R. Kelly (MCT CAMPUS)

If it hasn’t been said, it needs to be said: R. Kelly is the greatest sex-song artist of our generation. In the past two decades, no musician has pushed the limits of sex-song etiquette more than Kells. He sings about the sinful. He tunes on the taboo. He belts out the business. If you ever need some music to smush to, press play on this R. Kelly playlist, and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about. For a beginner’s guide to the genius that is the R. Kelly sex song, take note of this top 10.

10. “Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)”—This is for the risky, for the dangerous and for the cheaters. We’re all drawn toward the forbidden, and Kells makes that perfectly clear with this slow jam.

Line to remember: “Secret lovers / Is what you wanna be / While making love to him, girl / You’re silently calling on me.”

9. “It Seems Like You’re Ready”—This is definitely a song we college kids can all relate to, or at least one we’d like to relate to. Kelly nails this track, showing off his vocal range from top to bottom.

Line to remember: “Your body is my playground / Let me lick you up and down.”

8. “Feelin’ On Yo Booty”—This jam is the first on the list to flaunt two of R. Kelly’s greatest talents. First, no one can make the vulgar sound romantic better than the R. And second, “Booty” shows off Kelly’s skill at matching the instrumental perfectly to the lyrics. Check out this song, and you will swoon.

Line to remember: “As I walk you to the dance floor / We begin to dance slow / Put your arms around me / I’m feelin’ on your booty.”

7. “The Greatest Sex”—The title says it all, so just take R. Kelly’s word for it. Every aspect of this song is great: the lyrics, the beat, the melody and the mood it puts you in.

Line to remember: “And inside of your walls there will dwell a Capricorn (that will feast your body all night) / If we keep this up then a love child will be born.”

6. “Sex Me (Part I)”—There was too much sexiness in this song, so his record label made Kelly split it up into a two-part series. The King of R&B is pretty explicit in this track, both in what he wants and the way he wants it.

Line to remember: “Any unexpected positions / Bring it on / Any secret fantasies you see I’ll fulfill as long / As you sex me.”

5. “Ignition (Remix)”—This is definitely the most well-known R. Kelly hit of our generation, and I wasn’t quite sure if the song was slow enough to make this a classic sex song. But after listening to it again, I have no doubt that “Ignition” belongs in the top 10.

Line to remember: “Girl I’m feelin’ whatchu feelin’ / No more hopin’ and wishin’ / I’m about to take my key / And stick it in the ignition.”

4. “At the Same Time”—This is one of Kells’ more under-rated sex songs, as I haven’t found many friends who’ve heard it. But you need to hear it, and take it to heart. The instrumental is a little more fast-paced, perfect for when such a mood strikes, and the lyrics are chock full of salacious sex rhymes.

Line to remember: “I’m on top of you / Making you feel it /
I look up in the mirror / And see that ass in the ceiling / We’ll be curling our toes / While screaming God dammit / Girl just let me know / That my access is granted.”

3. “The Zoo”—It doesn’t get much wilder than this. Kelly brings out the wild side in all of the God’s creations, and in severely explicit style. The harmonized monkey noises are the perfect touch. When you’ve got that animal urge, press replay on this song, and get it on.

Line to remember: “Girl, I got you so wet / It’s like a rain forest / Like Jurassic Park / Except I’m your sex-a-saurus, baby / You and me hopping / Like two kangaroos / Rattling and moaning / Out here in these woods.”

2. “Bump N’ Grind”—I’ve been to two R. Kelly concerts, and both times the girls screamed the loudest for this ballad. The intro is undoubtedly one of his most quoted lines. This is a Kells all-timer, an eternal song for the sexy, and one that will surely outlast the longest-lasting.

Line to remember: “My mind is telling me no / But my body, my body’s telling me yes / I don’t want to hurt nobody / But there is something that I must confess / I don’t see nothing wrong / With a little bump and grind.”

1. “Echo”—This track is fresh off R. Kelly’s latest album that dropped just a few months ago, and I instantly fell in love with it. The jam has all the requirements for the perfect sex song: explicit lyrics, a smooth beat, a rising tempo, a thunderous climax and the sexiest yodel you’ll ever hear. It will get you in the mood, keep you in the mood and stay with you till the mood has come and gone. R. Kelly is at his best here, and “Echo” should absolutely boom against the walls while you’re body is doing the same.

Line to remember: “The way you riding it I can tell you like my surprise / Now I’m working it up and down like a roller coaster ride /
I got your ass rolling back, fingernails in your spine
/ We never had a sex session like this one in your life.”