Melt | 3 to 5 BOPS

Melt: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 44 (2023), features musical BOPS courtesy of GIVĒON, Kehlani, Mariah Carey, Niall Horan, and St. Vincent.

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 44^th edition of 3 to 5 BOPS (2023), we select songs that are associated with MELT in some form or fashion (synonyms allowed). The BOPS arrive courtesy of 🎙 GIVĒON, 🎙 Kehlani, 🎙 Mariah Carey, 🎙 Niall Horan, and 🎙 St. Vincent. Okay, let’s get into it! 

via GIPHY

1. Niall Horan, “Meltdown”  

💿 The Show • 🏷 Neon Haze Music Ltd. / Niall Horan / UMG Recordings, Inc. • 🗓 2023

“When it all melts down, I’ll be there.” Good to know, 🎙 Niall Horan! The Irish singer/songwriter released 🎵 “Meltdown” as the second single from his third studio album, 💿 The Show. “Meltdown” is brief but potent, running about two-and-a-half minutes in duration, more than enough for the listers to experience that Niall magic, WOO! He wrote “Meltdown” alongside 🎼 ✍ Amy Allen, Joel Little, and John Ryan.  Little and Ryan also produce the track, with incredibly positive results. “Meltdown” benefits from an electrifying groove and driving bass line.  Furthermore, Niall gives us strong vocals.  “Screamin’ in your car (Yeah) in the driveway / Spinnin’ out, think your life’s goin’ sideways,” Horan asserts in the first verse. In the second, he adds, “Sleep is so thin (Yeah) out of habit / Hard to tell the real from the dreams you imagine.” Clearly, things are NOT going well for this person.  Even so, superhero Niall is there for you, he reveals on the memorably penned, tuneful chorus! Good to know! All in all, “Meltdown” is a surefire earworm after the first listen!   

Appears in 🔻: 

• Awesome Songs: May 2023 

2. St. Vincent, “The Melting of the Sun” 

💿 Daddy’s Home • 🏷 Loma Vista • 📅 2021   

🎙 St. Vincent (Annie Clark) exhibits musicianship at its finest on 💿 Daddy’s Home, one of the best albums of 2021.  One of the best songs from one of the best albums of 2021 is the brilliant 🎵 “The Melting of the Sun,” which appears as the fifth track. Notably, Clark highlights numerous women telling their respective stories, most of which are filled with pain and adversity.    

For example, “Saint Joni [Joni Mitchell] ain’t no phony / Smoking Reds where Furry sang the blues.” She goes on to reference the drug overdose of Marilyn Monroe, singing, “‘Hell,’ she said, ‘It’s better than abuse.’” Wow.  One of my favorite lyrics arrives later, as she sings, “And proud Nina [Simone] got subpoenaed / Singing, “‘Mississippi, good goddamn.’” “The Melting of the Sun” is a must-hear.

Appears in 🔻:  

• Disappear: 3BOPS No. 42 (2021)  

3. GIVĒON, “Vanish”  

💿 When It’s All Said and Done… Take Time • 🏷 Epic • 📅 2021

🎙 GIVĒON (Giveon Evans) marks one of R&B’s brightest stars.  His baritone vocals are gorgeous – buttery smooth and incredibly nuanced.  It’s not surprising his 2020 EP, 💿 Take Time, was nominated for a 🏆 Grammy.  Reissued in 2021 as 💿 When It’s All Said and Done… Take Time, the extra songs only sweetened the deal.  One of the best songs that appears on both versions is 🎵 “Vanish.” Vanish is a synonym of melt, FYI. “You said, you hate me, and you wish I would vanish,” he sings, continuing, “Okay, you love me, baby, I speak your language.” “Vanish” is idiomatic of a more alternative brand of contemporary R&B.  How so? Well, the record opts against the traditional verse/chorus form.  Instead, there is pre-chorus (occurs twice), chorus (occurs thrice), a bridge (a variant of the pre-chorus), and outro sections.  Also, there’s intentional use of instrumental music that stretches a potentially shorter record to three-and-a-half-minutes overall.  Form aside, GIVĒON focuses on matters of the heart.  He’s getting mixed messages from this girl who sometimes wants him and other times, as aforementioned, wants him to vanish.  Of course, he admits he’s made mistakes too, and they both need to work together to make the relationship work.    

Appears in 🔻:  

• 13 V Songs: No Rhyme or Reason (2021)  

4. Kehlani, “melt” 

💿 blue water road • 🏷 TSNMI / Atlantic • 📅 2022

“I can’t tell where your hair ends and mine begins,” 🏆 Grammy-nominated R&B singer/songwriter 🎙 Kehlani sings in the opening line of 🎵 “melt.” She adds in the first verse of the 10th track from her fine 2022 album, 💿 blue water road, “If I move too quick past you, I would think it’s my reflection.” Aww 🥰, the feels, the feels, THE FEELS! Kehlani is dedicated to this woman, PERIOD.  Notably, prior to the release of blue water road, Kehlani, already a member of the LGBTQ+ community (bisexual), came out as a lesbian, ending her chapter dating men.  “Melt” feels honest, intimate, and personal, as the bond Kehlani sings about feels right for her. It features incredibly classy vocals, thoughtful songwriting to melt your heart, and refined production (🎛 Happy Perez and Pop Wansel).  Lines like “Wish I could build me a cute apartment / One-bedroom right where your heart is,” and, the titular lyric, “I melt into you,”  are nothing short of awesome.   

5. Mariah Carey, “Vanishing”   

💿 Mariah Carey • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 1990

“If I could recapture all of the memories / And bring them to life, surely I would.” Phew – there is something about a 🎙 Mariah Carey ballad that just hits different.  Carey is one of the greatest and most gifted singers of all time, period.  Her debut album, 💿 Mariah Carey, introduced the world to a surefire superstar – an undisputed musical icon.  Yes, 🎵 “Vision of Love” is THAT song from Mariah Carey without question.  🎵 “Vanishing” is one of those unsung gems of Carey’s illustrious career. “Vanishing” is simple in conception: this is a piano ballad.  Even so, it’s rich and nuanced finding Carey flaunting her masterful instrument.  She has a glorious melody to work with, which she does wonders with.  Furthermore, the background vocals only sweeten the deal, amplifying the lead ultimately.  Of course, second only to Mariah herself, the songwriting – those lyrics – make “Vanishing” the gem that it is.  The chorus is sweet (“You’re vanishing / Drifting away”) but it is the verses that have the most substance, such as the second: “I was so enraptured / No sensibility / To open my eyes / I misunderstood…” Good stuff, Mariah Carey!

Appears in 🔻:  

• 13 V Songs: No Rhyme or Reason (2021)  

Melt: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 44 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Columbia, Epic, Loma Vista, Neon Haze Music Ltd. / Niall Horan / UMG Recordings, Inc., TSNMI / Atlantic; Colin Behrens from Pixabay]