Salt | 5ive Songs

1. Mickey Guyton, “Salt”

Bridges (EP) • Capitol Nashville • 2020

“She’s got you blind, but I see it all / You think you’re getting sugar / But boy, you’re getting salt.” Oh snap!   “Salt” appears as the penultimate number on Bridges, the debut EP by Grammy-nominated country singer, Mickey Guyton.  Here, on this thrilling, country-pop joint with ample crossover appeal, Guyton delivers a brief but compelling tale where this guy is involved with a girl that’s nothing but trouble. Much like on her song that earned her the Grammy nomination ( “Black Like Me” ), Guyton serves up a great, well-rounded vocal performance.  Furthermore, she brings plenty of attitude and personality to this salty track.

2. Aesop Rock, “Salt”

Spirit World Field Guide • Rhymesayers Entertainment LLC • 2020

“That’s a unique wind / Spun a whip out in the snow / Really ain’t got shit / Your condition is not a condition we know.” Despite being underrated, underground rapper Aesop Rock (Ian Matthias Bavitz) is absolutely and utterly awesome.  I dare you to argue otherwise! If you’ve been one of many folks who’ve underrated this gem of a rapper, look no further than “Salt” , the salty standout from his 2020 album, Spirit World Field Guide.  You definitely won’t leave salty after you hear the hard-knocking beat and kick a$$ rhymes Aesop delivers.  This isn’t merely rap, it’s poetry, with numerous top-rate one-liners.  Rarely do you hear the likes of “Dorm like a door to Hell, the doorbell plays Taps” or cleverer, “Ravens deliver him tinketry in eternal damnation / I make disturbing the stasis a game to beat when the mania boils.” Can you say, !!!

3. Ava Max, “Salt”

Heaven & Hell • Atlantic • 2020 

“I’m all out of salt, I’m not gonna cry / Won’t give you what you want / ‘Cause I look way too good tonight.” Hell yeah, Ava Max! On “Salt” , a highlight from Max’s 2020 debut album, Heaven & Hell, she shows incredible resilience.  She’s had her heart broken, yet, at this point, “she’s all cried out,” you might say.  Rather than continue to be downtrodden about this lame-a$$ guy, she’s on the up-and-up, feeling herself, knowing she’s better than the way she was treated.  After all, on this sleek, Cirkut produced bop, she’s “got her thigh-highs oon, feel like Wonder Woman,” plus her “Lipstick pops and she feels like Monroe.” You go girl!

4. The National, “I Should Live in Salt”

Trouble Will Find Me • 4AD • 2013

“I should live in salt for leaving you behind, behind” Interesting Matt Berninger – very interesting. Hmm, what does it even mean? Well, on “I Should Live in Salt,” the opener from Trouble Will Find Me, The National front man states the song is about his younger brother, per Under the Radar: “I think the song is a reflection on our relationship, and some of it is my guilt or feeling that he went in a different direction than I did.” Notably, Berninger repeats the phrase, “You should know me better than that,” throughout song, which clearly showcases a relationship component.  Besides the theme and lyrics, “I Should Live in Salt” is a gorgeous song with a rich palette of sounds within the backdrop that feels and sounds quite organic.  As always, Berninger sounds terrific.   

5. Tinashe, “Salt”

Joyride • RCA • 2018

“Salt” is a surefire contender for the crowning achievement of Joyride, the sophomore album by Tinashe. Yep, this sodium-fueled ballad is a terrific breakup record. She shows off her full complement of vocal abilities, singing in her lower register and gradually ascending into that awesome, commanding upper register.  Soundz does a masterful job crafting a truly dark, emotional, minor-key backdrop for her to paint over as she urges, “So when you go and break my heart in two / Don’t throw SALT on the wound.”

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