1. Kanye West – All Falls Down
Kanye West is controversial, but Kanye West is at his Kanye Best when rapping honestly over a good beat, and All Falls Down is exactly that. Kanye opens up about the insecurity felt by himself, and by other members of the black community in modern day life.
"I say f**k the police, that's how I treat 'em
We buy our way out of jail, but we can't buy freedom
We'll buy a lot of clothes when we don't really need em
Things we buy to cover up what's inside
Cause they make us hate ourself and love they wealth
That's why shorty's hollerin' "where the ballers at?"
Drug dealer buy Jordans, crackhead buy crack
And a white man get paid off of all of that
But I ain't even gonna act holier than thou
Cause f**k it, I went to Jacob with 25 thou
Before I had a house and I'd do it again
Cause I want to be on 106 & Park pushin' a Benz
I want to act ballerific like it's all terrific
I got a couple past-due bills, I won't get specific
I got a problem with spendin' before I get it
We all self-conscious, I'm just the first to admit it."
2. Always – Lang Leav
Lang Leav has a way with words, for sure, and her mastery over romance in Always is clear, as she demonstrates the power of finding your soulmate.
"You were you,
and I was I;
we were two
before our time.
I was yours
before I knew,
and you have always
been mine too."
3. Young And Beautiful - Lana Del Rey
The Great Gatsby was a beloved film for many reasons, including the lead single from the soundtrack, Lana Del Rey's Young And Beautiful. It talks about the insecurities young love can bring, but reassures that true love comes with the faith your lover will always love you, no matter what your age.
"Dear lord, when I get to heaven
Please let me bring my man
When he comes tell me that you'll let him in
Father tell me if you can
Oh that grace, oh that body
Oh that face makes me wanna party
He's my sun, he makes me shine like diamonds
Will you still love me
When I'm no longer young and beautiful?
Will you still love me
When I got nothing but my aching soul?
I know you will, I know you will
I know that you will
Will you still love me when I'm no longer beautiful? "
4. Love Is A Losing Game – Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse is still considered one of the greatest minds in music, and the world is much poorer without her. Love Is A Losing Game was a haunting love song, showing the pain and finality love can leave you with, and one of Amy's best songs.
"For you I was a flame
Love is a losing game
Five story fire as you came
Love is a losing game
One I wish I never played
Oh what a mess we made
And now the final frame
Love is a losing game
Played out by the band
Love is a losing hand
More than I could stand
Love is a losing hand "
5. Training Wheels – Melanie Martinez
Melanie Martinez enchanted viewers of The Voice, and then went on to release her debut album, telling the story of a character of her own creation, Crybaby. In the touching and tender Training Wheels, she describes the difficulties in relationships where one party is dragging their feet and insisting on keeping those training wheels on.
"Letting go, letting go
Telling you things you already know
I explode, I explode
Asking you where you want us to go
You've been riding two-wheelers all your life
It's not like I'm asking to be your wife
I wanna make you mine, but that's hard to say
Is this coming off in a cheesy way?
Love everything you do
When you call me f**king dumb for the stupid s**t I do
Wanna ride my bike with you
Fully undressed,
No training wheels left for you
I'll pull them off for you."
6. You Or Nobody - Jennifer Juan
There is a dreamy quality to the work of Jennifer Juan, it's the kind of thing you expect to hear in a hallucinogenic wonderland, recited by a playful, pastel adorned figure of mystery. You Or Nobody is no exception, unlocking the mysteries and intimacies of love, through clever cooking metaphors and just the right amount of romance.
"You were contained fire.
Light and warmth, without destruction.
You cooked the raw ingredients of my making,
without burning the flavour I thought I had lost.
Before you, I had heat everywhere but my heart,
I thought of thawing, but it wasn't who I was,
or who I told myself I was,
to keep what lay underneath safe,
from hungry hands under the table.
I knew,
it was you,
or nobody.
That was the exact request of the recipe,
no substitutes,
no stand ins,
or nothing rises,
and nothing shall be devoured.
I know,
without you,
I am charred, and tasteless.
Our flavour has lingered on my lips too long,
that I crave you more with every second."
7. Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfield
Natasha Bedingfield's iconic inspiration anthem Unwritten has given many the motivation needed to push through hardship and take control of their destiny. Speaking of the doubts one can have and how to overcome them to be the person you want to be, it can bring a pocketful of sunshine to your life.
"Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten."
8. What Guys Look For In A Girl – Savannah Brown
Women are constantly held to impossible beauty standards, and Savannah Brown has had enough! Penning and performing What Guys Look For In A Girl was the perfect response to not only the highly disturbing misogyny of the infamous video, but also the shocking casual misogyny faced by women every single day.
"We live in a word where the media pulls us from the womb
nurses us
and teaches us our first words
skinny pretty skinny pretty
girls soft quiet pretty
boys manly muscles pretty
but I don't care whether it's your gender, your looks, your weight, your skin, or where your love lies
none of that matters because standards don't define you
you don't live to meet credentials established by a madman
you're a goddamn treasure whether you wanna believe it or not
and maybe that's what everyone should start looking for."
9. Remembrance Of Me – Britney Spears
People may have mocked pop icon Britney for her attempt to express herself through poetry, but I think it's more a case of people wanting to mock Britney because at the time, it was the cool thing to do. Her poetry is confident, defiant, and a journey deep into a soul that has endured more than was ever intended.
"Manipulation is the key
They screw it in
Because you're naive.
You come to me now
Why do you bother?
Remember the Bible
The sins of the Father.
What you do
You pass down
No wonder why
I lost my crown."
10. Pretty Hurts – Beyoncé
Beyoncé has taken us through life, with her words. She has been a source of strength, explaining our inner most feelings through her songs, and Pretty Hurts hurt the most, because we have all felt like our looks were put ahead of anything else before.
"Mama said, "You're a pretty girl.
What's in your head, it doesn't matter
Brush your hair, fix your teeth.
What you wear is all that matters."
Just another stage, pageant the pain away
This time I'm gonna take the crown
Without falling down, down, down
Pretty hurts, we shine the light on whatever's worst
Perfection is a disease of a nation, pretty hurts, pretty hurts
Pretty hurts, we shine the light on whatever's worst
We try to fix something but you can't fix what you can't see
It's the soul that needs the surgery."
So that is my list of soul scorching, beautiful writing. I hope you enjoyed it! What makes your list?
