When it comes to music, I’ll listen to anything. I’m not boxed into a particular genre or style. About the only quality a song has to have for me to own it on my iPod is that I like it, for whatever reason.

Virtually all 80s music speaks to me because that was my generation. Anything with a strong, fast-paced backbeat that I can use to inspire me to keep going when I’m running is a good thing. Everything by Maroon 5 and Train are great, and songs about female empowerment are favorites: Katy Perry, Gwen Stefani, Kelly Clarkson, and P!nk come to mind. Instrumental is great for writing, and my own personal collection of mellow, moody songs of heartbreak and unrequited love are perfect for a lazy Sunday morning.

But there’s nothing quite like a man singing about the woman he loves, whether she knows he exists or not. Just My Imagination, by The Temptations, As Long As You Love Me by the Back Street Boys, Just Another Day by Jon Secada…my tastes are all over the map. But what does it matter as long as romance is involved?

When my kids hijacked my car radio to listen to their music, I was not impressed. Rap music and hip hop…have you heard those lyrics? I kept having to change the station because of lyrics that were inappropriate, or I’d have conversations like these:

ME: What the heck is this?

6 YEAR OLD CHILD: (singing) I’m sexy and I know it.

ME: Oh no. I don’t think so. (pause) Who sings this?

12 YEAR OLD: LMFAO

ME: And what’s it called?

12 YEAR OLD: You won’t let me say it.

ME: (writing it down) I’m changing this station. This song is inappropriate.

12 YEAR OLD: Then why did you write it down?

ME: Because this is a great workout song! For me, I mean. Sexy and I Know It – Single – I’m Sexy And I Know It

Gradually, though, I became conditioned (i.e. beat down) and you know what? Some of these hip hop songs are surprisingly romantic. Like Adorn (Remix) [feat. Wiz Khalifa] – Single – Miguel, who croons to his girl to let his love adorn her.  It almost reminds me of an old Motown song, but with naughty words from Wiz to keep it current. I like seeing these singers with tough guy personas and tattoos up and down their arms showing their softer, vulnerable side.

It Girl – Single – Jason Derulo. Jason Derulo sings that his “it girl” is better than a Grammy award…has there ever been a greater love than that? This song takes me right back to my childhood where my girlfriends and I would get together for slumber parties and listen to Careless Whisper by Wham over and over again. There must be a “romantic music makes you swoon” strand of DNA that I inherited, and I know some of my girlfriends have it too. The nice thing is, it’s a fairly harmless gene (as long as you keep your Michael Bolton CD hidden from public view), and apparently, there are quite a few songwriters that have the same gene—in every music genre.