The âJust Donât Do It Songsâ is comprised of 12 songs where the artists encourage others NOT to do something.
JUST DONâT DO IT! Ah, another playlist! The criteria for the Just Donât Do It playlist is that the song title must have an action that the respective artist encourages others NOT to do. An example of an action-donât song would be the Michael Jackson classic âDonât Stop âTil You Get Enoughâ (Off the Wall, 1979) which isnât included on this more contemporary-minded playlist. 12 songs deep, without further ado, here is the Just âDonâtâ Do It Songs.
1. X Ambassadors, âDonât Stayâ
âDonât Stayâ âą Interscope âą 2018
âDonât Stayâ is chocked-full of soul. It starts with the production, particularly the groove led by the cymbal accent. Even with a sense of energy from the get-go, the pacing of âDonât Stayâ is great. Itâs mysterious and somewhat restrained on the first verse, while gradually adding more instruments and sounds. Frontman Sam Harris is on autopilot early on, dropping electrifying vocals from start to finish. The biggest selling point of his vocal performance is his masterful falsetto, specifically on the chorus.
The chorus, itâs incredibly catchy â the crowning achievement of the record.
âBut donât stay for me Donât stay for me If you got to leave Do what you need But donât stay for me Donât stay for me.â
Continuing to sing the praises of Harris, the layering of his head voice (falsetto) and chest voice is brilliant. In essence, ole boy lets loose. Also, worth mentioning is the theme of âDonât Stayâ â love. Harris takes the blame because of his deficiencies, urging his bae NOT to stay because of him.
2. Panic! At the Disco, âDonât Threaten Me with a Good Timeâ
Death of a Bachelor âą Fueled by Ramen âą 2015
âAlright, alright, itâs a hell of a feeling though!â Brendon Urie is turned-up to the nth degree on âDonât Threaten Me with a Good Time,â one of numerous highlights from the Grammy-nominated Death of a Bachelor album. Â Urie exudes exuberant spirit on the infectious chorus, excerpted above. Lyrically, âDonât Threaten Me with a Good Timeâ is incredibly zany. âChampagne, cocaine, gasoline / And most things in between / I roam the city in a shopping cart / A pack of camels and a smoke alarm.â Â Furthermore, the narrative is wild.
3. N.E.R.D, âDonât Donât Do It!â
Ft. Kendrick Lamar
No Ever Really Dies âą Columbia âą 2017
âThey tell you pull over, tell you get out the car / Donât do it, donât-donât do it.â âDonât Donât Do It!â features a âleft of centerâ sound, but more notable is its message of social justice. âDonât Donât Do It!â was inspired by the shooting of Keith Scott. Williams also cites other examples resulting in the death of black men: âWhoa Ferguson, oh Baltimore / Raleigh, North Carolina / But you know, youâre gonna do it anyway.â Kendrick Lamar drops a thrilling guest verse.
4. Taylor Swift, âDonât Blame Meâ
Reputation âąÂ Big Machine âą 2017
Itâs easy to let the superb production work of âDonât Blame Meâ steal the show. Shellback and Max Martin always soundly stitch up a track. Still, as great as the wobbling synths and robust sounds are, Taylor Swift exhibits some terrific vocal moments. When discussing Swift, we rarely discuss her voice as much as her songwriting and ability to infuse personality into those songs. Here, she has some truly awesome, legit moments, which are aided by vocal production, but the vocal production doesnât solely get the credit. The ad-libs, particularly the âhigh Eâ she hits are a selling point. The backgrounds donât hurt either.
5. Shawn Mendes, âDonât Be a Foolâ
Illuminate âą Island âą 2016
Shawn Mendes showcases maturity beyond his 18-years of age on âDonât Be a Foolâ. Vocally, Mendes sounds fantastic, showcasing the sheer radiance of his instrument. He infuses every ounce of passion, which is shown through the rasp and earnestness of his voice. An old-school record chocked full of blues, Mendes makes it sound ripe and relevant.
6. Bleachers, âDonât Take the Moneyâ
Gone Now âąÂ RCA âą 2017
âSomebody broke me once / Love was a currency / A shimmering balance act / I think that I laughed at that.â Throughout highlight âDonât Take the Moneyâ, Bleachers (Jack Antonoff) depicts elements of his relationship. Some parts of the relationships are good, while others arenât. According to him, âdonât take the moneyâ is a phrase he says to himself regarding a gut feeling. On the first verse, Antonoff takes issue with love. Similarly, on the second verse, Antonoff continues to describe the plight of love.
In the context of the chorus, he embraces the push and pull of love.
âYou steal the air out of my lungs, you make me feel it I pray for everything we lost, buy back the secrets Your hand foreverâs all I want Donât take the money Donât take the money.â
On the bridge, he gives advice about facing similar situations and decisions regarding love.
7. Solange, âDonât Touch My Hairâ
A Seat at the Table âą Columbia âą 2016
âDonât touch my hair / When itâs the feelings I wear / Donât touch my soul / When itâs the rhythm I know.â While âCranes in the Skyâ deservingly earned Solange her first Grammy award, âDonât Touch My Hairâ is another of many highlights from her third studio album, A Seat at the Table.  Solange is assisted by British musician Sampha. âDonât Touch My Hairâ plays on stereotypes and naivety. Even so, itâs metaphorical as well, transcending any stereotypes. The jazzy neo-soul record tackles invasiveness, racial profiling, and pride.
âYou know this hair is my shit Rolled the rod, I gave it time But this here is mine.â
8. Ty Dolla $ign, âDonât Judge Meâ
Ft. Swae Lee & Future
Beach House 3 âąÂ Atlantic âąÂ 2017
âDonât Judge Meâ has ample pros. First of all, the production work is great. Hard drums and lush, urban contemporary sounds make for superb palette of sounds. Following the brief intro by the ubiquitous Swae Lee, Ty Dolla $ign properly kicks things off with the hook. He follows that up with a short verse, and the reiteration of the hook, before Future steps to the mic on the second verse. Future quotes the hook, references a threesome as well as various drugs. The ever-distinct Swae Lee, like his colleagues, âcanât be touched.â Donât judge them.
9. Russ, âDonât Lieâ
Thereâs Really a Wolf âą Columbia âąÂ 2017
âEverythinâ you thought about the power that your pussy holds / âCause I got what they want, if I fuck you, your pussy’s gold / You’re used to these tier twos, I know what you got pierced too / I thought that shit was between you and me.â Okay, Russ, okay⊠The âdo-it-allâ rapper-producer-mixer-mastering engineer takes an unapologetic shot on the second verse of âDonât Lie.â He shuts down a girl, who remains nameless.  Clearly, Thereâs Really a Wolf, and heâs not afraid to bite.
âBaby, donât lie to me I donât know why you need To just lie, lie, lie Tell me why, why, why Ooh yeah.â
10. Bryson Tiller, âDonât Get Too Highâ
True to Self âąÂ RCA âą 2017Â
According to Bryson Tiller on âDonât Get Too High,â heâs ââŠnot trying to kill your vibe, kill your buzz.â No, heâs not trying to rehabilitate her, at least in the most literal sense. Rather, Tiller wants to be with her, and feels heâs âthe only drugâ she needs. This is clichĂ© to an extent â he just wants to hold her down. K.
11. The Chainsmokers, âDonât Let Me Downâ
Ft. Daya
Collage â EP âąÂ Columbia âąÂ 2016
âCrashing, hit a wall / Right now I need a miracle⊠/ I can call your name but youâre not around / I say your name but youâre not around.â âDonât Let Me Downâ is quite the decorated The Chainsmokers record. Assisted by teen-pop up-and-comer Daya, âDonât Let Me Downâ was a top-five Billboard Hot 100 hit. Furthermore, the record won a Grammy at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. The music video alone has accumulated nearly one billion views. Thatâs huge. Safe to say, âDonât Let Me Downâ hasnât let The Chainsmokers or Daya down in the least. Ultimately, it concludes Collage (EP) delightfully.
âI need you, I need you, I need you right now Yeah, I need you right now So donât let me, donât let me, donât let me down.â
12. Sigrid, âDonât Kill My Vibeâ
Donât Kill My Vibe â EP âąÂ Island âą 2017
âYou think you’re so important to me, don’t you? / But I wanted you to know that you don’t belong here / You think you’re so important to me, don’t you? / Don’t kill my vibe.â 21-year old Norwegian pop artist Sigrid shines on soaring pop single âDonât Kill My Vibe.â âDonât Kill My Vibeâ latches from a first listen with its exuberant vocals and compelling production to match. Who would dare kill this girlâs vibe?
âI tried to play it nice but Oh-oh-oh, ooh, ooh Don't kill my vibe Oh-oh-oh, ooh, ooh Don't break my stride I tried to play it nice but.â
Photo Credits: Atlantic, Big Machine, Columbia, Def Jam, Fueled by Ramen, Interscope, Island, RCA
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