Help me to impress my teen

November 27, 2012 10:29 PM

Last week, I shared the music video That's What's Up, by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, with my 15 year old and she fell in love with it. This week, daughter was assigned a project in her video production class to create an advertisement for the Sadie Hawkins dance at her high school. Inspired by the ES video, she's decided to recruit some youngsters from the on-campus preschool (where she is a volunteer) and film a short music video depicting a little girl asking a little boy to dance.

There will be lots of challenges in making this video (obtaining consent from parents, writing a tight script, filming the youngsters) - but the first challenge is choosing a song for the video. It should appeal to current high schoolers but be sweet and danceable. I suggested Call Me Maybe but that earned an eye roll for being too obvious and overdone. Please share your music suggestions and help me to regain my status as a reasonably cool mom.

posted by kbar1 to media & arts (10 answers total)

Miriam Makeba's Pata Pata might be a good transgenerational choice.
posted by gubenuj at 11:10 PM on November 27, 2012 [1 favorite]

Try some of these. I tried to pick different styles of music and stuff that's not on the top 50, but is still catchy and might work.

She & Him - Sweet Darling

Best Coast - Boyfriend

Relient K - Sadie Hawkins Dance

Shwayze & Cisco - You Could Be My Girl (There is also an instrumental version, which might be good now that I relisten to parts of the lyrics.)

The Summer Set - Love To You

Whitney Houston - I Want To Dance With Somebody (Apparently Glee also has a version, which might be good?)
posted by lucy.jakobs at 11:36 PM on November 27, 2012

On checking my music library, here are three songs that are happy and danceable, and have lyrics about romance/love. They're all available on iTunes. And I am pretty sure none of these is overplayed at the moment (especially the last one).

Kathryn Calder--If You Only Knew
Patrick and Eugene--The Birds and the Bees
Syreeta (from The Complete Stevie Wonder)--Harmour Love
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:17 AM on November 28, 2012

Go retro!

The Ronettes - Be My Baby

The Crystals - And Then He Kissed Me

Shangri-Las - Give Him A Great Big Kiss
posted by ZipRibbons at 3:05 AM on November 28, 2012

Go indie!

Maybe try something from The Old Hellos? Like this, this, or this (that last one is super duper dance-y)? Or how about Radical Face?

Or even better, I think Frightened Rabbit's "Old, Old Fashioned" would be perfect for this!

Maybe some Avett Brothers (I'm not sure this would work but it would be awesome) or some Lighthouse and the Whaler?

(Lordy, lordy, I could give suggestions all day AND I want to make your awesome daughter a mixtape now. Clearly, I have a mixtape problem...)
posted by youandiandaflame at 5:59 AM on November 28, 2012

It's becoming more popular on "Top 40" radio stations, so high school students may know it: Hey Ho by the Lumineers.
posted by hefeweizen at 6:20 AM on November 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

Magnetic Fields: The Sun Goes Down and the World Goes Dancing and, although a little less upbeat, With Whom to Dance

Also, less danceable, but sweet and romantic:
Ingrid Michaelson's You and I

(Haven't really stopped to consider if these are child/teen appropriate, so you might want to read through the lyrics first, if that's a concern)
posted by bluestocking at 6:57 AM on November 28, 2012

"Dress and Tie" by Charlene Kaye & Darren Criss: Lyrics and video and 2nd video
posted by jaimystery at 7:36 AM on November 28, 2012

Actually, anything from The Lumineers, as hefeweizen suggested, would probably be lovely. Exhibit A. Exhibit B.
posted by youandiandaflame at 9:30 AM on November 28, 2012

The retro idea appealed to her, but she loved the suggestion for The Lumineers - now she's torn between Flowers in Your Hair and Hey Ho, but I don't think she can go wrong either way. Thank you!
posted by kbar1 at 7:01 PM on November 29, 2012