Awesome Songs: February 2023 | Playlist 🎧

1. Cordae, “Two Tens” (Ft. Anderson .Paak)

🎵 “Two Tens” • 🏷 Atlantic • 🗓 2023

“Two friends and they both tens, lookin’ nice, uh / Too bent, I should call it quits but I’m not, uh.” Woo!🎙 Anderson  .Paak, a true vibe, has the pleasure of delivering the utterly lit 🔥 chorus of the brief, but potent 🎙 Cordae single, 🎵 “Two Tens”. It isn’t only the chorus from .Paak that earns my seal of approval. How about how he trades bars with Cordae, dropping a surefire bullet with “Shot the club up like Stojakovic.” Beyond Paak, what about that production by 🎛 J. Cole? The beat hits hard while also hearkening back to the past.  Cordae rides the beat well, kicking off the first verse with, “The last time we tried that, it didn’t end well / Plus you never know the story that they friends tell.” Of course, it’s all about picking up dimes. An entertaining, compelling flow follows, shared by Cordae and .Paak.  One of their best exchanges:

“Man, I love this bitch, we gon’ travel and fill up the bucket list

Have ‘bout ten kids on the ranch on some southern shit

You mean sucker shit, slave to the pussy since you discovered it

Ten bands on Chanel purse, that’s bad budgetin’

Plus you niggas always together, it’s mad smotherin’

You simpin’ over bitches, I never thought it would come to this.”

You could make the argument Cordae is slightly overshadowed by his collaborators, both of which are 🏆 Grammy winners on 🎵 “Two Tens”.  Still, he drops some stellar rhymes too, and I appreciate his willingness to sacrifice some of the shine for the good of this rap banger.

2. P!nk, “TRUSTFALL”

💿 TRUSTFALL • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 2023 

“Are we just too squared to fight for what we want tonight?” 🤩 🎵 “TRUSTFALL” serves as the second single and second track from 💿 TRUSTFALL. The bright, optimistic sounding backdrop was produced by 🎛 Fred again.. and Johnny McDaid.  The rhythmic synths are a selling point on this thoughtful, dance-pop joint from the versatile musician. As always, we get commanding lead vocals from P!nk.  The chorus is catchy and memorable, centered around said trust fall: “Close your eyes and leave it all behind / Go where love is on our side / It’s a trust fall, baby / It’s a trust fall, baby.” Prior to the chorus, She sets up these trust falls in the verses. “Picture a place, somewhere else far away / Where you know what they mean, and they mean what they say / And would that be enough?” she sings in the first verse.  In the second, she asserts, in trust fall fashion, “Jump with me, come with me, burn like the sun.” In the bridge,  there is excellent contrast provided though still related to the verse and chorus musically and lyrically. “What if we just fall? I’m going without you / And you’re not going alone.” 🎵 “TRUSTFALL” marks another winning moment for the 🏆 Grammy winner. The message is utterly superb!

3. Daniel Caesar, “Do You Like Me?”

🎵 “Do You Like Me?” • 🏷 Hollace Inc. / Republic • 🗓 2023

“Do you like the way I talk to you? / Do I titillate your mind?” Woo! 🏆 Grammy-winning R&B singer/songwriter 🎙 Daniel Caesar brings the heat on 🎵 “Do You Like Me?”, his first single from 2023.  “Do You Like Me?” brings those soulful vibes, the expectation on a D.C. song. The record was produced by Caesar, 🎛 Sir Dylan, and the one-and-only, Raphael Saadiq. “Do You Like Me?” starts off with a bang, thanks to the lovely “oohs” during the introduction. One of the selling points of the backdrop is the exceptional use of rhythm guitar and a robust bass line.  Soon enough, Caesar spoils us with his ripe, stunning falsetto early on.  As always, he serves up utterly sublime vocals.  Just like the titular lyric suggests, he wants to know how she feels about him.  “Do you really like me? Do you really like me? Low on time, I’d like to make a move.” Regardless, in the memorable chorus, Caesar admits, “Know I like you, babe.” During the second verse, we get more of Caesar’s rich, robust middle register, as well as an f-bomb (“At first I was fucking your friend (Your friend) / But I wanted you”). Beyond the intriguing lyrics, also amplifying  the excellence of this joint is its harmonic progression.  All told, Daniel Caesar shines on 🎵 “Do You Like Me?”, a record that checks off all the boxes, with that amazing voice leading the charge.

4. Lana Del Rey, “A&W”

💿 Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd • 🏷 Interscope • 🗓 2023

🏆 Grammy-nominated alt-pop singer/songwriter 🎙 Lana Del Rey kicks off her ninth studio album, 💿 Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd (arriving March 23, 2023) with unpredictability, thanks to expansive single, 🎵 “A&W”. Del Rey penned “A&W” alongside 🎼 ✍ 🎛 Jack Antonoff, who she also produces the track with. This epic, seven-minute-plus record is divided in two distinct parts.  Part I finds Lana being true to self. Even so, there is plenty to unpack, which is part of the genius. She is reflective, reminiscent, and brutally honest.  She recalls innocence in the first line: “I haven’t done a cartwheel since I was nine.” However, the sugar honey iced tea doesn’t take long to get real, as she depicts being an American Whore, as the abbreviated title suggests.  There are plenty of epic lyrics from Part I including the transparent “It’s not about havin’ someone to love me anymore / This is the experience of bein’ an American whore,” and the ultra-memorable, “Did you know a singer can still be / Looking like a sidepiece at thirty-three?”  On Part II, she moves beyond alternative singer/songwriter pop to more of a trip-hop, minimalist sound.  This is where she showcases more innovative spirit, all the while flipping 🎵 “Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop” to “Jimmy Jimmy cocoa puff.” In the process, the high is real. Just when you think Lana Del Rey has become totally predictable, she totally surprises on the more experimental 🎵 “A&W”.

5. Depeche Mode, “Ghosts Again”

💿 Memento Mori • 🏷 Columbia • 🗓 2023

Following a six-year hiatus, English electronic-driven band 🎙 Depeche Mode returns with 💿 Memento Mori, Latin for remember you must die ⚰️. While extended hiatuses between albums by 🎙 Dave Gahan and company are commonplace, Memento Mori marks the collective’s longest span between LPs. Sadly, in 2022, longtime keyboardist 🎙 Andy “Fletch” Fletcher passed away – a huge loss for the band. The awesome song at hand, 🎵 “Ghosts Again”, was written by 🎼 ✍ Martin Gore and Richard Butler, and slickly produced by 🎛 James Ford.

“Wasted feelings / Broken meanings / Time is fleeting / See what it brings.” Hmm, given the title of the album, the loss of Fletch, and the title of the song, “Ghosts Again” seems to fit the bill.  The second verse sung by the always marvelous-sounding Gahan, projects a similar sentiment: “Sundays shining / Silver linings / Weightless hours / All my flowers.” One of the key lines, which appears on a variable chorus, finds Gahan (and Gore on backing vocals) singing the titular lyrics, “We know we’ll be ghosts again.” Perhaps Gahan describes the song best to Clash Magazine, asserting it “captures this perfect balance of melancholy and joy.” The lyrics do indeed lie somewhere between life and death, while the music is set in a major key, and remains true to the band’s signature sound.  There are guitars, keys, and synths – a clear throwback to the 1980s without sounding anachronistic. All told, the band makes a triumphant return with 🎵 “Ghosts Again”. Gahan sounds amazing.  Musically, “Ghosts” serves up ample ear candy and top-notch musicianship.  Furthermore, the lyrics are compelling, perfectly capturing two varying emotions.

6. ROSALÍA, “LLYLM”

🎵 “LLYLM” • 🏷 Columbia • 🗓 2023

“I don’t need honesty / Baby, LIE LIKE YOU LOVE ME, lie like you love me.” Typically, when it comes to 🎙 ROSALÍA, translating from Spanish and English occurs exclusively. However, on 🎵 “LLYLM”, an acronym for lie like you love me, the chorus of the song, is performed in English! That means that “LLYLM” is a bilingual single. The verses and the bridge are performed in ROSALÍA’s native language, Spanish.  Examining the chorus, however, the fact that she’s willing to accept lies is, um, a bit disturbing. As always, she delivers ample personality while singing.  I love the sound of her voice, particularly in the chorus, showing a kinder, gentler side. There is a vulnerability given the fact that big bad love – infatuation, it seems – has reared its ugly head. The production is well-rounded, if less ornate than other songs she’s recorded. Still, the rhythm goes hard.  In the first verse, she asserts [translated], “The one I love, doesn’t love me / As I want him to love me.” Oh, snap 🫰! In the second, she asserts herself as a mami, seeking his attention and affection.  All of it leads to the centerpiece, the chorus, where, again, ROSALÍA seems to be willing to settle for less. Does ROSALÍA ever release a bad record? No, plain and simple. 

7. Trippie Redd, “Mansion Musik”

💿 Mansion Musik • 🏷 1400 Entertainment, Inc. / 10K Projects • 🗓 2023

“Niggas wanna be my kin, pussy, you not my folks / Ridin’ ‘round town in a Benz, put that bitch on spokes.” Woo! 🎙 Trippie Redd doesn’t waste anytime whatsoever on 🎵 “Mansion Musik”, the opener from his 2023 LP, 💿 Mansion Musik. Following the intro, which confirms production by 🎛 Nadddot, the rapper drops those bars – NO CAP! There is only one verse in the entire song, but Trippie doesn’t let that hold him back.  He raps and raps and – wait for it – RAPS SOME MO’! During the course of his rhymes, he is unapologetic, with no shortage of profanity, one-liners, and ample confidence (and cockiness).

In addition to work behind the boards by Nadddot, “Mansion Musik” features production by 🎛 Igor Mamet, Bosley, and Bacon and Popcorn.  The malicious, minor-key backdrop, with its knocking beat and sus-sounding synths (in the most positive way possible) only fuels Trippie’s fire. One of the best lines is druggy AF: “Eighty-eight keys, no piano 🎹, gotta get it how you live, that’s my MO.” He also references the Willow Smith classic that launched her career: “Whip her head back and forth, not no Willow.” From there, we get references to 🎦 Django Unchained, 🎦 Rambo, 🎮 Call of Duty, 🎦 Pirates of the Caribbean – you get the picture!  Of course, it’s not all pop cultural references: “Put them poles on you niggas, turn you into dancers.” Woo! 🎵 “Mansion Musik” is nothing short of a rap banger, PERIOD!!!

Appears in 🔻:

• Trippie Redd, “Mansion Musik”: Rap BNGRZ 🔥 4 (2023)

8. Jessie Ware, “Pearls”

💿 That! Feels Good! • 🏷 Universal Music Operations Limited • 🗓 2023

🎙 Jessie Ware certainly promotes disco on the energetic, utterly infectious  🎵 “Pearls”, the second single from her fifth studio album, 💿 That! Feels Good!. “Pearls” was written by Ware alongside 🎼 ✍ Clarence Coffee Jr., Sarah Hudson, and 🎛 Stuart Price who also produces. Vocally, Ware serves up sensational vocals. Always in good voice (she can sing), in this song in particular, she delivers an even fuller, more soulful brand of vocals.  All the while, the backdrop is giving a modern dance/disco sound.  With Stuart Price producing, exceptional production is the expectation. Besides lit vocals and epic production work, the lyrics are also a blast.  “Pearls” gets off to a fast start as Ware asserts, “Excuse me, I don’t know about you / But I think it’s time to / Shake it till the pearls fall.” Woo! It doesn’t stop with the pearls, which reappear in the chorus.  In the first verse, Jessie characterizes herself as lots of things – “a lover, a freak, and a mother” – adding, “Walking on the line, it’s my human nature / I crave a little danger.” Later, in the second, she is “A perfect Prima Donna.”  I concur, Jessie! 🎵 “Pearls” = absolutely and utterly awesome! Sickening stuff!

9. Omar Apollo, “3 Boys”

🎵 “3 Boys” • 🏷 Omar Apollo / Warner • 🗓 2023

“I should take your advice and find someone new / So I could have two.” That number is significant on 🎵 “3 Boys”, the first single of 2023 by 🏆 Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter, 🎙 Omar Apollo.  On “3 Boys,” Apollo continues to be open about sexuality, something that has always made me respect him.  He adds a different wrinkle on “3 Boys,” drifting from monogamous territory to polyamorous territory… to a degree.  The thing is, even though the boy that Apollo digs (likely an ex) encourages bringing another into the fold, Apollo isn’t a fan of the idea. “Seems like everything I do take me further from you,” he asserts in the pre-chorus.  So, it’s a play between monogamy, polyamory, and unrequited love. Woo!

The centerpiece is the chorus, where he soulfully expresses his issues with polyamory/still being in love with someone he’s not with anymore.  He only wants one boyfriend (himself and the boy he loves) and doesn’t want three in the mix.  “Three boys would work if I wasn’t so tethered to you,” he sings, continuing, “What should I do? / I can’t even choose / I’m tethered to you.” I find this anti-polyamorous stance quite relatable, as many others will, whether it’s an open heterosexual or homosexual relationship.  Also, unrequited love affects everyone too, regardless of sexual preferences. Apollo brings up relevant points about being dedicated to the ONE he loves.  He sings well, superbly bringing the lyrics of this co-write with 🎼 ✍ Mustafa, Nathan Phillips, and Sir Dylan (who also produces) to life. It is easy to continue to be in love with Omar Apollo 😍… him and his music, of course! 🎵 “3 Boys” is another wonderful addition to his growing collection of bops

10. Chlöe, “Pray It Away”

🎵 “Pray It Away” • 🏷 Parkwood Entertainment LLC / Columbia • 🗓 2023

“Fuck nigga, fuck nigga, fuck nigga / I just learned to hate from a fuck nigga.” Wow! Safe to say, 🎙 Chlöe is not happy with this man.  On 🎵 “Pray It Away”, the R&B singer goes on to assert, “My feelings, my feelings, my feelings / They really got hurt by a fuck nigga.” What a way with words, Chlöe!  While eloquence and finesse is not a trait of the songwriting on “Pray It Away,” brutal honesty is, and she truly excels.  As always, the vocals are strong, carrying ample emotion in the case of this lame-o that wasted her time.

Produced by Chlöe alongside a team including 🎛, ThankGod4Cody, Ecassshh, Pitt Tha Kid, Puredandy, “Pray It Away” is slickly executed – idiomatic of the 2020s R&B/hip-hop script.  Similarly, the use of street lyricism – the vernacular – is idiomatic of the times as well.  In the pre-chorus, Chlöe expresses even more anger, potentially mentioning violence towards him (“And if the option’s violence, don’t make me choose it”). However, in the chorus, she makes a wiser, if less satisfying, choice: “Maybe I should go and take it to church / And wash it away ‘cause I want that nigga to hurt / But I’ma just pray it away before I give him what he deserves first.” The spiritual ties are one of the biggest selling points, with even more explicit references made in the bridge – girlfriend gets down on her knees 🙏!

Appears in 🔻:

• Pray 🙏: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 13 (2023)
• 11 Songs Where, I Pray, The Prayers Go Up (2023)

11. Jake Shears, “Too Much Music”

💿 Last Man Dancing • 🏷 Boys Keep Swinging / Mute Artists Ltd. • 🗓 2023

“There can never been too much music.” Amen, 🎙 Jake Shears (Jake Sellards), you handsome 😍, talented man, you! After releasing his debut solo album, 💿 Jake Shears, in 2018, the 🎙 Scissor Sisters front man is back with his sophomore album, 💿 Last Man Dancing, in 2023. Leading the charge is the infectious promo single, 🎵 “Too Much Music” which is #GIVING, PERIOD! The production (🎛 Ryland Blackinton and Vaughn Oliver) is exuberant and spirited, perfectly suiting the voice and personality of Jake Shears.  That beat instantly makes you want to get that disco finger up and hit the dance floor.  Shears wrote “Too Much Music” alongside Blackinton, Oliver, and 🎼 ✍ Dominic Thomas.  There are plenty of fun, noteworthy lyrics such as, “Oh, I feel the sweetest salvation / Flowing through this heart of mine / I see the blooms of a budding spring / Your love, it makes me get up and sing.” Awe-inspiring! Basically, Shears informs us, we’ve arrived, baby – Let the music take control!

12. Niall Horan, “Heaven”

💿 The Show • 🏷 Capitol • 🗓 2023

“God only knows where this could go / And even if our love starts to grow out of control,” 🎙 Niall Horan sings memorably and thoughtfully in the chorus of 🎵 “Heaven”.  He continues, “And you and me go up in flames / Heaven won’t be the same.” The glorious – better yet – celestial “Heaven” serves as the Irish pop star’s promo single from his third studio album, 💿 The Show (arrives June 9, 2023). It is safe to say that Horan brings the heat.

The vibe is indeed heavenly on “Heaven.” Horan and his co-writers and producers (🎼 ✍ John Ryan, Joel Little, and Tobias Jesso Jr.) construct the perfect aesthetic. The backdrop is so big and lush!  Vocally, Niall gets better and better with time, as if he is growing more confident and more mature with each successive release.  “Heaven” comes from a love angle at its most literal, something the excerpted chorus superbly demonstrates. Also, the verses seem to focus on that special somebody, with the second verse being utterly radiate: “I’m having revelations / You dance across the floor / Beyond infatuation / How I obsessively adore you / That’s what I do.” Commenting about the song, Niall makes it clear he eschews societal pressures regarding milestones and follows his heart. It is so sweet when he asserts, “I believe, I believe / I could die in your kiss,” in the pre-chorus. The thoughtfully-penned 🎵 “Heaven” makes you feel good inside – finding that one true love and embracing life.

13. Saint Levant, “FaceTime”

🎵 “FaceTime” • 🏷 2048 LLC • 🗓 2023

“Baby, this is way better than a FaceTime / Nine-hour difference but you still mine, uh.” Would it be far-fetched to describe 🎙 Saint Levant as “smooth like butter”?  Methinks not! Marwan Abdelhamid is a total vibe – the total package, baby! This handsome, suave musician with a diverse background (Palestinian/French/Algerian/Serbian) raps in multiple languages: English, French, and Arabic. Woo! On 🎵 “FaceTime”, the magic continues with the future in mind. “And I don’t usual like to waste time,” he continues in the chorus, “But you can waste mine, you can waste mine, uh.”

The first verse of “FaceTime” is performed in English exclusively.  Here, Saint Levant mentions proposing marriage, opting for a family as opposed to a Grammy, and buying “a house on the coast of Brazil.” Verse two finds Abdelhamid rapping in English, French, and Arabic – oh so versatile 🤩! He drops a stellar English line when he asserts, “I’d rather go to Tunisia and just turn off our phones.” Yes, yes, yes! By verse three, it’s all French, and it sounds so sexy – this man is smooth AF! Throw in a bridge, where he showcases his desires, and capping things off with the chorus once more, and “FaceTime” is incredibly sweet.   Shout out to the smooth backdrop too – can’t neglect that! Mad potential!

14. Macklemore, “HEROES” (FT. DJ Premier)

💿 BEN • 🏷 Bendo, LLC • 📅 2023

“When I grew up, criminals were my heroes.”  Now that is quite the assertion, 🎙 Macklemore! Macklemore brings the heat on 🎵 “HEROES”, a promo single from his 2023 album, 💿 BEN. “HEROES” features incredible, old-school, dusty hip-hop production courtesy of 🎛 Budo (think boom bap). The beat knocks – it goes FKNG hard! Of course, it should be noted, the record samples 🎵 “Tiger Trot” by 🎙 Leroi Conroy.  Given the sample, and Budo’s own skills, the backdrop has plenty of charm, with its horns, keys, scratches.

Still, the star(s) are Macklemore and his featured guest, 🎙 DJ Premier. DJ Premier is responsible for the chorus: “Pick up the mic, put your money where your mouth is / Doin’ petty crimes, back in the days…” As for Macklemore, he’s on fire over the course of two verses.  He delivers an agile, aggressive flow, with plenty of personality. It all begins with that ‘criminal’ opening line from the first verse.  It doesn’t stop there of course, as Macklemore goes in, bar after bar after bar.  Memorably, you heart it when he asserts, “By sixteen, I had an MPC / (It was hip hop’s fault) That I wanted to grow up / Sell drugs, smoke blunts, drink Mad Dog and fuck.” Woo! Also memorable: “Wanted a perm like DJ Quik / My mama said, ‘Ben, are you aware your hair is way too thin?’” “HEROES” is nothing short of a vibe.  Macklemore is back, baby!

Appears in 🔻:

• 13 Totally Heroic Hero Songs

15. Cattle Decapitation, “We Eat Our Young”

💿 Terrasite • 🏷 Metal Blade • 🗓 2023

“Ah! The fleshy architect! / Bold in design but fucking out of its mind / With self-indulgence and a self-worship / Birthing in stifling numbers as the planet worsens.”  Utter pessimism and an extreme brand of metal go hand in hand. 🎙 Cattle Decapitation is awesome at being dark, damning, and abso-f🤬🤬king-lutely unapologetic (the f-bomb was necessary) 😈. Ahead of a new album filled with hellishness, 💿 Terrasite (arrives May 12, 2023), Cattle Decapitation makes us digest 🎵 “We Eat Our Young”.

“We Eat Our Young” checks off the boxes for the typical Cattle Decapitation rubric. It’s hella heavy – jagged rhythms and riffs – distorted to the n^th degree, and dark AF.  The lyrics are easily decipherable, which is more than can be said of unclean vocals from some extreme metal collectives.  As always, the world is going to shit by the band’s estimations, beginning with the first lyrics of the first verse: “Homo sapiens have made it perfectly clear / We can’t control ourselves / Living a life perfectly fine with blindly multiplying / Conscious of ruination coursing through our own bloodlines.”  Woo!  Another intriguing moment comes when 🎙 Travis Ryan sings, “We’ve upped the ante as the most invasive species of life / That ever shat on this earth / That learned to shit in its hearth, that ever bore living birth / That taught its offspring to drive its own hearse.” Wow! Humankind may be sketch and sus at best but what isn’t bad in the least is 🎵 “We Eat Our Young”, another hard-hitting musical happening by the always unapologetic band🤘.