Paul And His Littlest Hag Present: The Party Jams Of '09

My cousin Sarah and I go way back, I babysat her when she was five and six years old and we've been close ever since. We go shopping, do lunch and hang out all the time. She even went with me and my boyfriend to Pride this year, which cemented her status as My Littlest Hag. She's only 11, but she's the coolest 11-year-old I know!

One of our favorite activities is going shopping and jamming out during the car ride to and from the mall. We both fell in love with some random party-starter music this year. Here is our picks for Party Jams Of '09 (in no particular order.)"Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" - Beyonce
Yeah, I Am... Sasha Fierce came out in 2008. But that didn't stop "Single Ladies" from becoming a pop culture force that continued into the new year. Sarah and I spent hours on YouTube watching all the ridiculous spoofs and homages to the hand-twisting, ass-slapping and leg gyrating choreography of the video. Yeah, it might not be the best video of all time, Kanye, but it is pretty sweet.

"Bad Romance" - Lady Gaga
Sarah dressed as Gaga for my Halloween party, so picking just one jam from Our Lady Of Perpetual Pop-tasticness was difficult. But "Bad Romance" is a true party starter, from the "Ra-Ha-Ah-Ah" in the first few seconds to the the epic bridge and all the techno glory in between.

"When Love Takes Over [Electro Radio Edit]" - David Guetta feat Kelly Rowland
Yes, I have to specify the correct mix. The album and radio/video versions are too tame for party kids like us, the remixes too long and harsh. The Electro Radio Edit is just perfect, three minutes of pure pop punctuated with a techno stamp at the ends of the verses. If Sarah and I ever realize our dream of an under 16 club, this song will be in permanent rotation.

"Tik Tok" - Ke$ha
Like a low-rent version of Lady Gaga, Ke$ha has redeemed herself from the folly of singing the hook on "Right Round" with an ode all night partying. Should an 11-year-old being dancing to a song that glorifies bad dental hygiene like "brush[ing] my teeth with a bottle of Jack"? Probably not. But I'm her gay, not her mother.

"Don't Stop Believin'" - The Cast Of Glee
Led by Broadway star Lea Michele, the cast of Fox's musical blockbuster Glee tackled the Journey classic to cap off the debut episode. Show choir may never be "sexy" but thanks to the inspirational lyrics, Lea's stunning vocals and an arrangement that starts out a Capella and ends with a full band, it will be friggin' awesome. And perfect for car ride sing alongs!

"She Wolf" - Shakira
Two words: howl along. The chorus of Shakira's brilliant French Disco-inspired single is perfect to sing along to, but even better if you can time yourself right to howl at the right spots. Sarah and I can.

"3" - Britney Spears
I did not pick this song. Sarah choose it for the list, and I could not really ask her if she was sure she wanted a song about menage a trois on her party playlist. The beat is hot, though. I'm hoping that's the only reason Sarah likes it.

"Watcha Say" - Jason DeRulo
Again, it's a sing-along chorus that won't quit. Yeah, it's borrowed from Imogen Heap's moody "Hide And Seek" but it's still hot. And those horns are fire.

"Replay" - Iyaz
Shorty might be like a melody in Iyaz's head, but this JR Rotem-produced single is perfect earworm fodder for me. The melody is playful and fun, easy to remember and hooky as hell. Little wonder I keep singing it like my iPod's stuck on replay. Clever bastard.

"Down" - Jay Sean feat Lil' Wayne
First, Jay Sean is fucking hot. I'm just putting that out there. Second, this pop/R&B single is glossed with so much electro sheen I don't think you could avoid dancing like a gaysted club kid every time it comes on. And since Sarah and I know all the words to Weezy's rhyme, it's a perfect sing-along.

"Supermassive Black Hole" - Muse
You can thank Twilight for bringing this buzzed-up guitar-laden rock song to our collective attention. While other's might debate Jacob vs Edward, Sarah skips the whole discussion and goes straight for beefy Emmet. Wait, we were talking music?

Writer's Block

You may have noticed the complete dearth of posts over the past month. Yeah, I have writer's block. I've never had total writer's block before, usually I just can't write about the particular topic I wanted to. I can usually find something else to post, though. Right now, I just look at a blank screen and can't formulate a sentence that isn't boring as shit.

So, I am currently writing about not being able to write. I guess that's a start. I noticed the writing quality of my posts over the last few months has gone downhill, I think that it scared me and my brain decided not to write at all. But I'm going to attempt some year end lists either this week or next and I'm hoping that will start a resurgence of creative flow. We'll see.

Til then, Happy Holidays!