija & Ari Lennox, “Set Him Up”

💿 missunderstood…still • 🏷 Capitol • 📅 2021

“We ‘bout to set him up, yeah, yeah.” Oh my – that poor guy! Actually, if you listen to the 🎙 Queen Naija and 🎙 Ari Lennox collaboration from start to finish, you won’t feel the least bit of sympathy for the guy – “He had it coming”! Why? Well, both Naija and Lennox have been dating and ultimately sleeping with him so, whatever comes of their set up on 🎵 “Set Him Up”, appearing on the deluxe version of Naija’s debut album, 💿 missunderstood…still, is definitely deserved.

Very much a duet, nearly every section of “Set Him Up” is truly collaborative, which is awesome.  This allows both talented singers to develop tremendous chemistry.  Both ladies share their ‘girl talk’ which involves the sexual skills of this certified male hoe.  “The nigga turned me out,” they sing on the first verse, continuing, “When he went down South, I had to change the sheets.” Woo! Of course, the discovery that they are sexing with the same man occurs on the second verse, with the plan being hatched to set him up on the bridge.  The results work out quite well from both a narrative (songwriting) and vocal perspective.  This is the perfect R&B soap opera.  Add lush production by 🎛 Pat McManus, 🎛 Boston, and 🎛 Mike Woods, and things are even better. “Set Him Up” gives both Queen Naija and Ari Lennox a surefire winner.  We get sex, drama, and great vocals by two talented women.  What more could you ask for?

8. Years & Years, “Starstruck”

🎵 “Starstruck” • 🏷 Polydor • 📅 2021

Once a three-person collective, 🎙 Years & Years vis now a solo act by front man 🎙 Olly Alexander. Despite the changes, Olly has totally got us 🎵 “Starstruck” with his new single. “Starstruck” was written by Alexander alongside 🎼✍ Clarence Coffee Jr., 🎼✍ Mark Ralph, and 🎼✍ Nathaniel Ledwidge.  Ralph and Ledwidge produce this bright sounding, energetic pop cut. With a great backdrop behind him, Olly delivers assertive vocals that are colorful, nuanced, and filled with personality.  His tone is absolutely stunning.

In addition to his singing, Olly ‘puts in some work’ with his pen, delivering some fun lyrics (“If I could bottle you up / I would sip ya like cosmic juice”). Of course, the centerpiece is none other than the chorus which is hella catchy.  Furthermore, the brightness ascends to an even higher level.

“I can’t help it
I get starstruck around you
What can I do baby?”

Quite a relatable sentiment by all means.  In addition to the love-centric lyrics, “Starstruck” is well organized in regard to form.  Years & Years keeps it standard with verse, pre-chorus, chorus, and later, a breakdown section, which serves as a bridge essentially (“Starstruck / Not giving you up”). Down two members? No problem for Years & Years, who continues to bring the heat on “Starstruck.” All boxes are checked off:  strong vocals, catchy songwriting, and ear catching production.

9. Regard, Troye Sivan & Tate McRae, “You”

🎵 “You” • 🏷 Ministry of Sound Recordings Limited • 📅 2021

What happens when you put DJ/producer 🎙 Regard, and pop artists 🎙 Troye Sivan, and 🎙 Tate McRae on the same track? That would be a certified BOP, folks. These three standouts come together for the dance single, simply titled, 🎵 “You”.  There’s plenty to “You” considering it runs nearly four minutes in duration.  It’s a solid four-minutes, thanks to sleek production work by Kosovo-Albanian DJ, and a team of songwriters beyond the aforementioned artists including 🎼✍ Frederik Castenschiold Eichen, 🎼✍ Koda, 🎼✍ SAKIMA, and 🎼✍ Tom Mann.

Regard definitely fuels the fire with his electronic backdrop that sounds modern, very ‘now’ and also, forward thinking. This sets up both singers for success for sure. Troye Sivan takes first blood on the refrain (not to be mistaken with the chorus), singing quite expressively, and even showcasing some falsetto. Tate McRae arrives for the first time on the sole verse, singing with smoky, breathy vocals.  She follows with the refrain (or pre-chorus) first performed by Sivan. The centerpiece, of course, is the incredibly catchy chorus:

“Ooh, yeah
When I try to fall back, I fall back to you (Yeah, ayy)
When I talk to my friends, I talk about you (Yeah, ayy)
When the Hennessy's strong all I see is you, is you, is you, oh you.”

On the second chorus, Troye and Tate sing together; I totally heart the chemistry!  The record features a nice bridge section performed mostly by McRae. During this section, Regard also gives us some more playful touches on the instrumental end of things. “You” ends up being a total vibe as all parties excel in their given roles.

10. Tommy Newport & EARTHGANG, “Stargazer”

🎵 “Stargazer” • 🏷 Real Dirty Boy / Silk Ivory Inc. • 📅 2021

“Speed racer, heartbreaker / I can feel it comin’,” 🎙 Tommy Newport sings expressively on 🎵 “Stargazer”.  He continues the infectious centerpiece, the chorus, singing, “Maybe start later, stargazer / I can see you runnin’.”  The alternative musician definitely sets the tone marvelously on his new single, which is the epitome – the exemplification – of a vibe.  Oh, and Newport doesn’t go through the process alone! No, he collaborates with the gift that is 🎙 EARTHGANG.

Backed by a potent production that mixes some classic cues with contemporary freshness, Newport and EARTHGANG have ample fuel for the fire.  🎙 Doctur Dot gets right to work on the first verse, serving up chill vibes and plenty of swagger with his potent flow.  “So, what’s the point in fightin’ nature?” he spits, continuing, “You’d rather get to chuggin’ and say, ‘Fuck it, I don’t blame you.’” Read into things more, and clearly matters of the heart are in play.  Newport follows with a colorful pre-chorus that features some sweet falsetto, contrasting the chorus he unveils at the jump.  Like the chorus and Doctur Dot verse, it’s a vibe as well! Of course, 🎙 Johnny Venus can’t be left out the mix, dropping some awesome bars in his own right on the second verse.  “Relationships become performative for your enjoyment / Fakin’ the funk, no love,” he raps, adding, “You hit the target audience, you play me like accordion / According to the bro code, I’d be a fool if I took you back.” Woo!

Man, there’s so much to like about “Stargazer.” Tommy Newport truly puts in work and delivers a surefire gem.  One of his best moves – getting EARTHGANG to join him for the ride.  This record checks off boxes in the production, performance, and songwriting department. This is the one everybody needs to add to their listening rotation.

11. H.E.R., “Come Through”

Ft. Chris Brown

🎵 “Come Through” • 🏷 RCA • 📅 2021

“But you should come through tonight / I’m chilling on the Westside, boo.”  Invitation accepted 🎙 H.E.R. – well at least as far as partaking of the treat that is 🎵 “Come Through”.  Once again, the 🏆 Academy-Award and Grammy-winning R&B singer/songwriter brings the heat on a new single.  She also taps a collaborator that seems to work wonders with her, fellow 🏆 Grammy-winning R&B artist, 🎙 Chris Brown. “Come Through” ends up being pretty damn sweet.

“Come Through” sounds moody from the onset, set in a minor key.  Despite its moodiness, the production is lush and quite beautiful (🎛 Cardiak). H.E.R. sings beautifully, never getting too high yet still packing a punch.  Helping her cause, on the first verse, is her expressive ‘s-bomb’ (“Almost missed my flight today / I look good, even though I feel shitty”).  Of course, the fix for feeling shitty would be for him to “come through tonight!” On the second verse, Chris Brown sings the majority of it, with select collaborative lines with H.E.R.  Seeing ‘her’ upset, he provides his own perspective, citing the conflicts yet also wanting to indulge in this late-night rendezvous.  They join forces for the third and final verse, as they discuss the state of their ‘relationship.’  They follow up with a collaborative chorus and an outro by H.E.R. where she’s waiting for him to “hit me on my phone.” To reiterate, “Come Through” is pretty damn sweet – fancy sufficiently tickled!

12. Sam Gellaitry, “Duo”

🎵 “Duo” • 🏷 Parlophone / Viewfinder Recordings Limited • 📅 2021 

Scottish electronic musician 🎙 Sam Gellaitry shines on his short but sweet single, 🎵 “Duo”.  Here, Gellaitry is a do-it-all man performing, producing, and writing the record.  He definitely proves that he doesn’t require a team of writers or producers which speaks to the breadth of his musical talent. Two minutes and change is ample time for Gellaitry to bless the track with sheer excellence.  First and foremost, “Duo” is a groovy as hell – in the most heavenly way possible.  Beyond the groove, the overall production, also handled by Gellaitry, is on-point.  So, with groove and an ear catching backdrop, that leaves songwriting and the vocal performance to evaluate. 

Gellaitry sings well, delivering a balanced, well-rounded performance.  The songwriting is also strong, tackling everyone’s favorite topic, love.  So, what is the section of the song to beat? That would be the chorus, of course – would you expect any different?

“They think you can do better
All alone
A couple of strangers acting clever
Oh no
They come and go it’s temperamental
I told you so I only care about forever
I wish you the best in all your future endeavors
Let’s see where this goes and find out if we end up better.”

“Duo” checks off all of the boxes. Fancy sufficiently tickled!

13. Sasha Sloan, “when was it over?”

Ft. Sam Hunt

🎵 “when was it over?” • 🏷 RCA • 📅 2021

Question: “When was it over for you?” That is what 🎙 Sasha Sloan asks her ex- on her emotional single, 🎵 “when was it over?”.  She goes on to admit, “It’s still not over for me.” Given the theme of a breaking up and the struggle to cope with losing someone you still love, it’s only fitting she have a male duet partner, who just happens to be 🏆 Grammy-nominated country artist 🎙 Sam Hunt.  This duet is definitely well worth your time.

“When was it over?” was written by a team including Sloan, Hunt, 🎼✍ King Henry, 🎼✍ Emi Dragoi, and the incredibly gifted 🎼✍ Shane McAnally (that should say it all about the songwriting right here).  The five writers definitely construct a brilliant script that is masterfully executed by Sloan and Hunt. Sloan sings with more restraint in more of an undertone.  This approach is incredibly successful on the first verse, expressing the sadness she feels.  She follows up with the titular lyric, which appears on the centerpiece, the chorus:

“When was it over for you?
When was it over?
When was the moment you knew
That you were gonna walk out eventually?
It’s still not over for me (Mm-mm-mm)
It’s still not over for me (Mm-mm-mm).”

From there, Sam Hunt arrives, singing louder, higher, and with more oomph.  This intentional contrast is part of the charm.  Like Sasha, he has his own recollections, and ultimately, falls into the same boat come the chorus.  Notably, she joins him as they both express the fact they’re not over one another.  On the bridge, they both admit they aren’t done, capped off by one final chorus and outro.  The vocal chemistry is on-point. Ultimately Sloan and Hunt make a pretty formidable duo, delivering a surefire hit.

14. The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears (Remix)”

🎵 “Save Your Tears (Remix)” • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2021

“Save your tears for another day.” The overall sound and vibe are preserved on 🎵 “Save Your Tears (Remix)”, the remix of the 💿 After Hours hit, 🎵 “Save Your Tears”. “Save Your Tears” remains firmly planted in the 80s, with 🏆 Grammy winners 🎙 The Weeknd and 🎙 Ariana Grande embracing synthpop. Of course, in addition to The Weekend producing, they owe a great deal to 🎛 Max Martin and 🎛 Oscar Holter.

The Weeknd shines, singing the first verse, refrain, pre-chorus, and chorus.  The chorus – excerpted at the top of this review – is simple but ultimately memorable and definitely tuneful. Where we get contrast on “Save Your Tears (Remix)” is the second verse, which is not only performed by Ariana Grande, but turns out to be a totally new verse.

“Met you once under a Pisces moon
I kept my distance ‘cause I know that you
Don’t like when I’m with nobody else
I couldn’t help it, I put you through hell.”

She sounds exceptional – as refined as ever.  Beyond the verse, she performs a refrain and pre-chorus of her own (directed toward a male, of course), before performing the chorus.  From there, we get collaboration between both, repeating the refrain, chorus, and the outro, an extension of the chorus.  These two definitely always bring the heat when they duet!

15. Prince, “Welcome 2 America”

💿 Welcome 2 America • 🏷 NPG / Legacy Recordings • 🗓 2021

With a vault filled with unreleased material, new music by the late, iconic, musician extraordinaire 🎙 Prince likely won’t cease anytime in the near future.  2021 sees the release of a new posthumous release, 💿 Welcome 2 America.  Leading the charge, fittingly is 🎵 “Welcome 2 America”, penned and produced by The Purple One. This five-and-a-half-minute funky, ear-catching R&B cut definitely finds the legend being true to self.

How is Prince true to self, you ask? Well, he’s socially conscious, something that has long incorporated into his music.  He’s also critical, opinionated, and clearly skeptical regarding the state of America. For instance, he seems to ‘cry foul’ regarding modern technology, asserting on the first verse, “Welcome to America / Distracted by the features of the iPhone / (Got an application for each of situation) / In other words, taken by a pretty face.” On the second, he’s critical of lying politicians, highlighting their contradictory ways.   It doesn’t stop there of course.  He questions the staying power of contemporary music (verse three), speaks about faith (verse four), and fame + sex tapes (verse five).  There are both minimalist musical ideas as well as fuller, lusher moments.  Vocally, The Purple One opts for more spoken word, which is interesting.  Even so, he enlists backing vocals that amplify the soul factor.

Question: Is “Welcome 2 America” the new Prince single anyone expected? No, probably not, but listen a couple of times and the record endears itself more with each successive listen.  Interestingly, this record bears some similarities to the classic “Sign O’ The Times”.  It doesn’t reach the same heights mind you, but it’s certainly worth listening to.