How do you choose to celebrate the good times? Do you turn to a book, maybe you have a particular go to film that gets you excited, or maybe you find going out and being amongst friends and family as a source of feel-good energy. If you’re like me, music is your thing and is the thing that creates the good times and keeps them going. So, I thought it’s only right that I share with our readers, 5 essential throwbacks that scream good times.
1. The first song to grace my list is ‘Time of Our Lives’. Early 2010s music was great for a fun club anthem that made you want to dance all night, and Time of Our Lives sits comfortably within that category. This collaboration was all about embracing care-free vibes and letting go of all your stress and worries. If you had rent to pay, forget it. If you had work in the morning, that was a ‘tomorrow problem’. A song that reminded you to live in the moment and enjoy what is around you, is more than deserving of a space on my list.
2. At number 2, is ‘Ride wit me’, one of Nelly’s classic hits. The instant nostalgia that one gets from this song is enough to put you in a spirited mood, but also the simple yet infectious acoustic-based beat coupled with Nelly’s charisma on the track is a recipe for a fun time. There’s something about screaming ‘Hey must be the money’ that puts me in a good mood every time.
Listen to PWR's 'Good Times' Spotify Playlist below as curated by our Editors.
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3. Mary J Blige had to make it to the list and ‘Just Fine’ is a perfect song to showcase her on this list with. For avid listeners of Mary J Blige, you know she is great for a powerhouse post-breakup anthem, and they often carry a tone as somber as the subject matter, but Mary completely subverts those expectations with Just Fine. In the intro of the song, she says what many of us are feeling and isn’t wrong when she says, ‘this joint right here, it makes me wanna Ooo’. The song is upbeat, assertive, and proclaims the confidence that we all need. All in all, it is a fun song and fun songs are what any good time playlist needs.
4. Now let’s fast-forward to the late 2010s with a classic UK throwback. ‘Did you see’ is younger than the other songs mentioned above but still a throwback in its own right. Like Ride wit Me, this song shines with its relaxed sound, quotable lyrics, and J Hus’s melodic rap flow, as well as nicely incorporating some Afrobeat influence to create a perfect summertime vibe. An instant hit in the streets and on the radio, still today it is difficult to find anyone not prepared to stand up and sing that they ‘came in a Black Benz, left in a white one’.
5. Last but definitely not least. The crown for the ultimate Good Time song must go to Biggie’s ‘Mo Money Mo Problems’. The utilized sample of a Diana Ross song firmly rooted in celebration, with a classic hip hop spin added to it, made the song an instant crossover hit and a treasured anthem in hip hop history. The lyrics may make the song seem bittersweet, but the energy of the song is so dynamic, that you can’t help but want to get up and sing this song from start to finish.
So that is my list. It pains me that I could only pick 5 but special mention to songs like Holiday by Dizzie Rascal, Good Times by Roll Deep, and Be Faithful by Fatman Scoop and Crooklyn Clan.
From ‘Time of Our Lives’ to ‘Mo Money, Mo Problems’, did you see any of your own ‘Good Time’ favorites in the mix? Or which songs of yours would have to make it to a playlist? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment and let us know.
Written by: Tammie Takon
Listen to PWR's 'Good Times' Spotify Playlist below as curated by our Editors.
Follow us on Spotify for more.