STEPHEN TO ANNE MARIE:

SB: What is your favorite song?

AM: I knew this one at first blush but I decided to listen to everything else first. After hopeful listens to the other songs on your playlist, I'm unashamed to say Van Bobbi's rendition of 2 Become 1 is my favorite. That chorus break breathes new life into me and I don't even know how or why? I love it when that happens with a song. It's like, don't overthink it. Just give in. 875 Dollars is a sweet ass jam, too. So is Lose It All. If anyone ever remakes Peter Sellers' The Party minus the cultural appropriation, I think some of these should be in it. 

SB: Have you heard any of these tracks before?

AM: I love that we both went down French pop rabbit holes this month without even realizing we were in them at the same time. We could have shared a cocktail and toasted one another down there. I knew of Livia Blanc, De Lux + Goldn. 

SB: If you were to get a tattoo with a line from one of these songs, 1) What would it be? 2) Where would it go? And 3) Why?

AM: You really stumped me with the tattoo question. I have a habit of falling in love with so many different things and most of those things evolve or fade as time passes. That has always made me hesitant to put something on my body -- the 'knowing I might fall out of love with a phrase or a symbol within a few years' part. On the other hand, I've always found tattoos on other people to be sexy and I believe that mantras are a powerful tool. I have serial killer-like stickies and notecards all over my bungalow to remind me of the things I value and want in life. With that in mind...

I'm private, so I'd want it to just be for me. The kind of thing you'd never even know I got. Elegant. Understated. Small. Maybe a subtle gray on the back of my neck. The line would be "work it out" -- technically from 2 Become 1. That line has nuanced meaning for me when I hear it. Anybody worth working with or being with should be eager to work it out with you when push comes to shove. Or, more personally, when times get tough, it could serve as a friendly reminder that I'm capable of problem solving on my own. Things are really never as bad as they seem. 

ANNE MARIE TO STEPHEN:

AM: What is your favorite song?

SB: Ok. Once again, this was really tough. Found myself listening to the playlist in a row and going "yep, this is definitely the one" then, 7 minutes later, changing my mind when the next track came on. While I loved the French connection and The Pirouettes’ track, which reminded me a lot of Shiny Toy Guns (one of my favorite bands), this month really came down to Flamingosis and The Allergies. When I hear Ecstasy, I'm immediately transported to an old Cadillac, cruising down the Detroit strip on a cold winter day. This had all the vibes of the old Bobby "Blue" Band song "Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City." That said, you drop a track like "Get Down on You" on me and be prepared to lose my attention for no less than 4-6 weeks. My favorite part about it is the brief moments when you hear the female vocalist take the energy to another level. While the groove is great otherwise, having her come in for little interjections change my headspace just enough to make this a knockout.

AM: Have you heard any of these tracks before?

SB:  I've heard a few of these artists but not necessarily all of these songs. !!! (actually pronounced "chick chick chick") is a great band but I've never heard Dancing Is The Best Revenge. Outside of that, the only song I really know is Hallucinating, which is such a smooth/chill jam.

AM: My Dealer's Choice question this month has everything to do with voguing. Now, I don't know much about voguing except the movements and the fact that you have to take it seriously if you're going to do the damn thing right. But let's just say I'm fascinated by it and I'm trying to educate myself. My question is, which song on this playlist would you choose to vogue to? And, more importantly, if this were real life, what would the scenario be in which you'd get out there and vogue like a madman? Be sure to include your moment just before, your ideal environment, your state of mind.

SB: Love this question and I must admit it's been a while since I've had the urge to Vogue. Just because of where I am in life, my mind goes to Norah (my 2-year-old daughter). One of a parent's greatest fears is knowing that the goofiness/spunk/joy/self-love your child has will slowly be chipped away by the world. Right now, nobody's telling her she doesn't look good, or isn't acting "ladylike" or making fun of the clothes she's wearing, etc. Knowing that there will be many days in the future where she comes home feeling down on herself because of something someone else has done or said is tough. So, getting back to your question... 

In one of those moments, when she's crying and I don't know how else to cheer her up, I'll put on Vertigo by Harrison and just start Voguing. She'll hate it and tell me to stop and probably push me out of her room, but I'll just stand outside of her room playing the music and Voguing until she finally opens the door, cracks a smile, calls me weird and eventually (hopefully) does a sheepish Vogue motion or two of her own.