The songs that get me out of my chair

Some songs ask politely for your attention. Others make staying seated feel ridiculous. Those are usually my favorites. I can be halfway through getting ready, cleaning up, packing, or answering messages, and suddenly the room has become a dance floor with absolutely no warning.

My playlists do not respect decades

The 80s bring drama in the best possible way. The 90s know exactly how to turn nostalgia into a mood. House music keeps me moving when I need energy, and reggae changes the temperature of a room even when there is no sunshine outside. I like a playlist that can surprise me without losing its rhythm.

Before work, music helps me shift into the pace of the day. While traveling, it makes unfamiliar streets feel connected to a private little movie. At home, it is less serious. Sometimes a song comes on and whatever I was doing simply has to wait for three minutes.

Dancing does not need an occasion. It can be a club, a kitchen, a hotel room, or one good song through headphones before a call. The songs I return to are the ones that change my energy before I have time to think about it. If they get me out of my chair, they have already done their job.