Category: R&B

Looking for happy music? We’ve got you covered. Because we believe that music is universal and transformative. It can change your mood instantly and take you back in time to people, places, and things. Most importantly, it can make you smile. Happy songs can lift your spirits and make you forget your troubles. So, with that in mind, we compiled a list of tunes that will provide comfort and joy, no matter the circumstances.

Disco

Happy music? Well, disco is quite possibly the happiest music ever created. A musical genre all about getting on the dance floor, taking a chance and finding that special someone. When all else fails, the infectious grooves will put a smile on your face.

Diana Ross – Love Hangover

Thelma Houston – Don’t Leave Me This Way

Amii Stewart – Knock On Wood

Sylvester – You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)

Donna Summer – I Feel Love

Chic – Good Times

Sister Sledge – We Are Family

Michael Jackson – Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough

KC & The Sunshine Band – Get Down Tonight

Chic – Le Freak

Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive

Bee Gees – Stayin’ Alive

Frankie Vallie & The Four Seasons – December 1963 (Oh What a Night)

France Jolie – Feel Like Dancing

McFadden & Whitehead – Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now

Stargard – Theme from “Which Way is Up”

Jimmy “Bo” Horne – Spank

ABBA – Dancing Queen

Electronic Muisic

There’s also plenty of happy music when it comes to electronic music. This music is made to dance to and lose yourself in the captivating and pulsating energy of the shimmering synthesized beats and rhythms. Whether listening to New Wave, 90’s house or today’s diverse array of artists, these songs urge you to escape simply by turning the volume up.

New Order – Bizarre Love Triangle

Black Box – Everybody, Everybody

The Bucketheads – The Bomb (These Sounds Fall Into My Mind)

Deee-Lite – Groove Is In The Heart

Madonna – Vogue

Technotronic – Pump Up The Jam

Hardrive – Deep Inside

Basement Jaxx – Red Alert

LCD Soundsystem – Dance Yrself Clean

CeCe Peniston – Finally

Robin S. – Show Me Love

Crystal Waters – 100% Pure Love

Fatboy Slim – Sho Nuff

Technotronic – Get Up (Before the Night is Over)

Alex Gopher – Party People

Duck Sauce – Barbra Streisand

Fedde Le Grand – Put Your Hands Up For Detroit

Shamir – On The Regular

Borns – Electric Love (Oliver Remix)

Disclosure – Energy

Hip-Hop / R&B

Imagine being at a house party. You’re kicking back, having a good time with friends while grooving to happy music. Maybe you’re learning a new dance or praising the DJ for spinning your favorite song. These classics will make you feel good in no time.

Arrested Development – People Everyday (Metamorphosis Mix)

Father MC – Everything’s Gonna Be Alright

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Summertime

Digital Underground – The Humpty Dance

Snoop Dogg, Pharrell Williams – Beautiful

Bruno Mars – 24K Magic

Beyonce – Get Me Bodied (Extended Mix)

Missy Elliott, Ciara, Fatman Scoop – Lose Control

Mary J. Blige – Family Affair

Zhane – Hey Mr. DJ

Rob Base and DJ EZ-Rock – It Takes Two

Kid-N-Play – Ain’t Gonna Hurt Nobody

Young MC – Bust a Move

Naughty By Nature – Feel Me Flow

Snoop Dogg – Crazy

Ant Banks, Mac Mall, Too $hort – Players Holiday

Ice Cube – Today Was a Good Day

2 Pac – I Get Around

D’Angelo – Chicken Grease

Leikeli47 – Mulita

Lion Babe – Hit The Ceiling

BJ the Chicago Kid – Turnin’ Me Up

Snoop Dogg, Pharrell Williams – Drop It Like It’s Hot

Janelle Monae feat. Big Boi – Tightrope

Outkast – Hey Ya!

Zhane – Groove Thang

Jazz

Without a doubt, jazz has some of the happiest songs ever written. This list of songs is at times peaceful and calming while other times celebratory and playful.

Louis Armstrong – Sunny Side of the Street

Lionel Hampton – Hey! Ba- Ba-Re-Bop

Edith Piaf – Milord

Sam Butera – La Vie En Rose

Cole Porter – Anything Goes

Nina Simone – Jelly Roll

Erroll Garner – How High the Moon

Ahmad Jamal – Poinciana (Live at the Pershing Lounge, Chicago 1958)

Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong – Dream a Little Dream Of Me

Billie Holiday & Teddy Wilson & His Orchestra – Easy Living

Grant Green – Sookie Sookie Live

The Jazz Crusaders – The Young Rabbits

Lionel Hampton – Hamp’s Boogie Woogie

Erroll Garner – My Blue Heaven

Louis Prima – When The Saints Go In

Rosemary Clooney – Mambo Italiano

Erroll Garner – Long Ago and Far Away

Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga – Cheek to Cheek

John Mathis – All the Things You Are

John Coltrane – My Favorite Things

Latin Music

Latin music has many different styles. From mambo to boogaloo, cha cha to salsa, rhumba to merengue and bachata, rhythm is the key element in all of these forms of music. The lively and animated delivery of the horns, keys, and drums makes it nearly impossible not to dance along to this happy music.

Willie Bobo – Spanish Grease

Ramsey Lewis – 1-2-3

Joe Cuba – Bang Bang

The Champs – Tequila

Two Man Sound – Capitol Tropical

Gipsy Kings – Medley

Quantic, Nickodemus, Temp, Candela All Stars – Mi Swing Es Tropical

Malo – Suavecito

Willie Rosario – Watusi Boogaloo

Mongo Santamaria – Watermelon Man

Pete Rodriguez – I Like It Like That

Brazilian Music

Brazilian music, especially bossa nova, is often sultry, smooth, and sways from note to note. The easy-breezy vocals of Astrud Gilberto could lull almost any listener into a pure state of bliss. Even so, there are plenty of harder-edged Brazilian artists that showcase the breadth of the country’s musical output. Enjoy this list of happy music from Brazil.

Sergio Mendes – Magalenha

Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 – Mais Que Nada

Vinicius Cantuaria – Batucada

Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto, Astrud Gilberto – The Girl from Ipanema

Astrud Gilberto – Stay

Elis Regina – Aquarela Do Brasil

Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto, Astrud Gilberto – Corcovado

Walter Wanderley & Astrud Gilberto – So Nice (Summer Samba)

Barbatuques – Baiao Destemperado

Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim – Desafinado

Reggae

This list of happy music from Jamaica focuses on the softer side of reggae: Sunny, laid back,, and fun, reggae can be like taking a vacation away from your daily life. These songs give an immediate burst of light, calm, and ease to anyone in need.

Bob Marley – Three Little Birds

Toots & the Maytals – 54-46 Was My Number

Althea & Donna – Uptown Ranking

Sister Nancy – Bam Bam

Gregory Isaacs – Oh What a Feeling

King Tubby – Dub You Can Feel

J Boog, Stephen Marley – Good Good Feeling

The Wailers – Sun is Shining

Party Time – The Heptones – Party Time

Gregory Isaacs – Tune In

Bullwackies All Stars – Dub To Jah

Half Pint – Level the Vibes

Bob Marley – Stir It Up

Pop

Whether listening to music on the radio in the car with friends or hearing it out at a club, these instantly recognizable songs are the epitome of happy music.

Bobby McFerrin – Don’t Worry Be Happy

Madonna – Holiday

Janet Jackson – Escapade

Len – Steal My Sunshine

Mariah Carey – Fantasy

Whitney Houston – I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Prince – 1999

George Michael – Freedom

Lionel Richie – All Night Long

Dee-Lite – Groove Is in the Heart

OMC – How Bizarre

Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch – Good Vibrations

Men Without Hats – Safety Dance

Katrina & The Waves – Walking on Sunshine

Taylor Swift – Shake It Off

Spice Girls – Spice Up Your Life

Nena – 99 Red Balloons

A-Ha – Take On Me

Miley Cyrus – Party in the USA

Classic Pop and Rock

Whether you lived through the classic rock age or simply found your way into its sound later, the best classic rock definitely puts a smile on your face. This list is happy music for any classic rock, new or old.

Joe Cocker – Feelin’ Alright

David Bowie – Young Americans

Steppenwolf – Magic Carpet Ride

Beach Boys – Good Vibrations

George Michael – Faith

Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’

Fleetwood Mac – Don’t Stop

Paul Simon – Late in the Evening

John Mellencamp – Cherry Bomb

The Rolling Stones – Happy

Blood, Sweat, and Tears – You’ve Made Me So Very Happy

10,000 Maniacs – These Are the Days

Talking Heads – This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)

Queen – Don’t Stop Me Now

Rock & Roll / Punk

The following songs are for headbanging, jumping around, blasting out of car windows, and singing at the top of your lungs. Some of these songs are punk, some are 80’s classics and some are fairly new, but it’s all happy music that rocks in one way or another. Do yourself a favor and crank these to 11!

Violent Femmes – Blister in the Sun

The Ramones – Blitzkrieg Bop

Billy Idol – Dancing With Myself

Joan Jett – I Love Rock-N-Roll

The Strokes – Last Nite

Alabama Shakes – Always Alright

Florence and the Machine – Dog Days Are Over

Queen – We Will Rock You

4 Non Blondes – What’s Up

REM – Shiny Happy People

The Ramones – I Wanna Be Sedated

Iggy Pop – Lust For Life

New Order – Bizarre Love Triangle

Guns-N-Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine

INXS – Need You Tonight

The Breeders – Cannonball

Sheryl Crow – All I Wanna Do

Sublime – What I Got

Bon Jovi – Livin’ on a Prayer

Siouxsie and the Banshees – Happy House

blink-182 – Happy Days

Chumbawamba – Tubthumping

Country

Country and western is often thought of as a genre that focuses on love lost. But that’s forgetting about all the great songs about kicking back and relaxing with your friends. This selection of tunes is happy music through and through.

Johnny Cash & June Carter – Jackson

Garth Brooks – Friends in Low Places

Alan Jackson – Chattahoochee

Gretchen Wilson – Redneck Woman

Brooks & Dunn – Boot Scootin’ Boogie

Ray Stevens – Everything is Beautiful

Travis Tritt – It’s a Great Day To Be Alive

Shania Twain – Man! I Feel Like a Woman

Maren Morris – My Church

Sara Evans – Suds in the Bucket

Tim McGraw – I Like It, I Love It

George Strait – Blue Clear Sky

Soul / Funk

Is there anything better than hearing Stevie Wonder or James Brown enjoying themselves on record? The best soul and funk tunes are the epitome of happy music, ecstatic feelings somehow captured onto tape.

Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke

Marvin Gaye – Got To Give It Up

Sly & the Family Stone – Dance to the Music

Brick – Dazz

Parliament – Flashlight

Luther Vandross – Never Too Much

Staple Singers – I’ll Take You There

Johnny Nash – I Can See Clearly Now

Bill Withers – Lovely Day

Central Line – Walking Into Sunshine

Sly & the Family Stone – Sing a Simple Song

Ray Charles – What’d I Say (Parts 1 & 2)

The Isley Brothers – Shout

Staple Singers – If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me)

Smokey Robinson – Cruisin’

War – Low Rider

The Gap Band – You Dropped the Bomb on Me

Pointer Sisters – I’m So Excited

James Brown – (I Got You) I Feel Good

Looking for more? Check out our list of the best 70s songs.

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From her 2007 breakthrough, Good Girl Gone Bad, to her 2016 opus, Anti, most of the critical conversations surrounding Rihanna’s discography have overlooked her auspicious debut album, Music Of The Sun. Much of this oversight can be attributed to how the Bajan singer’s discography grew expansively over the years, the result of constant experimentation and risk-taking when she could just as easily have sat back and rested on her laurels – or royalties.

Rihanna’s origin story is well-documented: a 17-year-old aspiring singer catches the ear of Def Jam’s then-President/CEO, Jay Z, auditions for him, and is offered a recording contract hours later. But it would take more than just one single to distinguish herself from the Ciaras and Ameries of the day.

‘Won’t you turn the music up?’

As her debut single – and Music Of The Sun album opener – “Pon De Replay” promised, Rihanna would have an explosive impact on dancefloors worldwide. Accompanied by a running dancehall riddim, the budding songstress raps, “Come, Mr. DJ, song pon de replay/Come, Mr. DJ, won’t you turn the music up.” At that moment, Rihanna not only became a chart success, hitting No.2 on the Billboard Hot 100, but a trendsetter, helping to fuel the 00s’ dancehall revival that included Sean Paul, Lady Saw, and Beenie Man.

Released on August 29, 2005, Music Of The Sun placed a young Rihanna at the forefront of West Indies music and culture. Her follow-up single, “If It’s Lovin’ That You Want,” took a simple midtempo R&B track and added a soca spin courtesy of the 1988 fusion track “Wee Rule,” by UK hip-hop outfit Wee Papa Girl Rappers. Backed by the flare of steel drums, “If It’s Lovin’ That You Want” was evidence that Rihanna was more than just a one-hit-wonder.

Music Of The Sun seamlessly fused native sounds from Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean and featured influential artists from the region. “Rush” capitalized on the fast-paced energy of “Pon De Replay,” with Canada’s original “hip-hop ambassador,” Kardinall Offishall, who jumps on a verse.

“Here I Go Again” features frequent collaborator J-Status and plays into the midtempo vibes of classic reggae, with Rihanna delivering her first “oh na na” on record, predating her 2010 hit, “What’s My Name?” Meanwhile, legendary dancehall rapper Vybz Kartel inserts his ragga style over a cover of Dawn Penn’s “You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No),” while Elephant Man plays the hype man on the official remix of “Pon De Replay.”

More than a reggae record

Amid the heavy Caribbean influences, Music Of The Sun is much more than a reggae record. As Def Jam’s hottest signee, and Jay-Z’s protégé, it’s only natural that Rihanna’s debut album incorporated elements of hip-hop and R&B.

“If It’s Lovin’ That You Want” interpolates the “di di-di, dida di-day” vocal motif from Boogie Down Productions’ historic 1987 diss song “The Bridge Is Over,” while “Willing To Wait” thematically takes its cue from Janet Jackson’s “Let’s Wait Awhile,” as Rihanna sings “Baby slow down” over a sample of “Free” by Deniece Williams. Towards the end of Music Of The Sun, she slows down the pace even more with the soulful ballad “Now I Know.”

Outside of the singles, Music Of The Sun also features two deep cuts that embrace a 90s hip-hop soul sound. On “That La, La, La,” she confronts another woman’s flirtatious behavior towards her man. Produced by Full Force (the trio responsible for Lisa Lisa And Cult Jam’s 1985 smash “Can You Feel The Beat”) “That La, La, La” adds a dub reggae flavor to an otherwise cranked-out cheerleader chant.

Meanwhile, “There’s A Thug In My Life” hints at the potential bad boys Rihanna would sing of in later songs. After going against her mother’s wishes (and her own intuition, knowing that “It’s gonna cause crazy trouble”), the singer abandons the philosophy she laid out in “Willing To Wait,” over the heavily-sampled ‘A Dream’ by DeBarge.

Global influences

Rihanna became the international icon she is today, in part thanks to her ability to implement musical styles from across the globe. Though reggae and R&B are the backbone of Music Of The Sun, there are moments where she borrows elements from other regional styles. On the seductive “Let Me,” she blends her native upbeat soca with hypnotic Middle Eastern-inspired flutes, while “The Last Time” has elements of a Latin-pop ballad, as Rihanna croons over classical guitar lines.

At the heart of the album is its title track, which utilizes another DeBarge staple, “Rhythm Of The Night,” and was co-written by legendary songwriter Diane Warren. Over a reggae melody, Rihanna tips her hat to the West Indian culture that’s shaped her, suggesting we can all “dance to the music of the sun.”

Upon its release, Music Of The Sun reached No.10 on the Billboard 200 and quickly went gold, while her runway single, “Pon De Replay,” seemed incapable of stopping. For the Caribbean queen in the making, however, this was just the beginning.

Shop for Rihanna’s music on vinyl or CD now.

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If there was ever such a thing as a perfect musical rookie season, it belonged to Boyz II Men. With their 1991 debut album, Cooleyhighharmony, the Philadelphia quartet used soulful harmonies and accessible boy next door charm to become instant superstars, selling nine million albums while earning sizable critical acclaim. While they followed it up with their 1993 holiday album, Christmas Interpretations, their proper sophomore LP wouldn’t hit shelves until nearly three years after their maiden voyage. It was more than worth the wait. Released in 1994, II saw the crew deliver apex New Jack Swing anthems while reaffirming their status as the best ballad singers in the music industry. In doing so, they crystallized one of the greatest commercial peaks in modern R&B history.

For II, Boyz II Men expanded the scope of their sound while enhancing their original foundation. As the world became entranced by gangsta rap, the crew embedded screeching West Coast synths onto “All Around the World”; it’s New Jack Swing reimagined for the G-Funk era. Meanwhile, for “U Know,” they glide over vibey electric strings and a bouncy Five Stairsteps sample for a loverboy theme song designed for the dance floor.

To be sure, II has slaps. But its greatest power remains in slower tempos. Covering a Beatles classic, “Yesterday” is an a cappella exhibition for the ages, with the group’s emotive vocals conjuring ghosts of mourning, regret, and quiet acceptance. Imbued with gleaming, yet understated synths, lusciously soulful vocals and lyrics that are as sensual as they are delicately yearning, “I’ll Make Love to You” is a portrait of perfectly naked intimacy. With its romantic piano and pleading sentiments, “On Bended Knee” is the sound of romantic surrender. II reflects an elemental mastery of R&B – of aesthetics, feelings, and uninhibited soul.

Decades removed from its release, the LP stands as a living emblem of all-around virtuosity; it’s an album that did as well with fans as it did with critics. “I’ll Make Love to You” spent 14 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart, only to be usurped by Boyz II Men’s follow up single, “On Bended Knee.” That one held down the No. 1 spot for six weeks. To date, the album itself has sold over ten million copies worldwide. Doubling down on their strengths while oscillating between new sounds, II is the rare sequel that surpasses the original.

Shop for Boyz II Men’s music on vinyl or CD now.

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Formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma by siblings Charlie, Ronnie and Robert Wilson, The Gap Band emerged in the ’70s as one of scores of multi-membered, brass-heavy funk ensembles operating within the enormous musical shadows of Earth Wind & Fire and Parliament-Funkadelic. But by the turn of the decade, the group had well grown into its own identity – streamlining down to the Wilsons as a trio with a leaner sound to match. Produced by longtime collaborator Lonnie Simmons, the Gap Band’s biggest early ’80s hits were typically fueled by a post-disco funk stomp abundant with the catchiest synth licks outside of Prince and his Minneapolis minions, set against minor key melodies that conjured a distinct urgency.

Listen to The Gap Band IV now.

Crucial to that emotional resonance was lead singer Charlie Wilson. Possessed with a vocal elasticity across registers and a touch of Tulsa twang, he could command simple hooks and church-honed melisma alike as beautifully captured on Gap Band IV. The group’s sixth album overall – but more significantly as indicated by the title, its fourth since rebooting with Simmons – it presents the Gap Band at its creative and commercial peak. The first of two love-scorned uptempo classics, “Early in the Morning” commences with gurgling synth bass and thunderous claps revving up the track like some Funkenstein creature coming to life. Truly monstrous, however, is Charlie’s performance at the song’s climax, repeating “Early in the morning / In the middle of the day, baby / Late at night, baby / Everything will be alright,” unlocking layers of pathos with each invocation. IV’s other heartbreak party anthem, “You Dropped a Bomb On Me,” is even more memorable, merging haunted house Farfisa, plummeting bomb whistles, and impeccably timed tympani rolls into one of the great singles of the era.

Where Gap Band IV exhibits additional breadth is in its non-dance numbers, fusing and blurring sensibilities true to the Wilsons’ Southwestern soul roots. (Gap is in fact an acronym for Greenwood, Archer, and Pine Streets in the historically African-American business district of Tulsa.) The lovely “Lonely Like Me” could be a country/pop tune sans steel guitar, or a lost Stevie Wonder song – or more likely, a stylistic cousin to Stevie’s own Charlie and Ronnie Wilson-assisted countrified 1980 hit “I Ain’t Gonna Stand For It.” The beautifully somber “Season’s No Reason to Change,” a long-beloved album cut with R&B listeners, boasts enough encoded C&W appeal to claim Tim McGraw as a fan.

And if the trio’s previous quiet storm gem “Yearning For Your Love” set the precedent for how well their skills translated to mid-tempo material, “Outstanding” outdoes all expectations. Based around an irresistible syncopated piano phrase and delivered vocally by Charlie with all the charisma of his composite gifts, it’s the rare tune that can convey romance, nostalgia, innocence, and allure alternately or all at once depending on the context or one’s mood. It also features one of the greatest deployments of negative space in modern music history: the three-beat pause that separates the line “Girl you knock me out” and the echoey handclap that answers it. To which one can only conclude that one sublime Gap deserves another.

Listen to The Gap Band IV now.

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Teyana Taylor’s short film visual album Escape Room is now widely available after premiering exclusively on Amazon Prime. Upon its release, the album peaked at No.1 on iTunes R&B, No.2 on Apple Music R&B and entered the Top 10 on Apple Music Top Albums chart.

Blurring the boundaries between music, film, and storytelling, Escape Room is an immersive, multi-sensory journey that embodies freedom, heartbreak, and healing. The project collides sound and cinema into an unforgettable experience as a companion piece to her highly-anticipated album Escape Room, out now via Def Jam Recordings.

About Escape Room, Teyana shared, “Escape Room isn’t just a film or an album, it’s a world I built to live in, bleed in, and heal in. I poured my heart into every layer, from the story to the sound, to capture that journey we all take through the shadows of heartbreak, whether that’s love lost, friendships broken, dreams deferred and guide you toward the lightness of healing. It’s the visual representation of my scars, the picture of my healing, and a mirror for anyone ready to face their own truth. This is more than a story… it’s a place to break free.”

Teyana not only stars in this enigmatic post-apocalyptic/futuristic, noir romance thriller, but she also wrote, directed, and produced it under the banner of her all-female production company The Aunties. The accompanying album stands out as her first new music in five years. She has stretched her vision across dimensions; key songs notably provide the soundscape for the film.

The short film acts as a visual representation of the album, exploring the effects of life’s journey from the darkness of all aspects of heartbreak (i.e. friendships, career, and family) to the lightness of healing.

Watch Teyana Taylor’s The Escape Room now.

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Popular music is rife with songs inspired by romantic partnerships, but one of mankind’s greatest muses is our four-legged friends. We’ve highlighted the best songs about dogs to mark the occasion. Dogs in hit songs have been bad and funky, they’ve been fine and noble, they’ve even gotten yelled at for acting up. This list stretches across eras and genres, showing the many different dogs who’ve been saluted in song.

46: Sir Mix-A-Lot: Nasty Dog

The dog at the heart of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s 1994 track “Nasty Dog” probably isn’t a furry friend but, in fact, the rapper himself. Instead of taking an interest in his fellow canines, the star spends the song in pursuit of a “kitty cat,” tempting them down from treetops “with a jingle of my car keys.” Between his recounted attempts, barks and woofs take on a percussive role, Mix-a-Lot occasionally adding to the layers with baritone “bow wow” refrains. – Rhian Daly

45: Norah Jones: Man of the Hour

Times have sure changed since Big Mama Thornton put a guy down by calling him a hound dog. In this Norah Jones’ song, the dog is preferable to the guy in every way: He’s neither a vegan nor a pothead; he never lies or cheats, and he doesn’t want to take a shower with her. She’s too clever to come out and say the song’s about a dog, but drops enough hints, including the bark at the end.

44: Carrie Underwood: The More Boys I Meet

Continuing the same line of thought, this tune outlines the many reasons why Carrie Underwood finds the guys she meets to be inferior to her beloved pet, and less messy as well. It’s funny enough that the more enlightened guys were probably laughing along.

43: Billy Currington: Like My Dog

Another battle-of-the-sexes country song, this one for the guys: country star Billy Currington lists all the dog-like things he wants his gal to do, including letting him call her sister a b_ch. This is not a strategy that will get you very far with your partner, but the dog probably loved it.

42: Jane Siberry: Everything Reminds Me of My Dog

One of Jane Siberry’s favorite topics is the overwhelming nature of love, and that doesn’t change when she writes about this particular kind. In this case, the Canadian songwriter loves her dog so much that she sees him in everyone she meets. It’s as close as she gets to a novelty song, but the humor is typically quirky: One guy on the subway reminds her of the dog, so she keeps feeding him cookies.

41: Procol Harum: Every Dog Will Have His Day

Procol Harum makes this list twice for two very different dog songs: “Salty Dog” is about a human kind of sea-dog, but the more recent “Every Dog Will Have His Day” is truly about canines, and it’s Procol at their raunchiest and funniest. Only a confirmed dog lover (with a sharp sense of humor) could come up with this: “Every puppy chews his balls Lord, every puppy loves to scratch/ When a puppy chews his balls Lord, you know you’ve met your match.”

40: Blake Shelton: Ol’ Red

Country music is no stranger to dog songs, but this has one of the oddest storylines ever: the singer is doing time for killing his wife’s boyfriend, so he gets himself a job taking care of the guard’s enforcer dog. He then finds a female dog for Red to fall in love with and makes his escape while they’re having a rendezvous. A shaggy dog story if there ever was one.

39: Neil Young: Old King

1992’s Harvest Moon was an intentionally homespun and warm-hearted album, a friendlier sequel to the Harvest album from two decades earlier. And it was the perfect place for a dog song, especially one as infectious as this, with Neil Young strumming banjo and Nicolette Larson on harmonies. As he once explained in concert the “King” name was an in-joke; the real dog’s name was Elvis.

38: Pirates of the Mississippi: Feed Jake

On the surface, this 1991 hit was the kind of glossy ballad that defined commercial country in that era, string synthesizer and all. But there’s a social conscience here that country music didn’t always get credit for, as its verses deal with the unhoused and with discrimination against queer people. No heavy message, just that we all need someone to feed our dogs if we go.

37: Harry Nilsson: The Puppy Song

Harry Nilsson did many things well, including wicked rockers and intense love songs. But he could also be utterly charming, as he was on this bittersweet toe-tapper about someone who desires both a canine friend and a human one. Like most of Nilsson’s catchiest songs, it gets a little melancholy between the lines. Paul McCartney also produced a wonderful version for Mary Hopkin.

36: Pink Floyd: Seamus

This may be the single most derided song in the Pink Floyd catalog, but some people have no sense of humor. Credit for this one goes to David Gilmour, who figured out that Steve Marriott’s dog could howl on cue, and improvised a jokey blues around it. For good measure, they even cut an oft-bootlegged alternate version (known as “Mademoiselle Nobs”) with a different dog.

35: John Hiatt: My Dog and Me

Considering it opens with the priceless line “How many times can one dog pee,” this turns out to be one of the more touching dog songs; with John Hiatt celebrating the man/dog bond as the special kind of friendship that it is. You expect it to have a teary ending but nope; it ends with the two of them curling up beside the fire.

34: Dolly Parton: Cracker Jack

If you thought Dolly Parton couldn’t possibly get any more lovable, you need to hear this 1973 song – which reveals that her beloved Jack was an ailing stray that she nursed back to health. Originally an outtake from the golden era of “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” this song resurfaced in recent years thanks to its appearance in her Netflix show, Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings.

33: The Byrds: Old Blue

Around the time of “Eight Miles High,” the Byrds faced censorship for alleged drug songs. But it turns out that dog songs were more their style. They cut no fewer than three with the later Clarence White lineup, including a pair of weepier ones (“Fido” and “Bugler”). But “Old Blue” is the pick of the litter, a bluegrass ode to a canine friend that Roger McGuinn sings with backwoods charm.

32: Lobo: Me and You and a Dog Named Boo

A song that practically smacks of the early 70s, both for its sound – which harks back to the mellower sound of CSN and America – and its storyline, all about travelin’ the highways, livin’ off the land, and generally being good hippies. And of course, they had a pooch in tow.

31: Henry Gross: Shannon

File this with the Elton John and Elvis Presley numbers above as one of the teariest dog songs ever to hit the charts, wailing falsetto and all. The Beach Boys resemblance is no coincidence, since the dog in question had belonged to Carl Wilson. It was the one moment of chart glory for Henry Gross, who in a previous life was a founder of Sha Na Na.

30: Napoleon XTV: They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Ha!

It still boggles the mind that a single this bizarre was released in 1966, much less that it hit the Top Five. It’s a joke in less-than-perfect taste, about a guy who’s losing his mind after the one he loves runs off and leaves him. The punchline is that they’ll find his beloved sooner or later: “And when they do, they’ll put you in the ASPCA, you mangy mutt!”

29: Jethro Tull: Rover

There’s a whole menagerie on Jethro Tull’s Heavy Horses album, with songs from the perspective of cats, mice, moths, and of course horses. The family dog gets his day on “Rover,” which proclaims his devotion and nobility. It should surprise no one that Ian Anderson is a confirmed animal lover.

28: The Monkees: Gonna Buy Me a Dog

Even The Monkees couldn’t keep a straight face on this tune about a hapless guy who loses his girlfriend and decides to replace her with a pet. Legend has it that Micky Dolenz attempted to sing a straight version, then Davy Jones invaded the session and added his one-liners to the version we all know and love.

27: Johnny Cash, “Dirty Old Egg-Sucking Dog

This is one of many reasons we love Johnny Cash: During the 60s, when he was hanging around with Bob Dylan and recording some landmark topical numbers, he also found time to record this comedic tune. It’s not exactly a kids’ song (the audience at Folsom Prison audibly loved it) but it’s hilarious, and especially tough to sing without breaking into profanity.

26: Tom Waits: Rain Dogs

This song is quintessential Waits, a singalong about how he identifies the worn-out, homeless dogs that roam his town after a storm. It was the title track to the 1985 album that redefined his career and opened up new musical territory. And since the song is so catchy, it was the perfect entry point.

25: Elvis Presley. “Old Shep” and “A Dog’s Life

Elvis took his most famous dog song from Big Mama Thornton, but saluted them a few other times in his career. From his second album, “Old Shep” might well be the weepiest song in his catalog, a mournful tale of a boy losing his best four-legged friend. For an antidote, we’d suggest “A Dog’s Life,” a wonderfully goofy number from the soundtrack era.

24: Eels: Dog’s Life

In another songwriter’s hands, this might have been a nice little tune about wishing you could spend your life laying in the sun and chasing trains, but with Mark Oliver Everett at the helm, the song gets a sadder spin, with a tender violin and the chorus “I’ll take a dog’s life, ‘cause I don’t care for this one.”

23: Etta James: Watch Dog

Etta James was one singer who knew how to put men in their place. In this tough number, she chews her guy out for watching over her, sending his little brother to spy on her, and generally cramping her style. The background vocals – “You ain’t nothing but a watch dog” – are a clear nod to the Big Mama Thornton classic.

22: Patti Page: (How Much is That) Doggie in the Window?

Perhaps the most famous song on this list, this 1953 record was an instant novelty sensation – much to the mixed feelings of Patti Page, who preferred to record torch ballads and country songs. It’s a standard to this day, even if Page recorded an alternate version toward the end of her life, for fear that her original might encourage puppy mills.

21: Hank Williams/George Thorogood: Move It On Over

You’ve heard of landing in the doghouse. That’s literally what this tune is about; the singer comes home after a night of carousing and winds up sleeping with the mutt. The song was a big hit twice: Hank Williams did the country-swing original in 1947, while Thorogood rocked it up three decades later.

20: Sublime: I Love My Dog

As far as songs about dogs go, this one might have the best groove. This Sublime nugget sails on a slinky reggae beat. And they really did love their dog: Lou Dog was Bradley Nowell’s pet Dalmatian, who was saluted in a number of their songs. He wrote this one after Lou went missing for a week.

19: Luke Bryan: Little Boys Grow Up and Dogs Get Old

Though it was released just three years ago, it’s an instant classic country tearjerker about a boy, his black Lab, and their inevitable goodbye. The dog doesn’t die in the song, but any dog lover will start tearing up when Luke Bryan sings about leaving town and telling his 14-year-old pet to be a good boy.

18: Nick Drake: Black Eyed Dog

Not all songs about dogs are cheerful: in this stark tune, the black-eyed dog is a metaphor for depression, a subject with which Nick Drake was sadly all too familiar. Jesse Winchester used the same metaphor in a similarly dark tune, “Black Dog.”

17: Dr. John: How Come My Dog Don’t Bark When You Come Around?

A longtime highlight of the Doctor’s live shows, this is one depraved song about infidelity and violent revenge – and it’s pretty funny. The singer’s dog is so mean that he bit the mailman and “took a chunk outta my mother,” but he wants to jump up and play whenever the backdoor guy shows up.

16: Led Zeppelin: Bron-Y-Aur Stomp

From the acoustic side of Led Zeppelin III, this was Zep at their lightest and most good-natured. Robert Plant doesn’t reveal until the last verse that the loving companion he’s singing about is four-legged; he also gets in a jokey reference to Elvis Presley’s “Old Shep.”

15: Procol Harum: Salty Dog

The “salty dog” in question is actually the captain of a majestic sailing ship. Procol Harum’s seafaring epic still rates as one of prog-rock’s grandest moments, thanks to a dramatic turn by singer Gary Brooker. It’s now a recognized classic, even though it flopped as a single in 1969.

14: Aerosmith: The Reason A Dog

Ask any Aerosmith fan and they’ll tell you that Done With Mirrors (the first album after they cleaned up but before all the comeback hits) is one of the lost gems in their catalog. This track is one of the reasons, a raunchy groove courtesy of bassist Tom Hamilton. The title offers a bit of advice: “The reason a dog has so many friends, ‘cause he wags his tail instead of his tongue!”

13: The Stooges: I Wanna Be Your Dog

Without a doubt, it’s punk rock’s greatest canine classic. This one became Iggy Pop’s calling card for decades. Listen closely and he’s really singing about sexual devotion – so between the obsessive lyric and John Cale’s classic one-note piano, there was always more here than meets the eye.

12: Rufus Thomas: The Dog

One of Stax’s greatest shouters, Rufus Thomas could make a killer dance record out of anything. “The Dog” was a less inhibited version of the dance craze “The Twist,” and he provides all the instructions you need: “Do the hound dog, do the bull dog, any kind of dog!” His next four hits were all songs about dogs, including the famous “Walking the Dog.”

11: Nazareth: Hair of the Dog

This attitude-heavy song really should have gone down as one of the all-time hard-rock classics, but it didn’t break in the US, where Nazareth was known mainly for their Everly Brothers cover “Love Hurts.” But it also delivered one of the best hard-rock shout-along choruses: “Now you’re messin’ with a son of a b_tch!”

10: Bobby “Blue” Bland: I Wouldn’t Treat a Dog (The Way You Treated Me)

The title tells the story; this is Bobby Bland at his most lowdown. Recorded in 1974, the track hailed from his Dreamer album, where he worked with top jazz players and aimed for the crossover success of his then-labelmate B.B. King. It paid off, with “I Wouldn’t Treat A Dog” becoming a hit.

9: Yusuf/Cat Stevens: I Love My Dog

The greatest song about a dog was written by a Cat. This was the master songwriter’s debut single and first U.K. hit. The singer loves his dog as much as his partner, and the lyric makes it sound like the dog will stick around longer. The music was interpolated from jazzman Yusef Lateef, who later got a co-writing credit.

8: The B-52’s: Quiche Lorraine

Leave it to the B-52’s to dream up a surreal, affectionate send-up of all those lost-dog songs. Fred Schneider gives the perfect dramatic reading to this tale of a runaway pet. It does beg the question: How in the world did anyone manage to lose a French poodle with dyed green hair and designer jeans?

7: The Royal Guardsmen: Snoopy Vs. the Red Baron

A cartoon dog who brings down the German flying ace in World War I? It was 1966 and you had to be there. The Florida garage band didn’t have anyone’s permission to record a single based on the Peanuts comic strip, but creator Charles Schulz ultimately said okay. This was the first in a string of Snoopy hits by the band, including one for Christmas.

6: Baha Men: Who Let the Dogs Out

This Trinidadian soca classic became a worldwide sensation at the turn of the millennium, and to this day no football game or frat party would be complete without it. But it started as an underground hit – the English DJ John Peel was among the first to play it – and was intended as a feminist-friendly send-up of boisterous guys.

5: Snoop Dogg: Doggy Dogg World

It’s hard to imagine a list like this without Snoop Dogg, AKA The Doggfather. This was a landmark fusion of 90s hip-hop with 70s soul, thanks to Dr. Dre’s savvy production and the Dramatics’ guest vocal – not to mention the video cameo by Pam Grier, years before her Tarantino comeback.

4: Elton John: Gulliver/It’s Hay Chewed

A real heartbreaker in waltz time, this poetic song addressed the memory of having a beloved dog put down. One of many overlooked tracks on Elton’s debut Empty Sky, this one showed the promise of the John-Taupin team. Elton’s wordless cries at the end are a real grabber and lead into the album’s offbeat finale.

3: The Beatles: Martha My Dear

Of course, Paul McCartney wrote one of the most charming songs about dogs. Only real fans knew that Martha was the name of his sheepdog, so the song worked on many fronts: As a love song to a pet, a pep talk to a loved one, or just a jaunty pop song with a great hook.

2: Big Mama Thornton: Hound Dog

Great as Elvis Presley’s version was, it didn’t match the venom of Big Mama’s original, which ranks as one of R&B’s great empowerment anthems. The guy’s just a hound dog because he disrespects her, is too lazy to catch any rabbits, and just wants to crash at her place. (Our local hound dogs would like us to point out that they’re hardworking hunting dogs).

1: George Clinton: Atomic Dog

There are countless songs about dogs, but they’ve never been this funky. Thanks to this tune, the 80s would be full of barking on the dancefloor. This was the runaway hit off George Clinton’s first official solo album Computer Games, and the first of many dog songs he’d unleash over the years.

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With each of her studio albums, Ariana Grande exposes a core component of her artist. On her debut, Yours Truly, the singer showcased her ability to merge retro elements with modern pop-R&B. By the time of Dangerous Woman, she was flirting with bad-girl themes in her lyrical subject matter. In between came, My Everything, which paired on her diva pipes with slick R&B and EDM beats to create a new kind of pop statement.

A confident new direction

Released on August 25, 2014, My Everything opens with the mostly a cappella “Intro,” as Ariana breezily sings, “I give you all I have and nothing less, I promise,” over a light piano and spellbinding synthesizers. It’s at this moment that listeners are immediately hooked by Grande’s new confident direction.

“Intro” rolls into the first single from My Everything, “Problem.” Over a jazzy suite of saxophones, trumpets, and bass, Grande hits every impossible-seeming note and returns to the 90s-era R&B sound that influenced Yours Truly, but with this time more bite. From Big Sean’s Ying Yang Twins-inspired whispered interludes, to Ariana’s Amerie-influenced vocals, “Problem” is the perfect concoction of throwback influences. And, once again, she teams up with an MC, in this case, budding rapper Iggy Azalea, who ups the song’s sass factor, taking it to No.2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

A dominant pop force

What makes My Everything stand out most from Grande’s discography is the string of hit singles that officially placed her among the dominant pop forces of the 2010s. The album’s second single, “Break Free,” saw Grande venturing into EDM territory with spacey synth-pop production courtesy of Zedd. Over a pulsating beat, the singer becomes a renewed woman, belting, “This is the part where I say I don’t want it/I’m stronger than I been before!/This is the part where I break free!” The song instantly became a gay anthem, was adopted by her LGBTQ fanbase, and turned Grande into a bona fide gay icon for her generation.

For the follow-up hit, Grande linked up with vocal powerhouse Jessie J and her soon-to-be frequent rap collaborator Nicki Minaj. “Bang Bang”, was an anthemic pop single that celebrated female empowerment while channeling a 60s girl-group sound. While the track first appeared on Jessie J’s record, it would later appear as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of My Everything.

Upon first listen, “One Last Time” appears to be another downtempo cut from an artist who eats ballads for breakfast, before it picks up the pace and turns into a dance-pop number. “One Last Time” sees Grande at her most vulnerable, even pursuing infidelity as a means of rekindling her relationship.

A collaborative effort

What’s also fascinating about Grande’s discography is how she often dips her ponytail in the lane of hip-hop soul. While her style doesn’t occupy the same realms as a Mary J. Blige, Grande adds her own depth to the genre and has been integral to how hip-hop soul has evolved in the 2010s, creating a more uniform sound that caters to millennial and Gen-Z pop audiences.

Just as her pop predecessor Mariah Carey became one of hip-hop’s biggest champions, Grande also teamed up with some of hip-hop’s brightest talent to give My Everything crossover appeal. Along with Azalea and Minaj’s guest spots, Big Sean re-emerges on the keyboard-aided “Best Mistake,” on which Grande shows off her lower register with a knocking bassline in support. Childish Gambino also makes an appearance on “Break Your Heart Right Back” (which samples Notorious B.I.G.’s “Mo Money Mo Problems,” while A$AP Ferg guests on the bouncy “Hands On Me,” a precursor to the party tracks that would dominate Dangerous Woman.

Shedding her sweet image

My Everything was not only a sonic step forward, but saw Grande shed the sweet, almost fairytale-like image established on her debut, Yours Truly, for a more grown-up attitude to life and love. The Weeknd-assisted “Love Me Harder” takes a cue from his seductive synth-wave and, ultimately, broke him as a mainstream artist, proving Grande was now in the position of giving co-signs. With its throbbing synths and not-so-subtle sexual innuendos, it was clear Grande was not a teen-pop novelty.

Hip-hop heavyweights aren’t the only cameos who help push My Everything into edgier territory. Grande also had the world’s top EDM producers at her disposal, from Zedd to David Guetta, and Norwegian producer Cashmere Cat on the fan-favorite, “Be My Baby.” Even with a heavy emphasis on electronic-tinged R&B, however, My Everything is not without its quiet moments, from the Harry Styles-penned “Just A Little Bit Of Your Heart” to the title track and tender album closer, “My Everything.”

At the end of the deluxe edition of My Everything is “You Don’t Know Me,” a perfect closer to lead into the Dangerous Woman era. Grande understands that she’s the “center of attention once again”, as the production twists and turns from a slow tempo to a hopping beat. She imparts her final sentiments by singing, “Think you know me but there’s more to see, my love.”

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When we think of Smokey Robinson‘s indelible imprint on our collective musical consciousness, our first instinct may be to celebrate his incredible achievements as the frontman of the Miracles and as a writer and producer beyond compare, for that group and so many fellow Motown superstars.

But as he developed his solo career in the 1970s, he became one of the architects of a new sub-genre of smooth soul named after his 1975 hit “A Quiet Storm.” Then in 1979, that slow-jam style gave him his biggest hit in his own name of the entire decade: “Cruisin’” found its way to the Top 5 of Billboard’s U.S. R&B and pop charts, and to No. 1 on Cash Box.

Robinson’s 1975 album, also called A Quiet Storm, became the template for a new, sensual and sophisticated subdivision of soul and the entire radio genre named after it. He later described his vision for that LP’s concept of “seven songs carried on the back of a breeze, blowing through the record from start to finish.” The album gave him an R&B No.1 in “Baby That’s Backatcha” and set the mood not only for some of Smokey’s subsequent releases but for Quiet Storm staples by the likes of Teddy Pendergrass, Rose Royce, and the Isley Brothers.

Robinson, also by this time a longtime industry figurehead as VP not only of Motown but also of the Performing Arts division of the Black Music Association, further augmented his catalog of solo R&B hits with such songs as “There Will Come A Day (I’m Gonna Happen To You)” and another Quiet Storm gem, “Daylight & Darkness.” But a major pop crossover in his own name had continued to elude him.

Then came the Where There’s Smoke… album, which was released on Motown in May 1979 and became the latest demonstration of Smokey’s mastery of infectious, distinctive soulfulness of every stripe. He acknowledged, for example, the prevailing disco sound, but was never subsumed by it, on such tracks as “It’s A Good Night” and “Share It,” and updated his own immortal classic for the Temptations, “Get Ready,” into a four-to-the-floor club favorite released as a 12-inch single.

But that left plenty of room for what other artists of the day, notably Pendergrass and Barry White, had now customized as “bedroom soul.” In Robinson’s hands, that subtle but sumptuously romantic style was typified by “I Love The Nearness Of You,” co-written with his old friend Stevie Wonder, and the reflective, string-laden “The Hurt’s On You.” But the jewel in that album’s crown, and the single that would be all over pop and R&B playlists that summer, was the song that carried his Quiet Storm sound into the ’80s, “Cruisin’.”

Robinson co-wrote the track with his close friend and former Miracles bandmate Marv Tarplin, with whom he had continued to work since Smokey’s departure from the group in 1972. Tarplin came up with the melody not long after that, but Robinson couldn’t conjure a suitable lyric until some five years later, when his car radio came to his aid.

“I was driving my car down Sunset Boulevard and I heard that song by the Rascals, ‘Groovin’ and I thought, ‘That’s it! Grooving,” he told The Guardian. “But then, no, it wasn’t intimate enough, it wasn’t sensual enough for the music, and that’s when I thought of ‘cruisin.’”

Part of the song’s success was a title phrase that was delightfully ambiguous. “You’d be surprised by how many people speculate on what cruisin’ means,” added Smokey. “Cruisin’ is a word that I leave up to the listener. When you’re with the person you’re with, and you feel you’re cruisin’, it’s whatever you want it to be.”

The combination of the song’s mesmerically hedonistic lyrics and the vocalist’s own sultry, cool-breeze production was utterly irresistible. “Heaven for fans who remember Smokey’s distinctively soft and supple R&B,” purred the Cash Box review. The song peaked at No.4 on both the pop and soul listings on Billboard, staying on the latter survey for an epic 28 weeks.

Better was to come on the Cash Box pop chart, on which “Cruisin’” finally rose to No.1 as late as mid-February 1980. It also reached the summit, and gold certification, in New Zealand. Smokey had reached a whole new cruising speed.

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Throughout her career, Mary J. Blige has received many titles to describe her unique brand of soul. On her fourth studio album, Mary, the “queen of hip-hop soul” stripped away her usual contemporary sounds, opting for a classic R&B approach. No longer masking her ornate bravado with hip-hop samples and Uptown vocals, Blige took a plunge into the newly established world of neo-soul, harkening back to essential 70s-styled R&B. The album’s third track, “Deep Inside,” provided its sentimental thesis: Blige wished her listeners “could see that I’m just plain ol’ Mary.”

A new chapter

Released on August 17, 1999, Mary signaled a new chapter not only in the singer’s life, but in her musical evolution. In the three studio albums leading up to the album, Blige earned her place in the industry by fusing uptempo hip-hop swagger with rough-hewn vocals that unearthed the pain and passion of black womanhood – whether that was searching for ‘Real Love’ on her New Jack Swing-tinged What’s The 411?, or declaring “I Can Love You”(better than she can) over the mafioso beat of Lil’ Kim’s “Queen Bi__h,” on Share My World. In the 90s, Mary J. Blige became an iconic voice and representation of Generation X street culture, style, slang, and popular music.

At the end of the decade, both R&B and hip-hop experienced a renaissance, as the genres rapidly merged towards a new alternative. By 1999, neo-soul had pushed its way to the forefront of mainstream R&B thanks to the likes of Erykah Badu, D’Angelo and Maxwell. Blige had previously collaborated with another neo-soul pioneer, Lauryn Hill, on “I Used To Love Him,” from the latter’s The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, and on Mary, Hill returned the favor, writing the album’s soulful opener and singing background vocals on “All That I Can Say.”

A blissful state

The first half of Mary documents a blissful state of being in love, with neo-soul acting as the engine that powers through that euphoria. As the follow-up to “All That I Can Say,” “Sexy” rekindles Blige’s hip-hop soul instincts with a sophisticated lounge groove meant for mixers, while fellow Yonkers native Jadakiss jumps on the track with a verse.

‘Deep Inside’ finds the singer at her most vulnerable and introspective over Elton John’s 1973 classic “Bennie And The Jets,” lamenting the obstacles that her fame creates for her relationships. Hardly a sample or interpolation, when you’re Mary J. Blige, you just get Sir Elton himself to come and play piano on the track for you. Perhaps even more surprising than that, however, is “Beautiful Ones,” which begins with the winding guitar strings of Earl Klugh’s 1976 instrumental “The April Fools” and loops repeatedly over the lush melody as Blige opines about her lover’s qualities.

An old soul

Since her start, Blige always had a knack for drawing on the healing remedies of old-school R&B, most notably on her cover of Rufus And Chaka Khan’s “Sweet Thing” and her use of a jazzy Roy Ayers sample of “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” on “My Life.” This thematic evolution continues on Mary, with its more mature lyrics and the expansive resonance in her singing voice. Blige draws upon 70s R&B and soul for the album, in particular her favorite songs she grew up with.

The first act of Mary concludes with a cover of the 1979 Gap Band classic “I’m In Love.” The song highlights a sunshine motif that recurs throughout the first half of the album, as Blige hits her highest octave on the line “The sun will shine for me and you”.

A painful return

Following “I’m In Love,” Mary takes a turn as Blige once again taps into a darker pain that drives so much of her music. Dubbed a “a virtuoso of suffering” by The New York Times, Blige has also derived art from her most scarring experiences. Rather than dress up that sorrow with theatrics and her usual flashiness, however, on Mary, Blige lets things sink in, keeping the arrangement simple, which allows her to be more vulnerable.

On the consciousness-raising “Time,” Blige takes aim at the world and her armchair critics while referencing two classic songs, first sampling Stevie Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise,” from the Motown icon’s 1976 opus, Songs In The Key Of Life, and flipping the script on The Rolling Stones as she laments, “Time is not on our side.”

A turbulent relationship

Blige’s on-again-off-again relationship with fellow R&B crooner “K-Ci” Hailey, of K-Ci And JoJo, has been a core subject throughout her work. Plagued with infidelity, jealousy, domestic violence and drug abuse, the turmoil from their toxic love has brought the singer some of her most memorable deep cuts, including “Memories,” on which she declares, “Valentine’s Day will never be the same.”

Aretha Franklin weighs in and advises her soulful progeny on “Don’t Waste Your Time,” before K-Ci himself appears on “Not Lookin,’” confessing, through back and forth banter, that he doesn’t want to fall in love with Blige, regardless of his true feelings. The pain continues on Mary’s stand-out ballad, “Your Child,” which sees Blige confronting her disloyal partner and the woman he impregnates.

By the time you get to “No Happy Holiday,” Blige realizes she’s still in love, despite the heartbreak, and in true diva fashion, she advises herself to “wake up” in order to not lose “The Love I Never Had,” singing over the funk blare of the Jimmy Jam- and Terry Lewis-produced live band.

All-star guests

Swapping out guest MCs for rock’n’roll legends on Mary, Blige recruited Eric Clapton for the slow-burning “Give Me You,” an organ-heavy olive branch of forgiveness. Slowhand saves the fancier fretwork for later, quietly supporting Blige until he fully unleashes his guitar mid-way through the song. Blige then closes out the album with a disco-influenced cover of First Choice’s 1977 single, “Let No Man Put Asunder.”

By the end of Mary’s 72-minute run, the queen of hip-hop soul has proved that she is, in fact, the queen of R&B. The album not only showcases her ability to weave various motifs throughout her music, but also her skill at tackling different branches of the genre: past, present, and future. Most importantly, it achieved what R&B music is all about: using rhythm’n’blues to express your own story of love, hurt, and redemption, and having the audience feel every note.

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Teyana Taylor continues the rollout of her upcoming album Escape Room, unveiling the star-studded tracklist.

The R&B star and multi-hyphenate entertainer’s album (which drops August 22) includes guest features like Jill Scott, Tyla, Lucky Daye, and Kaytranada. The family-oriented singer also includes her children, Rue Rose and Junie Shumpert, on the album’s closing track. Taylor showcases her passion for acting on the album, adding narrative interludes from award-winning actors Taraji P. Henson, Sarah Paulson, La La, Niecey Nash, Tasha Smith, Jodie Turner-Smith, Issa Rae, Kerry Washington, and Regina King. The track list announcement shows Taylor’s brain and body connected to multiple wires, teasing the album’s cinematic experience.

Escape Room features lead single ‘Long Time,’ a fitting title as the album marks Taylor’s first LP in five years. Taylor announced Escape Room with a trailer for the album’s accompanying short film, which co-stars Lakeith Stanfield and Aaron Pierre. The artist wrote, directed, and produced the film alongside her all-female production company, the Aunties.

Escape Room follows 2020’s The Album, which received a RIAA gold certification back in June. During an appearance on The Today Show, Taylor was given gold plaques for The Album and 2018’s K.T.S.E., along with platinum plaques for a couple of her singles.

While Taylor took a brief pause from music, she became even more active in her acting career, starring in 2021’s Coming 2 America. In 2023, she appeared in A Thousand and One, White Men Can’t Jump, and The Book of Clarence. This year, her projects include Tyler Perry’s Straw (which premiered on Netflix in June) and Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another. Set for a September release, she’ll star opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro, and Sean Penn. She’s also set to join Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in The Rip on Netflix and is part of Ryan Murphy’s All’s Fair alongside Kim Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Glenn Close, and Sarah Paulson.

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