‘Songs About Sex’ are prolific enough to get their own category in "Pitch Perfect” Riff Offs. Think of any list of popular songs from the last 50 years and at least 25% of it will be about intercourse in some capacity. But let’s be real—there’s a reason that you don’t see “WAP” on many unironic masturbation or sex playlists despite being a great song about that subject matter. Songs that truly feel orgasmic often contain either a moody, sensual beat or a soaring climax, whether the lyrics are about the rawness of sex or not. Anything can set you in the mood if the feeling’s right.
According to Liverpool music professor Michael Spitzer, what sets his heart racing and body flushing in that orgasmic sense is the power–packed vocal performance of Whitney Houston in “I Will Always Love You.” For me, it’s the songs on the following list. It’s time to give your ears (and some other parts of you) an erotic treat.
One of the more low–key songs on this list, “When We” exudes sexuality in every aspect of its production. The lyrics are, admittedly, a bit unimaginative; Tank explicitly states that the titular ‘When We’ refers to ‘When we fuck,’ in case you thought it meant ‘When we hold hands’—yet the song itself has so much swagger that it excuses this. With the R&B singer/songwriter’s buttery smooth vocal tone and the song’s hip–hop drums slowing down and stopping in such purposeful ways, you can’t help but feel turned on. Tank’s muted vocal riffs towards the end of the track are a highlight, with the background and melody coming together in the most sensual way possible.
“She” is a very sexy song. It narrates Styles’ vision of a perfect relationship, a fantasy woman in his head that he thinks about constantly. The track is a psychedelic adventure—the guitar in the background sounds almost otherworldly, with added sound effects that contribute to any listeners’ audial out–of–body sensations. The drums rev up, Styles’ vocals build up, and then we reach the ultimate payoff with a beautiful, chilling two–minute guitar solo. It’s a song specifically made to make your breath hitch.
“Land of Honey” – Flying Lotus, Solange
Flying Lotus and Solange are a soulful match made in heaven on this track. The song is one long Bible reference. “A land of milk and honey” describes a place of abundant prosperity, where one wants for nothing—but if describing it that way feels too blasphemous for the purposes of this list, one can think of the song as characterizing a place above consciousness. And “Land of Honey'' does, in fact, reach a part of your brain that feels beyond your normal psyche. Solange’s soaring vocals, the swelling of the orchestra, and the bombastic outburst of instrumentals and production as the track reaches its lush climax will help you reach a primal sensitivity the way the French described it: la petite mort, an orgasm likened to little death.
“Me And Your Mama” – Childish Gambino
“Me And Your Mama” is not just a song—it’s an experience. The track starts with a slow, chiming instrumental that transitions into the main background beat and sensual, high–pitched female vocals. And this is all still part of a carefully crafted introduction—the slow beats eventually transition into a drop that’s nothing short of orgasmic, a drop with one of the juiciest guitar riffs in recent musical history. Childish Gambino delivers a powerhouse vocal performance at the apex of this piece, blended perfectly with background singers whose voices ooze with provocative desperation: “Let me into your heart,” they beg. Let me into your pants, too.
In an album full of seductive songs, “Love Language” stands out as a particularly intimate track. The tempo is carnally slow, and SZA’s steamy tone complements the piece well. Like many of SZA’s other works, the love portrayed in this song is bittersweet. “Help me understand / How you speak your love language,” she pleads. Yet SZA’s earnest emotion throughout this ballad makes it the kind of music you’d want to listen to when with that special someone—it’s versatile enough for both wholesome romantic use and not–so–wholesome romantic use.
Writer Sady Doyle once observed that this self–titled album closer seems to mimic masturbation in its very structure. When one listens to this track, beginning to end, it’s easy to see what Doyle meant. The title “Only In Dreams” refers to a guy that lusts after a girl, but she’s unattainable—he can only fantasize about her in his dreams. This fantasy slowly builds up over the course of the song; the tempo starts calm and so does the bassline, but both gradually increase over the course of the track’s eight–minute run until it culminates in a musically (and sexually) explosive guitar solo. A one–man explosion for a man that can only mentally obtain someone desirable.
