This week’s Tuneage Tuesday is a bit different than other ones. I usually share a playlist or an album with y’all and let you know why I think it’s pretty amazing, but not this time. Now I don’t know about y’all, but there are songs that instantly transport me back to a moment in time, and sometimes they put a smile on my face and other times they don’t. Well I wanted to share some of songs with y’all. Songs that have defined my life in a way.
Najee’s “Najee’s Theme” (or honestly anything by him) – Najee (and smooth jazz in general) remind me of my mom. She loved jazz music, so much so that I’m named after the genre and so is my middle sister. But Najee holds a special place in my heart because we knew that whenever we heard “Najee’s Theme” on a Saturday morning we were cleaning. A lot of other kids would hear gospel music at o’dark thirty in the morning and knew that they were going to scrub the house from top to bottom, but my mom would put on smooth jazz. We’d dance and sing and get that house cleaned in no time.
Mack Morrison’s “Return of the Mack” – This song takes me back to my childhood, another one of my mom’s favorites, but it takes me back to my aunt’s backyard and running around with my cousins and dancing. I’m pretty sure this song was our anthem in 1996. We were so carefree back then, playing cheerleader, horse and carriage, and even selling flowers and water in old baby food jars as perfume.
Commissioned’s “Running Back to You” – This is another song that reminds me of my mom. It was one of her favorite gospel songs and it took about 10 years after her death before I was able to listen to it. It’s still hard for me to make it through a listen today.
*NSYNC’s “Do Your Thing” – I’ve been a HUGE *NSYNC fan for years and my loved ones have put up with it, but I think I was able to convert one of my best friends over to liking them with this song. It was shortly after the ‘Celebrity’ album came out and I was at Jas’ house listening to it and she heard this song. For some reason out of all of the great songs on that album this one stuck out to her, and to this day whenever I hear this song I think of Jas and us back in middle school.
Cece Winan’s “Alabaster Box” – Another song that reminds me of my mom, but not because it was one of her favorite gospel songs. This is the song one of my cousins did a praise dance to at my mom’s repast. This is another song that I wasn’t able to listen to for years after my mom passed. It was a popular one in church and every time my friends would pass me the tissue box or I’d excuse myself for a bit. Like “Running Back to You” I can get through the song now, but it’s still hard.
Marc Broussard’s “Home” – This song instantly transports me back to senior year of high school and riding with Megan after school. She was the one who turned me onto Mr. Broussard and his music and for that I’m forever grateful. We’ve seen him numerous times since then and every time we’re blown away at how talented he is. Whether it’s just him doing a solo acoustic set on his guitar or a full set with the band, he shuts down the show every time.
*NSYNC’s “I’ll Be Good For You” – This is the song that converted my mom into an *NSYNC fan. She sponsored my habit, buying me all the games, lip glosses, cards, CDs, magazines with their faces on the cover, everything! And she did all of that not really liking their music! I was truly amazed at how much she supported them because she loved me. Well when they dropped ‘No Strings Attached’ and she heard the Teddy Pendergrass produced track my mom became a fan. She went from saying “I don’t get what you see in those boys” to “That’s my jam, turn it up!”
Pentatonix’s cover of “Video Killed the Radio Star” – The original version of this song was my “song” with an ex, one that I was pretty serious with. But it was this cover that takes me back to the happier times in that relationship. So much so that it was his ringtone when we were dating.
Dru Hill’s “Beauty” – This song takes me back to sophomore year of high school, to jazz band and to the drum major who was in the jazz band with me playing this song on his sax. It was his favorite song to play and I would swoon every time.
Joe’s “Good Girls” – To me, this song is the epitome of 90’s R&B. The formula, the lyrical content, the runs, everything. To this day, whenever I turn on my 90’s R&B playlist on Spotify I play that song first.
I know that this playlist isn’t as long as they usually are, but these were the songs that came to mind first. Do y’all have any songs that instantly transport you to a feeling or a place in your life as soon as you hear them? Comment below or tweet me and let me know!