Think… | 5ive Songs

Reading Time: 4 min read

On the 19th edition of 5ive Songs, we select five songs that that you totally have to THINK about – or associated with thinking.

On 5ive Songs, we (I) keep things short and sweet – no extra calories or needless fluff. There’s a topic, five songs, and a short blurb that doesn’t exceed a paragraph. Yes, it’s a playlist, but it’s a miniature playlist that shouldn’t take much time to consume. On this edition of 5ive Songs, we select five songs that that you totally have to THINK about – or associated with thinking.

1. Chloe x Halle, “Wonder What She Thinks of Me”

Ungodly Hour • Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia • 2020

“Wonder What She Thinks of Me” is formidable record on Ungodly Hour, the sophomore album by Grammy-nominated, R&B duo, Chloe x Halle. A gorgeous ballad, it’s another opportunity for the high-flying vocals of the sisters to shine, not to mention the harmonies. Also, with Chloe x Halle serving as producers, it’s quite impressive what they construct here. The harmonic progression has some nice unexpected quirks, which prevent “Wonder What She Thinks of Me” from being predictable.

2. Kelly Clarkson, “I Don’t Think About You”

Meaning of Life • Atlantic • 2017

“Weighing down on me / I lost my sanity / And now that we are through, nothin’ left to lose / No, no, no, I don’t think about you.” Prior to its release as a single, “I Don’t Think About You” was one of the highlights when Meaning of Life originally arrived. As a single, it is truly ‘a match made in heaven’ for Kelly Clarkson. Why? It’s a ballad, and ballads allow for her to show the totality of her prodigious instrument. On “I Don’t Think About You,” she flaunts her incredible range and overall vocal dexterity. The high notes are among the highest she’s ever recorded. The song itself is also memorable, benefitting from the topic of love. The centerpiece is the chorus, previously excerpted.

3. The 1975, “I Think There’s Something You Should Know”

Notes on a Conditional Form • Interscope • 2020

“I Think There’s Something You Should Know” commences the second half of Notes on a Conditional Form, the fourth studio album by The 1975. The 1975 experiment with more of an electronic script, constructed more minimally as opposed to maximally. Even if the sound carries more weight than the lyrics, Matthew Healy delivers a gem with the line, “Feeling like someone, like somebody else, who don’t feel them self / Paying for their wealth with their mental health.”

4. Ed Sheeran, “Thinking Out Loud”

x • Atlantic • 2014

After multiple Grammy nominations, Ed Sheeran finally became victorious thanks to “Thinking Out Loud” (x), which won Best Pop Solo Performance and Song of the Year. Notably, the soulful, well-written pop record seems ‘inspired’ harmonically by a famous Marvin Gaye number, “Let’s Get It On”. Addressing the elephant in the room given the previous statement, “Thinking Out Loud” is starkly different from the Gaye number. Sheeran focuses on romance as opposed to a physical connection.

“So, honey, now, take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Place your head on my beating heart, I’m thinking out loud
And maybe we found love right where we are.”

5. Jessie J, “Think About That”

R.O.S.E. • Republic • 2018

“All you disturb is my work and my patience / Years of grindin’, you took it, you broke it and all ‘cause you fake it.” “Think About That,” the second song off of R.O.S.E. (Realisations), features gorgeous production work by DJ Camper. What makes it shine is the lush piano and a mix of old-school, soulful drums and more modern, hip-hop oriented programming. Set in a minor key, Jessie J’s realisations are ‘angry’ as she sings about her disillusionment with the music business: “You just laughed when I cried / Think about that / Who lives the real sacrifice? / Think about that.”

Think… | 5ive Songs

Published by the musical hype on August 13, 2020August 13, 2020

1. Chloe x Halle, “Wonder What She Thinks of Me”

Ungodly Hour • Parkwood Entertainment / Columbia • 2020