Thankful 🙏🎶 No. 1 | 5ive Songs

1. Rina Sawayama, “Chosen Family”

💿 SAWAYAMA • 🏷 Dirty Hit • 📅 2020

“We don’t need to be related to relate / We don’t need to share genes or a surname / You are, you are / My chosen, chosen family.” Gorgeous, meaningful lyrics, 🎙 Rina Sawayama! The awesome 🎵 “Chosen Family” hails from her 2020 full-length debut, 💿 SAWAYAMA. Rina, a member of the LGBTQ+ community 🌈, is thankful for her community – her ‘chosen Family’ – on this standout.  Sawayama serves up lovely, expressive, and nuanced vocals; you sense her authenticity and sincerity.  Furthermore, the production is gorgeous. The sound is balanced yet quite colorful and ear catching.  The best moment is undoubtedly the catchy chorus, the centerpiece of this standout record. You don’t have to be queer to relate to “Chosen Family”; the messaging is applicable to any number of situations.

“…So what if we don’t look the same?
We been going through the same thing, yeah
You are, you are
My chosen, chosen family.” 

Also appears on 🔽:

🔗 🎧 Thankful Songs 🙏🎶 No. 1

2. Marvin Sapp, “Thank You for It All”

💿 Chosen Vessel • 🏷 Sony • 📅 2020

“I thank you for it all / The good, bad, the ugly, great and small / The times of victory when I fall / I’m so grateful that I’m still standing tall.” Amen, 🎙 Marvin Sapp!  🎵 “Thank You for It All,” The opener from 💿 Chosen Vessel just feels totally right.  Sapp emphasizes giving God gratitude for all situations, including those that are the most difficult and uncomfortable.  Why, you ask, would you ever be thankful for the bad? Well, per Sapp, it is because God has blessed us with life itself, as well as surviving the storms, turbulence, and tribulations that come with it. The songwriting is simple, yet, perfectly executed.  Sapp’s choir amplifies his emotional highs, taking “Thank You for It All,” to the next level.  Whether you’re religious or not, you should appreciate the spirit exhibited – the deference Marvin shows to The Most High.

“All that I am is because
All that You brought me through
And everything I survived
It’s all because of you.”

Also appears on 🔽:

🔗 🎧 Thankful Songs 🙏🎶 No. 2

3. India.Arie, “Give Thanks”

💿 SongVersation: Medicine • 🏷 BMG Rights Management • 📅 2017

“Give thanks / …Give thanks, for all that is.” Indeed, 🎙 India.Arie, indeed! “Give Thanks” is a perfect example of depth in spite of a lack of depth.  Arie approaches “Give Thanks” more like a Contemporary Christian (CCM) song, with repeated lyrics on the verse.  Yes, Arie is a R&B artist but “Give Thanks” doesn’t necessarily feel like a R&B record.  Worth noting, 💿 SongVersation: Medicine was nominated for a Grammy in the New Age Album category. This record specifically certainly has such a vibe. There are few lyrics throughout “Give Thanks,” yet, her messaging is prudent and ultimately, transcendent. In addition to giving thanks, Arie also “gives praise” and repeats the words “selah,” “ase”, “hallelujah,” and “namaste” on the repetitive verses.  At the end, she brings together those spare lyrics, successfully capping things off.

“There will never be another day just like this
So, let’s give praise now
We give praise, and ase
Say love, namaste
We give praise, for all that is.”

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4. Mariah Carey, Joe & 98º, “Thank God I Found You”

💿 Rainbow • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 1999 

“Thank God I found you / I was lost without you / My every wish and every dream / Somehow became reality.” Sing that, 🎙 Mariah Carey, SING THAT! The premise of 🎵 “Thank God I Found You,” a collaboration with R&B standout 🎙 Joe and boy band, 🎙 98º is really simple; they’re all thankful for their respective relationships. Specifically, on this standout from Carey’s 1999 album, 💿 Rainbow, they ‘thank God’ for finding true love. On the first verse, Carey asserts, “I would give up everything / Before I’d separate myself from you,” going on to say, “I felt like dying / Until you saved my life.” Joe and 98º sing, on the second verse, “I will give you everything / There’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do /… I’ll cherish every part of you.” Deeper into the song is a key change, which only amplifies the gratitude and superbness of “Thank God I Found You.”

They all ‘bring it on home’ no the chorus, excerpted above and continued as follows:

“When you brought the sunlight
Completed my whole life
I’m overwhelmed with gratitude
‘Cause baby, I’m so thankful I found you.”

Also appears on 🔽:

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5. Ariana Grande, “thank u, next”

💿 thank u, next • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2019

“Look what you taught me / And for that, I say / Thank you, next (Next).” Alright now, 🎙 Ariana Grande, ALRIGHT NOW! 🎵 “thank u, next”, which appears on her critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated album, 💿 thank u, next, created quite a buzz when it arrived as an advance single in late 2018. “Thought I’d end up with Sean / But he wasn’t a match / Wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I listen and almost laugh.” Grande reflects on her relationships, including more recent exes like the late Mac Miller and ex-fiancé, Pete Davidson to the mix. She continues to focus on her exes on the first pre-chorus and chorus, profanely proclaiming, “Thank you, next / I’m so fuckin’ grateful for my ex.”

On the second verse, she focuses on herself – her own well-being. She flips the script on the second pre-chorus, focusing on her own excellence. On the bridge, she anticipates marriage, but ultimately plans to “make that shit last.” Ultimately, “thank u, next” is an honest, therapeutic record that finds her reflecting on life, love, and bettering herself.  Every relationship taught her a lesson and for that, she’s grateful.

Also appears on 🔽:

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