Sing Along Sunday: Alive and Active in April

Good afternoon,

I hope you're all enjoying your day and making the most of this much warmer weather! I am more than excited to see the sun stay up longer each day, especially after working the night shift last year. (Going to bed at 4 pm was not fun.) While a friend and I have been doing a great job of taking walks on Sundays, I'm hoping to switch completely out of the elliptical/treadmill mode and go explore the great outdoors now that running in a park no longer requires three or more layers!

Speaking of running, back in January I (like everyone else each New Year) vowed to take better care of myself. I realized that dancing 2-3 times a week wasn't enough for me. I also noticed that my eating habits weren't as consistently healthy as I thought. So I asked my super(fit)woman sister for some advice on where to start. She suggested starting with the 100 by VDay Challenge by the girls at Tone It Up. Not only did I stick to the routine, I completed more than 150 miles by February 14th. Like anyone who completes a goal, short or long term, I felt more determined, more confident, and more energetic as a result. I'm super excited to join their next challenge, the Bikini Series, and continue getting myself into tip top shape for summer.

On that note, this month's playlist revolves around being active and alive. The first ten songs I listen to when warming up. The middle ten or so songs I run to and are mostly comprised of club mixes to get my heart rate up. The remaining songs are used for a cool down or when I just want to get my dance on around my apartment. As always, you can subscribe to this particular playlist by going here, or you can follow me on Spotify by clicking on this link. You can also search for these songs on YouTube if you're not a fan/member of Spotify. Please note that two of these songs are not found on Spotify, so you'll have to click on the link below to have a listen!

Get ready to sweat your Sunday away!

1. "Never Go Back" by Grace Potter & The Nocturnals: I love doing a combination of 90s-style side steps and stretching to this song. 
2. "Shameless" by Lissie: Lissie has amazing lyrics, an incredible voice, and one heck of a kick ass attitude.
3. "I Follow Rivers" by Lykke Li: I'm anxiously awaiting Lykke Li's new album, I Never Learn, which is due to release on May 6th. She is by far one of my favorite Swedish artists who never fails to entertain with her lyrics, beats, or dance moves.
4. "Beat (Healthy, Life, and Fire)" by Thao with The Get Down Stay Down: When I listen to this song I imagine biking down a country road with flowers in my hair. In said daydream, I also imagine kicking my bike to the curb to jump (by tire swing) into a lake.
5. "Riptide" by Vance Joy: Gosh I love how he stresses the word "green." Despite the upbeat tempo, this song is quite depressing when you listen carefully to the lyrics. But hey, pass me a tambourine and let's go skipping around to this song in a field anyways! 
6. "This Head I Hold" by Electric Guest: Every time I listen to this song, I do the twist and imagine what my life would have been like if I lived in the 1950s. 
7. "Disparate Youth" by Santigold: I love the music video for this song! I've been a fan of Santigold ever since I saw her open for T.I. & Jay-Z back in 2007. If I ever go into urban belly dancing, I've decided this will be my first solo song. 
8. "Clap Your Hands" by Sia: Who doesn't get excited by a song asking you to clap your hands? 
9. "Carry Me" by Bombay Bicycle Club: For some reason my mind imagines the Blue Man Group banging their drums to this song, paint splattering everywhere. 
10. "Big Hoops (Bigger The Better)" by Nelly Furtado: This lady gets me. I always want to fly like a bird and definitely prefer big hoops to small ones.
11. "Black & Blue" by Miike Snow: I forgot about this song until I took a road trip to New Orleans with my best friend. We got a little too into harmonizing/air instrument playing during that drive, but seriously, why wouldn't you want to goof around to this song?
12. "La Réalité" by Amadou & Miriam: My Swedish friend turned me onto this song back in 2006. I remember this being one of our many closing shop songs, vodka and Redbull in hand. 
13. "Waves of Change (Kaskade Remix)" by Samantha James: This is a great song to listen to if you need a consistent beat to get through that one mile mark. 
14. "Blessed - Avicii Mix" by Tom Hangs: A great song to jump around to, especially when out in the club.
15. "Silhouettes" by Avicii: This song gets me up those hills! 
16. "Calinda" by Laurent Wolf: Can you feel the sunshine pouring through your eardrums? I sure can.
17. "Paris (Aeroplane Remix)" by Friendly Fires: This was my theme song in 2010. I applied to become a teaching assistant in France and played this song nonstop while waiting to see if I was accepted, hoping that my dream to live in France would come true. I still can't believe I've accomplished that dream already!
18. "You've Got The Love (XX Remix)" by Florence & The Machine:  This is my favorite song to do sprints to when outside. Just wait for the xylophone crescendo. Ah, music porn.
19. "As3ad Wa7da" by Elissa : I became obsessed with this song when I was in Tunisia for a wedding. Elissa's voice makes me want to pack up my stuff, run away, and fall in love with a stranger on the other side of the world. You can find the English translation here. 
20. "My Feelings For You" by Avicii, Sebastien Drums: I first heard this song in a club in France. Lots of posing involved when you dance along to the beat, but it also has a great tempo for running. 
21. "Something Good Can Work" by Two Door Cinema Club: I love this band and often listen to them to get pumped up for the weekend. Here's a remix of one of their most popular songs. Keep running!
22. "Lover to Lover" by Florence & The Machine: If I could belt this out while running, that would be something! But, typically you can find me twirling, clapping, and jumping around to this while cleaning or getting my weights out for my toning work out.
23. "Dancin' (KRONO Remix)" by Aaron Smith: He knows exactly how I feel about dance.
24. "Dedication To My Ex (Miss That)" by Lloyd, Andre 300, Lil' Wayne: Despite the dirty language, I can't help but love this song. Plus any song featuring Andre 3000 is golden in my humble opinion.
25. "Luv Back" by Jazmine Sullivan: This gal can sing and boy does she do a great job belting out her frustration with men! I dig the reggae vibe on this track.
26. "Nothing To Worry About" by Peter Bjorn and John: You might know have heard of these guys back when their hit, "Young Folks," was big. Their most recent albums have a more bizarre feel to them. Go ahead and clap the stress away with this song; you shouldn't worry about anything!
27. "Mamma Knows Best" by Jessie J: "Do It Like A Dude" is a classic work out song for me, however, I couldn't resist the temptation to add this to the list. The girl can rock it!
28. "Bumaye" by Major Lazer, Busy Signal: Oh how I love to get low to this song! (How can you not shake it when you hear that beat?) I go nuts when this comes on, whether at Zumba, in the club, or just at home. Be sure to check out the music video for some hard core Caribbean dance moves.
29. "Feel" by Bombay Bicycle Club: Here's another band that's got me in an obsessed daze. Their music videos are always so creative and this one takes the cake. I love how they always incorporate dancing no matter the tempo. 
30. "Ramble On" by Led Zeppelin: This song makes me feel like I could burst from happiness. You could use this for running, for driving, or even a little interpretive dancing/air guitar. 
31. "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac: For some crazy reason, I think this song would be great for a dance duet, Dirty Dancing style.
32. "Like A Mighty River" by St. Paul & The Broken Bones: I was just recently introduced to this group. All I've got to say is sweet Jesus, that voice. 

I hope you enjoy this month's playlist. If you have any go-to running, dancing, or iron pumping songs, please let me know! I'm always looking for new tunes.

Enjoy your week and à très bientôt!

La petite pamplemousse