To look at the Billboard Hot 100 in its current state, the message behind some of today’s biggest hits is that of independence, assertive confidence and most importantly that you’re probably better off alone after a heartbreak.
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There’s Miley Cyrus sitting in the top spot with “Flowers,” a clever flip on Bruno Mars’ own 2013 chart-topper, “When I Was Your Man,” that’s become an anthem for jilted lovers everywhere. Then you’ve got SZA close behind with “Kill Bill” at no. 3, which takes the route of going Swarm-style on an ex-lover. With Ice Spice and PinkPantheress calling the fellas out on their joint No. 6 hit “Boy’s A Liar, Pt. 2,” and Coi Leray flipping the script on two-timing males with her no. 9 banger, “Players,” it would be safe to say that music has reached its pinnacle when it comes to the ladies taking no B.S. in relationships.
However, there’s one song taking over the charts that borrows from a past music era where the hitmakers did almost anything to stay in love, which we see reworked in the no. 4 song in the country by Metro Boomin, The Weeknd and 21 Savage titled “Creepin’.”
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Now, those who are aware will automatically spot that “Creepin’” is simply a Gen-Z flip of Mario Winans’ far more superior 2004 smash “I Don’t Wanna Know” — more on that later! — which dropped during a peak time of the aforementioned ‘soulful simping.’
In short, some of the artists we regard as icons today had a far different message than what’s circulating on the radio now. While the days of being hard-pressed over a lover who most certainly didn’t deserve your time may be long gone, it doesn’t hurt to reminisce on the painfully good times.
Join us as we look back at Mario Winans and a handful of other favorite singers who proved that simping wasn’t so hard after all. Let us know who you think had the best “please-baby-please” anthems though: 80s? 90s? 2000s?
1. "Saving All My Love For You" – Whitney Houston (1985)
“A few stolen moments is all that we shared You’ve got your family and they need you there Though I try to resist being last on your list But no other man’s gonna do So I’m saving all my love for you”
2. "Tell Me What You Want Me To Do" – Tevin Campbell (1991)
“Girl, I’m begging you I’m down on my knees Don’t walk away, baby Please don’t leave me now”
3. "One Last Cry" – Brian McKnight (1992)
“My shattered dreams and broken heart Are mending on the shelf I saw you holding hands Standing close to someone else Now, I sit all alone Wishing all my feeling was gone I gave my best to you Nothing for me to do”
4. "I'm Goin' Down" – Mary J. Blige (1994)
“Time on my hands Since you’ve been away, boy I ain’t got no plans, no no no no And the sound of the rain, against my windowpane Is slowly, is slowly drivin’ me insane, boy”
5. "I Wanna Be Down" – Brandy (1994)
“If all you need is my time, that I got plenty of I’ll dedicate all my love until you want me, baby I wanna stay by your side Be there to cool you out And let you know everything will be alright”
6. "Twisted" – Keith Sweat (1996)
“Baby, baby I know Baby I love you so But you don’t feel like I do Tell me what can I do”
7. "Don't Leave Me" – Blackstreet (1997)
“I’m searchin’ for the words to make you realize That I really, really want you to stay Tears of frustration I hold inside But if you walk away, you’ll make this grown man cry”
8. "Missing You" – Case (2000)
“Standing here lookin’ out my window My nights are long and my days are cold ’cause I don’t have you How can I be so damn demanding? I know you said that it’s over now but I can’t let go”
9. "Come Over" – Aaliyah (2002)
“I know you’re asleep But you’re on my mind And I’m wide awake And I wanna stop by So can you get up and get out of the bed? ‘Cause I wanna see you And I’ve been wonderin’ Can I come over?”
10. "Frontin'" (feat. Jay-Z) – Pharrell (2003)
“I know that I’m carrying on Never mind if I’m showing off I was just frontin’ (You know I want you, babe) I’m ready to bury it all Unless you don’t care at all But you know I want ya (You should stop frontin’, babe)”
11. "Cater 2 U" – Destiny's Child (2004)
“Let me cater to you, ’cause, baby, this is your day Do anything for my man, baby, you blow me away I got your slippers, your dinner, your dessert and so much more Anything you want, just let me cater to you Inspire me from the heart, can’t nothin’ tear us apart You’re all I want in a man, I put my life in your hands I got your slippers, your dinner, your dessert and so much more Anything you want, I wanna cater to you”
12. "I Don't Wanna Know" (feat. Diddy) – Mario Winans (2004)
“Somebody said they saw you The person you were kissing wasn’t me And I would never ask you I just kept it to myself
I don’t wanna know If you’re playin’ me, keep it on the low ‘Cause my heart can’t take it anymore And if you’re creepin’, please don’t let it show Oh, baby I don’t wanna know”
13. "Please Don't Go" – Tank (2007)
“Oh, I didn’t think it’d get this bad Never thought of losing you (Now my heart is beating fast) I’m trying to figure out in my mind (What to do, find the words to say)”
14. "Hate That I Love You" (feat. Ne-Yo) – Rihanna (2007)
“And you completely know the power that you have The only one that makes me laugh Said that it’s not fair How you take advantage of the fact That I… Love you beyond the reason why And it just ain’t right”
15. "Honey" – Erykah Badu (2008)
“So tell me Slim, what you tryin’ to do? I’m tryin’ to get me an interview Look for you all over town But you gave me the run-around Fly free baby, fine with me I need to know if you’re feelin’ me Can you stick your pinky finger in my tea Cause you so sweet to me, oh”
