We replace the last couple of week’s penchant for movie-related artistry to straight ahead Pop music done right, an ’80s track I don’t hate, a classic from KISS’ best member, and a racial sermon that’s desperately needed in today’s world.

1. “The Blacker the Berry” – Kendrick Lamar
   A week ago I was talking with my cousin Brett about the greatest rappers of all time. We both agreed that when considering the total package that Kanye was the best. But when considering pure rapping skills, his choice was Eminem. I countered with Kendrick Lamar and he thought I was crazy. But he hasn’t heard To Pimp a Butterfly, which means he’s never heard “The Blacker the Berry.” I’ve heard this song multiple times when I listened to the album, but hearing it out of context as I worked on my Top 500 song list, it was even more gripping. When considering the greatest Rap songs I’ve ever heard, this extremely timely racial sermon may be the pinnacle.
2. “Just like Heaven” – The Cure
   Those who have been following my journey through Rolling Stone‘s Top 500 songs of all time are aware of how heavily this song hit me when I first heard it this week. Since then, I’ve been making up for lost time with nearly daily listens and it hasn’t gotten old yet. The ’80s may have sucked, but damn they had their moments.
3. “Julia” – SZA
   That girl from college that got the CD upon my graduation (see last week’s entry for a longer, but still very abridged version of the story) introduced me to SZA toward the end of the first semester of our friendship. I was impressed. This pop nugget, which deviated from the norms of the rest of the album, was my favorite. I’ve always been a sucker for straight-ahead Pop music when it’s done right (as you’ll see further with my next entry). And if you want my definition for “Pop it right,” here it is.
4. “The Mother we Share” – CHVRCHES
   One of the most stressful, and yet best, weekends of my life occurred this past April when I attended the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association convention in Dallas at the Sheraton hotel. I was with that girl in the same hotel for several days and it was stressful as hell (and my roommate getting laid didn’t help matters). But I also got to spend some time with my brother and stepfather as that same weekend was also WrestleMania weekend. On the Monday after ‘Mania, we ate at the Hard Rock Cafe in town and I heard this song. It hit me hard as I’d just had one of the most emotionally raw few days of my life, and it means just as much to me today as it did then.
5. “I Can’t Stop the Rain” – Peter Criss
   Normally I try to put together these playlists on Wednesdays, but I got a little held up yesterday which resulted in the later upload. This morning as I woke up, I had a text message from my old high school girlfriend (who’s currently traveling Europe as a part of her university’s study-abroad program) waiting for me. Minutes later, I heard this song. It pretty much summed my feelings up perfectly, and I knew I had to include it in the week’s playlist. Sometimes procrastination is a virtue, I guess.

For more playlists, including my master Burnes’ Turns playlist that contains nearly 2,000 songs, search for Andrew Burnes or Burnes’ Turns on Spotify.