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Playlist ā10 Songs About Friends, Enemies & Rivalsā features songs courtesy of Camilla Cabello, J. Cole, and Justin Bieber among others.
Merriam-Webster defines a friend(plural:friends) as āone attached to another by affection or esteemā or simply, āacquaintance.ā Sounds about right. Naturally, an enemyis the antonym of a friend, while a rivalis considered a ānear antonym.ā An enemy(plural: enemies) at its simplest is described as āa person who hates another.ā As for rival(plural: rivals), its āone of two or more striving to reach or obtain something that only one can possess.ā
Enough definitions already! This playlist features 10 songs about friends, enemies, and rivals.There are five songs about friends, three songs about enemies, and two songs about rivals. Artists appearing on this playlist include Camilla Cabello, J. Cole, and Justin Bieber.
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Camilaā¢ Epic ā¢2018
āReal Friendsā, the seventh track from Camila, is an enjoyable, thoughtful, low-key offering from Camila Cabello. The production work is simple, with few frills. Despite the conservative backdrop, itās an effective, fitting accompaniment. Vocally, thereās more cooingthan an overt, dramatic statement. Cabello sounds beautiful and sincere, but she doesnāt pack a huge punch. Even so, the message is strong, and vocal harmonization and subtle cues are enough to carry the record.
Amenā¢ 88rising / EMPIRE ā¢2018
āWord on the street, they said that you close to me / Donāt like the energy, are we friends or enemies?āāEnemiesā appears onAmen, the debut album by Indonesian rapper Rich Brian. In the context of the album, itās a respectable listen, though less memorable than the crĆØme de la crĆØme of the album. The idea and overall message is crystal clear. Brian is trying determine whoās a true friend and whoās a fake that āsmile(s) in your faceā and ultimately has no loyalty.
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Ft. kiLL edward
KODā¢ Dreamville / Roc Nation ā¢ 2018
J. Cole returns his distinct kiLL Edwardalter-ego returns on āFRIENDSā with pitch-shifted vocals on the hook. J. Cole speaks about addictions to various substances, the central ādemonā of his 2018 album, KOD. Essentially, he goes H.A.M. explaining how and why it happens, encouraging addicts to meditateas opposed to abuse potentially deadly drugs.
Elohimā¢ BMG Rights Management ā¢ 2018
Who is Elohim? Glad you asked! Elohim is an up-and-coming electronic artist based in Los Angeles, California. On this particular āfriends, enemies, and rivalsā playlist, she lays claim to the shortest song of them all. Technically itās an interlude, but interlude are people ā err songs too! The lyrics are pretty self-explanatory.
āOh my god Iāve been up since six,I canāt catch a break from all this shitI havenāt been able to sleep a winkI keep seeing enemies in my dreamsEnemies, enemiesā¦ā
Scary stuff those nightmares, not to mention the unsettling sound of this recordā¦
Speak Your Mindā¢ Asylum ā¢2018
Havenāt I made it obvious? / Havenāt I made it clear? / Want me to spell it out for you? / F-R-I-EN-D-S.ā āFRIENDSāis set in a minor key but sounds exuberant regardless. As a producer, Marshmellois on-point. Even with the semi-darkvibe thanks to the minor key, the guitar conveys a sense of cool ā āchillā if you will. The first verse is relatively light, carried by guitar, while the drum programming arrives on the chorus. Naturally, the second verse is more robustly produced. As for English singer Anne-Marie, she delivers unapologetic, feisty vocals. In regards to her musical personality, sheās chocked-full of attitude. We wouldnāt have it any other way, particularly when she gets a bit salty. Ultimately, the pair makes sweet music together.
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Heartbreak on a Full Moonā¢RCA ā¢ 2017
āBut if you could see what my eyes can see / You would see what you mean to meā¦ / I wouldnāt be the enemy / I donāt wanna be the enemy.ā Thereās a little bit of everything on Heartbreak on a Full Moon, the 45-track (57 in an absurd expanded Cuffing Season ā 12 Days of Christmasedition) album released by Chris Brown in 2017. Safe to say, when this gargantuan effort arrived, it was way too much material ā furthermore too much Chris Brown ā to digest in one setting. Therefore, the 35thtrack, āEnemyā in the context of the album is ājust another songā on an exhaustive, overblown album, particularly compared to the likes of . In the nutshell, Brown has regrets about his ex, who he wishes he could reunite with. On āEnemy,ā he wishes he could change the perception of himself to her.
From a Room: Volume 2ā¢Mercury ā¢2017
Chris Stapletonis a ābossā in country music, keeping its authenticity alive and well in a pop-dominated age. Though it wasnāt as heralded as his first album of 2017, From a Room: Volume 2exemplified why Stapleton is currently the face of traditional, outlaw country. The nine-track From a Room: Volume 2is an incredibly consistent album, and amazingly, there are songs better than the record at hand, āFriendship.āThat said, what better way to close an album than with āFriendshipā?This easygoing, feel-good number is a stark contrast to āDeath Row,ā the moody closer for From a Room: Volume 1. The exuberance and fire of Stapleton is simply irresistible.
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Rather You Than Me ā¢ Epic ā¢ 2017
Rick Ross is reflective on āIdols Become Rivals,ā a song from his 2017 album, Rather You Than Me. Ross remembers his rap idols, Cash Money. Despite his recollections, he goes on to list the issues that have plagued Cash Money, specifically the head, Birdman. Ultimately, āIdols Become Rivalsā is a diss-track. Chris Rock guests at the top of the track with a skit.
Friendsā Single ā¢ Republic ā¢ 2017
āWonderinā if you got a body / To hold you tighter since I left.ā Heavily tatted, oft-shirtless, Canadian heartthrob Justin Bieberfurther built upon his monstrous 2017 with the release of his single, āFriendsā featuring highly demanded producer, BloodPopĀ®. āFriendsā exemplifies the modern pop sound, influenced with dance and electronic cues. Bieber, as always, sounds like heās in command, painting the electro-pop palette with sound, enjoyable vocals.His tone has only improved with age and experience. There are no leering cons to be found, even if this friendly record isnāt game changing.
āSo, Iām wonderināCan we still be friends? (ah-ah)Can we still be friends? (ah-ah)Doesn't have to end (ah-ah)And if it ends, can we be friends?Can we be friends?Can we be friends?ā
Ft. Future
Hard II Love ā¢ RCA ā¢ 2016
Usherdelivers quick-paced, pop-rap-like vocals on the verses of āRivalsā, which is readymade for the airwaves. Guest Futurehas a minimal role, therefore itās not saturated in his autotune babble. Usherās vocals sound terrific ā clearly more youthful than his 38 years. āA great ass, a better mind, what a combo.ā Sure, the excerpted lyric seems superficial, but itās actually deeper contextually.
Usher is looking for the one, something thatās clear on the hook:
āWithout you I feel unevenMake every day our love seasonBaby girl youāre my riderThat should be enough reasonCall you baby thatās only your titleCause I donāt need no more rivalsI put that on the Bibleā¦ā
Ultimately, āRivalsā isnāt the deepest cut of Usherās catalogue by any means, but itās catchy and respectable.
Photo Credits: 88rising, BMG Rights Management, Dreamville, EMPIRE, Epic, Mercury, RCA, Republic, Roc Nation
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