Habit | 3 or 4 BOPS

In the 18^th edition of 3 or 4 BOPS (2022), we select awesome songs that are associated with the word HABIT in some form or fashion.

Ah, sometimes it’s better to keep things lite on the fat and calories 💪! That’s the goal of the miniature playlists gracing The Musical Hype.  On 3 or 4 BOPS, we select a topic or theme, choose three or four relevant songs, and provide a lit 🔥, electrifying blurb.  3 or 4 BOPS shouldn’t take too much time to consume – typically 5 minutes or less! In the 18^th edition of 3 or 4 BOPS (2022), we select awesome songs that are associated with the word HABIT in some form or fashion.  Without further ado, let the BOPS begin!

1. Steve Lacy, “Bad Habit”

💿 Gemini Rights • 🏷 L-M / RCA • 📅 2022 

“I wish I knew you wanted me.” Ugh, don’t we all wish that we had that knowledge, 🎙 Steve Lacy. 🎵 “Bad Habit” highlights Lacy’s incredible musicianship on his sophomore album, 💿 Gemini Rights. The timbre of his voice is radiant as he expresses regret about not expressing feelings to a potential lover.  “If I knew I’d be with you  / Is it too late to pursue?” he asks in the first verse. In the second verse, he seeks transparency, singing, “I wish you wouldn’t play with me / I wanna know.”

While it seems, he’s pointing the finger during the verses, in the chorus, he takes some responsibility, asserting, “I bite my tongue, it’s a bad habit / Kinda mad I didn’t take a stab at it.” Beyond the chorus and regretful post-chorus, the bridge is intriguing, mostly a cappella, leading to a unique break – a change of pace. There’s also a compelling outro, which hearkens back to the hip-hop soul/neo-soul era. Ultimately “Bad Habit” is well-written, with a relatable theme and lyrics.  It’s well-produced with a palette of soulful but non-anachronistic sounds that fit the aesthetic in 2022.  Lacy sounds amazing, perfectly capturing this regretful, love-oriented sentiment perfectly.  Impressive to the n^th degree.

Appears in 🔻:

• Awesome Songs: July 2022

2. Tove Lo, “Habits (Stay High)”

💿 Queen of the Clouds • 🏷 Universal Music • 📅 2014

“You’re gone and I gotta stay high / All the time, to keep you off my mind.”  Safe to say, 🎙 Tove Lo is in total reckless mode to atone for missing her ex. She continues, “Spend my days locked in a haze, tryna forget you, babe / I fall back down.” 🎵 “Habits (Stay High),” which appeared on her 2014 album, 💿 Queen of the Clouds, served as a breakout hit for the Swedish alt-pop artist.

“Habits (Stay High)” is straightforward and highly entertaining.  In the verses, Tove Lo shares all of her reckless behavior, which includes sex clubs, Twinkie binges (a product of being high), drinking, and hooking up with daddies.  The second verse is quite raunchy when you read into it – the last line especially: 

“Pick up daddies at the playground, how I spend my daytime

Loosen up their frown, make ‘em feel alive

I make it fast and greasy, I’m numb my way too easy.” 

Ultimately, all of her poor choices are a product of loneliness and pain.  But, nothing like the schadenfreude experienced on our end, right?

Appears in 🔻:

• 14 Songs Sure to Lift You Higher

3. Usher, “Bad Habits”

💿 “Bad Habits” • 🏷 Brand Usher/RCA • 📅 2020

“I’m in love, I’m just bad it / I just can’t escape all of these bad habits.” Relatable – perfect fuel for a great R&B song, right? Right! Furthermore, those excerpted lyrics from the chorus of 🎵 “Bad Habits” suit 🎙 Usher to a T, 🚫🎩! “Bad Habits” features lush production work by 🎛 Pierre Medor and 🎛 Lxrd Rossi. The sound hearkens back to the R&B of old (think 80s). Makes perfect sense, of course, given 🎙 Zapp is sampled (🎵 “Computer Love”).  While “Bad Habits” possesses classic R&B cues, it also sounds fresh enough to fly in 2020.  It’s a great balancing act. Following the introduction, the record is anchored by some hard drums, clearly idiomatic of modern times.

While the sound plays a big role in the success of “Bad Habits,” nothing and nobody else plays a bigger role than Usher. First and foremost, we get high-flying, elite vocals from the 🏆 Grammy winner, who sounds as strong as he did in his heyday. Of course, the other big piece of the puzzle for “Bad Habits” that makes it successful – LOVE.  Usher is at his best when matters of the heart are in play. Here, he’s bad at it, and that’s music to the listener’s ears.  Also, music to the listener’s ears? The catchy, memorable chorus is excerpted at the top! Great vocals, relatable theme, and awesome production make “Bad Habits” a surefire winner.

Appears in 🔻:

• Awesome Songs: September 2020
• 13 B Songs Selected with No Rhyme or Reason
• 15 Stellar Good or Bad Songs

4. Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habit”

💿 = • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 2021 

🎵 “Bad Habits” is a respectable record from 💿 = (Equals), an album that finds 🏆 Grammy-winner 🎙 Ed Sheeran reflecting on marriage, fatherhood, and where his life currently stands. “Bad Habits” has a relatable message. The strongest aspect is the songwriting.  He speaks of pure intentions, but those ‘best laid plans’ lead to problems which are unhealthy and at best, counterproductive. “My bad habits lead to wide eyes starin’ at space,” he sings, adding, “And I know I’ll lose control of the things that I say.”

We all have bad habits that usually don’t end up well. Working to curb them and get to a better place is the right thing to do.  Sheeran sings well as always. The production (Sheeran, 🎛 FRED, and 🎛 Johnny McDaid) embraces more of a dance-pop vibe – a change of pace. All in all, it’s among the best of = even if it’s nothing game changing.

Habit: 3 or 4 BOPS No. 18 (2022) [📷: Atlantic, Brand Usher, Brent Faulkner, Bruno Bueno, L-M, The Musical Hype, RCA, Universal Music, Wilson Blanco from Pixabay]