Karaoke Songs to Put Your Significant Other In the Mood

Illustration by Mike Gorman

Karaoke can be a dangerous endeavor. What can you sing that won't make friends shun you? How can you go balls-out during your next performance? Each week in "Ask a Karaoke Host," RFT Music writer and professional karaoke host Allison Babka answers your burning questions about maximizing your melodious mutterings and minimizing your friends' pain. Ask her stuff by emailing rftkaraoke@gmail.com or hashtagging #rftkaraoke on Twitter.

Valentine's Day is coming up, and I want to woo my lady with a little karaoke action. What are a few songs I could do to put her in the mood for sexytime afterwards? -- I Wanna Sex You Up

Like I've said before, karaoke makes for a fun date between two people who love silly attention. As long as you know your lovah will dig your songbird efforts and won't be embarrassed by them, you've got a real shot at some bump-and-grind action later.

Science has proven that listening to and performing music creates a dopamine high that raises your heart rate and gives you chills. Sounds rather similar to orgasm, no? It's no coincidence that one often leads to the other. But what should you perform at 9 p.m. to get to the real singing at midnight?

I think that using music as an aphrodisiac works best when it's personalized. Just like not every girl is swayed by heart-shaped boxes of candy and generic teddy bears, your fair maiden might not fall for Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" (though how anyone could ignore the Lloyd Dobbler effect is beyond me). Think about your experiences together and choose songs that mean something to your relationship instead of going for commonplace tunes.

But since I don't know anything about you or your relationship, I'll offer up a few songs that would give me goosebumps and make me want to purr in private (Potential suitors, take note!):

* "Everlong," Foo Fighters.

* "All Shook Up," Elvis Presley

* "Hawkmoon 269," U2

* "If I Ever Leave This World Alive," Flogging Molly

* "Wishlist," Pearl Jam

* "Can't Get Enough," Bad Company

* "I Want to Hold Your Hand," The Beatles

* "Need You Tonight," INXS

* "At My Most Beautiful," R.E.M.

* "I Think I Love You," The Partridge Family

* "Sea of Love," Phil Phillips and the Twilights

Obviously, not all of those are traditional love songs. My personal love for certain music trumps generic ditties about l'amour any day, and a guy who understands that might as well start unbuttoning my pants now. But that's why it's important to consider your own relationship and meaningful songs; what works for one person might not work for another.

If your date responds favorably to your crooning, you may want to commemorate the occasion with a few photos. That's where the next question comes in...