“I have terrible taste in music”

British singer and songwriter Joss Steen (Joscelyn Eve Stoker (born 1987) made a playlist for The Guardian newspaper (later available on Spotify) with songs that are or have been important to her in various ways.

The artist who moves in the field of black music and who made his debut at a very young age with Tthe Soul Sessions In 2003 she showed that she has a very heterogeneous taste, ranging from Aretha Franklin to Aqua from Barbie Girl, via the Spice Girls and rap. “I have a terrible taste in music”, she confesses

Here are the choices and the reasons

The first song I remember hearing
My dad took me to pick up my mom from karate. In the car he made me listen to “Tears in heaven” By Eric Clapton and he said, “This is a song about a man who lost his baby. The chorus is, ‘Would you know my name if you saw me in heaven?'” I remember thinking, “I don’t think she would know because she was so young when he died, how would she know?” I couldn’t stop crying for days. My mom was so mad at my dad, “Why did you make her listen to this song? You know how emotional she is.” He said, “That’s what music is for.”

The first single I bought
My sister and I saved our pocket money and went to the disco together. She was older and decided what to buy. We bought “Now that’s what I call music!” (A compilation of songs from the 80s) and the album of Spice Girls. Then my Uncle Porridge – it was just a nickname – asked me, “What do you want for Christmas?” I said I wanted an album with NASTYretha Franklin that I had seen on TV.

The song I sing during karaoke
I try to avoid karaoke because it’s too embarrassing. If I had to do it, I’d do something that would make people stand up and dance, like “I will survive” By Gloria Gaynor.

The song that I inexplicably know every word of
“Doubtless” By Black Street And Doctor Dre.

The best song to play at a party
“Enjoyment of the rapper” of the Sugarhill Gang.

The song I secretly like but tell everyone to hate
I would never tell anyone that I hate “Barbie girl” of the Water. I am shamelessly clumsy and have terrible taste in music. My daughter Violet (she has a boy and a girl) is obsessed with Aqua. Every day she says, “Alexa, play Barbie Girl.” She is so cute.

The song I can’t listen to anymore
There is an album of Jack Johnson which I really liked, but I used to listen to it a lot with one of my exes, so I don’t listen to it anymore.

The best song to have sex
“Sexual healing” By Marvin Gaye. But not when you burst out laughing halfway through the song. There’s a part that I find really funny, where he goes, “Come on, come on, come on.” I imagine a man trying to wake his wife up: “Come on. Come on.” And she goes, “Oh my God, I’m asleep.” I always have that image in my head and it makes me laugh.

The song that changed my life
My very first TV appearance was on the BBC talent show “Star For a Night” in 2000, when I was 13. I sang “(You make me feel like) a natural woman” By Aretha Franklin. After that, all the record companies were interested in meeting me, so I went around the world singing a capella for the record company executives. I never thought I could sing it because it was sung by a woman and I was a girl. But eventually I got a contract and the rest is history.

The song that wakes me up in the morning
My daughter and I like to dance “Higher love” By Kygo and Whitney Houston (1986 song written by ex-Traffic Steve Winwood). It’s been our morning song for a while now.

The song I wish was played at my funeral
“Wannabe” of the “Spice Girls“.