These 12 Songs Will Make Your Valentine’s Day Memorable. Even if There’s a Blizzard.
There’s another storm scheduled to add snow to our already soul-crushing total this weekend. You care because you have a day (or night) planned with your significant other (or someone you’re just starting out with) and this could throw a serious damper on travel and venue hours, especially if the T shuts down.
If you’re groaning at the thought of rejiggering your V-Day plans in the face of some fresh powder, you’re looking at things all wrong.
Instead of fighting for parking, rushing through your prix fixe meal, and searching high and low for a bar that is both open and not impenetrable due to a snowbank taller than Yao Ming, stock up on your lover’s favorite beverages (you can’t go wrong with champagne), order something delicious (try Monica’s Mercato for pizza or Duzo for sushi) and bring it home, dim the lights, make sure your blanket game is on point, and enjoy Cupid’s day with a little help from Boston.com and this playlist.
Below is a track-by-track breakdown. The whole thing can be heard right here.
The Temptations – “Just My Imagination
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[fragment number=1]You’ve got to start off subtle. Not too upbeat, not too slow. “Just My Imagination’’ isn’t swinging for the fences with its allure, but it’s a sweet, simple tune by one of the greatest R&B groups ever assembled.
The Isley Brothers – “You Are Love (At Your Best)’’
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[fragment number=3]If you and your blizzard babe are officially an item, you can sit back and enjoy the more than sensual backing to Ronald Isley’s falsetto. If you’re not, but you want to make it happen, try stalling conversation so the opening lyrics come through loud and clear. Either way, the chorus is simply amazing, whether sung by the Isleys. Aaliyah, or, most recently, Frank Ocean. Timeless, smooth stuff.
Santana – “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen’’
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[fragment number=5]This is the most guitar you’ll get on this playlist, but it’s got a pulse the first two songs don’t, and it’s all about the singer’s time under the spell of an absolutely irresistible, enchanting lady. So take some time during one of the guitar-heavy spots, lean in towards your lover, and, with just a hint of wine on your breath, ask if he or she will be your black magic woman in your winter hideaway. Note: do not do that, it’s corny.
Michael Jackson – “Rock With You’’
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If this is the case, you should be about done with your meal, making small talk and taking sips of your drinks. But who sits and sips wine (read: Bourbon) while this song plays? Put your glasses down and dance a little! If you’re a great dancer, now’s the time to wow your partner with some of your top-shelf moves. If you’re not, now’s the time to get a cheap laugh: ham it up, really double down on the lack of rhythm and coordination. Maybe try to show off your falsetto? Only you can know how to navigate the situation for sure. One word of advice: whatever you do––we repeat, do not––attempt a split.
Sade – “Your Love Is King’’
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Sade is timeless. And, from the looks of the most recent photos taken of the British songstress, she’s ageless, too. This song is Sade near her peak. We chose to bring things down here, for a few reasons. First, the first couple of songs were slower because they were playing during the meal. We were trying to set the table (no pun intended) for a romantic bite to eat. The next two picked the pace up to move the night from the plate to the glass––and the dance floor. These next few songs will hint at your intentions without running the risk of coming on strong. Sade never comes on too strong, and we love that about her.
Sebastien Tellier – “Look’’
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[fragment number=9]Chances are only a few of you have heard of Sebastien Tellier. That’s a shame, because he’s put out a lot of great music, chief among it his 2008 album Sexuality, executive produced by one half of Daft Punk. If we were feeling lazy, we would have just told you to play the album from front to back. But we here at Boston.com are all about variety, and this fits in this spot quite nicely. Keep the conversation going. Throw a few more ice cubes in your drink. Keep it pleasant, crack a joke or two, even.
Make It Last Forever – Keith Sweat
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[fragment number=11]80s and 90s babies are sure to remember this one. Hell, some of you 70s babies might have jammed to it, too. It’s slower than Sebastien, but just as sexy. Ms. Jacci McGhee’s voice meshes well with Keith’s, and it’s just 80s enough to elicit a smirk or a giggle at its hollow drums and synths.
Patrice Rushen – “Remind Me’’
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[fragment number=13]Patrice Rushen, multi-instrumentalist and Berklee professor, should have been a superstar. We’re left to wonder what could’ve been, but we’re also left with a small fortune of amazing music. ’’Remind Me,’’ is keyboard driven (we should get around to declaring the Moog a saint, or something,) a touch slower than Keith Sweat, and it ushers in the next song perfectly.
Soul IV Real – “Every Little Thing I Do’’
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[fragment number=15]Soul IV Real is one of a glut of early and mid-90s boy bands that strung together a few medium-sized hits but failed to fully catch on. Their first album, Candy Rain, however, is one of the best projects of its era. This is its best song. If your boo was starting to figure out where things are going, this will throw them off enough to make this next song truly impactful.
Ciara – “Promise’’
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[fragment number=17]Mhm. Yup.
D’Angelo – “Untitled (How Does It Feel)’’
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[fragment number=19]Yes. All of this.
Isaac Hayes – “The Look Of Love’’
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Oh, but if you want it all in one list, it’s here as well:
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