Stay | 5ive Songs

1. The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay”

💿 F*CK LOVE 3: OVER YOU • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 2021

The biggest attraction on 💿 F*CK LOVE 3: OVER YOU is undoubtedly 🎵 “Stay”.  🎙 The Kid LAROI collaborates with 🏆 Grammy-winning, Canadian mega-popstar 🎙 Justin Bieber.  This short record is pleasant – a vibe. “Stay” is ‘expensive,’ with a songwriting team comprised of Howard, Bieber, 🎼✍ Blake Slatkin, 🎼✍ Charlie Puth, 🎼✍ Isaac Debon, 🎼✍ Cashmere Cat, 🎼✍ Michael Mule, 🎼✍ Omer Fedi, and 🎼✍ Subhaan Rahmaan.  Four of those – Slatkin, Fedi, Puth, and Cashmere Cat – also produce.

The results are positive sound wise, with The Kid and Bieber delivering on their respective verses.  Vocally, they mesh well with coarser pipes by The Kid and smoother, chiller ones by Bieber. Thematically, matters of the heart guide both.  Howard sums it up on the chorus, asserting, “I know that I can’t find nobody else as good as you / I need you to stay, need you to stay.” Several times, he asserts, “Oh, I’ll be fucked up if you can’t be right here.” Bieber is similarly dedicated, though his dedication is to his wifey.  The verdict – a bop, of course!

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: July 2021

2. Omar Apollo, “Stayback”

💿 Apoliono • 🏷 Warner • 🗓 2020

Gifted Mexican American musician 🎙 Omar Apollo captivates on the short, but sweet and incredibly soulful 🎵 “Stayback”, from his 2020 mini album, 💿 Apolonio.  The recurring lyric, “I can’t help that you been on my mind, confirms the love-centric nature of the record. 2:40 is ample time for him provide us with a soulful hit, diving into R&B, alternative R&B, and neo-soul. Amongst the cool sounds are distorted guitar, a rad guitar solo, and a robust bass line. The groove is simple but incredibly effective, anchoring the record down superbly.

Vocally, Omar sounds utterly sublime; he excels in this vibe, without question.  His falsetto is ripe, while his playful delivery is incredibly alluring.  As far as the songwriting, the catchy chorus is the centerpiece: “You know I been feeling you since way back / But I couldn’t even make the words to say that, say that /…But you could never love me so stay back, stay back.” He remembers a relationship from the past but also seeks to move past it, having his former lover “stay back.” Essentially, his love issues/pain/plight are our listening pleasure.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: August 2020
🔗 🎧 100 BEST SONGS OF 2020: 75– 51
🔗 🎧 100 BEST SONGS OF 2020

3. Brittany Howard, “Stay High”

💿 Jaime • 🏷 Brittany Howard / ATO • 📅 2019

“I just want to stay high with you.” One of the best songs from 💿 Jaime, the debut solo album by 🏆 Grammy winner 🎙 Brittany Howard is 🎵 “Stay High.” “Stay High” is a record that’s infused with ample soul, hearkening back to the incredible neo-soul era, while also maintaining that alternative rock sensibility and vibe, much like the opener, 🎵 “History Repeats.”

The music is delightful. Furthermore, Howard’s vocal performance is simply incredible.  Another pro? How positive the vibe of “Stay High” is:

“Everything is everything and everything is beautiful
(How did you get like that?)
See, all I do is keep it cool and don’t worry ‘bout what everyone is doing
I already feel like doing it again, honey.”

4. Zedd & Alessia Cara, “Stay”

🎵 “Stay” • 🏷 Interscope • 📅 2017

“All you have to do is stay a minute / Just take your time / The clock is ticking, so stay.” In 2017, 🎙 Zedd and 🎙 Alessia Cara joined forces on the enjoyable single, 🎵 “Stay”. “Stay” commences mysteriously with humming vocals.  Soon enough, Cara gets to work, setting up her tale of desire – she simply wants him to stay even though he’s going.

Cara is clearly attached and admits her shortcomings:

“Won’t admit what I already know
I’ve never been the best at letting go
I don’t wanna spend the night alone
Guess I need you...”

While the 🏆 Grammy winner sounds exceptional on the verses, her bread is buttered on the chorus, excerpted above and continued as follows: “All you have to do is wait a second / Your hands on mine / The clock is ticking, so stay.” Zedd also does his part to make “Stay” terrific. The production plays to Cara’s strengths as an artist, straddling genres.  Never overproduced, he has a knack for balance.  The effects surrounding the lead vocals, as well as the percussive touches are top-notch. Both musicians are at their best, creating a magical collaboration.

5. Sam Smith, “Stay with Me”

💿 In the Lonely Hour • 🏷 Capitol • 📅 2014

Throughout the course of 💿 In the Lonely Hour, 🏆 Academy Award and Grammy winning nonbinary singer/songwriter 🎙 Sam Smith dabbles in the plight called love, specifically unrequited love. Openly gay, they imply their sexuality throughout the album.  Post-In the Lonely Hour Smith opened up more about their sexuality. Understanding their perspective, it fills in the blanks for the listener, revealing a larger significance.  The crowning achievement of In the Lonely Hour is 🎵 “Stay with Me,” which would win Grammys for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Pop Solo Performance.

“Stay with Me” finds Smith’s emotions at an all-time high.  At one point, they depict shallow love, singing, “Guess it’s true, I’m not good at a one-night stand / But I still need love cause I’m just a man.” Even so, ultimately, Smith desires something more permanent and meaningful:

“Won’t you stay with me?
‘Cause you’re all I need
This ain’t love, it’s clear to see
But darling, stay with me.”

Smith’s magnificent falsetto, supported by gospel backing vocals help make “Stay with Me” truly awesome.  That said, there’s some controversy with this incredibly successful joint, given its similarities to the 1989 🎙 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers classic, 🎵 “I Won’t Back Down”.  Let’s just say that Petty and co-writer Jeff Lynne now have writing credits on the Smith record.

Appears in 🔻:

• 13 With or Without Songs: Vol. 2