Givin’ You Eargasms
This week we’re honoring the horny songstresses of the 20th century with a playlist dedicated to sultry tones, moans, and sex throughout time. Learn a little bit more about the long history of sexual music, and the uncontainable women whose pleasure deserved a chorus.
I’ve included some excerpts from the lyrics, written in pink.
1933
Lucille Bogan was an American Blues singer, among the first Black blues singers to be recorded. Many of her songs were humorous references to sex and drinking, and were well enjoyed in the juke joints where she performed. Her raunchy lyricism was what made her such an interesting entertainer and her songs fit well into the less-than-pristine environment.
“Till the Cows Come Home”, recorded in 1933, went viral in recent years because the supposed clash between the sound and the lyrics. The music we tend to preserve from that time period is much tamer, and folks were surprised to know that early Jazz was often vulgar, sexual, and improper. The song’s raunchy lyrics remind critics of today’s music that sex has always been on our minds, and in our melodies.
Bogan croons hilariously and plainly about fucking, cock, pussy, and everything in between; give it a listen and completely change your mind about the state of music in 1933.
I gotta big fat belly
I gotta big broad ass
And I can f*ck any man
With real good class
Talking 'bout f*ckin
Talking 'bout grindin baby all night long
And I can do it to you honey
Until the cows come home
1954
Dinah Washington was a jazz singer and pianist active from the 1940s to the ‘60s. Sometimes dubbed the “Queen of the Blues”, Washington’s songs inspired singers and audiences the world over. Known best for her distinctive style — inspired by her gospel roots — Dinah Washington is an icon and an often unsung legend in American music who deserves her flowers.
“Teach Me Tonight” is a euphemistic song about learning how to love — how to make love. Like many other sex-songs of the era, merely reading the lyrics don’t tell you the double meaning. It’s necessary to listen closely to the singers tone and the aura of the music to understand the sexuality thumping behind its’ chorus.
Did you say that I've got a lot to learn?
Well, don't think I'm trying not to learn
Since this is the perfect spot to learn
Ooh, teach me tonight
Let's start with the A-B-C of it
Getting right down to the X-Y-Z of it
Help me solve the mystery of it
Teach me tonight
The sky's a blackboard high above you
If a shooting star goes by
I'll use that star to write, I love you
A thousand times across the sky
One thing isn't very clear, my love
Should the teachers stand so near, my love
Graduation's almost here, my love
Come on and teach me tonight
1957
This version of Ella Fitzgerald’s version of “Witchcraft” was recorded live in Chicago in ‘58. She covered the song, which was originally recorded by Frank Sinatra, but songs at the time were widely shared, and new versions were recorded by contemporary artists all the time. Although the song was not originally hers, artists like Ella Fitzgerald had a talent for covers, introducing a new sound and tone to music simply by singing them anew. Fitzgerald’s influence on music is undefinable, and her unmatchable vocal tone makes her one of the most recognizable voices of the 20th century.
“Witchcraft” is all about lovers led towards sin. Fitzgerald describes her partner as a witch, nicer than any other, whose physical temptation is too much to bear. She willingly gives in as her conscience is stripped bare and although she acknowledges the morals of her time, she cannot resist the witch’s call.
Those fingers in my hair
That sly come-hither stare
That strips my conscience bare
It's witchcraft
And I've got no defense for it
The heat is too intense for it
What good would common sense for it do?
'Cause it's witchcraft, wicked, wicked witchcraft
And although I know it's strictly taboo
When you arouse the need in me
My heart says, yes, indeed in me
Proceed with what you're leading me to
It's such an ancient pitch
But one I'd never switch
'Cause there's no nicer witch than you
1967
Renowned American singer/songwriter, Nina Simone, is known for her unique voice and meaningful lyricism. Her career bridged across multiple decades and genres, and has touched the lives of so many folks seeking to feel through the emotive, vulnerable nature of her lyrics.
“Do I move you?” is a short track all about sensuality, and the fulfillment of desire. Simone becomes a goddess and a siren, asking her audience — her lover — about the magnitude of her sexual power — seeking pleasurable affirmation in the answer. It’s the type of sexual command and domination that Simone embodies in her voice, more than the lyricism alone, that brings sex fully to the forefront in this song. More than making you listen or hear, Simone makes you feel her: she moves you.
Do I move you, are you willin'
Do I groove you, is it thrillin'
Do I soothe you, tell the truth now
Do I move you, are you loose now
The answer better be (Yes, yes)
That pleases me
1974
Patti LaBelle started her singing career as the lead singer in the girl group, LaBelle, with Sarah Dash and Nona Hendryx. This song, “Lady Marmalade”, from the album Night Birds is a tale about a prostitute in New Orleans. “Lady Marmalade” boldly asks her next conquest “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?” which translates to “Do you want to go to bed with me tonight?”
Patti LaBelle claims that as a young woman in 1974, she didn’t know what it meant. She and the other members of the group were only informed of the meaning later, when they found out that a nun was upset by the lyrics. Although she felt naive at the time, the singer is grateful to have continued performing the song anyway, as it eventually became a No. 1 hit.
Although the sexual passion in this song is reserved for an outside party, LaBelle is not singing about herself, the passion that she and the other group members bring to the song is what made it such a sensational success.
Hey, hey, hey
Touching her skin, feeling silky smooth (Ah!)
Color of cafe au lait
Made the savage beast inside
Roar until it cried
"More, more, more!"
1975
Donna Summer, the indisputable Queen of Disco, released the full 17 minute version of this song on vinyl: later it was released as a 3.5 minute single for the radio. The track reeks of sex, and was eventually banned by the BBC for its vulgarity. Time magazine dubbed it “a marathon of 22 orgasms” after the No.1 hit made its live debut. As Summer’s first entrance into Disco, it was unforgettable and allowed her to transition into the new genre with ease.
The lyrics are incredibly simple, but it’s Summer’s vocalization and inclusion of so many high-octane interjections of pleasure and sensuality that made this song a hit and an aphrodisiac. “Love to Love You Baby” is a chorus of sensual pleasure and erotic fulfillment; what it lacks in lyricism it makes up for in pure, unadulterated arousal.
I love to love you, baby
I love to love you, baby
When you're laying so close to me
There's no place I'd rather you be than with me, me, uh
1984
Tina Turner began her career in 1957 with Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm. Throughout the 60s and 70s, married couple Tina and Ike Turner rose to stardom as an unstoppable musical duo, releasing familiar hits like “Proud Mary” and “River Deep — Mountain High”. Their relationship was infamously tumultuous and abusive, leading Tina to flee in July of 1976 and the pair was divorced by 1978.
From there, her solo career began and Tina Turner reached unimpeachable stardom as the “Queen of Rock and Roll”, making one of the most formidable come-backs on the 20th century with the 1984 album “Private Dancer”.
“Let’s Pretend We’re Married” is all about heartbreak, the song’s subject dives into the arms of another lover in the aftermath. The songstress says herself that if this new man leaves, so what? It’s about the experience of pretending and indulging in pleasure to forget about pain, not necessarily romance. It’s a familiar feeling for many and it works on multiple levels as an element in the “Private Dancer” album.
Little darlin' if you're free for a couple of hours
And ain't busy for the next seven years
Let's pretend we're married and go all night
There ain't nothin' wrong if it feels all right
I won't stop until the morning light
Let's pretend we're married and go all night, tonight
Ooh-we-coo-coo-sha-sha yeah
Everybody sing together
Ooh-we-coo-coo-sha-sha yeah
Excuse me but I need your tender skin
Don't you want to be my fantasy?
I don't care if you don't ever come
And if you go (so what?)
C'mon baby, let's ball
1985
The “Queen of Soul”, Aretha Franklin, was a Black American Soul singer listed as one of the “Greatest Artists of All Time” by Rolling Stone. The singer’s career spans across decades, and Franklin is a major vocal influence in American music. An unapproachable icon, this artist's music continues to touch us, decades after her prime.
In “Who’s Zoomin’ Who?” Franklin tells a story about being approached by a player only to flip the script. Rather than being the tame and naive woman that he expected — and maybe prefers — Franklin is a mature and worldly woman, seeking sexual pleasure of her own. When she asks “Who’s Zoomin’ Who?” she is questioning male power, and the idea of sexual conquest.
Guess you believed the world
Played by your rules
Here stands an experienced girl
I ain't nobody's fool, bump you
You thought you had me covered now, boy
(I've got your bait)
But you're bound to be my lover, oh
Take another look and tell me, baby
(Who's zooming who?)
Who's zooming who?
(Who's zooming who?)
The fish jumped off the hook, didn't I, baby?
(Who's zooming who?)
Yeah
1990
Whitney Houston was a pop icon of the 80’s and 90’s whose hits continue to speak to our feet and our hearts in 2022. Her influence as a vocalist in indescribable, and she is well-remembered for her production of films like the Princess Diaries, and her role in Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. She was a trailblazer who sought to support young women entering the industry and create art to inspire and reflect the young women and girls she knew.
“I’m Your Baby Tonight” is the titular single from the album, all about the unyielding passion of first love. Houston doesn’t shy away from the sexual in this song, clearly describing the elation she experiences in this physical aspect of the relationship. The singer was known for her girl-next-door aesthetics, romantic music, and light-heartedness; this song marries that image with the sexuality that exists between new-lovers, and the girl-next-door becomes not only an object of desire, but a sexual actor who craves physical intimacy.
From the second you touched me
I was ready to die
I've never been fatal
You're my first time
I feel like an angel
Who just started to fly
Well, you got a, you got a way that you're making me
Feel I can, feel I can, do anything for you, baby
I will fly for you, baby
Hold on and enjoy the ride
I'm not in no hurry
We can fly all night, baby
It's your move, now, baby
Baby, let's fly
Whatever you want from me
I'm giving you everything
I'm your baby tonight
You've given me ecstasy
You are my fantasy
I'm your baby tonight
Whatever you want from me
I'm giving you everything
I'm your baby tonight
You've given me ecstasy
You are my fantasy
I'm your baby tonight
1992
This song was originally written as part of the soundtrack for the 1976 Motion Picture: Sparkle. This studio album featured the instrumentals and background vocals from the film with Aretha Franklin singing the songs.
In ‘92, the girl group, En Vogue, covered the song and this is the version that many of us remember. En Vogue’s vocal styling and natural chemistry brought out the best in this classic track, making it a hot and sexy hit in multiple eras. The lyrics speak to the character’s dreams, which are bigger than the musical fame and success of Sparkle, the main character. The singer dreams of being with her man, of “giving him something he can feel”, because in their youth and in the midst of their big dreams there is hardship that their facing. Indulging in the love, the physical attraction, they feel for each other speaks to the fever-balm of sex in the midst of hardship.
Living in a world of ghetto life
Everybody around seems so uptight
Nothing's wrong, it's alright with my man, my man
I like the kind of ways we have our fun
His loving ways send me on and on
Yeah, hey, with my man
People out there can understand
I'm giving him something he can feel, ah, ah, ah
To let you know my love is real
1994
Salt-N-Pepa was one of the biggest rapping girl-groups of all time. The trio, initially a duo formed by “Salt” and “Pepa” in 1985, consisted of Cheryl James (Salt), Sandra Denton (Pepa), and later Diedra Ropa (DJ Spinderella). “Push It”, a sex anthem, launched the group onto the international stage in 1991, and from there they continued to make sexually explicit music bringing attention to women’s sexual desires and unpacking sexual shame.
“None of Your Business” was recorded in 1993, but released in 1994. The song is all about the gossip and double standards that exist around women’s sexuality. The trio expresses their anger and annoyance, asserting that who they have sex with — what anyone does sexually — is no one else’s business. Although this isn’t a sex song exactly like the other tracks on this list, it serves an important purpose. Everyone should have the right to dictate their own sexual lives, free of shame.
If I wanna take a guy home with me tonight
It's none of your business
And if she wanna be a freak and sell it on the weekend
It's none of your business
Now you shouldn't even get into who I'm giving skins to
It's none of your business
So don't try to change my mind, I'll tell you one more time
It's none of your business
2001
This 2000s songstress is a staple in 21st century Neo-soul, and probably one of your mother’s favorite singers. India Arie isn’t all head wraps and incense, she is a serious lyricist and vocalist whose music has inter-generational impact and timeless flavor.
“Brown Skin” is a Blackity-Black anthem all about Black love-making. It speaks to the shea butter-loving, meditating, afro-centric sexual freak in all of us. Although Arie is not known for her sexuality, she and the entire line-up of Neo-soul artists are experts sexual songs and baby-making music. The genre’s sexuality is characterized by euphemism, word play, and indirectness, making this song playable on mainstream radio, at a cookout, or in a bookstore without turning heads.
That clever lyricism communicates the true meaning without giving too much away, and this tongue-in-cheek writing technique characterizes many of the songs on this list. Black women have always been singing about sex if you’re listening for the meaning behind the words.
Every time I see your lips, it makes me think of honey-coated chocolate
Your kisses are worth more than gold to me
I'll be your almond joy, you'll be my sugar daddy
Brown skin, you know I love your brown skin
I can't tell where yours begins, I can't tell where mine ends
Brown skin, up against my brown skin
Need some every now and then, oh hey
Every time you come around, something magnetic pulls me and I can't get out
Disoriented, I can't tell my up from down
All I know is that I want to lay you down
Every time I let you in, abracadabra magic happens as we swim
Higher and higher finally we reach heaven
Come back to earth and then we do it all again
Yeah
2002
Khia is an American rapper, singer, and celebrity personality. She is best known for this infamous 2002 hit, “My Neck, My Back”, although her other songs are on par with to this level of sexual aggression.
The artist is demanding in her call for slow head and thick, long dick from a thug. She leaves nothing unsaid, and this song has stood as an anthem for (Black) women’s pleasure since its’ release. It’s unapologetic in it’s request for unrequited sexual attention and pleasure. More than just a demand, it’s a fun song that keeps a good party moving in the right direction, it’s great to dance to, and Khia knew what she was doing when she made step-by-step instructions for giving head into a hit single.
First, you gotta put your neck into it
Don't stop, just do it, do it
Then, you roll your tongue
From the crack, back to the front
Then you suck it all 'til I shake and cum, ngga
Make sure I keep busting nuts, n*gga
All over your face and stuff
Slow head, show me so much love
The best head comes from a thug
The dick good: thick, big and long
Slow thumping 'til the crack of dawn
2010
Rihanna is a Barbadian singer, actress, fashion designer, and business owner who launched onto the music scene with her debut album “Music of the Sun” in 2005. She is known for her Caribbean influence and hard edge, creating hits like “Disturbia” with her talent for aesthetics and unmatched stage-presence. The artist’s attention to detail attracts just as much success as her voice, making her a fashion influencer and a major name at events like the Met Gala.
Her 2010 album, “Loud”, featured her signature cherry-red hair and “S&M”, one of her most influential hits. The song introduced many of its’ listeners to BDSM — sexual play that revolves around pain and pleasure. The artist always had a sexual side, but she developed that more and more as her career progressed, establishing the young singer as a sexual powerhouse. “S&M” speaks to deviant desires, the need for control/to give up control, and sexual freedom in the 21st century — Rihanna goes past talking about sex and dives into kinkiness in ways that had never before entered the mainstream.
We are currently awaiting her 9th (and final) studio album, but for now Rihanna continues to dominate our screens and conversations with her business endeavors, major charitable contributions, and unmatched charisma.
… Just one night full of sin
Feel the pain on your skin
Tough, I don't scream mercy
It's your time to hurt me
Yeah (Oh, oh, oh)
If I'm bad tie me down
Shut me up, gag and bound me
'Cos the pain is my pleasure
Nothing comes better
Yeah (Oh, oh, oh)
… 'Cause I may be bad but I'm perfectly good at it
Sex in the air, I don't care, I love the smell of it
Sticks and stones may break my bones
But chains and whips excite me
2018
Janelle Monáe is an artist most associated with her distinctive style. Known to stand out, she spent a great deal of her early career wearing suits and rocking a distinctive pompadour, singing pop-hits like “Tightrope”. As she moved further towards a unique and self-defined sound, the artist released “Dirty Computer” a visual album all about a robot escaping reprogramming through queer rebellion. This list would not be complete without the songs of queer Black women, as they have loved, lost, and fucked throughout time.
“Pynk” was one of the most celebrated singles of the project and the visual pull of the music video is undeniable — I recommend giving it a watch, particularly if you’ve never heard the song before. The track is all about women’s power, pleasure, intimacy, and vulnerability. It’s about more than just sex for Monáe, this song speaks to the intricate folds of the heart (along with the vagina) that make both such sensitive organs.
“Pynk” is a lesbian anthem that launched the artist into a new space, pulling queer women and other listeners into her fandom and begging us to listen closely. It’s not just a song about loving pussy, it is a song about queer love between women and as a part of the larger project speaks to the radical, freeing potential of pussy-love.
Pink like the lips around your, maybe
Pink like the skin that's under, baby
Pink where it's deepest inside, crazy
Pink beyond forest and thighs
Pink like the secrets you hide, maybe
Pink like the lid of your eye, baby
Pink is where all of it starts, crazy
Pink like the halls of your heart
2021
Chlöe, or Chloe Bailey of pop duo, Chloe x Halle, started her solo career in 2021 with the hit single “Have Mercy". The artist is often criticized for her sexuality and the sibling duo are often compared to each other, creating the illusion of competition that neither endorses.
In the “Have Mercy” music video, Chlöe plays the part of a seductress — a Medusa figure. Her moves and poise is hypnotic as the men that enter her bacchanal have no choice but to follow her every whim. It’s a proclamation of her sexual power and the self-obsessed nature of the song speaks to the confidence that the young vocalist is collecting as she ventures away from her sister and towards her own musical passions.
“Have Mercy” shows a more adult, erotic side of Chlöe that doesn’t quite compute with her audience’s mental image of the child-duo singing on Youtube in the mid-2010s. This single not only marks a definitive shift for the pop star as she transitions into adulthood and stand-alone stardom, but it also takes command of her sexuality, wrestling it away from onlookers, commenters, and critics, and putting it into the artist’s own hands to be molded to her liking.
Boy, you lookin' at me like I ain't give you no choice
If I count to three, bet you be on your knees
You wrapped 'round my hand like Cartier, oh
You can't get this thickness out of your mind
He say he like that Laffy Taffy
He so goofy, call me daddy
He go stupid, he go daffy
Introduce me to his papi
He can never live without me
I'm so real, I'm never cappin'
If he got it like that, like that
I can take it, take it there
'Cause my
Booty so big (Work), Lord, have mercy
2021
Megan Thee Stallion is a Houston rapper with an unmatchable flow, unapproachable lyricism, and unbeatable charisma. She’s an incredibly popular and well-liked artist whose sensual hooks and provocative videos keep her name in circulation. Last year she released a project, “Something for the Hotties”, made up of tracks that hadn’t made it onto any of her other albums. This amalgamation of freestyles, skits, and bops was a showcase of Megan’s talent, versatility, and all her greatest strengths.
“Eat it” is an unapologetic demand for selfish female pleasure. Megan’s music often centers her own sexual prowess, but in the mode of up-and-coming women in rap, she refuses the center anyone else. Her sexual songs are all about how her lovers should be working to pleasure her, and “Eat It” is no different. Why ask for just one nut when you want the whole tree?
How many times have I heard that somebody last long?
These niggas ain't lastin' a minute
How many times have I heard that a nigga was big
But dick as small as an egg-shaker?
Legs shaking, hit it 'til the bed breaking
"Best friend" it, talk to it
What you wanna tell Megan?
He say he finna keep me up
Yeah, n*gga, we'll see
I don't want just one nut
Daddy, I'ma need the whole tree
Yeah, yeah, eat it, eat it, eat it 'til I faint
Kick you out, here's a towel, n*gga, wipe your face
Eat it, eat it, 'til you break a sweat
Lick it all, give your all, 'til you outta breath
