While listening to music there is always that one song that has my attention. The length that the song has my attention varies depending on the genre of music I am listening to at the current time. The most recent ones are “It’s Not Unusual” by Tom Jones and “Amber” by the band 311, but these aren’t the songs I keep coming back to even after a long time.

1. Congratulations” by Mac Miller

The song “Congratulations” from the Divine Feminine album is one of my favorite songs from Mac Miller. From the calm piano matched with calm lyrics, to the switch to trumpets and an acoustic guitar which leads into the second verse. He talks about how he planned to ask a girl to marry him but then talks about how they have been through so much together before he had the money. After Mac Miller finishes talking about his feelings for this girl and the things he loves about her the guitar picks up again to end the song and Bilal starts to sing. Bilal sings about how life isn’t as colorful without her and how heaven would not be the same without her.

2.  “Me and Your Mama” by Childish Gambino

A part of the Awaken, My Love! album by Gambino, “Me and Your Mama” was released in 2016 with another popular song “Redbone” on this album. “Me and Your Mama” is the intro to the album and is about 6 minutes long. For some of the songs he does not even sing but the sample and instrumental are great things to listen to. The sample is from the song “Who Knows” by Jimi Hendrix. At approximately the two-minute mark the beat starts to pick up and Gambino starts to sing. This can cause a shock knowing this was his natural voice with no effects. It is very surprising towards the end of the song when he gets his voice into a higher pitch. After this, the beat calms down and it is a very calm voice that sounds like a woman finishing off the song to close the intro song.

3. “Didn’t I” by Darondo

This song was released in 2005 as a part of the Let My People Go album. It may be relatively new but similar to a song released in the 70s or 80s. Darondo sings about how he gave a girl all he could and tried to be the best man he could but she still left. In the second verse, he says “I bought you a diamond ring…Everything a woman could need… I bought you cars, clothes, a home”. The way he delivers the lyrics matched with the guitar it does not sound as sad but sounds like a summer or spring song while on a drive in an older car. 

4. “Scar Tissue” by Red Hot Chili Peppers

From the Californication album, released in 1999, “Scar Tissue” is about drug addiction and the struggle people go through for sobriety. These are more hidden due to the fact the guitar melody sounds so “feel good”. The lyrics introduce the idea of scars being hidden in life but specifically scars from a heroin addiction. Kiedis refers to his own struggle specifically and when he talks about a bird’s view it is another way of saying he has relapsed, and his sobriety journey is not going well. Other lyrics refer to people shooting up in the bathroom and losing their innocence, specifically the lyrics “I wave goodbye to ma and pa.” The lyrics do not come out and give the meaning away but it is not hard to see the meaning behind the lyrics.

5. “Hell N Back” by Bakar

The song was released in 2019 and is a part of the Will You Be My Yellow album. The song starts off with whistling, drums, and some brass instruments. The whistling has a calm feeling almost perfect for driving in the sun or walking along a beach. The lyrics are about when he met a girl and how they have been through so much together, but more specifically how she makes him feel. The lyrics and how they are delivered give a great feeling when listening to the song and mixed with a perfect choice of an instrumental making it a song I have to listen to again.

There is no doubt that new songs will come out and have the same effect as these songs but it is very rare to find the right song to be able to listen to for such a long time. An honorable mention is “Blue Hair” by TV Girl. The only reason the song is not on the list is that I have not had enough time to forget it and come back to it, but I can see this song being one I keep listening to for a while.