Reading Time: 17 min read

13 Songs Where YOU Are the Focus, Vol. 3 (2025) [๐Ÿ“ท: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Ahmed Azizย fromย Pexels;ย AcatXlo,ย Niek Verlaan,ย OpenClipart-Vectorsย fromย Pixabay]13 Songs Where YOU Are the Focus, Vol. 3 features songs by Alex Warren, LUKAS OSCAR, Noah Kahan, Prince, and Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco.

Remember,ย YOUย can make a difference and be influential in many ways. You are a big deal. ย You, as a second-person pronoun, appears in many songs.ย 13 Songs Where YOU Are the Focus, Vol. 3 follows up ย 13 Songs Where YOU Are the Focus (2025) and 13 More Songs Where YOU Are the Focus. It celebrates the power of Y-O-U!ย Youย or some form of the word is the only requirement for songs selected on this playlist.ย 13 Songs Where YOU Are the Focus, Vol. 3 features songs by Alex Warren, LUKAS OSCAR, Noah Kahan, Prince, and Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco. So, without further ado, prepare to be wowed by MORE irresistible Y-O-U songs!


~ Table of Contents ~

1. LUKAS OSCAR, โ€œSo Romantic U + Iโ€ 2. Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco, โ€œYou Said You Were Sorryโ€ 3. Gnash, โ€œi hate u, i love uโ€ (Ft. Olivia Oโ€™Brien) 4. Alex Warren, โ€œCarry You Homeโ€
5. Prince, โ€œJack U Offโ€ 6. Noah Kahan, โ€œYouโ€™re Gonna Go Farโ€ 7. Elton John, โ€œCan You Feel The Love Tonightโ€ 8. Josie Cotton, โ€œJohnny, Are You Queer?โ€
9. Omar Apollo, โ€œDone With Youโ€ 10. Lloyd, โ€œYouโ€ (Ft. Lil Wayne) 11. Linda Ronstadt, โ€œYouโ€™re No Goodโ€ 12. Lenny Williams, โ€œโ€˜Cause I Love Youโ€
13. Shirley Caesar, โ€œHeโ€™s Working It Out For Youโ€ ย  ย  ย 

 


1. LUKAS OSCAR, โ€œSo Romantic U + Iโ€

โ€œSo Romantic U + Iโ€ // LUKAS OSCAR // 2025

LUKAS OSCAR, So Romantic U + I [๐Ÿ“ท: LUKAS OSCAR]โ€œYou show up unannounced at night / That creepy hour between 3 and 5.โ€ So, LUKAS OSCAR (Lukas Oscar Janisch), this nameless person arrives at an unholy hour? Hmm, I have so many questions. ย There seems to be an โ€˜intimate encounterโ€™ in โ€œSo Romantic U + Iโ€. Oscar continues singing in the brief, sub-two-minute song, โ€œThen you blind the room in sequins / Plastic pupils in your plastic eyes.โ€ Intriguing, thought-provoking lyrics. Sequins are obnoxiously bright and eye-catching.ย  Are they so bright that they have created googly eyes (plastic pupils and plastic eyes)? The Gen-Z Filipino Austrian musician penned and produced this romantic indie pop joint.

โ€œAnd itโ€™s so romantic you and I

And that one guy thatโ€™s watching from outside

Weโ€™re one big family

One homeโ€ฆโ€

Again, the lyrics are thought-provoking. Later, OSCAR requests, โ€œCut the lights,โ€ adding some odd, open-to-interpretation lyrics: โ€œMh mh cut the l1ghts c0ldled fe1n r1gh / G0t the l1ghts fu0 me c1t1 r1ght.โ€ Say what, now?! It sounds sexualโ€ฆ Supporting this intimate experience with this nameless person is a great production. It features an awesome groove โ€“ a dusty, soulful hip-hop beat. Besides the beat, superb music cues include low-key synths and pads.ย  Also, โ€˜low-keyโ€™ is Oscarโ€™s vocals.ย  They sound chill and laid-back.ย  He is expressive yet manages to sound both indulgent and nonchalant simultaneously.ย  The melodies are tuneful even when Lukas drops the less decipherable lyrics. โ€œSo Romantic U + Iโ€ feels sexy without being explicit or overt.

Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:

~ Table of Contents ~

2. Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco, โ€œYou Said You Were Sorryโ€

I Said I Love You First // SMG Music LLC / Friends Keep Secrets / Interscope // 2025

Selena Gomez & benny blanco, I Said I Love You First [๐Ÿ“ท: SMG Music LLC / Friends Keep Secrets / Interscope]โ€œType of love that can make a bitch crazy / He fills me up, yeah, he never gets lazy / I wouldnโ€™t leave him even if you paid me.โ€ Ooh-wee! Damn, Selena Gomez! Gomez has โ€˜mad loveโ€™ for her fiancรฉ, Benny Blanco. โ€œYou Said You Were Sorryโ€ is the 11th track from their 3035 collaborative album, I Said I Love You First. Of her โ€˜new flameโ€™ (Benny), Gomez asserts, โ€œNew flame, he could melt a damn diamond / Spell my name, see the back of my eyelids / Oh, this is love.โ€ Oh, snap ๐Ÿซฐ! So, with the focus being on her happy new relationship, where does the sorry come into play? In a dream, based on what Gomez believes should or should have happened after her past relationship.ย  In the chorus, she sings, โ€œBut I had a dream / You said you were sorry, said you were sorry / Sorry for everything / That you put on me, that you put on me.โ€ In this dream, which isnโ€™t the reality of the situation, there was a resolution including forgiveness.ย  Gomez and Blanco wrote โ€œYou Said You Were Sorryโ€ with Kiddo A.I., Justin Tranter, John Byron, and Cashmere Cat. Blanco and Cashmere Cat produced it.ย  A pleasant pop record, Gomez sings well, and the songwriting and production are respectable. ย A solid Y-O-U song.

~ Table of Contents ~

3. Gnash, โ€œi hate u, i love uโ€ (Ft. Olivia Oโ€™Brien)

Gnash // Us // :): // 2016

gnash, us [๐Ÿ“ท: -)-]โ€œDo you miss me like I miss you? / Fucked around and got attached to you.โ€ Oh, snap, gnash (Garrett Nash).ย  He continues singing in his 2016, love/hate-driven hit single, โ€œI hate u, i love uโ€, โ€œFriends can break your heart too, and / Iโ€™m always tired but never of you.โ€ย โ€œI hate uโ€ was the crowning achievement of the singer/songwriter/producerโ€™s EP, Us.ย  Notably, then-rising teen-pop artist, Olivia Oโ€™Brien collaborated with him.ย  The song peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is Gnashโ€™s highest-charting song as the lead artist and his only top 40 hit credited as the lead artist.

The approach of โ€œI hate u, I love uโ€ is as โ€˜oxymoronicโ€™ as its title. Before gnash drops his cool, calm, and collected, if profane lyrics, Olivia Oโ€™Brien draws first blood.ย  โ€œFeeling used, but Iโ€™m / Still missing you and I canโ€™t / See the end of this / Just wanna feel your kiss against my lips,โ€ she sings in the dramatic, emotional first verse.ย  She follows up with the unforgettable chorus: โ€œI hate you, I love you / I hate that I love you / Donโ€™t want to, but I canโ€™t put / Nobody else above youโ€ฆโ€ Gnash, then, takes the reins, where he utters the shit at the end of four consecutive lines โ€“ only after he โ€œfucked around and got attached to you,โ€ of course.

โ€œIf I pulled a you on you, you wouldn’t like that shit

I put this reel out, but you wouldn’t bite that shit

I type a text, but then I never mind that shit

I got these feelings, but you never mind that shit.โ€

What more can you say but, โ€˜oh, shit!โ€™ Gnash also delivers a third verse, continuing to be affected by this love-hate. โ€œYou ever wonder what we could have been? / You said you wouldnโ€™t and you fucking did / Lie to me, lie to me, get your fucking fixโ€ฆโ€ Word.ย  Gnash never struck gold after the late 2010s, but the memorable โ€œI hate u, i love uโ€ remains a gem from the decade. No hate here!

Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:

~ Table of Contents ~

4. Alex Warren, โ€œCarry You Homeโ€

Youโ€™ll Be Alright, Kid (Chapter 1) // Atlantic Recording Corporation // 2024

Alex Warren, Youโ€™ll Be Alright, Kid (Chapter 1) [๐Ÿ“ท: Atlantic Recording Corporation]โ€œOh, I hope you know, I will carry you home / Whether itโ€™s tonight or fifty-five years down the road.โ€ What is that sound that I hear, Alex Warren? Why, itโ€™s wedding bells ๐Ÿ”” ๐Ÿ’! โ€œCarry You Homeโ€ is giving off those โ€˜sealing the deal foreverโ€™ vibes. The dedication is sublime, like โ€œLove, lift us up where we belongโ€! Alex, you may now kiss the bride! โ€œCarry You Homeโ€ is the fourth track from his 2024 album, Youโ€™ll Be Alright, Kid (Chapter 1). He penned โ€œCarryโ€ alongside Cal Shapiro, Mags Duval, and producer Adam Yaron.

Beyond the chorus excerpted above, Warren sees a bright and fruitful future.ย  โ€œI know none of them [dreams] have stuck yet,โ€ he sings in the first verse, โ€œBut I bet it on you, honey / Oh, I would risk it all.โ€ ย In the second verse, despite being homeless, him and her โ€œkept each other warm under a ceiling full of stars.โ€ Aww ๐Ÿฅฐ! Despite adversity, they made it through thick and thin. Through the good and bad times, Alex has made his choice, and he wonโ€™t change his mind: โ€œI choose us every time.โ€ That is a great choice, buddy! Warren sings this driving, folk-pop record beautifully. He never gets โ€˜too highโ€™ in the verses but ups the ante in the pre-chorus and the crรจme de la crรจme, the chorus. The authenticity, sincerity, and thoughtfulness of โ€œCarry You Homeโ€ are awe-inspiring. Alex, YOU are a surefire winner.

Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:

~ Table of Contents ~

5. Prince, โ€œJack U Offโ€

Controversy // Warner // 1981

Prince, Controversy [๐Ÿ“ท: Warner]โ€œIf youโ€™re looking for somewhere to goย / Thought Iโ€™d take you to a movie showย / Sitting in the back and Iโ€™ll jack you off.โ€ย ย Oh, snap ๐Ÿ˜ณ! Prince (1958 โ€“ 2016) was the exemplification of a provocative musician, particularly in the 1980s.ย  โ€œJack U Offโ€ is a prime example of him playing provocateur (emphasis on play ๐Ÿ˜ˆ). The Purple One suggests heโ€™s going to โ€˜jack offโ€™ a woman, which is an unusual way to phrase a male-to-female masturbatory act. The only other explanation is questioning if Prince was referencing somebody other than a cis woman… โ€œJack U Offโ€ is the eighth and final track from his 1981 album, Controversy. ย 

On โ€œJack U Off,โ€ there is no gray area. It is a blunt title referencing a specific sex act. While his bassist, Mark Brown, suggested that Prince didnโ€™t understand the terminology, that seems unfathomable for an artist who excelled at sex songs. โ€œCome on over to my neighborhoodย / We can jump in the sack, and Iโ€™ll jack you off,โ€ Prince asserts in the first verse, continuing, โ€œIf youโ€™re tired of the masturbatorย / Little girl, we can go on a dateย / And if you like, Iโ€™ll jack you off.โ€ย  One of the interesting incidents involving this controversial song is when Prince opened for The Rolling Stones in 1981.ย  As bassist Brown asserts in a Music Radar interview, The Rolling Stonesโ€™ audience was not Princeโ€™s audience.ย  The performance didnโ€™t go well. Prince was infamously booed, called homophobic slurs, and ill-received.ย  Why? Princeโ€™s androgynous appearance and fashion, and this risquรฉ, rockabilly-sounding number that only drew more ire from an audience that wasnโ€™t hip to him. Admit it, a song where you assert, โ€œIโ€™ll jack you offโ€ repeatedly is a tall task, particularly for what would have been an entirely different fan base.ย  โ€œJack U Offโ€ embraces controversy in an incredibly funky fashion.ย  Princeโ€™s voice sounds amazing, as always, while the musical accompaniment is high-energy and utterly infectious.ย  Jacking U Off never sounded soโ€ฆ never mind!

Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:ย ย 

~ Table of Contents ~

6. Noah Kahan, โ€œYouโ€™re Gonna Go Farโ€

Stick Season (Weโ€™ll All Be Here Forever) // Mercury / Republic // 2023

Noah Kahan, Stick Season (Weโ€™ll All Be Here Forever) [๐Ÿ“ท: Mercury / Republic]โ€œThe only time I got to praying for a red light / Was when I saw your destination as a deadline.โ€ Those are brilliant opening lyrics, Noah Kahan. Is it surprising that the Grammy-nominated Vermont singer/songwriter put his foot into the lyrics of โ€œYouโ€™re Gonna Go Farโ€? No, not at all. Kahan is quite talented, something that the 20th track from Stick Season (Weโ€™ll All Be Here Forever) easily shows. Another thought-provoking lyric comes from the second verse: โ€œThe college kids are getting so young, ainโ€™t they? Theyโ€™re correcting all the grammar on our spray paint.โ€ Kahan penned โ€œYouโ€™re Gonna Go Far.โ€ He produced the gorgeous folk-pop cut with Gabe Simon.

โ€œYouโ€™re Gonna Go Farโ€ begins with acoustic guitar accompaniment. Light at first, the production gradually grows fuller with more instrumentation. By the third verse (โ€œIt wonโ€™t be by your own volition / If you step outside this townโ€), the song is more dynamic musically. Kahan delivers clear, commanding, and pure vocals. His songwriting is honest, memorable, and transparent. A prime example: โ€œAnd, while I clean shit up in the yard / Ooh-ooh, youโ€™ll be far / Ooo-ooh, youโ€™ll be far, far from here.โ€ Throughout, the person Kahan sings about is leaving their hometown, with the titular lyric doubling as going far in distance and success. The section to beat is the chorus:

โ€œSo, pack up your care, put a hand on your heart

Say whatever you feel, be wherever you are

We ainโ€™t angry at you, love

Youโ€™re the greatest thing weโ€™ve lost

โ€ฆWe ainโ€™t angry at you, love

Weโ€™ll be waiting for you, love

And weโ€™ll all be here forever.โ€

โ€œYouโ€™re Gonna Go Farโ€ is another winner from Noah Kahan, period. There is also a version with Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile.

~ Table of Contents ~

7. Elton John, โ€œCan You Feel the Love Tonightโ€

The Lion King // The Walt Disney Company // 1994

The Lion King [๐Ÿ“ท: The Walt Disney Company]โ€œThereโ€™s a calm surrender to the rush of day / When the heat of a rolling wind can be turned away.โ€ย  Those timeless, unforgettable lyrics hail from โ€œCan You Feel the Love Tonightโ€, one of the truly great songs from the 1990s.ย  Elton John recorded a masterpiece, plain and simple. โ€œCan You Feel the Love Tonightโ€ is the 12th and final track from The Lion King.ย  The film version, penned alongside lyricist Tim Rice, appears as the fifth track. The more sophisticated end title runs a minute longer, featuring a slower, more relaxed tempo. Although the song is associated with The Lion King, one of Disneyโ€™s greatest animated films, it is a marvelous, standalone song. โ€œCanโ€ peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. It was certified platinum by the RIAA in 2018. Impressive. Beyond sales, streams, and chart success, John won his first Academy Award for Best Original Song (beating his other compositionsย  โ€œCircle Of Lifeโ€ and โ€œHakuna Matataโ€), and a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

Everything about โ€œCan You Feel the Love Tonightโ€ feels right.ย  It features a gorgeous, adult contemporary sound. This sound was prevalent in the 1990s. The orchestration is top-notch.ย  John delivers commanding, soulful vocals bringing Riceโ€™s poetic, poignant lyrics to life. โ€œThereโ€™s a time for everyone, if they only learn,โ€ he sings in the second verse, adding, โ€œThat the twistinโ€™ kaleidoscope moves us all in turn.โ€ John didnโ€™t compose the lyrics, but he penned the marvelous melodies and music. The musical underpinnings, specifically the harmonic progression, are part of the elite musicianship of โ€œCan You Feel the Love Tonight.โ€ The moment to beat is the chorus, among the most memorable of all time.

โ€œAnd can you feel the love tonight? (Tonight)

It is where we are

Itโ€™s enough for this wide-eyed wanderer

That we got this far

And can you feel the love tonight? (Tonight)

How itโ€™s laid to rest?

Itโ€™s enough to make kings and vagabonds

Believe the very best.โ€

โ€œCan You Feel The Love Tonightโ€ is nothing short of iconic.ย  Elton John has written many hits.ย  This Disney collaboration with Tim Rice is one of his greatest.

Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:ย 

~ Table of Contents ~

8. Josie Cotton, โ€œJohnny, Are You Queer?โ€

Convertible Music // Kitten Robot // 1982ย 

Josie Cotton, Convertible Music [๐Ÿ“ท: Kitten Robot]โ€œAnd I saw you today, boy / Walking with them gay ๐ŸŒˆ boys.โ€ Hmm, what is your point, Josie Cotton? How do you know that the boys are gay, and what is wrong with Johnny hanging out with them? Itโ€™s giving homophobia, girl, depending on who you ask. โ€œNow you hurt me so / Now I gotta know / Johnny, are you queer?โ€ Oh, boy! It should come as no surprise why โ€œJohnny, Are You Queer?โ€ is controversial.ย  The eyebrow-raising pop/ New Wave song appears on Cottonโ€™s 1982 debut album, Convertible Music. Larson Paine and Robert Paine penned this sus classic. It was first recorded by the Go-Goโ€™s [hear the live recording here], but Cotton was the first to release it. To provide even more context as to why Josie asks about Johnnyโ€™s sexuality: โ€œWhen the lights are low / You never hold me close.โ€

Songs about sexuality lend themselves to controversy. Such songs can be more controversial when there is a lack or perceived lack of nuance.ย  That is the problem with โ€œJohnny, Are you Queer.โ€ Musically, this is a bop and a half! The driving instrumental โ€˜kicks ass and takes names.โ€™ Cottonโ€™s vocal performance is playful, and she brings plenty of attitude.ย  But the lyrics are problematic.ย  If Johnny is in a โ€˜committedโ€™ relationship with Josie (or her character) and is not being open about his sexuality, he is wrong. However, the way that she judges him assumes his friends are gay and tries to force a romance that is a non-starter, that is nothing short of a hot mess.ย  I mean, if he is gay, it is unlikely he will embrace a relationship with youโ€ฆ Interestingly, gays and conservatives cried foul about this song. The gays thought she was homophobic. Conservatives thought she was promoting homosexuality. Go figure! Sadly, per RETROPOP, the song was used in conversion therapy. Yikes.ย  Ultimately, while โ€œJohnny, Are You Queerโ€ is problematic lyrically, it is a song that should be taken with a grain of salt. It gives a heaping dose of camp.

Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:

~ Table of Contents ~

9. Omar Apollo, โ€œDone With Youโ€

God Said No // Omar Apollo / Warner // 2024ย 

Omar Apollo, God Said No [๐Ÿ“ท: Warner]โ€œIโ€™m so done with you, done with you, done with you, done with you, done.โ€ Iโ€™d venture to say that Grammy-nominated pop singer/songwriter Omar Apollo (Omar Velasco) is D-O-N-E โœ… with him. โ€œDone With Youโ€ is the fourth track from his 2024 sophomore album, God Said No. โ€œSometimes, love donโ€™t make it right,โ€ he sings in the pre-chorus. True. During the first verse, Omar reminisces.ย  He recollects moments such as talking and missing him when heโ€™s gone. In the second verse, there is clinging to the past: โ€œWonโ€™t you please just let me go? / Iโ€™d be better off alone / Iโ€™m still wearing all your clothes / Let me go, let me go.โ€ Of course, in the chorus, he swears off him โœ…, whether that is true or not. Throughout โ€œDone,โ€ Omar blesses us with his soulful, expressive, and nuanced vocals.ย  His runs are fabulous. He sings over a groovy, R&B backdrop โ€“ think neo-soul/contemporary soul. The melodies are beautiful. Velasco wrote and produced โ€œDone With Youโ€ with Blake Slatkin, Carter Lang, Teo Halm, Dylan Wiggins, and Scott Bridgeway. One of the best moments adds to the lighthearted nature of the track.ย  In the second pre-chorus, we get the fun lyric, โ€œBro, you got better bitches, like.โ€ Word.

~ Table of Contents ~

10. Lloyd, โ€œYouโ€ (Ft. Lil Wayne)

Street Love // Universal Motown Records // 2007ย 

Lloyd, Street Love [๐Ÿ“ท: Universal Motown Records]โ€œCan I be for real? / This is how I feel / Iโ€™m in need of love / So, letโ€™s dip up out of here.โ€ Lloyd โ€“ what a handsome and talented man! He had a successful run in the 2000s, led by his hit, โ€œYouโ€. โ€œYouโ€ is the second track from his platinum-certified 2007 album, Street Love. โ€œYou,โ€ which features Grammy-winning rapper Lil Wayne, peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA. Jasper Cameron and Big Reese produced โ€œYou,โ€ which exemplifies the sleek, contemporary R&B sound of the late 00s. It also gets help from some samples: โ€œTrueโ€ by Spandau Ballet, โ€œSong Cryโ€ by Jay-Z, and โ€œSoldierโ€ by Destinyโ€™s Child.

โ€œYouโ€ is attributed to Lloyd as the lead artist but featured artist Lil Wayne talks his shit from the get-go.ย  In the intro, Weezy asserts, โ€œWeezy F. Baby /โ€ฆ And uh, I want all my sexy ladies to report to the dance floor.โ€ Following the intro that gasses us up, Weezy continues โ€˜do the damn thingโ€™ in the first verse, asserting, โ€œRight off the bat ma, the boy got dollars / So women come frequent like flight mileage.โ€ Ooh-wee! Lloyd โ€˜brings the heatโ€™ beginning in the second verse. Honest, he admits, โ€œGirl, please / Iโ€™m a player, yeah, itโ€™s true / But I can change the game for you / I wanna see what it do.โ€ In the pre-chorus, excerpted earlier, he encourages her to go with him. In the chorus, he proclaims, โ€œSheโ€™s fine too [the other woman] / But I want you.โ€ That, my friends, is where you of โ€œYouโ€ comes into the picture.ย  Lloyd delivers a third verse, while Weezy F. Baby returns for the fourth and final verse (โ€œYou know I love you liked cooked food / You know you fucking with a good dudeโ€). The memorable โ€œYouโ€ is the biggest song of Lloydโ€™s career โ€“ the one that elevated him to higher heights. Since then, and his Street Love days, he hasnโ€™t achieved the same success.

Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:

~ Table of Contents ~

11. Linda Ronstadt, โ€œYouโ€™re No Goodโ€

Heart Like A Wheel // Capitolย // 1974

Linda Ronstadt, Heart Like A Wheel [๐Ÿ“ท: Capitol]โ€œYouโ€™re no good, youโ€™re no good, youโ€™re no good / Baby, youโ€™re no good.โ€ Iโ€™d venture to say that on โ€œYouโ€™re No Goodโ€, Grammy-winning, critically acclaimed singer Linda Ronstadt believes that heโ€™s no good.ย  In the Clint Ballard Jr.-penned cut, Ronstadt makes this cover her own. ย Originally recorded by Dee Dee Warwick (1942 โ€“ 2008) in 1963, Betty Everette (1939 โ€“ 2001) scored a moderate pop hit with it the same year (number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100).ย  The Ronstadt version arrived 11 years later as the opening track on her 1974, double platinum album, Heart Like A Wheel.ย  โ€œYouโ€™re No Goodโ€ earned Linda her sole number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100.ย  While โ€œYouโ€™re No Goodโ€ was specifically nominated for a Grammy, the album was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female and Album Of The Year at the 18th Annual GRAMMY Awards.

ย 

So, what makes โ€œYouโ€™re No Goodโ€ โ€˜really, really good?โ€™ First and foremost, it is Linda Ronstadt.ย  She brings it with her expressive, nuanced lead vocals.ย  From beginning to end, her performance is spirited to the nth degree.ย  Beyond her lead, the background vocals up the ante.ย  Musically, sheโ€™s accompanied by an awesome backdrop including electric piano, guitar, and a fabulous groove carried by the drums.ย  The verses are memorable, including lyrics like โ€œI learned my lesson, it left a scar / Now I see how you really are” (verse one) and โ€œI broke a heart thatโ€™s gentle and true / Well, I broke a heart over someone like youโ€ (verse two).ย  Oh, snap! The section to beat, however, is the chorus โ€“ heโ€™s no good!ย  โ€œYouโ€™re No Goodโ€ is a pop song for the ages. Linda Ronstadt did that!

Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:

~ Table of Contents ~

12. Lenny Williams, โ€œโ€˜Cause I Love Youโ€

Spark Of Love // UMG Recordings, Inc. // 1978

Lenny Williams, Spark of Love [๐Ÿ“ท: UMG Recordings, Inc.]โ€œGirl, you know I, I, I, I love you / No matter what you do / And I hope you understand me / Every word / I say is true / โ€˜Cause I Love You.โ€ One of the most heartfelt and dramatic songs from the soul catalog comes courtesy of Lenny Williams (1945 โ€“ ).ย  โ€œโ€˜Cause I Love Youโ€ is the fifth track from his 1978 album, Spark Of Love. Williams penned โ€œโ€˜Cause I Love Youโ€ with Michael Bennett. Set in a lilting compound duple meter, โ€œโ€˜Cause I Love Youโ€ is a lengthy number that runs north of seven minutes. It is worth every second of its duration.

โ€œโ€˜Cause I Love Youโ€ is EVERYTHING! The record thrives off lush, soulful production and sublime orchestration. The strings are particularly gorgeous.ย  Lenny Williams delivers expressive and nuanced vocals that ooze with soul.ย  He shows his velvety middle register, as well as a stellar falsetto.ย  The personality and drama that Williams brings to this performance sounds authentic and utterly sincere: โ€œSome men needs lots of women / For their passions to fill / But I / Want only you, girl /โ€ฆ If itโ€™s in /Godโ€™s will.โ€ Much like Williamsโ€™ vocals, the musical accompaniment has its fair share of dramatic moments. Williams gets support from background vocals. There is a spoken word section where Lenny continues to be vulnerable regarding love.

โ€œBut I found myself waking up a few hours later

And the tears were running down my face And my friend told me

He said, โ€˜Lenny, you just oughta forget about her.โ€™

But I told my friend, I said

โ€˜You know, maybe youโ€™ve never been in love like Iโ€™ve been in love

And maybe you’ve never felt the things that Iโ€™ve felt.โ€™โ€

At around the 4:45 mark, Williams begins picking up the singing, continuing his heartfelt, dramatic performance, supported by background vocals and silky smooth musical accompaniment. Matters of the heart drive this extraordinary ballad. The excellence of โ€œโ€˜Cause I Love Youโ€ speaks for itself. Williamsโ€™ gem is a popular source for sampling.

Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:

~ Table of Contents ~

13. Shirley Caesar, โ€œHeโ€™s Working It Out For Youโ€

Heโ€™s Working It Out For You // Word Entertainment LLC // 1991ย 

Shirley Caesar, Heโ€™s Working It Out For You [๐Ÿ“ท: Word Entertainment LLC]โ€œThough the pressures of life seems to weigh you down / And you donโ€™t know which way to turn,โ€ Shirley Caesar (1938 โ€“ ) sings, โ€œGod is concerned and Heโ€™s working it out for you.โ€ Amen! Now that is a good word, pastor!ย  The legendary gospel musician provides surefire encouragement on โ€œHeโ€™s Working It Out For Youโ€, the opener from her 1991 album, Heโ€™s Working It Out For You. Initially, Caesar is accompanied by piano. Backed by a fabulous gospel harmonic progression, she embraces faith despite adversity. Her vocals are authentic, soulful, and spirited.ย  Every word the pastor sings, you buy.

In the second verse, accompanied by fuller instrumentation (piano, organ, bass, drums, etc.), Caesar sings, โ€œNow you ask yourself, is there a word from the Lord / You need a blessing, and you need it right away / God is concerned, and Heโ€™s working it out for you.โ€ In the third, her voice grows even more spirited, setting the tone for Godโ€™s wonder-working power. Despite no peace at home or work, bills, and failing health, the message remains the same: Godโ€™s working it out. The choir enters the mix before the three-minute mark, amplifying the spirit in the chorus:

โ€œHeโ€™s working it out

Heโ€™s working it out for you

God cares

Iโ€™m so glad to know He cares

Iโ€™m so glad to know He cares

And Heโ€™s working it out for you.โ€

Meanwhile, Caesar ad-libs, riffing at her finest.ย  โ€œHeโ€™s Working It Out For Youโ€ hails from the 1990s, yet the message endures on this moving gospel gem.

Appears in ๐Ÿ”ป:

~ Table of Contents ~ // ~ intro ~

13 Songs Where YOU Are the Focus, Vol. 3 (2025) [๐Ÿ“ท: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; :):, Atlantic Recording Corporation, Capitol, Friends Keep Secrets, Interscope, Kitten Robot, LUKAS OSCAR, Mercury, Omar Apollo, Republic, SMG Music LLC, The Walt Disney Company, UMG Recordings, Inc., Universal Motown Records, Warner, Word Entertainment LLC; Ahmed Azizย fromย Pexels;ย AcatXlo,ย Niek Verlaan,ย OpenClipart-Vectorsย fromย Pixabay]

 

Categories: EvergreenLGBTQMusicPlaylistsPop Culture

the musical hype

The Musical Hype (he/him) has earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music (music education and music theory/composition, respectively). A multi-instrumentalist, he plays piano, trombone, and organ among numerous other instruments. He's a certified music educator, composer, and freelance music blogger. Music and writing are two of the most important parts of his life.