By Sassy S.

When we find ourselves in the arms of another (or others), it’s not always easy to anticipate exactly which direction the mood of the moment will go. Some like to keep hook-up scenes unpredictable but others may prefer to take matters into their own hands. When creating a desired mood for a sexual moment many factors come in to play – think attire, toys, lighting, words, or lack of all the above – but of all the details to pay attention to, background music is one of the most critical.

While the particular songs underlying the heat of the moment are susceptible to change, there are some rules that should remain constant: firstly, keep the music to a reasonable level. While this, too, is susceptible to personal change, a “reasonable level” can be defined as somewhere between mildly masking sexy noises and not too loud to communicate consent. Secondly, when it comes to lyrical songs subtlety is key. Unless it’s what you’re going for, it’s often best avoid songs that are too sexually direct. Examples of this sort might be songs like “Give Me Everything Tonight” by Ne-Yo or “Ride It, My Pony” by Ginuwine. Thirdly, a playlist of this sort should not be thrown together right before doing the deed(s). Even if there is a preferred go-to artist, an album may need tweaking to prevent out of place songs from playing while in the middle of the act*. No one wants their hot n’ heavy activity to be interrupted by one of those songs you only have in your collection for those moments that never happen (i.e. Weird Al Yankovic, Smash Mouth or the Rent soundtrack). Taking the time to choose exactly which songs will go best with the desired setting will make the moment all the more satisfying.

Listed below are three general auras one may want to create for encounters of the sexual kind along with suggested songs that may fall under the given aura. These lists are not meant to be playlists on their own; rather, they are starting points on which to build one’s own playlist.

Raunchy
Queens of the Stone Age – Song for the Dead
Nine Inch Nails – Closer
Buckcherry – Crazy Bitch
Blue Monday – Orgy
The Weeknd – Wicked Games
Big Pun – I’m Not a Player
Beyonce – Freakum Dress
Outkast – Ghetto Musick
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Twista – Overnight Celebrity
Marilyn Manson – Tainted Love
Peaches – Operate
Britney Spears – Womanizer (Borgore Dubstep Remix)

Sexy
Untitled – D’Angelo
Cocaine – Eric Clapton
On & On – Erykah Badu
Starstruck – Big Sean ft. Santigold
In Those Jeans – Ginuwine
Change Clothes – Jay-Z
Birthday Sex – Jeremih**
Peaches and Cream – 112
Mrs. Officer – Lil’ Wayne
Slow Jamz – Twista ft. Kanye West & Jamie Foxx
You Look Like Rain – Morphine
Big Poppa – Biggie Smalls

Funny
The Bad Touch – Bloodhound Gang
Through the Fire and the Flames – Dragonforce
Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
Fuck Her Gently – Tenacious D
Stayin’ Alive – the Bee Gees
Whip It – Devo
The Thong Song – Sisqo
Boom Boom Boom Boom – Vengaboys
Bed Rock – Young Money
Show Me Yo’ Booty Hole – Saosin
I Believe in a Thing Called Love – The Darkness
Jump On It – Sir Mix A Lot

*This is assuming the playlist is being created on a device which allows the song order to be manipulated (an iPod or computer). A CD, record, or tape is an entirely different story.

**Only sexy if it’s actually someone’s birthday.