Town → 5 Gems

Town: 5 Gems No. 30 (2026) features songs by Doja Cat, Sexyy Red, Teddy Pendergrass, Thin Lizzy, and Yung Gravy.

Irish rock band Thin Lizzy scored their sole hit in the United States with this unforgettable juggernaut. According to the late, great Teddy Pendergrass, “The whole TOWN’S laughing at me / Silly fool, how’d you lose, such a good friend?” Bringing things into the 21^st century, Doja Cat asserts, “Yeah, bitch, I said what I said / I’d rather be famous instead / I let all that get to my head / I don’t care, I paint the TOWN red.”  The common thread between Thin Lizzy, Teddy, and Doja: T-O-W-N, TOWN! In addition to those three musicians, the mini-playlist Town: 5 Gems No. 30 (2026) features songs by Sexyy Red and Yung Gravy. So, without prolonging this intro, let’s get ready to “Go To Town” with these five town-oriented songs!

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~ Table of Contents ~
1. Doja Cat, “Paint the Town Red”	2. Teddy Pendergrass, “The Whole Town’s Laughing at Me”	3. Yung Gravy, “The Boys Are Back In Town” (Ft. Pouya, Ramirez & TrippyThaKid)
4. Sexyy Red, Nicki Minaj & Tay Keith, “Pound Town 2”	5. Thin Lizzy, “The Boys Are Back In Town”	5 Gems (2026)

 

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1. Doja Cat, “Paint the Town Red”

Scarlet » Kemosabe / RCA » 2023

Grammy winner Doja Cat (Amala Dlamini) is locked in aggressive, rap mode on “Paint The Town Red”, the opener and a single from her fourth studio album, Scarlet. Produced by Earl on the Beat, Amala gets a lift with the beloved soul classic, “Walk on By” by Dionne Warwick being sampled overtly. The first thing we hear from Doja is the chorus, in all its assertive glory: “Yeah, bitch, I said what I said / I’d rather be famous instead / I let all that get to my head / I don’t care, I paint the town red.” WOO! If the chorus weren’t feisty enough, the post-chorus certainly is, adding to the infectious nature of the track (“Mm, she the devil / She a bad lil’ bitch, she a rebel…”). Beyond the chorus, the biting, unapologetic bars continue in the verses, whether it’s “Said my happiness is all of your misery / I put good dick all in my kidneys” from the first, or “I’m a demon, Lord / Fall off what? I ain’t seen the horse.”  Fully embracing all things hip-hop, Doja Cat shines on “Paint The Town Red”.  The song to beat from Scarlet.

Appears in 🔻:

These 13 Songs Bleed 🩸 Red (2023) Paint 🎨: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 67 (2023) Awesome Songs: August 2023 51 Best Songs of 2023

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2. Teddy Pendergrass, “The Whole Town’s Laughing at Me”

Teddy Pendergrass » Sony Music Entertainment » 1977

That is a legitimate question! The late Teddy Pendergrass (1950 – 2010) was one of the greatest soul musicians of all time.  His soulful, masculine baritone screamed orgasm – it was filled to the brim with sexiness.  While his voice never reached the peak of his heyday after a paralyzing accident in 1982, he still possessed a fire and instrument that many R&B musicians envied. A prime example of TP at his prime is his 1977 platinum debut album, Teddy Pendergrass, which features the unforgettable gem, “The Whole Town’s Laughing at Me”.  While “The Whole Town’s Laughing at Me” didn’t impact the pop charts, it did peak at no. 16 on the R&B charts.

The four-and-a-half-minute ballad was penned by Sherman Marshall and Ted Wortham.  In “The Whole Town’s Laughing at Me,” Pendergrass laments losing love because he is foolish.  “Yeah, I had your love right here in the palm of my hands / And I lost it,” he sings in the first verse.  In the second, he asserts, “Had my dream so near, I could reach out and touch it / And I lost it, and I lost it.” In the pre-chorus/bridge, he reflects on what he could’ve done to keep this good thing he had (“Maybe if I had spent just a little more time with you / Maybe then, maybe then, you’d still be mine”), while the chorus finds him feeling utterly stupid.  Besides the elite, once-and-a-lifetime vocals by TP, Marshall does a beautiful job crafting that 70s, lush, Philly soul backdrop. Teddy is accompanied by lush, inviting strings, articulated, dynamic horns, and a tight rhythm section (keys, guitar, bass, drums).  While Pendergrass is embarrassed in the song, he has no reason to be given the fact that “The Whole Town’s Laughing at Me” is among the best songs of his illustrious career.

Appears in 🔻:

12 Intriguing Hole or Whole Songs (2021) Teddy Pendergrass, The Whole Town’s Laughing at Me: Throwback Vibez No. 148 (2024)

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3. Yung Gravy, “The Boys Are Back In Town” (Ft. Pouya, Ramirez & TrippyThaKid)

Sensational » Republic » 2019

Oh, shit! Sometimes, rap bangers are bite-sized; short and sweet. Yung Gravy (Matthew Hauri) keeps it brief on “The Boys Are Back In Town”, the fourth track from his 2019 debut album, Sensational.  Not only is the Minnesotan rapper giant in stature, but he also exudes a giant personality, particularly on “The Boys Are Back In Town.” Hauri isn’t the only boy back in town on the two-and-a-half-minute track, though.  He enlists Pouya, Ramirez, and TrippyThaKid to assist him. The results are sick!

“The Boys Are Back In Town” features well-rounded production (Yung Gravy, swvde., and Y2K). The backdrop is colorful with the drum programming, seedy, sus-sounding synths, and minimalist ideas. Notably, the song samples a 1984 song by Dennis Edwards featuring Siedah Garrett, “Don’t Look Any Further”. The chorus (“You ain’t with the shits…”) is one of the most fun parts of the song.  Still, the verses, and there are plenty, slap. Gravy brings ample confidence and swagger. His compelling cadence and flow shine early: “Bitch, I’m dead fresh, I might pull up in a casket / You be lookin’ sweet like a fuckin’ fruit basket.” His partners in crime are no slouches either, kicking ass and taking names throughout.  TrippyThaKid asserts, “Don’t think nobody gonna fuck with me like I do.” Ramirez touts “Heat-seeking missiles, I load up and hit you / I carry the coffin and drop it in grave (Ho),” and later, he’s “Pimpin’ these bitches, I’m breakin ‘em off as they hangin’ up off my nutsack.” D-d-d-da-yum! Pouya isn’t to be left out with the striking lyrical gems, “Baby Bone got a bone to pick with you, yeah / Hold up, Ricky Bobby, I’m jacked up on Mountain Dew, yeah,” and the charming, “I just fucked your bitch in the back of my ‘96 DeVille.” No extensive analysis is necessary. “The Boys Are Back In Town” is what it is, a brief, fun, and unapologetic rap banger that slaps something fierce!

 

Appears in 🔻:

Yung Gravy, The Boys Are Back In Town: Bangerz N Bopz No. 75 (2025) 11 Thrilling ARE Songs, Part 4 (2025) 13 Bangin’ Back Songs (2026) BOY, These Songs Are About You, Part 5 (2026)

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4. Sexyy Red, Nicki Minaj & Tay Keith, “Pound Town 2”

Hood Hottest Princess » Open Shift / gamma. » 2023

Holy shiitake mushrooms, Sexyy Red! Those infamous lyrics hail from the unapologetic St. Louis rapper’s “Pound Town”, produced by the late Tay Keith (he provides a banging, minor-key backdrop to fuel her fire). On her 2023 mixtape, Hood Hottest Princess, the remix, “Pound Town 2” arrives, featuring fellow unapologetic rapper Nicki Minaj. Before Nicki ever spits bars, it’s Sexyy Red that leaves our mouths agape with a heaping dose of sexuality and filthiness. At the end of the first verse, she tells him, “Quit playin’, nigga, come suck a bitch toe.” HOLY SHIT!!! It doesn’t stop there, though, as, unsurprisingly, Sexyy Red asserts in the chorus, “Yeah, that nigga dick a bitch down / Yeah, that nigga eat me out.”  😬 !!!

Clearly, rachet-ness is right up Sexyy Red’s alley.  She offers plenty of it in the second verse, asserting, “I’m tryna get my coochie scratched (Yeah) / I’m tryna get my coochie stretched / You know them dread heads do it the best.” HOLY F🤬CKING MOLY!!! For good measure, she references another raunch AF female rapper, Sukihana: “What Suki say? Nut on my tits.”  As if she hadn’t adequately corrupted us with a liberal amount of sex, Nicki Minaj arrives in the third verse.  There are several bars she spits that might just make an atheist repent.  Besides “Let him eat that pretty pussy, now he trying to link,” Nicki informs, “I’m ‘bout to pop a thingy then sip on his drinky-drink.” HOLY F🤬CK!!! Later, she spits, “I Ain’t talkin’ about chicken when I jerk it with my tits,” adding, “I be twerkin’ on that dick, plus, I’m slurpin’ every drip / When I’m ridin’, choke his neck, or missionary, doin’ splits.” WOW 😳 🫢! Also, there’s some shade throw in the bridge: “Girl, guess who baby daddy poppin’ they bussy in my motherfuckin’ DM’s…” Bussy, Nicki? This raunchy ‘ass’ banger speaks for itself!

Appears in 🔻:

Sexyy Red, Pound Town 2: Midnight Heat No. 79 (2023)   11 Risqué, NSFW Songs (2023) 13 Sex Songs That Exhibit That Midnight Heat (2024)

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5. Thin Lizzy, “The Boys Are Back In Town”

Jailbreak » Mercury Records Limited » 1976

Does this song need any introduction? Nope! Irish rock band Thin Lizzy are best-known for their once-in-a-lifetime hit, “The Boys Are Back In Town”.  “The Boys Are Back In Town” is the sixth track from their sixth studio album, Jailbreak. At the time, Thin Lizzy was composed of vocalist and bassist Phil Lynott (1949 – 1986), guitarist Scott Gorham, guitarist Brian Robertson, and drummer/percussionist Brian Downey. In the United States, the band charted twice on the pop charts.  Only “Boys” landed in the top 40, reaching number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Therefore, in the United States, they are classified as a one-hit wonder.  They had more success beyond the states, however. Lynott wrote “The Boys Are Back In Town” while John Alcock produced it.

“Guess who just got back today? / Them wild-eyed boys that’d been away.” Ooh-wee! Phil Lynott brings plenty of personality and spirit to “The Boys Are Back In Town.” His voice sounds commanding, bringing the rhythmic, tuneful melodies and memorable lyrics to life. There are memories galore, including “That chick… she was cool, she was red hot.” Perhaps even more memorable, in the second verse, is “That time over at Johnny’s place / Well, this chick got up, and she slapped Johnny’s face / Man, we just fell about the place.” I bet that was a big ole LOL 😂! A third and final verse brings more fun, where it “Won’t be long till summer comes / Now that the boys are here again.” Absolutely!  Of course, the most fun part of “The Boys Are Back In Town” is the chorus, which is the earworm of all earworms, excerpted earlier.  It’s not all Phil’s singing and lyrics, though! The band also keeps the same energy, with their hard-rocking riffs and dynamic sounds galore.  They bring some serious punch and solidify those summery vibes for any time of the year.  One iconic instrumental moment can’t be neglected: the guitar solo by Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson 🎸 🤘. No further analysis is necessary. The excellence of “The Boys Are Back In Town” speaks for itself!

Appears in 🔻:

Thin Lizzy, The Boys Are Back In Town: 1 Hit WONDERful No. 31 (2026) BOY, These Songs Are About You, Part 6 (2026)

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5 Gems (2026)
Almost: 5 Gems No. 1	Alone: 5 Gems No. 2	Am: 5 Gems No. 3
Big: 5 Gems No. 4	Break, Breaking, or Broken: 5 Gems No. 5	Can’t!: 5 Gems No. 6
Magic : 5 Gems No. 7	Money: 5 Gems No. 8	Mama: 5 Gems No. 9
Nut: 5 Gems No. 10	Watch: 5 Gems No. 11	Pretty: 5 Gems No. 12
Lube: 5 Gems No. 13	Goodbye: 5 Gems No. 14	Band: 5 Gems No. 15
Rather: 5 Gems No. 16	Job: 5 Gems No. 17	Bring: 5 Gems No. 18
Another: 5 Gems No. 19	Acid: 5 Gems No. 20	Beat: 5 Gems No. 21
Fever: 5 Gems No. 22	Finger: 5 Gems No. 23	Advice: 5 Gems No. 24
Us: 5 Gems No. 25	Hair: 5 Gems No. 26	Word: 5 Gems No. 27
Flesh: 5 Gems No. 28	Lavender: 5 Gems No. 29	Town: 5 Gems No. 30

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Town: 5 Gems No. 30 (2026) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; gamma., Kemosabe, Mercury Records Limited, Open Shift, RCA, Republic, Sony Music Entertainment; Erik Mclean from Pexels; Gordon Johnson, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]

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