Gotcha! This isn’t X-rated, ya freaks. We’re talking about songs where the singer tells us exactly what the song is about in the opening lines. You know, “This is a song about…” love, life, loss, summer, a girl named “Lucky.” Just kidding about that last one.
Christina picked this theme because she finds this songwriting trope to be confusing: is it GOOD or BAD? Do we need subtext? Christine says explicit is good! Christina’s still on the fence. But she shared a great Janet Jackson b-side called “And On And On” that’s supposedly about summer. You tell us if you think her explicit explanation hits the nail on the head.
Christine’s explicit song came to her via listener Alice who claims that Raye’s 2026 album, explicitly titled “This Music May Contain Hope,” is a no skipper! We’ll let the audience be the judge, but in “Goodbye Henry” (feat. Al Green) Raye opens with “This is a sad song, Though it feels happy, It is not happy at all.” And while it does feel happy, we can also sense the sadness behind the goodbye from Raye to her former lover. May they both find peace! And may you find hope from listening to this album.
We are forever desperately seeking validation, so let me be explicit when I ask: won’t you do us a favor and subscribe to our podcast AND share your favorite episode with a friend? We’d love to reach more listeners! And if you’re on Instagram, so are we! Follow us and share your favorite explicit song (you know what we mean).
Stereothematica 