Eye ๐ This List of Must-Hear โIโ Songs ๐ง features Billie Eilish, Dan + Shay, H.E.R., Justin Bieber & Whitney Houston. ย
Get prepared to E-Y-E ๐ these โIโ songs! Yes, this playlist is all about the letter โI,โ pretty much like those No Rhyme or Reason lists previously released.ย The difference? Every song on this list features โIโ as a nominative pronoun (#Grammer).ย That means, a song like โIntentionsโ by ๐ Justin Bieber doesnโt make ๐ง Eye ๐ This List of Must-Hear โIโ Songs, but โAs I Amโ does.ย
The oddly titled ๐ง Eye ๐ This List of Must-Hear โIโ Songs features music courtesy of ๐ Billie Eilish, ๐ Dan + Shay, ๐ H.E.R., ๐ Justin Bieber, and ๐ Whitney Houston among others. ย Basically peeps, youโre about to ๐ a heckuva lot of โIโsโ if that makes sense. So, get your ๐ ๐ ready for this โIโ opening experience!
1. Billie Eilish, โTherefore I Amโ
๐ต โTherefore I Amโ โข ๐ท Darkroom / Interscope โข ๐ 2020
โStop, what the hell are you talking about? Ha / Get my pretty name out of your mouth / We are not the same with or withoutโฆโ Post-๐ฟ WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO, Grammy winner ๐ Billie Eilish continued to thrive.ย A prime example? ๐ต โTherefore I Amโ.
โTherefore I Amโ checks off the expected boxes.ย Her bro, ๐ FINNEAS, is behind the boards, giving her a cool backdrop to work with.ย Itโs minimal, as to be expected, but still packs a punch.ย We are blessed with a nice groove and some dark synths that bite, but donโt dare bite too hard.ย Unsurprisingly, itโs set in a minor key (D minor to be precise), which suits Billieโs artistry.
You also shouldnโt be shocked to hear that Eilish sings in an undertone โ would we really expect full-throated vocals? Nope of course not! Even so, as always, Eilish manages to make the subtle approach work.ย Here, she delivers a playful performance, intact with attitude and sass, sans gospel histrionics.ย The best part of the song is none other than the sweet, infectious chorus which she serves up from the jump:
โIโm not your friend Or anything, man You think that youโre the man I think, therefore, I am.โ
โTherefore I Amโ is another winner for Eilish. Production, subtlety, and a blend of playfulness and attitude seal the deal.
2. Justin Bieber, โAs I Amโ
Ft. Khalid
๐ฟ Justice โข ๐ท Def Jam โข ๐ 2020
โTake me as I am, swear Iโll do the best I can / Say, โIโm not goinโ anywhere.โโ ๐ Grammy-winning pop artist ๐ Justin Bieber definitely captures our eyes (and ears) on his โIโ song, ๐ต โAs I Am.โ ย โAs I Amโ appears as the third track on his 2021 studio album, ๐ฟ Justice.ย Bieber isnโt all alone though โ itโs not just about โIโ or rather himself, LOL.ย No, he brings along Grammy-nominated R&B standout ๐ Khalid for the assist.ย Written by a host of songwriters (including Bieber and Khalid), โAs I Amโ is produced by ๐ The Monsters & Strangerz, ๐ German, ๐ Josh Gudwin, and ๐ Ido Zmishlany.ย Safe to say, this was an expensive โIโ track!
As to be expected, the vocals are elite โ beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! Honestly, this is the biggest selling point of โAs I Am.โ Bieber sounds incredibly nice when he sings softer and resides in his lower/middle register.ย Donโt get it twisted though! He also ascends, showing the power of his higher register, singing more dynamically.ย As for Khalid, there are few singers that possess his particular timbre; itโs special to say the least.ย โAs I Amโ is tailor made to his voice and style. I love the stacked background vocals โ awesome ๐.ย Then, of course, JB and Khalid join forces, quite harmoniously, backed by that aforementioned expensive pop production.ย Lots to like about this record, which runs under three minutes in duration.
3. H.E.R., โI Canโt Breatheโ
๐ต โI Canโt Breatheโ โข ๐ท RCA โข ๐ 2020
โI canโt breathe / Youโre taking my life from me / I canโt breathe / Will anyone fight for me?โ Cutting right to the chase, ๐ H.E.R. shocked the world at the ๐ 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.ย How so? Well, after several nominations in the โbig fourโ categories, she won, unexpectedly, for ๐ต โI Canโt Breathe.โ Written alongside ๐ผโ Dernst โDmileโ Emile II (who also produces) and ๐ผโ Tiara Thomas, โI Canโt Breatheโ tackles a history of racist injustice in America, specifically reignited by the murder of George Floyd.
As the aforementioned chorus lyrics suggest, โI Canโt Breatheโ is a heavy record.ย Set in a minor key, expectedly, H.E.R. desires for this record to be more reflective, somber, and thought provoking. ย This isnโt a song you should listen to and not take something away from it. Always a great songwriter, this particular record is by far her most timely, given the troubling situations inspiring it. Sure, most music critics wrote it off as a possibility to take such a prestigious honor at the Grammys, even if H.E.R. has been a darling of the Recording Academy.ย Clearly, we shouldnโt have.ย Itโs truly a special song.
4. Fleet Foxes, โCan I Believe Youโ
๐ฟ Shore โข ๐ท Anti- โขย ๐ 2020
Seattle indie-folk collective ๐ Fleet Foxes returned in 2020 with their fourth studio album, ๐ฟ Shore.ย Shore arrives three-years after the complex but utterly superb ๐ฟ Crack-Up, released in 2017.ย Overall, the bandโs fourth album feels less complex than Crack-Up, yet remains true to the ever-thought-provoking ๐ Robin Pecknold.ย Among the songs you can definitely believe in on Shore is ๐ต โCan I Believe You,โ which keeps the album on an upward trajectory.ย
Robin Pecknold provides listeners with marvelous production and songwriting, both instrumentally and lyrically speaking.ย His lead vocals are commanding yet never overindulgent.ย The lush, choral vocal are sure to give you goosebumps, adding an additional color to the overall sound.ย The record is quite accessible, as Pecknold is reflective, singing about his own personal changes and trust.
Also Appears On ๐ฝ:
๐ ๐ง 11 Excellent Songs Youโll Totally Believe In
5. Snoh Aalegra, โI Want You Aroundโ
๐ฟ -Ugh, those feels again โข ๐ท Artium Recordings / AWAL โข ๐ 2019
R&B is worldwide baby! Yes, we already knew this, but what better way to affirm such than by example. ๐ Snoh Aalegra was born in Sweden to Iranian parents โ quite interesting if I do say so myself.ย Furthermore, sheโs now based in the City of Angels, Los Angeles.ย When you think of Sweden or Iran, R&B definitely isnโt the style of music that comes to mind, yet thatโs what Snoh Nowrozi brings us, and it is LIT.ย A prime example of this LIT-ness occurs on ๐ต โI Want You Aroundโ from her 2019 sophomore album, ๐ฟ -Ugh, those feels again.
โI know that I donโt make things clear (No) / I fall for you every time I try to resist youโฆโ Honestly, โI Want You Aroundโ is self-explanatory. Matters of the heart have Snoh Aalegra in her feels, just as her album title suggests.ย She tries to play coy and resist him and his moves, asserting, โI donโt wanna kiss you yet / I just wanna feel you / Feel you.โ Ultimately, she simply canโt resist him, no way, no how โ sheโs infatuated to the nth degree:
โAnd sit right next to you, you I try not to show how I feel about you Thinkinโ we should wait, but we donโt really want to I just wanna get away And sit right next to you, you.โ
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6. Juice WRLD, โI Want Itโ
๐ฟ Legends Never Die โข ๐ท Interscope โข ๐ 2020
โFuck on a private jet, ainโt nowhere safe now / Baby, hold me down and stay down,โ ๐ Juice WRLD raps melodically on ๐ต โI Want It.โ Juice, of course, tragically passed away in December 2019 just days after his 21st birthday.ย His demise came at the hands of one of his demons, drugs. ย Despite his death, his music continues to live on. He continues rapping on this number from his posthumous album, ๐ฟ Legends Never Die: โGoinโ in raw, want you to feel me, Iโm not playinโ around / Your heart is my safe house.โ
As the โIโ title suggests, Juice WRLD โwants itโ โ he desires it! โBaby girl, donโt run from me, donโt run, I want it.โ Thatโs about the size of it.ย He likens drugs and infatuation.
โI know you donโt trust me Iโm sedated, baby, baby, did you drug me?โ
He asks this question on the pre-chorus that precedes the aforementioned chorus where he makes it crystal clear, he โwants it.โ
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7. Cardi B, โI Like Itโ
Ft. Bad Bunny & J Balvin
๐ฟ Invasion of Privacy โข ๐ท Atlantic โข ๐ 2018
โNow I like dollars, I like diamonds / I like stuntinโ, I like shininโ (Yeah) / I like million-dollar deals / Whereโs my pen? Bitch Iโm signinโ (Signinโ).โ In 2018, ๐ Cardi B scored a number one album with ๐ฟ Invasion of Privacy.ย Invasion of Privacy would go on to win a ๐ Grammy โ the first given to a female rapper for Best Rap Album. One of the highlights not named ๐ต โBodak Yellowโ is ๐ต โI Like It.โ How good is โI Like It?โ Well, we selected it as the 8th best songs of 2018. Thatโs definitely #WINNING!
โI Like Itโ brilliantly samples the ๐ Pete Rodriguez classic, ๐ต โI Like It Like Thatโ bringing some serious Latin vibes into Invasion of Privacy.ย Besides being fueled by an incredible sample, production by ๐ Craig Kallman, ๐ J. White Did It, and ๐ Tainy also solidifies the bop status of this particular record.ย Of course, it is Cardi B that is the star of the show.
โThey call me Cardi Bardi, banging body Spicy mami, hot tamale Hotter than a Somali, fur coat, Ferrari.โ
The star gets a big lift courtesy of Puerto Rican reggaetรณn/Latin trap soul singer ๐ Bad Bunny and Colombian reggaetรณn singer ๐ J Balvin.
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8. Dan + Shay, โI Should Probably Go to Bedโ
๐ต โI Should Probably Go to Bedโ โข ๐ท Warner Music Nashville โข ๐ 2020ย
โSo, I should probably go to bed / I should probably turn off my phone / I should quit while Iโm ahead …โ High-flying vocals and vocal harmonies shine on ๐ต โI Should Probably Go to Bedโ, a single by ๐ Grammy-winning country duo ๐ Dan + Shay. โI Should Probably Go to Bedโ possesses many of the cues that weโve come to expect from the duo. While this duo walks the fine line between country and pop, โI Should Probably Go to Bedโ leans more pop.
โ...I should probably leave you alone โCause I know in the morninโ I'll be callinโ Sayinโ โsorryโ for the things I said So, I, yeah, I should probably go to bed.โ
The song dabbles in matters of the heart. Lyrically, it couldโve used a wee bit more development.ย Still, we get the gist: the guy has been on the struggle bus regarding heartbreak, gets off the struggle bus, finds out his ex- is returning to town, and decides he should โgo to bed.โ
Also appears on ๐ฝ:
๐ ๐ง BED ๐: 5ive Songs No. 41
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ย
9. Demi Lovato, โI Love Meโ
๐ต โI Love Meโ โข ๐ท Island โขย ๐ 2020
On ๐ต โI Love Meโ, ๐ Grammy-nominated pop artist ๐ Demi Lovato moves towards a much better place, committed to loving herself. โI Love Meโ is a strong pop record that features sleek, energetic production work, courtesy of ๐ Oak, ๐ Keith Sorrells, and ๐ Alex Nice. Stylistically, it encompasses elements of electronic music and R&B, while being idiomatic of pop. Lovatoโs vocals are the biggest selling point, mixing playful, feisty, profane moments with moments where she shoots straight bullets with her piercing, upper register ad-libs.
The biggest takeaway is empowerment. โโCause Iโm a black belt when Iโm beating up on myself / But Iโm an expert at giving love to somebody else,โ she sings on the pre-chorus, continuing, โI, me, myself, and I donโt see eye to eye / Me, myself and I.โย Thatโs such a potent, incredibly relatable point.ย On the chorus, she expounds further, as she works beyond being โmy own worst criticโ and towards โโฆWhen I love me is enough.โ Ultimately, Lovato slays on โI Love Me,โ keeping it ๐ฏ, balancing a relatable message and an infectious pop gem.
Also appears on ๐ฝ:
๐ ๐ง 11 Empowering Songs About Loving Yourself
๐ ๐ Weekly Gems No. 1: Demi Lovato, โI Love Meโ โ Terrific Tuesday No. 1
๐ ๐ง Weekly Gems ๐ No. 1: Week of 3-30-2020
๐ ๐ง Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: March 2020
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10. Panic! At the Disco, โI Write Sins Not Tragediesโ
๐ฟ A Fever You Canโt Sweat Out โข ๐ท Fueled by Ramen โขย ๐ 2005
โโWhat a beautiful wedding! / What a beautiful wedding!โ says a bridesmaid to a waiter / โAnd yes, but what a shame, what a shame / The poor groomโs bride is a whore.โโ Say what? Sigh, when your debut album is entitled, ๐ฟ A Fever You Canโt Sweat Out, you know that there has to be a โrandom,โ ridiculous element to the music.ย That is definitely the case for ๐ Panic! At the Disco. The colorful, theatrical single ๐ต โI Write Sins Not Tragediesโ served as a breakthrough moment for ๐ Brendon Urie and company back in 2005. ย Musically, โI Write Sins Not Tragediesโ features brilliant production work, notably mixing Baroque pop elements (those pizzicato strings) with pop-punk.
As the aforementioned lyrics confirm, the lyrics throughout โI Write Sins Not Tragediesโ are wedding-centric, with folks in the wedding criticizing the bride and the groomโs reaction (โThe poor groomโs bride is a whoreโ). Of course, we all know that the most memorable lyrics come from the groomโs mouth, during the chorus:
โI chime in with a โHavenโt you people ever heard of closing a goddamn door?!โ No, itโs much better to face these kinds of things With a sense of poise and rationality.โ
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ย
11. Britney Spears, โOops!… I Did It Againโ
๐ฟ Oops!… I Did It Again โข ๐ท Zomba โข ๐ 2000
โYeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!โ ๐ Britney Spears has plenty of hits, but arguably is any more beloved or iconic than ๐ต โOops!… I Did It Againโ? It is the title track โ the main attraction on her 2000 album, ๐ฟ Oops!… I Did It Again after all.ย Furthermore, the record was nominated for a ๐ Grammy, though lost to one-hit-wonder ๐ Macy Gray (๐ต โI Tryโ).ย ๐ต โToxicโ would earn a Grammy though, so Britโs covered!
The production (๐ Max Martin and ๐ Rami Yacoub) is on-point and the lyrics are catchy AF. Even though Spears isnโt a powerhouse vocalist, she sounds great here. ย Again, can you say #ICONIC! Interestingly, veteran British folk singer-songwriter ๐ Richard Thompson covered the pop classic on his 2003 album, ๐ฟ 1000 Years of Popular Music.ย How cool is that? ย Going back to the Britney version, the centerpiece of the record is definitely the chorus.
โOops, I did it again I played with your heart Got lost in the game Oh, baby, baby Oops, you think Iโm in love That Iโm sent from above Iโm not that innocent.โ
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12. R. Kelly, โI Believe I Can Flyโ
๐ฟ R. โข ๐ท Zomba โข ๐ 1998
โIf I can see it, then I can do it / If I just believe it, thereโs nothing to it!โ ๐ R. Kelly is as controversial and embattled as they come.ย Honestly, itโs incredibly difficult to buy what the three-time ๐ Grammy winner is selling given his issues with SEX โ Iโll leave at that.ย Even as Kelly is โmutedโ given his countless sins, thereโs one particular record that remains timeless and unforgettable: ๐ต โI Believe I Can Fly.โ
The least problematic hit in his discography, R. Kelly can thank the uplifting gospel-tinged R&B number for his Grammys.ย Also, if thereโs any way the musician can save some face, itโs through this unifying anthem. The lyrics feel incredibly authentic and sincere, coupled with Kellyโs smooth vocals and eventually his dizzying runs.ย In addition to the aforementioned pre-chorus, the chorus is simply perfect, giving you chills each and every time itโs performed:
โI believe I can fly I believe I can touch the sky I think about it every night and day Spread my wings and fly away I believe I can soar I see me running through that open door I believe I can fly.โ
Of course, the spirit really hits with the backing choral vocals during the โI can flyโ part, with Kells riffing.ย Again, most of his career, Robert has embraced full-on salacious mode, but back in โ97 he delivered a sincere, โonce in a lifetimeโ gem.
Also Appears On ๐ฝ:
๐ ๐ง 11 Excellent Songs Youโll Totally Believe In
13. Whitney Houston, โI Look to Youโ
๐ฟ I Look to You โข ๐ท Arista โข ๐ 2009
๐ R. Kelly definitely has issues and has caused ample pain as a person โ we canโt simply write that off.ย Undeniable are his songwriting abilities.ย Why mention Kelly once again? Well, he happened to write the song at hand, ๐ต โI Look to You.โย โI Look to Youโ serves as one of the standouts from ๐ฟ I Look to You, the comeback and final studio album by the late, great ๐ Whitney Houston.ย While the Grammy winning icon wasnโt in her best voice on her 2009 studio album, you could still hear the shades of greatness.
โI look to you I look to you After all my strength is gone In you, I can be strong.โ
Despite his own โdemons,โ R. Kelly has always had a knack of penning great inspirational songs.ย โI Look to Youโ is a fine mix of adult contemporary R&B and contemporary gospel.ย No, โI Look to Youโ isnโt a full-fledged gospel record, but clearly, Houston is looking to The Most High for guidance and strength.ย Whitney definitely brings Kellyโs thoughtful words to life, while a production team comprised of ๐ Emanuel Kiriakou, ๐ C. Tricky Stewart, and ๐ Harvey Mason Jr. provide a relatively simple but fitting backdrop to support her. โI Look to Youโ never reaches the highs of her most iconic performances but itโs a great addition to her collection all in all.