The first song I fell in love with
My dad had a quite a small record collection, but it was pretty good, he had all the classics: Bob Marley, Bill Withers, Ella Fitzgerald, Tina Turner. But I vividly remember loving America by Simon and Garfunkel \u2013 there\u2019s a sense of hope to it, like a feeling of wanting to escape. We spent a lot of time in the car, going on drives that didn\u2019t really go anywhere, like that was our entertainment \u2013 we\u2019d sing along in the car, me, my mum and dad.<\/p>\n
The first single I bought
I remember my mum bought me a tape called Hardcore Ecstasy, which is a great compilation \u2013 I was genuinely seven. I just loved it. I think rave is so appealing to a seven-year-old, you know, it\u2019s so noisy and vibrant. But the first song I remember buying is It\u2019s Oh So Quiet by Bj\u00f6rk, in Oldham\u2019s HMV. It was weird and stuck out to me \u2013 I was nine. I think if I\u2019m honest, I bought it based on the font and the silver metallic hyper-futuristic look \u2013 I didn\u2019t know who she was, but I liked her DIY fringe.<\/p>\n
The song I do at karaoke
I love karaoke. I like to do anything from Madonna\u2019s back catalogue. I always attempt to rap, and it\u2019s always a lot harder than I think. But I\u2019m a big fan of Pulp\u2019s Common People \u2013 that goes down very well and it\u2019s a good communal singalong moment.<\/p>\n
The song I inexplicably know every word to
It has ruined my brain remembering lyrics and not remembering anything useful from school. I played Dr Dre and Eminem in my teenage years a lot. I know word for word Juicy by the Notorious BIG, Big Momma Thang and Queen Bitch by Lil\u2019 Kim, they are all cemented in there.<\/p>\n
The best song to play at a party
I think Grace Jones is one of those artists who has such atmosphere in her music, she is someone that reminds me of how \u2013 in my head \u2013 I\u2019d like to appear on a dancefloor \u2026 I definitely don\u2019t. Pull Up to the Bumper is like a call to arms. I love the beat, the beeping cars and the city sounds \u2013 there\u2019s something within it that feels like the essence of a good night out.<\/p>\n
The song that makes me cry
I am a massive crier, anything can make me cry: adverts, dogs on Instagram. But Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti by Rosal\u00eda I find so viscerally honest. She sings in 13 different languages, and I just feel the emotion because I think she\u2019s telling the truth. There is so much scale and depth, she really pushes herself to the limit. That song makes me cry.<\/p>\n
The song that changed my life
Having an older brother and sister who went to gigs and clubbing felt really exciting to me as a kid. I would collect flyers before I even knew what a club was. I was really obsessed with being in their rooms, listening to whatever they were playing; A Guy Called Gerald, Joy Division, Kraftwerk, NWA. I wanted to be part of that world. I remember struggling with schoolwork and asking them for advice, they said: \u201cDon\u2019t get a real job, we\u2019ve fallen for it. Go and do what you want.\u201d They both saw Manchester and the scene in the city as something really special \u2013 music was important and Bizarre Love Triangle by New Order reminds me of my family and my need to do something in music.<\/p>\n
The best song to have sex to
We have the radio on all the time at home. I just think it doesn\u2019t really matter what\u2019s on when you\u2019re having sex. As long as it\u2019s not one of your colleagues on the radio, Sara Cox or Huw Stephens. You also don\u2019t want to hear your own trail.<\/p>\n
The song that gets me up in the morning
I need silence first thing, but Yellow Eyes by Yebba is really nice in the morning.<\/p>\n
The song I\u2019d like played at my funeral
As someone that picks music every single day, I\u2019d actually quite like a day off on my funeral. But I do like the idea of it feeling quite holy \u2013 I think everyone should be sad and go full crier. I\u2019d like the soundscape of David Bowie\u2019s Subterraneans \u2013 as everyone leaves the church \u2013 moody, atmospheric and dramatic.<\/p>\n