#9: Meshell Ndegeocello 'Outside Your Door'

"Outside Your Door" by Meshell Ndegeocello has had a long and storied history. While we were all grooving and loving and wishing for a rainy night to play this with our lovers, it is alleged that Brian McKnight lifted the tune without permission for his hit "Anytime." Ouch. We won't dwell on that here. What we can dwell on is how deftly Meshell was able to capture an all-consuming, yet creepy crush on someone for whom the love is unrequited. While the debut album that this song is from, Plantation Lullabies, remains an underground classic, "Outside Your Door" seemed to come from nowhere regarding its popularity on the Quiet Storm circuit. Its beautiful, haunting, yearning melody is lovely in its simplicity, and her tale of waiting for a would-be lover's return home resonates on so many levels. Especially for those of us who thought we would die if our sentiments of love were not returned with all the reciprocity we felt we deserved. It somewhat borders on being a bit Sade-esque in its indelible sadness. Yet, we still honor this song here because it continues to bring us back to the place when we first heard it over and over again.