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10 songs that feel like The First Taste

Matched to The First Taste by Fiona Apple on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

The song you love
The First Taste
Fiona Apple
moderate 47/100 intensity 95 BPM
Sanctified Lady — Marvin Gaye moderate 112 BPM

A 97% feel-match — carries the same sensual pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (48/100).

Angel of Mercy — Dire Straits moderate 95 BPM

96% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (51/100). Same layered texture.

F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E. — Pulp moderate 88 BPM

Keeps the same sensual pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (46/100). Measured 95% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (88 BPM).

Stripped — Depeche Mode moderate 95 BPM

Measures 94% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (51/100). Same layered texture.

Slowdive — Siouxsie and the Banshees moderate 120 BPM

A 93% feel-match — carries the same sensual pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100).

How Do U Want It — 2Pac moderate 106 BPM

95% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (52/100). Same layered texture.

Lovers (Live a Little Longer) — ABBA moderate 110 BPM

Keeps the same sensual pull — runs a little hotter at 55/100. Measured 89% alike.

Smooth Operator — Big Daddy Kane moderate 95 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (47/100). Same layered texture.

Steamy Windows — Tina Turner moderate 112 BPM

A 93% feel-match — carries the same sensual pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (52/100).

Off to the Races — Lana Del Rey moderate 125 BPM

93% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

Same feeling, measured gentler — for when The First Taste is more than you want right now.

Fifteen by Taylor Swift
Fifteen — Taylor Swift safe 96 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 29/100, down from 47. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Begin Again by Taylor Swift
Begin Again — Taylor Swift safe 95 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 24/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Delicate by Taylor Swift
Delicate — Taylor Swift safe 95 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 29/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

The 1 by Taylor Swift
The 1 — Taylor Swift safe 90 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 24/100, versus the original's 47. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Willow by Taylor Swift
Willow — Taylor Swift safe 80 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 34/100, down from 47.

Ours — Taylor Swift safe 90 BPM

It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 30/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

You've Got a Friend by Carole King
You've Got a Friend — Carole King safe 80 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 20/100.

Work Song by Hozier
Work Song — Hozier safe 90 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 24/100, versus the original's 47. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “The First Taste” by Fiona Apple?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Sanctified Lady” by Marvin Gaye, “Angel of Mercy” by Dire Straits, “F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.” by Pulp — the top match scores 97% alike. Matching is by how the songs actually move (intensity, dynamic range, texture, tempo, predictability, vocal force), not by genre tag or popularity.

What songs are like “The First Taste” but calmer?

“Fifteen” by Taylor Swift, “Begin Again” by Taylor Swift, “Delicate” by Taylor Swift keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “The First Taste”?

It measures 47/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 95 BPM.

How do you decide which songs are similar?

Every song in our catalog is measured on 8 dimensions — intensity, dynamic range, tempo, sudden changes, texture, predictability, vocal force and fine sound detail. Similarity is the distance between two songs across those measurements, so matches cross genres and eras. Shared mood tags break ties.

By the numbers: how this song compares

Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.

Where it sits in 19,000 songs

On our 19k-song scale this lands in the middle band — more energetic than 49% of songs, calmer than the other 51%. Its intensity reading of 47/100 comes from a dynamic range of 6/10, layered texture, mild shifts, and dynamic vocals. It shares this stretch of the spectrum with thousands of other tracks, so the finer fingerprint below is what really separates it.

What makes it unusual

What stands out most about this song is an unusually steady, even volume: more extreme on that axis than 79% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.

Feels almost identical to

Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.

What it’s good for

Sleep4/10
Focus8/10
Workout3/10
Dinner7/10
Party / hype3/10

Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.

1996 in context

The 309 songs we’ve measured from 1996 average a dynamic range of 6.4/10. At 6/10, this track is right in line with its year.

Mixes smoothly with

Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.

The fingerprint

Intensity47
Dynamics56
Tempo31
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability50
Vocal force75
Trigger load13

The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.

Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?

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