Honey 🍯 | 5ive Songs

On the 33^rd edition of 5ive Songs (2022), we select five songs that are associated with HONEY 🍯 in some form or fashion.

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elcome to 5ive Songs, where we keep things short and sweet – no extra calories or needless fluff! There’s a theme/topic, five songs, and a short blurb.  Yes, it’s a playlist, but it’s a miniature playlist that shouldn’t take much time to consume.  On the 33^rd edition of 5ive Songs (2022), we select five songs that are associated with HONEY 🍯 in some form or fashion.  Okay, let’s get into it!

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1. John Legend, “Honey” (Ft. Muni Long)

🎵 “Honey” • 🏷 John Legend Music, Inc. / Republic • 2022

🏆 Academy/Grammy Award-winning musician 🎙 John Legend returned in 2022 with sweet, sweet 🎵 “Honey”. He collaborates with 🎙 Muni Long, renowned for her hit single, 🎵 “Hrs & Hrs”. The results are positive, despite the fact that “Honey” is brief, clocking in at under two and a half minutes in duration.

“Honey” commences with a soulful instrumental intro that sets the tone.  The fabulous production and sound of this record are attributed to the skills of 🎛 Mr. Franks, 🎛 Ryan Tedder, 🎛 Lindgren, and 🎛 TBHits.  This backdrop is the perfect fuel for John Legend’s fire. As always, his vocals are expressive, commanding, soulful, and sexy (him too, of course, 😉). Following the relatively simple first verse and pre-chorus, he drops the simple but chill, memorable chorus:

“You’re sweeter than honey

You’re sweeter than honey

(Want all the) Money

(Give me that) Sunday, Sunday, Sunday.”

Muni Long first appears in the second verse; I love her tone, providing a nice contrast to Legend. The join forces for the second pre-chorus and chorus, at least at select moments, before Legend closes things out. “Honey” isn’t game-changing, but I enjoy this collaboration.  It is a nice addition to the R&B catalog all told.

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2. Halsey, “Honey”

💿 If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power • 🏷 Capitol • 🗓 2021

“She’s on the tip of my tongue, she’s on the top of my thighs / And if I searched a thousand miles, I’d be dyin’ to find.” Eight words: 💿 If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power.  Those lyrics grace the song 🎵 “honey” from the 2021, 🏆 Grammy-nominated album by 🎙 Halsey. Listening to “honey,” well, it’s sweet indeed – one of the gems from If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, all told.

Never afraid to reference her sexuality, “honey” finds Halsey singing about an experience with a ‘wild girl.’ Of course, despite digging what this girl served up, they’re no longer an item. “She was sweet like honey,” Halsey sings, continuing, poetically, “But all I can taste is the blood in my mouth / And the bitterness in goodbye.” Ooh, wee, wild girl!

 

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3. Bring Me The Horizon, “sugar honey ice & tea”

💿 Amo • 🏷 Sony • 📅 2019

“You could tell the Messiah / His pants are on fire / I politely decline…” Damn! Despite continual references to atheism, give 🎙 Bring Me the Horizon credit for making the ‘shit’ taste delicious.  How does the UK rock band do so? Well, with 🎵 “Sugar honey ice & tea” from their superb 2019 album, 💿 amo.

According to 🎙 Oli Sykes, “Everybody’s full of / Sugar, honey, ice, and tea.” Perhaps that’s the case (it probably is), but man, oh man, does the production bang hard! The synths and programming are lit, while the souped-up, dirty, and distorted guitars are equally compelling.  As the saying goes, ‘That shit’s awesome’ – NO CAP!

Appears in 🔻:

• 15 Sugar Songs That Are Indeed Sugary Sweet

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4. Andy Grammer, “Honey, I’m Good.”

💿 Magazines Or Novels • 🏷 S-Curve • 📅 2014

“So nah, nah, honey, I’m good / I could have another, but I probably should not / I got somebody at home and if I stay I might not leave alone.” Woo! One of my personal favorite songs from 2015 (which arrived in 2014) hailed from pop musician 🎙 Andy Grammer:  🎵 “Honey, I’m Good.” “Honey, I’m Good.” appears on Grammer’s 2014 album, Magazines Or Novels. The record is a monogamous pop joint – you don’t see those burning up the airwaves so much (“Now better men than me have failed /Drinking from that unholy grail”)!

No worries, though! Even if monogamy is the end game for Andy, he managed to sneak some fun lines in.  Exhibit A: “And these long, long legs / are damn near everywhere.” My, my, my! How about the crème de la crème,  Exhibit B:  “And you got that ass.”  Booty!!! “Honey, I’m Good.” elevated Grammer’s profile period. It’s a fun-loving anthem that tastes sweet like honey!

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5. Erykah Badu, “Honey”

💿 New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 📅 2007

“Honey, you so sweet (honey) / Sugar got a long way to catch you / You so sweet (honey).” 2007’s 💿 New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War, might be the most ambitious 🎙 Erykah Badu album to date.  That said, the sugary sweet 🎵 “Honey” is arguably the most accessible, mainstream neo-soul joint on the LP.  Where the 🏆 Grammy winner experiments more through most of the effort, “Honey,” the lead single that ends up being a bonus track (!) is pretty straightforward.

Vocally, Erykah Badu is vintage, sounding as distinct and soulful as ever.  The production (🎛 9^th Wonder) is magnificent, characterized by its soul aesthetic as well as brilliant samples.  As far as the songwriting, there isn’t a bad section or line to be found (“Ooh boy can you tell me please? / Wanna know if you feelin’ me / Ooh Slim, boy you killin’ me / But you so sweet to me, oww”).  There are three verses, all of which are worthwhile. The chorus, excerpted above, takes the cake, however.  The chorus continues as follows:

“All I gotta do  is add a little lemon

You my favorite drink

Hey, you make me think

Oww

Honey, yeah boy

You so sweet.”

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Honey 🍯: 5ive Songs No. 33 (2022) [📷: Atlantic, Brent Faulkner, Capitol, Clovis Cheminot, John Legend Music, Inc., The Musical Hype, OpenClipart-Vectors, Pixabay, Republic, S-Curve, Sony, UMG Recordings, Inc.]

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