Hurt | 3 to 5 BOPS

Hurt: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 26 (2023), features musical BOPS courtesy of Alicia Keys, The Gap Band, Jazmine Sullivan, John Mellencamp, and Lizzo. 

Ah, you know what time it is! It’s 3 to 5 BOPS time – WOO! On 3 to 5 BOPS, it’s all about brevity and sweetness… for the most part! There’s a theme/topic, 3, 4, or 5 songs, and a blurb – two paragraphs or less.  3 to 5 BOPS, hence, is a mini playlist that shouldn’t take much time to consume.  In the 26^th edition of 3 to 5 BOPS (2023), we select songs that are associated with HURT in some form or fashion. The BOPS arrive courtesy of 🎙 Alicia Keys, 🎙 The Gap Band, 🎙 Jazmine Sullivan, 🎙 John Mellencamp, and 🎙 Lizzo. Okay, let’s get into it!

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1. Jazmine Sullivan, “Hurt Me So Good”

💿 Heaux Tales Mo’ Tales: The Deluxe • 🏷 RCA • 📅 2022

On 🎵 “Jazzy’s Tale,” from 💿 Heaux Tales Mo’ Tales: The Deluxe, 🏆 Grammy-winning R&B singer/songwriter 🎙 Jazmine Sullivan finally tell her story. Here, she’s extremely vulnerable, speaking about “Growing up a brown-skinned girl, a fat girl / Essentially growing up feeling undesirable.”  She goes on to describe earning validation via a relationship, but things went south, teaching her another lesson: “It’s a sad, scary, and vulnerable place when you need to feel love so much that you’re willing to accept anything.” “Jazzy’s Tale” superbly prefaces the hurt song at hand, standout, 🎵 “Hurt Me So Good.”  On the soulful record, Sullivan is complacent because she feels she must be.  “I leave you when you’re wrong, but don’t stay away for long,” she asserts in the first verse, continuing, “You make it so hard in making this house a home.” Later, she asks, “So why the hell I can’t leave you?” It’s a question that so many women ask themselves, subjecting themselves to unnecessary pain just to feel love.  I have no doubt many women, and perhaps, some men, will relate to this one.

2. The Gap Band, “Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)”

💿 The Gap Band III • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 📅 1980

“I never, ever had a lover / Who put the pedal to the metal / And burn rubber on me, Charlie / Oh, no, no, no!”  Simply put, there are some songs you simply CAN’T resist. 🎵 “Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)” from 🎙 The Gap Band – 🎙 Charlie Wilson, 🎙 Ronnie Wilson, and 🎙 Robert Wilson – is one such song.  It appears as the third track from the collective’s 1980 album, 💿 The Gap Band III.  Led by Charlie (the sole surviving member), The Gap Band were noted for their funkiness.  After revving the motorcycle 🏍️ up on the intro, the listener is treated to one of the funkiest grooves of all time. There is no way your body won’t move while partaking of this rubber burning!  In addition to the groove, the synths are electrifying, while the rhythmic identity of this joint is one of its biggest selling points.

“You took my money, you took my time / Made me think everything was fine / Then you upped and ran away / And made me just go crazy.” Totally NOT nice, girl! It’s not only the instruments that make “Burn Rubber On Me” a celestially funky experience.  The entertaining lyrics, as well as the soulful, nuanced lead vocals by the man who delivers them, Charlie Wilson, are a vibe on their own! The robustness of his instrument is awe-inspiring – the man is a beast 💪! “Just because you’re not for real / Why you wanna hurt me, girl?” YEAH! Clearly, this girl has it out for him, judging by all the stuff she does to him 😬. Tuneful melodies, ample personality, and the irresistibly, infectious chorus make 🎵 “Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)” one of the true gems of the 1980s. It deserved a better showing than its no. 84 peak on the Billboard Hot 100, sigh.

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Appears in 🔻:

• The Gap Band, “Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 52 (2023)

3. Alicia Keys, “Every Little Bit Hurts”

💿 Unplugged • 🏷️ Sony Music Entertainment • 📅 2005

Not every musical artist could release a successful unplugged album.  By successful, I am referring to 💿 Unplugged, the 2005, 🏆 Grammy-nominated, unplugged R&B album by 🏆 Grammy winner, 🎙 Alicia Keys.  The album debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard 200, eventually earning platinum certification from the RIAA. Unplugged features originals and covers with one of the best covers being 🎵 “Every Little Bit Hurts”.

In Keys’ hands, “Every Little Bit Hurts” is introduced to a brand-new audience.  Likely, unless you are extremely well-versed in early Motown, or younger, you may be unfamiliar with the original by Brenda Holloway.  Keys retains the sanctity of the original, with modern recording technology playing a sizable role, as well as adding her own pizazz.  She’s commanding from the onset, infusing additional soulfulness towards the end – really digging in and going for it!  This is one way she truly distinguishes from the original. Also making this cover utterly brilliant is magnificent recreation of the original orchestration and stellar production work.  Does Keys try to usurp the original? No, she just strives to add her own artistry to this epic classic soul gem.  She does just that exceptionally.

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Appears in 🔻:

• Alicia Keys, “Every Little Bit Hurts”: Covers No. 3 (2023)
• Brenda Holloway Alicia Keys: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 3 (2023)

4. Lizzo, “Truth Hurts”

💿 Cuz I Love You [Deluxe] • 🏷 Nice Life / Atlantic • 📅 2019

“I just took a DNA test, turns out I’m 100% that bitch / Even when I’m crying crazy…” Sigh, 🎙 Lizzo kicked some serious ass throughout the course of 2019, PERIOD.  Her album, 💿 Cuz I Love You, was filled with hits, though none bigger than 🏆 Grammy-winning gem, 🎵 “Truth Hurts,” which only appears on deluxe editions of the album.  “Truth Hurts” materialized years earlier, but didn’t make its impact until 2019, earning the no. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks.

What makes “Truth Hurts” the certified bop that it is? It’s a combination of a feisty attitude (“Why’re men great ‘til they gotta be great?”), robust sung vocals, relatable songwriting (“You’re ‘posed to hold me down, but you’re holding me back”), and slick production work (🎛 Ricky Reed).  Basically, Lizzo tells this loser the truth, even though it hurts, and she’s kicked his ass to the curb.  Perhaps what makes this among the best songs of the years is the hilarity of the record, further accentuated by the music video, not to mention that BET Awards performance where Lizzo broke out the flute… Epic.

“I put the sing in single

Ain’t worried ‘bout a ring on my finger

So, you can tell your friend, ‘Shoot your shot’ when you see ‘em

It’s okay, he already in my DMs.”

Appears in 🔻:

• 51 Best Songs of 2019
• 15 T Songs Selected with No Rhyme or Reason (2020)

5. John Mellencamp, “Hurts So Good”

💿 American Fool • 🏷 John Mellencamp / The Island Def Jam Music Group • 📅 1982

“When I was a young boy / Said put away those young boy ways / Now that I’m getting older, so much older / I long for those young boy days.” Oh, the nostalgia! 🎙 John Mellencamp is rightfully considered to be one of the rock greats 🤘. He truly shined on his 🏆 Grammy-winning rock classic, 🎵 “Hurts So Good”, from his 1982 album, 💿 American Fool. Notably, “Hurts So Good” is the only 🏆 Grammy that Mellencamp has ever won 🤯! Also, worth noting, it peaked at no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Hurts So Good” features an electrifying rock groove.  The instrumental backdrop is marvelous, including the guitar riffs, which are a major selling point.  The music serves up no shortage of exuberance or spirit. Likewise, Mellencamp serves up plenty of exuberance, spirit, and personality.  His vocals are expressive, nuanced, and playful; he possesses a one-of-a-kind instrument.  The best moment of “Hurts So Good,” unsurprisingly, is the tuneful, memorable chorus: “Hurts so good / Come on, baby, make it hurt so good / Sometimes love don’t feel like it should / You make it hurt so good.”  The songwriting is just one of many reasons why 🎵 “Hurts So Good” is a surefire classic – one of Mellencamp’s best!

Appears in 🔻:

• 13 Really GOOD Songs … It’s That Simple (2023)
• John Mellencamp, Hurts So Good: FIERCE Pop + Rock 🔥🤘 15 (2023)

Hurt: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 26 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; John Mellencamp / The Island Def Jam Music Group, Nice Life / Atlantic, RCA, Sony Music Entertainment; Ron Lach via Pexels]