Incredible Songs: 2000s, Vol. 2

Reading Time: 14 min read

Incredible Songs: 2000s, Vol. 2 features music courtesy of Aaliyah, Britney Spears, The Killers, Lumidee, and Rihanna.

Often, the music that shapes you, or that you remember the most, comes from the era when you were a teenager. For me, most of my teenage years took place in the 2000s, the era explored on 🎧 Incredible Songs: 2000s, Vol. 2, the second entry into the Incredible Songs: 2000 series, following 🎧 Incredible Songs: 2000s, Vol. 1. All the songs from this list were released between 2000 and 2009 OR charted in that time span (example: a 1999 song reaches its peak in 2000). 🎧 Incredible Songs: 2000s, Vol. 2 features music courtesy of 🎙 Aaliyah, 🎙 Britney Spears, 🎙 The Killers, 🎙 Lumidee, and 🎙 Rihanna among others. Keeping it as eclectic as the 2000s were, many different styles of music are covered on this musical compendium. So, without further ado, let’s take it back to 2000s music style, shall we?

1. Britney Spears, “Oops!… I Did It Again”

💿 Oops!… I Did It Again • 🏷 Zomba • 📅 2000

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!” 🎙 Britney Spears has plenty of hits, but arguably is any more beloved or iconic than 🎵 “Oops!… I Did It Again”? It is the title track – the main attraction on her 2000 album, 💿 Oops!… I Did It Again after all. Furthermore, the record was nominated for a 🏆 Grammy, though lost to one-hit-wonder 🎙 Macy Gray (🎵 “I Try”). The production (🎛 Max Martin and Rami Yacoub) is on-point, and the lyrics are catchy AF. “I think I did it again / I made you believe, we’re more than just friends…” Even though Spears isn’t a powerhouse vocalist, she sounds great here. Again, can you say #ICONIC! Interestingly, veteran British folk singer-songwriter 🎙 Richard Thompson covered the pop classic on his 2003 album, 💿 1000 Years of Popular Music. How cool is that? Going back to the Britney version, the centerpiece of the record is the chorus.

“Oops, I did it again

I played with your heart

Got lost in the game

Oh, baby, baby

Oops, you think I’m in love

That I’m sent from above

I’m not that innocent.”

Appears in 🔻:

2. Sisqo, “Thong Song” 

💿 Unleash the Dragon • 🏷 The Island Def Jam Music Group • 🗓 1999

“She had dumps (Ugh) like a truck /… Thighs (Ugh) like what (Ugh) /…Baby, move your butt (Ugh).” Da-yum! Let’s just cut straight to the chase.  🎵 “Thong Song”, a no. 3 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 (peaked in May 2000) by 🎙 Sisqo, a key member of 🎙 Dru Hill, is all about B-O-O-T-Y.  Call “Thong Song” what it is bluntly – an ass 🍑 anthem.  Sure, club-ready anthems are much raunchier today than they were at the end of the 90s/early 00s, but there is NOTHING refined about “Thong Song.”  The Midnight Heat 🕛 🔥 is sweltering, particularly since there is no bigger picture, transcendent mindset on this horny, boned up R&B record.  Shout out to the slick production by 🎛️ Tim & Bob. 

Objectification is the modus operandi, and Sisqo blames it on her. Why? “Listen, that girl so scandalous / And I know another nigga couldn’t handle it / And she shaking that thing like, ‘Who’s the ish?’ / With a look in her eye so devilish.” Basically, given how hot she is, and the fact she’s shaking her butt, she’s got Sisqo by the… Honestly, all three of the verses are pretty much the same vibe – no extensive analysis necessarily. Notably, lyrically, “’Cause she livin’ la vida loca” is repeated throughout “Thong Song.” There was financial loss for Sisqo and company as a majority of the publishing rights of this song are owned by Desmond Child, who penned 🎵 “Livin’ La Vida Loca” by Ricky Martin.  The sample wasn’t cleared, hence, smaller profits. Refocusing on the song as opposed to legal matters, basically, it is what it is – an entertaining booty anthem.  

Appears in 🔻: 

3. Shelby Lynne, “Leavin’”

💿 I Am Shelby Lynne • 🏷 Concord Music Group • 📅 2000

🏆 Grammy-winner 🎙 Shelby Lynne definitely dropped a surefire gem with 🎵 “Leavin’,” which appears as the second track on her 2000 studio album, 💿 I Am Shelby Lynne. Honestly, there are so many things to rave about this record! First and foremost, Lynne gives an amazing vocal performance, serving up a blend of spoken word poetry, singing, and soaring, soulful, cutting vocals. Far too seldom do singer/songwriters these days embrace spoken word. Lynne is masterful at it. In addition to her lead vocals, she gets sensational backing vocals that only up the ante. Besides a stellar, nuanced vocal performance, Shelby wrote the song, which features awesome lyrics and impressive music. What shines about the music is the harmonic progression, which goes beyond your standard I-IV-V (I appreciated the V/IV – major VII, which resolves to IV) 🤓. The point is, there are quite a few musical ideas that are absolutely brilliant. That doesn’t even tackle the production (🎛 Bill Bottrell), including accompaniment from standard instrumentation such as guitar, but also lush, warm strings. Again, throw in those harmonized backing vocals and the sounds are even more ear catching. This is a truly perfect record.

Appears in 🔻:

Shelby Lynne vs. Natalie Cole: Head 2 Head 🗣️ 12 (2021)

4. Juvenile, “Slow Motion” (Ft. Soulja Slim)

💿 Juve The Great • 🏷 Cash Money • 📅 2003

“Slow motion for me / Slow motion for me, move in slow motion for me.” WOO, 🎙 Soulja Slim (James Tapp)! Unfortunately, the rapper wouldn’t live to see 🎵 “Slow Motion” become a no. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. 🎙 Juvenile wouldn’t release the parent album, 💿 Juve The Great, until December 23, 2003, nearly a month after Tapp was murdered. “Slow Motion” wouldn’t be released as a single until March 2004, reaching its peak on the pop charts in August, where it spent two weeks atop the charts. Juvenile is the lead artist, but its indisputable that the Soulja Slim chorus makes the song:

“Ugh! I like it like that

She working that back, I don’t know how to act

Slow motion for me, slow motion for me

Slow motion for me, move in slow motion for me.”

It’s also worth noting that Soulja Slim performs two verses – the first and the third. These include memorable lines like, “I’m a dick thrower, her neck and her back hurting” (verse one), and “Slow motion, she open, I’m hoping she don’t leave my dick broken / With brush burns and swollen” (verse three). OMG 🫢! Juvenile also delivers his fair share of memorable lyrics over the course of two verses. Exhibit A: “If you going through your cycle, I ain’t with it, I’m gone.” 😮 Also, he ‘compliments her’ by saying, “I like how that Victoria Secret sit in that ass /… Would I be violating if I grab me a handful.” While the lyrics are incredibly objectifying (putting it nicely), the production by 🎛 Dani Kartel is surprisingly sophisticated on this aughts classic. It’s safe to say 🎵 “Slow Motion” never gets old.

Appears in 🔻:

5. Lumidee, “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)”

💿 Almost Famous • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 🗓 2003

“Uh-oh, uh-oh / Uh-oh, uh-oh.” That song is the one and only 🎵 “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)” by R&B singer 🎙 Lumidee (Lumidee Cedeño). “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)” marked Cedeño’s debut single, and it was a BIG one! This worldwide hit peaked at no. 3 Billboard Hot 100 in 2003. Without question, “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)” marked the crowning achievement of her debut album, 💿 Almost Famous.

What made “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)” such a big hit? Well, plenty of credit should be given to producers 🎛 Trendsetta and DJ Tedsmooth. That beat kicks some serious. Given its infectiousness, the record has been sampled, namely by 🎙 Nicki Minaj on 🎵 “Red Ruby Da Sleeze”, because of that distinct dancehall beat. Of course, the “Uh-oh(s)” by Lumidee contribute greatly to the sampling and sheer catchiness of this cut in the post-chorus. Beyond the post-chorus, Cedeño’s performance is also noteworthy. The melody is tuneful in the verses, pre-chorus, and the chorus as Lumidee emphasizes her dedication to H-I-M. “I never thought you’d be the one / Make me shine brighter than the sun,” she sings rhythmically in the pre-chorus, continuing, “There ain’t no ups and downs, no ins and outs / You’re here right now.” WOO! Where that dedication – that endless love – is fully promised by Cedeño is in the chorus: “If you want me to stay / I’ll never leave /… Love endlessly.” 🎵 “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)” is a 2000s bop we’ll never, ever quit!

Appears in 🔻:

Lumidee, Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh): 1 Hit WONDERful 👏👏👏 3 (2023)

6. Gary Jules & Michael Peters, “Mad World”

💿 Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets • 🏷 Down Up Down, Inc. • 🗓 2001

“All around me are familiar faces / Worn-out places, worn-out faces…” Sometimes, a cover is dramatically or starkly different from the original. Often, it is covers that depart drastically that build their own enduring legacy with a song. For 🎙 Gary Jules and 🎙 Michael Peters, they totally transformed the 🎙 Tears For Fears record, 🎵 “Mad World”. In Jules/Peter’s hands, it becomes a chilling ballad, accompanied initially by piano. Eventually, some intriguing keyboard cues, strings, and vocal effects accentuate the color and keep things fresh. Notably this haunting rendition appeared on the Donnie Darko soundtrack. Furthermore, it appeared on Jules’ oddly titled 2001 album, 💿 Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets.

“And I find it kinda funny, I find it kinda sad

The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had…”

Gary Jules sounds absolutely amazing from start to finish. The tone of his voice is one of the very best things about “Mad World,” period. He never gets too high or too low, maintaining balance and exhibiting poise. Honestly, it is the production shifts, which are more subtle as opposed to maximal, that help progress “Mad World.” That, of course, is owed to Peters who produces this gem. 🎼 ✍ Roland Orzabal penned a great song, one that 🎙 Curt Smith performed awesomely. Gary Jules, with the help of Michael Peters, just took it a different direction.

Appears in 🔻:

7. Kelly Clarkson, “Because of You”  

💿 Breakaway • 🏷 19 Recordings Ltd. • 📅 2004 

“Because of you / I never stray too far from the sidewalk / Because of you / I learned to play on the safe side, so I don’t get hurt.”  When you really analyze those lyrics from 🎵 “Because of You,” among the best songs from the 🎙 Kelly Clarkson catalog, they hit immensely hard.  Without any additional context, Clarkson has experienced something that has affected her throughout her entire life. “Because of You” marks a sadder moment from her multiplatinum, 🏆 Grammy-winning sophomore album, 💿 Breakaway. “I will not make the same mistakes that you did / I will not let myself cause my heart such misery.” Oh, boy, what is Clarkson getting at? A difficult childhood thanks to the d-word, DIVORCE.  Clarkson’s parents divorced when she was six, and she wrote “Because of You” when she was 16 reflecting on the experience. Essentially, Clarkson doesn’t want to repeat the mistakes made by her parents.  Also, how she’s been affected as a child has made her extremely careful as an adult about pursuing love. She’s seen the misery firsthand, and apparently, she felt forced to suppress her own emotions:  

“I lose my way 

And it’s not too long before you point it out 

I cannot cry 

Because I know that’s weakness in your eyes 

I’m forced to fake a smile, a laugh, every day of my life 

My heart can’t possibly break 

When it wasn’t even whole to start with.” 

   
Heavy but powerful.  While no one doubted Clarkson’s ability to sing after winning American Idol, they didn’t have faith in her was a songwriter.  Clarkson had to fight to get “Because of You” on an album.  It didn’t make the cut on her debut, Thankful, but remaining persistent, she secured the cut, which she refined with 🎼✍ 🎛 Ben Moody and David Hodges on Breakaway.  It was top 10 hit and a worldwide success.     

Appears in 🔻:  

8.Eamon, “F🤬ck It (I Don’t Want You Back)”

💿 I Don’t Want You Back • 🏷 Zomba • 🗓 2004

“You played me; you even gave him head.” Well, Holy Fuck (not the band, honestly)! Pardon my French but there is a fuckton of f-bombs on 🎵 “Fuck It (I Don’t Want You Back)” – see what I did there? R&B singer 🎙 Eamon may be chief amongst one-hit-wonders, but we still remember that one hit from his 2004 album, 💿 I Don’t Want You Back. Surprisingly, “Fuck It (I Don’t Want You Back)” was a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100… with ample bleeps, of course. Just like 🎙 Scissor Sisters shared with the world that you “can’t see tits on the radio”, well, you can’t say for under consent of the king either!

“Fuck what I said, it don’t mean shit now

Fuck the presents, might as well throw ‘em out

Fuck all those kisses, they didn’t mean jack

Fuck you, you ho, I don’t want you back.”

Four fucks in four lines – my, my, my! As rough around the edges as “I Don’t Want You Back” is, Eamon is at least honest about his feelings. You might say, he doesn’t fuck around 😉😜 – gotta love offensive slang and Urban Dictionary! One thing’s for fuckin’ sure: he doesn’t want her back!

Appears in 🔻:

9. Aaliyah, “I Care 4 U”

💿 Aaliyah • 🏷 Blackground • 📅  2001

“Can I talk to you? / Comfort you / Let you know / I care for you.” 🎙 Aaliyah has cited 🎵 “I Care 4 U” as her favorite song from her self-titled album, 💿 Aaliyah (2001). I would totally agree. In fact, “I Care 4 U” just might be my favorite song by the late, great contemporary R&B artist. The chorus, excerpted above, is simple yet perfectly executed and timeless. Written by 🎼 ✍ Timbaland and Missy Elliott, they absolutely nailed it. The songwriting does a great job of capturing matters of the heart. Beyond that, the music – the production – is stunning. This is Timbaland at his best constructing a truly fresh, innovative sound. The beat is what really stands out, but the entirety of the backdrop is beautiful, lush, and incredibly warm. Aaliyah sounds absolutely angelic painting atop this canvas, never breaking a sweat in the process. “I Care 4 U” balances classy and sexy, never crossing any lines. Still to this day, nearly two decades after its release, “I Care 4 U” still ranks among the best R&B records to come out of the aughts – NO CAP!

Appears in 🔻:

11 Songs Filled with Care (2020)

10. Ne-Yo, “Because of You”

💿 Because of You • 🏷 The Island Def Jam Group • 📅 2007

“And I know this much is true / Baby, you have become my addiction / I’m so strung out on you / I can barely move, but I like it.” Oh my! 🎙 Ne-Yo (Shaffer Smith) has had an incredibly successful run in R&B. The singer/songwriter’s most successful period of his career was undoubtedly in the mid-late aughts where he released hit after hit. Smith won three 🏆 Grammys, including a win for Best Contemporary R&B Album for 💿 Because Of You. The platinum certified album debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard 200. 🎵 “Because of You,” the opening track and single, was a big pop hit, peaking at no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 💪. “Because of You” shined because of chill and cool potent vocals by Ne-Yo, memorable songwriting (Smith, 🎼 ✍ Tor Erik Hermansen, and Mikkel Storleer Eriksen), tuneful melodies, particularly in the chorus, and sweet production work (🎛️ StarGate – Hermansen and Eriksen). There’s no extensive analysis necessary as “Because of You” speaks for itself. Matters of the heart dominate the script. Ne-Yo is addicted – he can’t get enough or stop thinking of her: “And it’s all because of you /… Never get enough / She’s the sweetest drug.” Not only was he addicted to her, we – the listeners – were addicted to this song. Even 16 years later, “Because of You” is truly a fierce pop record. Fabulous singing, cool harmonic scheme (specifically the bridge), and a sophisticated, well-rounded ‘pop & B’ styled R&B record.

Appears in 🔻:

Because: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 69 (2023)

11. Rihanna, “Russian Roulette”

💿 Rated R • 🏷 The Island Def Jam Music Group • 📅  2009

“Take a gun and count to three / I’m sweating now, moving slow / No time to think, my turn to go.” Back in 2009, 🏆 Grammy winner 🎙 Rihanna served up the perfect gambling centric number in 🎵 “Russian Roulette.” “Russian Roulette” graced her darkest album to date, 💿 Rated R. Rated R marked a more adult, mature artist. “Being a ‘fucking lady’ was the mantra” of the project, per Def Jam. The album followed her infamous relationship with Chris Brown, notably the abuse. Why mention this? Well, many consider “Russian Roulette” to reflect her experience in a sketchy relationship. The lyrics are chilling throughout, not to mention how she chooses to sing them. Of course, the crowning achievement of this no. 9 hit on The Billboard Hot 100 (one of 32 top 10 hits for Ri-Ri) is the chorus, which is the most expressive and emotional part of the song:

“And you can see my heart beating

You can see it through my chest

Said I’m terrified, but I’m not leaving

I know that I must pass this test

So, just pull the trigger (Trigger, trigger, trigger).”

Appears in 🔻:

15 Songs That Are Totally Worth the Gamble (2020)

12. The Killers, Somebody Told Me”

💿 Hot Fuss • 🏷 Island • 📅 2004

“‘Cause heaven ain’t close in a place like this / I said, oh, heaven ain’t close in a place like this” WOO! In 2004, 🎙 The Killers released a surefire classic: 🎵 “Somebody Told Me.” The 🏆 Grammy-nominated gem appeared on their debut album, 💿 Hot Fuss, which had some other fabulous selections. Despite the fact that 🎙 Brandon Flowers and company haven’t been successful at the Grammys, the shimmering, up-tempo “Somebody Told Me” is one of the band’s iconic songs (“Ready, let’s roll onto somethin’ new / Takin’ it’s toll then I’m leaving without you”). Arguably, “Somebody Told Me” is one of the best alternative songs of the new millennium.

“Well, somebody told me you had a boyfriend

Who looked like a girlfriend

That I had in February of last year

It’s not confidential, I’ve got potential

A-rushing, rushing around.”

Brandon Flowers is at his best, serving up awesome vocals and exuding ample personality. All TOLD, “Somebody Told Me” is #ICONIC.

Appears in 🔻:

13. Mariah Carey, “Obsessed”

💿 Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel • 🏷 Mariah Carey / The Island Def Jam Music Group • 📅 2009

🎙 Mariah Carey has a legitimate question: “Why you so obsessed with me? Boy, I wanna know.” WOO! Throughout the course of 🎵 “Obsessed”, a no. 7 pop hit from her 2009 album, 💿 Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, she lays out the case for his obsessiveness. It begins in the first verse, where Carey states he asserts, “All up in the blogs saying we met at the bar / When I don’t even know who you are.” Oh, snap 🫰! She goes on to blame pills for his obsession. Of course, the source of Carey’s diss on this brilliant 🎛 Christopher Tricky Stewart / Terius “The-Dream Nash-produced track is NOT anonymous. It would seem shots are being fired at 🎙 Eminem, who Carey has feuded with for years.

Both Eminem and Mariah Carey have fired shots at one another to be fair. Carey just happened to turn “Obsessed” into a multiplatinum single. Those shots are endless, with Carey boldly proclaiming, “You a mom and pop, I’m a corporation / I’m the press conference, you a conversation.” Da-yum! Of course, the centerpiece is the chorus, with magnificent lines like, “Lying that you’re sexing me when everybody knows / It’s clear that you’re upset with me,” as well as “Got you all fired up with your Napoleon complex.” Gah-day-um! Besides the entertaining low blows, the backdrop with its hip-hop driven beat and synth brass is ear-catching to the nth degree. You might say, it’s quite the OBSSESION!

Appears in 🔻:

Incredible Songs: 2000s, Vol. 2 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; 19 Recordings Ltd., Blackground, Cash Money, Concord Music Group, Down Up Down, Inc., Island, Mariah Carey, The Island Def Jam Music Group, UMG Recordings, Inc., Zomba; OG Productionz from Pexels]

Incredible Songs: 2000s, Vol. 2 | Playlist 🎧

Published by the musical hype on September 8, 2023September 8, 2023