Last week, Justin Bieber officially announced that the newest single from My World 2.0 would be “U Smile,” a smooth track with a retro Motown vibe. It’s a sweet, straightforward song about devotion to his lady love, and it contains the line “When you smile, I smile” in the chorus. Like most of the other songs he has released to radio, “U Smile” is already gaining airplay and should make its way up the Billboard Hot 100 immanently.

“U Smile” will put Bieber on another list: People with songs about smiles. It’s amazing that so many great artists have written songs about such a simple muscle twitch, but then again a smile can be enigmatic and disarming. Check out the top tracks devoted to grins of all kings.

Semisonic, “Secret Smile”
Semisonic had a tough time breaking the second single from their sophomore album Feeling Strangely Fine after the huge success of “Closing Time.” One of their attempts was “Secret Smile,” a brilliantly moody song about silent longing for the opposite sex. “Nobody knows it/ But you’ve got a secret smile,” frontman Dan Wilson sings in the chorus, “and you use it only for me.”

The Killers, “Smile Like You Mean It”
One of the many great prom songs contained on the Killers’ debut album Hot Fuss was a pulsating keyboard romp called “Smile Like You Mean It.” The sentiment of the song is legendarily sharp, as it’s all about finding true joy and not just the appearance of happiness.

Flickerstick, “Smile”
The former “Bands on the Run” contestants used to use “Smile” — from their debut album Welcoming Home the Astronauts — as a set-closing number, as it provided just the right kind of sweetness and sweep to send the audience home with big toothy grins. The lyrical goals are simple: Frontman Brandin Lea wants you turn your frown into a smile.

Jermaine Jackson, “Smile”
During the memorial celebration for the late Michael Jackson last summer, Jermaine Jackson provided one of the afternoon’s most touching highlights. He took the lead on “Smile,” a tune written by James Phillips, Geoffrey Parsons and Charlie Chaplin for Chaplin’s 1936 film “Modern Times.” The song was often cited as one of Michael’s favorite tracks of all time, and the lyric “Smile though your heart is aching” summed up the bittersweet melancholy of that day.

Coldplay, “God Put a Smile On Your Face”
One of the jumpier numbers from Coldplay’s second album A Rush of Blood to the Head, “God Put a Smile On Your Face” is a bouncy, slinky tune that may or may not be about the almighty. It’s one of the few songs from that album that doesn’t get mired down in histrionics and drama, which is one of the reasons why it has become a live staple.

Lilly Allen, “Smile”
Allen’s breakthrough single “Smile” is the aural equivalent of a big, toothy grin: The rolling ska undertones buoy Allen’s playful voice and easy melodies. It’s a well done song that still retains most of its sharpness four years after its release.

What’s your favorite “Smile” song? Let us know in the comments!

Source: MTV.com