Believe → 5 Gems

Reading Time: 10 min read

Believe: 5 Gems No. 33 (2026) features songs by CAIN, Chris Stussy, Gloria Spencer, T-Pain x Yaeji x Girl Talk, and Valerie Simpson.

“Sending my love into the night / BELIEVE in yourself, ‘cause I do.” That is what vocalist Ashwini Natarajan asserts on the vibe-laden Chris Stussy gem, “Believe in yourself.” Underrated short-lived gospel singer Gloria Spencer stated, “I can’t BELIEVE / There’s anybody / That don’t wanna make / Heaven their home.” With the way that she describes heaven, I have to agree with her – sounds like the place to be! As for T-Pain, he declares, “I believe in ya, baby, put your all into it / Get your back up off the wall.” Oh, the encouragement! Believe: 5 Gems No. 33 (2026) is all about that powerful B word. In addition to the artists already mentioned, this miniature playlist features songs by CAIN and Valerie Simpson. So, without further ado, here are five songs that you can fully B-E-L-I-E-V-E in!

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1. Chris Stussy, “Believe in yourself”

2. T-Pain, Yaeji & Girl Talk, “Believe In Ya”

3. CAIN, “Believe On Jesus”

4. Valerie Simpson, “I Believe I’m Gonna Take This Ride”

5. Gloria Spencer, “I Can’t Believe”

5 Gems (2026)

1. Chris Stussy, “Believe in yourself”

Lost, Found & Forgotten… → Up The Stuss → 2026

“Can I get you right? / Can I hold you tight?” Yes and yes! Dutch 🇳🇱 DJ and producer Chris Stussy (Niels Christian Steenbergen) brings the sweet vibes to “Believe in Yourself”. Also, the positivity is a plus, too. “Believe in Yourself” is the 13^th track from his debut album, Lost, Found & Forgotten… on his own label, Up The Stuss 🔥. Stussy wrote and produced this near four-and-a-half-minute dance bop.

Chris Stussy puts some serious work in behind the boards. The groove is nothing short of awesome, inciting uncontrollable body movement. The electronics – the synths – are cleverly integrated, colorful, rhythmic, and most of all, striking. Stussy is intentional with his choices, and he makes all of the right ones with this sound palette. He sets up his vocalist, Ashwini Natarajan, for undeniable success. The lyrics are few for Natarajan to paint with her pipes, but she sounds amazing. Powerhouse performance? No, but her breathy, calm, cool, and collected vocals pack a meaningful punch, nonetheless. To reiterate, the positivity of this belief song is a big deal. Ashwini informs us, “Remember you’re godly.” Providing further support, she asserts, “Sending my love into the night / Believe in yourself, ‘cause I do.” Word. Best experienced by talking in its scintillating musical greatness, “Believe in Yourself” is nothing short of being utterly sublime.

Appears in 🔻:

Chris Stussy, Believe in yourself: Bangerz N Bopz No. 66 (2026)

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2. T-Pain, Yaeji & Girl Talk, “Believe in Ya”

“Believe In Ya” → C&G / Stem → 2025

“You can do it, you can do it!” What happens when three millennial musicians collaborate? Musical excellence, of course! T-Pain (Faheem Najm), Yaeji (Kathy Yaeji Lee), and Girl Talk (Gregg Gillis) join forces on the infectious, sunny-sounding pop single “Believe In Ya”. Najm and Lee penned it, while Gillis produced it with excellent results. The groove ‘grooves hard.’ The sound has old-school vibes yet sounds refreshing. T-Pain kicks things off with an infectious, tuneful chorus everyone can believe in:

“Oh

I got faith in ya (Oh)

You can do it, you can do it

I believe in ya, baby, put your all into it

Get your back up off the wall.”

He follows up with the first verse (“I want you in my crib, wakin’ me up / Redbone, redbone, I’m makin’ ya blush,” and the ‘encouraging’ pre-chorus (“You’re so close, baby, don’t you stop, I’m watching”). Ooh-wee! Autotune and all, T-Pain’s vocals are exuberant and dynamic. Yaeji contrasts in the second verse, showing off her distinct pipes. “Surrounding energy for you / And me and the ones we love,” she sings, adding, “I got faith in you and us.” There are also some collaborative moments with T-Pain before the chorus returns and the outro where both assert, “Get your back up off the wall.” Clocking in at a respectable three minutes, T-Pain, Yaeji, and Girl Talk deliver a highly believable bop in “Believe In Ya”!

Appears in 🔻:

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3. CAIN, “Believe On Jesus”

Jesus Music (Deluxe Edition) → Provident Label Group LLC / Sony Music Entertainment → 2024

“Has the road that you’ve been walking on led you where you wanna go?” Taylor Cain Matz asks in the first verse of “Believe On Jesus”. It is a legitimate reflective question. So many times, we try to do it all ourselves to no avail. Matz of sibling Christian music trio CAIN adds, “Can’t you hear Him knocking? / Won’t you let Him in?” The Him, of course, is Jesus. CAIN encourages believing in Jesus, and he will provide what you’ve been missing. “Believe On Jesus” was written by Cain Matz, Logan Cain, Madison Cain Johnson, Jonathan Smith, and Ethan Hulse. It appears as the first track on their expanded album, Jesus Music (Deluxe Edition).

The message of “Believe on Jesus” is simple: accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. CAIN doesn’t overcomplicate it; they keep it simple. Logan sings, “If you confess it with your mouth / And you believe it in your heart / The love that you’ve been looking for will meet you right where you are.” The centerpiece – the section that ‘brings it on home’ – is the chorus:

“Believe on Jesus

Call upon His name

Believe on Jesus

And you will be saved

Open your heart

And let Him live inside

Believe on Jesus

It’ll save your life.”

The plain, direct language makes “Believe On Jesus” powerful. CAIN sings superbly, executing the message like champions. The accompaniment fuels the fire, amplifying this spiritual experience. No extensive analysis is necessary as this song speaks for itself.

Appears in 🔻:

CAIN, Believe On Jesus: Music Lifts No. 27 (2024)

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4. Valerie Simpson, “I Believe I’m Gonna Take This Ride”

The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 12B: 1972 → Motown / UMG Recordings, Inc. → 2013

“Believe I’m gonna take this ride / Take it to the end of the road.” Word. Valerie Simpson (b. 1945) is renowned for her songwriting and collaborations with her husband, Nickolas Ashford (1941 – 2011). However, Simpson was also a solo artist. In 1972, she recorded the superb single, “I Believe I’m Gonna Take This Ride”. It originally appeared on her self-titled solo album. It also appears on the Motown compilation, The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 12B: 1972. “I Believe I’m Gonna Take This Ride” was written and produced by Ashford and Simpson.

“I Believe I’m Gonna Take This Ride” shines from the get-go. The backdrop oozes with soul. I mean, do we expect anything less from a 1970s Motown cut? The orchestration is superb. The band is tight. I love the guitar riffs and the robust bass line. Biting horns up the ante. Later, there’s a fine saxophone solo, ‘triggered’ by a timely modulation. As high-flying as the instrumental is, Valerie Simpson is the star. Her angelic, silky smooth mezzo-soprano vocals soar. Simpson also gets the support of strong background vocals. The melodies are tuneful, while the lyrics are simple and memorable, particularly the chorus, excerpted earlier. “So if you don’t mind a little company,” she sings the verses, and continues, “I wanna go with you all the way / To see what the end’s gonna be.” Note: The ride is a committed relationship. All told, Valerie Simpson brings it on “I Believe I’m Gonna Take This Ride”, a delightful soul gem that deserves far more recognition.

Appears in 🔻:

Valerie Simpson, I Believe I’m Gonna Take This Ride: Throwback Vibez No. 63 (2026)

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5. Gloria Spencer, “I Can’t Believe”

I Got It → Perfect Gospel Series → 2007

“I can’t believe / There’s anybody / That don’t wanna make / Heaven their home.” Gloria Spencer (1937 – 1976) should be remembered for her remarkable instrument; she had the voice of an angel. She could also play the piano. Spencer was tailor-made for black gospel music, given her skills. However, it’s not that simple. She sadly only lived to be 39 years old. She’d been extremely obese throughout her entire life thanks to a thyroid condition. When she died, she weighed just shy of 800 pounds. During her career, she was marked as the World’s Largest Gospel Singer. Rather than focus on Spencer’s size 👎, I’m more focused on her music, which deserves the most attention and far more recognition. “I Can’t Believe”, a ballad, is the second track from her 1972 debut album, Gloria’s Views of Glory. In 2007, when the album was rereleased, it was renamed I Got It.

“I Can’t Believe” features gorgeous orchestration. The instrumentation includes a rhythm section, brass, saxophone, and lush, sophisticated strings. This song has a gospel-soul vibe. This is very much made for the church but also fits the billing of the 1970s R&B/soul sound. Gloria Spencer A-T-E and left no crumbs, PERIODT! Her lead vocals are commanding; she’s gritty and oozes with soul. Adding to the excellence is the authenticity of her performance. With every note and every lyric, you buy what she’s selling. She paints a compelling picture of Heaven, a place where “There’s no aches and pains to endure.”

“The sky’s forever blue

The grass is forever green

There’s more love and happiness there

Then you’ve ever seen.”

That is why she declares her unbelief that anyone would not want to make Heaven their home. Of course, work must be put in to make it to Heaven. Beyond the main vocals, the background vocals and ad-libs – a mix of gritty riffs and some sickening, upper-register lines – are impressive. Another fabulous moment is the vamp section. It’s brief, but packs a mean punch, led by Gloria with the background vocals providing a mean response (“I can’t believe (Can’t believe it)…”). One of the best moments from I Got It, Gloria Spencer put her entire heart and soul into the meaningful, prudent, and timeless “I Can’t Believe”.

Appears in 🔻: