Songs Using the Voice as an Instrument

In modern music, the human voice isn’t just for lyrics and melodies—it can also be the beat itself. From chopped-up vocal samples to beatboxing to soaring hooks that serve as rhythmic backbones, artists across hip hop, pop, and electronic music are using vocals as instruments in ways that push production forward.

If you’ve ever wondered about songs where vocals act as percussion or tracks built on vocal samples, this playlist highlights some of the best examples.

Songs That Use Vocals as the Beat

Here’s a curated list of songs where the voice drives the rhythm—whether through vocal samples, vocal chops, or vocals functioning as percussion. We’ve also included a Spotify playlist below!

• Body Do – Chlöe
• I’M THAT GIRL – Beyoncé
• Talk To Me Nice – Tinashe
• A Milli – Lil Wayne
• the light is coming – Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj
• WTP – Teyana Taylor, Mykki Blanco
• São Paulo – The Weeknd, Anitta
• WAP – Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion
• Boyz – M.I.A.
• Paint The Town Red – Doja Cat
• Sycamore Tree – Kali Uchis
• Stronger – Kanye West
• Don’t Worry Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin
• UCKERS – Shygirl
• Only You – Ellie Goulding
• Lemon – N.E.R.D, Rihanna, Pharrell Williams
• Nice For What – Drake
• 6 Foot 7 Foot – Lil Wayne, Cory Gunz
• 22 (OVER S∞∞N) – Bon Iver
• DUCKWORTH. – Kendrick Lamar
• No Duh – K.Flay
• Music – Erick Sermon, Marvin Gaye
• Wolves – Kanye West
• Devil In A New Dress – Kanye West, Rick Ross
• Did It First – Ice Spice, Central Cee
• You Don’t Even Know Who I Am – underscores
• I’m So Humble – The Lonely Island, Adam Levine
• POWER – Kanye West
• Bound 2 – Kanye West

Why Vocals as Rhythm Work So Well

• Emotional depth: A voice adds texture and personality that drum machines can’t replicate.
• Flexibility: Producers can pitch-shift, loop, or chop a vocal into something entirely new.
• Genre-crossing: From Kanye West’s iconic soul samples to Ariana Grande’s experimental vocal chops, vocal-based rhythm shows up everywhere.

Standout Examples of Vocals as Percussion

• Kanye West – “Stronger” / “POWER”: Famous for sampling and layering chopped-up vocals into driving beats.
• Lil Wayne – “A Milli”: Built around a repetitive, hypnotic vocal sample that sets the rhythm.
• Ariana Grande – “the light is coming”: Uses vocal loops as the song’s backbone.
• Bobby McFerrin – “Don’t Worry Be Happy”: An all-vocal track where the human voice handles every rhythmic element.
• Doja Cat – “Paint The Town Red”: Vocal sample forms the song’s core, making it instantly recognizable.

The Future of Vocal-Driven Beats

With the rise of AI-generated vocal samples and ever-evolving production software, the use of the voice as a primary rhythmic element is only going to expand. Expect more songs where vocals are the beat, more experimentation with vocal chops, and new genres shaped by the voice as an instrument.

Final Thoughts

Whether it’s Kanye chopping soul vocals, Ariana experimenting with vocal loops, or Bobby McFerrin building entire songs from his voice, these tracks prove that the human voice is the most versatile instrument of all.

If you love exploring songs with vocal samples, beatboxing, and vocal percussion, this playlist is a perfect starting point.

Spotify Playlist

This site is dedicated to fun playlist themes! Have we missed a song that should be included in this playlist? Comment below to share it!