20 unsuspecting songs from artists that actually slap

Beyoncé’s 2016 single “Don’t Hurt Yourself” comes from her sixth studio album, Lemonade. It’s a hard-rock track featuring the legendary singer and guitarist Jack White (lead singer of the White Stripes). In a previous interview with NPR, White spoke about the behind-the-scenes process of producing the song, calling it “incredibly intense.” He continued: “I’m so amazed at what she did with it.”

“Midnight Sky” is a bold single by singer Miley Cyrus that highlights her free spirit and touches on her healing journey after previous relationships. The tune features many disco and pop elements, much different than her earlier days as Hannah Montana. 

Rihanna’s trap single “B— Better Have My Money” sounds similar to her 2013 track “Pour It Up,” which peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, the former just hits differently. It’s raw and catchy and a RiRi song we love hearing while out and about. 

We never thought we’d see the day when Lady Gaga, known for popular dance tracks like “Just Dance” and “Poker Face,” would release a jazz album alongside the iconic Tony Bennett. However, she did the unthinkable in 2014, putting out singles “Anything Goes” and “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love,” which reached No. 1 on the US Jazz Digital Songs chart. 

Nicki has always experimented with different sounds, from “Super Bass” to her 2015 dance-pop single “The Night Is Still Young.” It features a fun chorus and verses filled with the rapper’s dope flow she’s known for. 

Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl” took the singer in a totally different direction than her earlier days as a Christian music artist. The song reached the apex of Billboard‘s Hot 100 in July 2008 and has sold six million copies as of 2018. 

Ye is no stranger to creating music about his faith. The rapper released his hit single “Jesus Walks” in 2004, which peaked at No. 11 on the charts. In 2019, he released a full-length gospel album, Jesus Is Lord, featuring the moving single “God Is,” about the performer’s relationship with God. 

If you had told us Linkin Park, the famous rock band from California with a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance, would shake the table with a pop album (One More Light) in 2017, we wouldn’t have believed you. But the project’s lead single, “Heavy,” accompanied by a groovy beat and touching lyrics, actually goes pretty hard.

Kesha’s 2017 song “Praying” is a soulful track, unlike her smash hit, “Tik Tok,” in which the singer gets incredibly real about her healing journey following a challenging couple of years. The song received critical acclaim, peaking at No. 22 on the Hot 100 and selling over two million copies as of 2018.

You may recognize this face as one-third of the popular girl group Destiny’s Child. The group often sang about more mature topics, including romantic relationships, bright lights, and busy nights. But in 2014, Michelle Williams released the gospel track “Say Yes,” featuring her bandmates Kelly Rowland and Beyoncé. 2015, the song won the Stellar Award for Music Video of the Year. 

“Texas Hold ‘Em” isn’t Beyoncé’s first country diddy. The multi-hyphenate released the highly praised single “Daddy Lessons” in 2016 as part of her monumental album, Lemonade. She performed the song alongside The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) at the Country Music Awards in 2016.

By the time Nick Jonas went solo, he was no longer singing cliche love songs like “Lovebug” and “When I Look You In The Eyes.” The Jonas Bro released his R&B single “Chains” in 2014, which is riddled with adult themes, including love and passion.

Jesse McCartney took his listeners on a different sort of ride with his hit “Body Language.” The 2009 single, featuring T-Pain, is about the singer’s love of women and has a more adult sound than his 2004 song, “Beautiful Soul.” 

Rapper Lil Wayne released a guitar-driven track called “How To Love” from his album Tha Carter IV in 2011. Unlike his other songs, which feature the performer’s impressive bars, this song shows a softer side to him, with him singing about a lost love and a broken heart. 

“my hair” comes from Ariana Grande’s sixth studio album, Positions, and although it’s still a pop track, which the singer is known for, it’s a more mature song about her fun and intimate times with a special lover. 

After Lauren Daigle’s debut album, How Can It Be, the Christian artist took off, releasing smash hits like “Rescue” and “You Say,” which won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Song. In 2017, she switched it up a bit with her release, “Almost Human,” which was the finishing track to the film Blade Runner 2049. 

Tori Kelly took a different approach when she released her gospel album, Hiding Place. The project won the Grammy for Best Gospel Album in 2019, and her single, “Never Alone,” won for Best Gospel/Performance Song. In an interview with Forbes, the singer reflected on her journey as an artist and what it meant to tap into a different sound. 

“… From my perspective, it still feels like it’s me. It’s still my voice. I’m still putting all of myself into it. So, if anything, it’s fun for me to share and experiment. I don’t have to stick to one lane. I’ve been calling it life music. Life songs. Doesn’t always have to have a title on it.”

Mariah Carey is one of the greats. She has flawlessly switched between genres since her debut in the ’90s. In addition to the impressive whistle notes Mimi is known for, the singer does a little rapping on her track “Prisoner.” 

Madonna has always kept her fans on their toes, jumping between genres since her debut album hit the shelves in 1983. She shocked listeners again with her 2014 hit, “B-tch, I’m Madonna,” which had an EDM sound and featured rapper Nicki Minaj. 

From a country girl to global sensation, Taylor Swift shocked the world with her album Reputation, where she came out the gates swinging on the opening track, “Are You Ready For It?”