Weekly Track Roundup #33: Babies
who doesn’t love babies? we sure dooo! try to guess which of these babes are AW writers—it’s tougher than it looks.
Sir Mix-A-Lot — “Baby Got Back”
I knew all the words to “Baby Got Back” by the time I was five years old. By that logic, the lyrics to the well-loved, oft-screamed rap opus should be the single most formative experience of my early childhood development. I would not be the person I am today without lyrics like “begging for a piece of that bubble.” Nicki Minaj later sampled the piece in her hit single “Anaconda,” flipping its sexist narrative into an anthem for curvy women’s empowerment and coinciding with my own burgeoning adolescence. Wherever life takes me, “Baby Got Back” is always matching my stride. I would not be the person I am today without it. And I still know all of the lyrics so don’t even try me.
—Brooke Kushwaha
Black Moth Super Rainbow — “Baby’s In the Void”
This is the song that played in my head when I was in the womb, even though it didn't exist it yet.
—Meredith Olin
tobi lou — “Buff Baby”
it’s a baby that’s bufff
—Sammy Osmond
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti — “Baby”
Ariel Pink: you’re so baby
Me: i’m baby
—Allison Hsu
P.S. don’t sleep on the original
LCD Soundsystem — “oh baby”
I think James Murphy and a 3-year-old Amy would get along just great. We're equally pouty.
—Amy Geiger
Michael Jackson — “Baby Be Mine”
My fav off Thriller and underrated in general. So fucking smooth. Those drums at the beginning are iconic.
—Nathan Silvern
Weezer — “Pig”
To be honest, I probably haven't listened to this song once since middle school. A pretty fine song off a pretty bad Weezer album (sometimes that’s just all we can get from Weezer) - albeit a little dismal in the framework of a "baby" song (it's actually about a pig who's coming to terms with being slaughtered).
—Adam Manson
Blood Orange — “Charcoal Baby”
“Charcoal Baby,” one of the standout songs from Blood Orange’s (aka Dev Hynes) new album Negro Swan, is beautiful, funky, and poignant. In the alternating guitar-led verses and synth-led choruses, Hynes uses the metaphor of the black swan to confront issues of race, fitting in, and loving oneself. The outro of the song ties together the different moving parts of the song, the harmonies, saxophone, guitar, into a cohesive and remarkable finish. Make sure to watch the music video for this song, as it’s both creatively impressive and visually stunning.
—Sam Kurlender
Gabriella Cohen — “Baby”
To me, this song is about being weighed down by lingering feelings. Sometimes having a crush is just tiring! In the best way possible, it sounds like being sad on a beautiful summer afternoon and feeling like the sun is shining to spite you.
It also has a false ending which is so much fun because you think the song is over, but no, there's more!
honorable mention - it seems like a list of "Baby" songs would be incomplete without mentioning The Ronettes, the queens songs about a "Baby". With bops like "Be My Baby," "Baby I Love You," "You Baby," - I could go on and on. In the forthcoming rom-com of my life, Ronnie Spector's voice sings in my head during some big revelation about true love. That is all.
—Aurora McGuckin
Dr. Dog — “Bring My Baby Back”
This song is the mullet you hide under your Palace beanie.
—Sanidhya Sharma (Sani)
Forth Wanderers — “Be My Baby”
a pretty sad (and pretty pretty) little song from some folks pretty much the same age as us. oof, such a nice slidey guitar sound. stay hydrated, babies.
—Ezra Kohn
Jacob Collier — “Isn’t She Lovely”
It’s so sweet to be let in on stevie’s lullaby and love song to his daughter Aisha. i wish stevie wonder was my dad ...
—Maisie Hurwitz
i wish jacob collier was my dad
—Adam Manson
