The Game Song – Keke Palmer

Seeing Keke Palmer in the official tracklist was no surprise, since we know she’s very much a Simmer. While she was pregnant with Leo, 2, she was actively gaming and struggling with a broken CC or mods, along with the rest of us. I caught a few of her livestreams on her since-removed Twitch channel, itskekebabii, and let’s just say — Keke, come back!

“The Game Song,” from Keke’s debut album, So Uncool, first appeared in Sims 2 as part of the H&M Stuff Pack, released in June 2007, and was later removed from the base game. The song, which can now be heard on the Retro station, was recently an unlockable reward in The Sims 4’s “Blast from the Past” event. 

Violet Stars Happy Hunting – Janelle Monáe

The funky robot that is Janelle Monáe blessed The Sims 2: Apartment Life Expansion Pack with her Simlish rendition of “Violet Stars Happy Hunting” from her 2007 album, Metropolis: The Chase Suite. 

The song appeared again on the Pop station for The Sims 4. The Hidden Figures star also lent her voice to The Sims 3: Showtime to join the pop-rock band, Fun, for a Simified version of their song, “We Are Young,” which also plays in Sims 4.

What’s Love – Baby Tate

On Tuesday, June 20, The Sims announced rapper Baby Tate and her Simlish version of her R&B track “What’s Love” from her 2022 album, Mani/Pedi, would be added to The Sims 4 base game via a 2023 Delivery Express drop. Also included in the drop was the long-awaited R&B station, where “What’s Love” can be heard now.

Expensive – Tori Kelly

Back in December 2015, Tori Kelly re-recorded her upbeat song “Expensive” in Simlish for The Sims 4’s Get Together Expansion Pack. In a 2024 interview with theZang Sang Show, the singer calls the experience “a dream” and “a highlight of my career.”

“It’s easy to read, it’s just weird sounds,” Tory explained and sang a few words from her song in Simlis, including baby (“nooboo”) and yeah (“yib”). “Expensive” can be heard on the Pop station.

Touchin’ – Honey Bxby

R&B Honey Bxby joined the elite of Simlish singers with her song “Touchin’” that was released with the Lovestruck Expansion Pack alongside Flyana Boss, and can also be heard on the R&B station. During a recent interview, the New Jersey native shared her experience recording her hit song in the fictional language, which she clarified she indeed had to learn. 

“I’ve been playing Sims since I was like a kid,” she told interviewer Ryan Deelon. “I just love Sims, so when they reached out to me — we did the [liveplay], we did the play because I love Sims.” 

When Ryan questioned if Simlish was more than just gibberish, Honey Bxby explained, “Simlish is a language. And so when you’re recording the songs in Simlish, they give you the lyrics in Simlish, yeah. So I’m not just singing in gibberish, it’s like a whole different language.”

Worship – Lizzo

Although it’s unclear if Lizzo is a Simmer on the low, we do know that the 37-year-old powerhouse is no stranger to letting her nerdy girl flag fly. The singer-songer and flutist has been an open and proud being a Moonie, or Sailor Moon fan, since she was a kid. 

From cosplaying as the pig-tailed Japanese anime character at Comic-Con 2015 to as recently as Vooddoo Fest 2018 where she performed with her dancers in full Sailor Scout attire. 

Lizzo’s “Worship” from her Coconut Oil  EP was added to The Sims 4 includedwith the City Living Expansion Pack, released in November 2016. “Worship” can heard on the Pop station. 

Me Vs. Us – Tayla Parx

Tayla Parx’s 2019 song “Me Vs. Us” was released into The Sims 4 world via the Get Famous Expansion Pack, which was released to EA in November 2018. This is another artist addition that’s not entirely surprising, as Tayla has been a major voice across The Sim multiverse. Tayla’s voice and be heard in many game expansions as she is a voiceover actress with nearly 40 credits across over 30 game titles. 

In July 2020, she was even one of the judges for the short-lived TBS network reality competition series, titled The Sims Spark’d, where she, along with two other judges, challenged 12 Simmers to navigate character creation, story scenarios, and design obstacles. Fun fact: The four-episode show included popular Sim content creators xMiraMira and DeeSims! 

“Me Vs. Us” can be heard on the Hip-hop station.

breathe again – Joy Oladokun

Joy Oladokun’s single “breathe again” is aptly named, as it’s a breathtaking folk ballad from the multi-genre singer, off her sophomore 2020 studio album, In Defense of My Own Happiness (The Beginnings). 

The soft melody was first heard in The Sims 4 during a nine-day in-game music festival titled Sims Sessions, where popular artists’ Simselves would take stage every Sunday at Magnolia Blossom Park in Willow Creek for a crowd of music lovers. “breathe again” can now be heard in all its Simlish glory on the Pop station. 

You Wish – Flyana Boss

The eclectic, trap-pop rap duo, made up of Bobbi LaNea Tyler and Folayan Omi Kunerede, first went viral in 2023 for their innovative, Missy Elliot-inspired videos where they were seen running through the streets performing their  “You Wish.” 

As the group suggested, or manifested, in their lyrics, they were soon “swimming in brand deals,” as many Fortune 500 companies hopped on the Flyana Boss train, including DoorDash, Nike, Pizza Hut, Cheetos, Meta, and Ray-Bans. 

“It’s like we tricked our audience in a way with that line of ‘swimming in brand deals,’” the group explained in a 2024 interview with The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). “It showed an authentic side of partnering with brands, and our fans cheer us on every time we get a new deal…It elevates visibility in general anytime we partner with a brand and our audience, [it’s] just like, ‘You did it again!’”

 “You Wish” will be in the mix on the Hip-Hop station. 

Dumbstruck – Ceraadi

R&B and Hip-Hop group Ceraadi has been floating around my playlists for years, so it was nice to see that the California-based duo was added to this special roundup. Their upbeat, dance track, “Dumbstruck” from their 2019 album, Ceraadi’s Playlist, was added to The Sims 4 through the Discover University Expansion Pack — which makes sense because I was partying and dancing and falling hopelessly in love when I went to university too. 

“Dumbstruck” will make its spins on the Hip-Hop station. 

Block List – Rico Nasty

In November 2022, during an interview with Gaming While Black, the D.C. native opened up about her earliest memories playing videogames, recalling Twisted Metal as the first game she’s ever played — which seems very on brand for the self-proclaimed rockstar. 

“That was my favorite game for a very long time, that’s all I would play with my cousins,” Rico remembered. “And WWE Smackdown Vs Raw.”  

Rico Nasty’s nostalgia-inducing femme anthem “Block List” off her debut album, Tales of Tacobella, was added to The Sims’ Hip Hop station as a part of the 2019 Discover University Expansion Pack. 

BMO – Ari Lennox

Ari Lennox has never shied away from talking about her love for The Sims, though she has admitted that she keeps her building skills very basic. In a 2019 interview with Fader, she kept it real and said what many Simmers (including myself) have been saying for years. 

“I need to help Sims out because they are playing with their fans. Sims 4 was trash,” the “New Apartment” singer said boldly. “I’m gonna be real with you, Sims, y’all tried it. Sims 3, to me, was the last real Sims game that was like, beautiful.” 

She went on to praise The Sims 3 for its animation style and wished for the AAA game developer to expand on the worlds included in the base game, suggesting Nigeria as a culturally-rich expansion pack world to create “a world with all chocolate Sims and/or all people of color.”

Her third single, “BMO,” from her 2019 debut album, Shea Butter Baby, was a feature of the Discover University Expansion Pack, which was released in November that same year. 

“BMO” can be heard in rotation on the Hip-Hop and R&B stations.

enknee1 – Hemlocke Springs

Like many, I first heard of Hemlocke Springs when her 2022 ethereal song “girlfriend” went viral on TikTok. So discovering her 2023 song “enknee1” was one of the chosen for The Sims world felt like a colliding of multiple worlds in the best way.

“Enknee1” was added to the game through the For Rent pack, released in December 2023, and can be heard on the Alternative radio station. 

Angel – Lava La Rue

Lava La Rue’s sensual track, “Angel,” featuring Deb Never, is the exact kind of song that probably works in every language, but is especially perfect for a Sims dance break. Off the London artist’s 2021 album, BUTTER-FLY, “Angel” was one of five songs that came with the release of The Sims 4’s tenth game pack, Dream Home Decorator.  

While it’s unclear if Lava is a gamer herself, she has remained gagged at the experience of working with The Sims team. The genre-bending star played her Simlish track” in a 2023 TikTok, captioned, “its when they translated UK slang words into Simlish, it was so hard to record and not laugh.”

“Angel” can be heard on the Alternative radio station.