5 story-telling hits from the Radio 1 Playlist

6 February 2018

On this week's Life Hacks, Cel Spellman and Katie Thistleton explored the power of stories.

Not only can they entertain, but reading (and writing) stories can also help us communicate and even deal with stress.

You can even find stories on the Radio 1 Playlist, where some of the smartest pop writers have tales to tell that go far beyond the old cliché of how great/difficult it is to be in relationship. Here are five brilliant pop songs that also boast a fairly decent narrative.

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Plot: I partied way too hard on holiday

Ed Sheeran is a modern poet when it comes to pop songs and Galway Girl is one of his finest sonnets.

This Top Ten single (which may or may not sound a bit like C'est La Vie by B*Witched) tells the age-old tale of falling in love with someone you meet on holiday – in this instance, a messy weekend in Ireland.

The whirlwind romance started outside a pub, before drinking more than is recommended at the bar, having a snog and then getting thrashed at darts and pool.

And, like all the best modern love stories, this tale ends eating crisps back at someone else's house.

Plot: I have to travel a long way to visit my girlfriend

This is not a complicated story, but it is a relatable one. Essentially, Ramz is seeing someone who lives in a reasonably posh area.

He likes her, but not that much or "not wifey" in his words. But maybe that's because she insists on phoning him at all hours of the day - starting at 7am in the morning ("She's calling, I’m yawning.")

OK, so it's not a story that will echo through the ages but it is a tale that has made a star out of a man who was planning on teaching football to children before music came calling.

Plot: I'm going to stop writing hits about my ex

Sam Smith has found a lot of success by singing about the man who broke his heart. On this hit, he sings about singing about the man who broke his heart. Yes, it's the Inception of the pop world.

On One Last Song, Sam says goodbye to the person who inspired hits such as Stay With Me and Like I Can. Are you sure this is a good idea, Mr Smith?

There is a twist in the tale, however (albeit a minor one). Despite this being Sam's big farewell to a former flame, as the song comes to a close, he admits the man was the love of his life and sings "I miss having you by my side."

So watch this space for a sequel.

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Plot: I love you but we actually can't let anyone else know

Jason Derulo once claimed this song was about fancying someone who already had a boyfriend, but perhaps there's a deeper meaning to it than that.

The song has been adopted by Little Mix's gay fans, who believed the lyrics about having to hide what you feel for someone was a story of a private LGBT relationship.

And in 2015, Jade confirmed this theory on social media, tweeting this is exactly what she sees as the story in the song and what she wanted to see in the video.

Instead, they wandered around London's South Bank looking lovely, while Jason Derulo did a little dance in an empty attic.

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Plot: Single mums can have a tough job but they're generally amazing

Neither Clean Bandit, Anne-Marie nor Sean Paul is a single mum (or at least, as far as we know...) but together they teamed up to tell a story of the 'daily struggle' lone parents face.

The mum in question apparently isn't working in an especially desirable profession to make money for her child, with Anne-Marie singing "She's gone astray, so far away from her father's daughter."

But while Anne-Marie and Sean Paul trade verses about how hard it is bringing up a child on their own, the story here is a positive one about the brilliance of mums and how much they sacrifice to raise their little ones.

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