{"id":429502,"date":"2026-01-24T04:32:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T04:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/429502\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T04:32:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T04:32:08","slug":"kids-who-grew-up-in-the-90s-played-these-4-songs-on-repeat-but-totally-missed-what-they-meant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/429502\/","title":{"rendered":"Kids Who Grew Up In The 90s Played These 4 Songs On Repeat But Totally Missed What They Meant"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to songs you listened to as a kid that you might have totally missed the meaning of, 90s R&B\/Hip-Hop is the gift that keeps on giving. There is no end to the awesomeness going on. And thus, it was some of my favorite types of music to listen to as a kid growing up in the 90s.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you grew up in the 90s, chances are these songs were everywhere \u2014 on the radio, on burned CDs, basically playing in the background of your childhood. Back then, you sang along without a second thought, catching the chorus but missing what the lyrics were really saying. Now, listening as an adult, those same songs hit completely differently.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kids who grew up in the 90s played these four songs on repeat but totally missed what they meant:1. Let\u2019s Talk About S*x by Salt-N-Pepa (1991)<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t talk ’90s music and not touch on this one. Let\u2019s Talk About S*x<\/a> wasn’t Salt-N-Pepa’s first (or last) track to put love-making front and center, but this one cemented their place as strong, assertive women in control of their sensuality and sounded a gong for everyone else to take control of theirs.<\/p>\n

As a Catholic school kid, this song was the first place I learned about the concept. These were the early days in terms of HIV\/AIDS awareness and education, and this song was an awesomely accessible way to get folks to start talking. Salt-N-Pepa threw down the gauntlet. If we\u2019re going to do it, let\u2019s be open and up-front and know exactly what it is we\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n

RELATED: The Music You Listen To When You\u2019re Stressed Reveals A Lot About How You Process The World, Says A Neuroscientist<\/a><\/p>\n

2. I Wanna S*x You Up by Color Me Badd (1991)<\/p>\n

\"Shocked simona pilolla 2 via Shutterstock<\/p>\n

So much to say about this song<\/a>, but really, the biggest point here is that these gentlemen simply don\u2019t seem to grasp how intimacy works. Like, mechanically. This little ditty (which was featured on the New Jack City<\/a> soundtrack \u2014 what?!) features such promises as, \u201cWe can do it ’til we both wake up.”<\/p>\n

Now I\u2019m no expert, but if you\u2019ve both fallen asleep, I’m pretty sure you\u2019re not doing it anymore. Pro tip: Even if only one of you is asleep, there should be no doing it. Everyone needs to be awake for intercourse to be consensual.<\/p>\n

There is also mention of \u201cmaking love until we drown.\u201d Um, who-with-the-what-now? Are they in a pool? Why is drowning presented as a goal? I\u2019m so confused, and based on these lyrics (and the hairstyles in this video), so are the boys of Color Me Badd. It\u2019s like they just need better instructions.<\/p>\n

RELATED: Teen Catches Her Christian Mom Destroying Her Olivia Rodrigo Records Because She Curses In Her Songs<\/a><\/p>\n

3. I\u2019ll Make Love to You by Boyz II Men (1994)<\/p>\n

Most folks my age know this as the song<\/a> you slow-danced to at your junior prom. It wasn\u2019t until I got a bit older that I realized this is about more than your typical slow-jam seduction. This track gets straight-up instructional. Indeed, most of the lyrics are just directions.<\/p>\n

“Close your eyes\/make a wish\u00a0
And blow out the candlelight…\u00a0
Pour the wine\/ Light the fire.”<\/p>\n

Teenage boys could have made checklists of this thing! In fact, my brother has been known to re-interpret one line as follows: \u201cThrow your clothes on the floor\/I\u2019m going to take my clothes off too … Because that’s how this works.\u201d Really, you could hear the conversation going on that way.<\/p>\n

Anyway, you have to hand it to them. Boyz II Men were unwavering in their commitment to getting it on. Even if they had to take you through it step-by-step, you were going to have a good time.<\/p>\n

RELATED: This Is The Age When Your Taste In Music Officially Gets Old, According To Research<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Doin\u2019 It by LL Cool J featuring Leshaun (1996)<\/p>\n

\"Surprised pics five via Shutterstock<\/p>\n

I recently found myself in a debate about whether this song<\/a> was positive, and my answer \u2014 not even taking into account my lifelong crush on LL Cool J \u2014 is a resounding, yes! We have two people (one of whom is very excited about everyone\u2019s geographic origins) singing about how mutually psyched they are for their encounter, talking about the protection they use, making sure everyone enjoys the experience, and having a little post-experience verbal high-five. We should all be this committed to \u201cdoin\u2019 it well.”<\/p>\n

And, of course, Honorable Mentions \u2014 because you can\u2019t talk ’90s songs and leave these two gentlemen out of the conversation:<\/p>\n

Bump and Grind by R. Kelly (1994): R. Kelly gives Next a run for their money in the subtlety department.”Pony” by Ginuwine (1996): I once explained the lyrics of this song to my brother. We felt awkward after.<\/p>\n

RELATED: 13 Afterschool Rituals Every 90s Kid Will Totally Relate To<\/a><\/p>\n

JoEllen Notte\u00a0is a writer, speaker, researcher, and author. She has been featured in\u00a0The Daily Dot, AlterNet,\u00a0Powell’s Books Blog, and more.<\/p>\n

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