Leighton Meester

Leighton Meester talks to ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino in this exclusive interview about what she’s listening to…

A Taste:

Empire of the Sun, Tom Petty, Jay-Z

Leighton Meester wants to make you sweat, and that’s just what her music is going to do.

“Somebody to Love,” the first single from her forthcoming debut album, is a bona fide club anthem that’ll be lighting up dance floors for a long time to come. It’s sexy and sassy just like the young starlet. Even though Leighton definitely loves her fair share of dance music, she’s got quite an eclectic playlist overall. The fact that she’s all-over-the-map makes her tunes that much more interesting.

Leighton’s in the studio finishing up the album right now, but she found the time to sit down with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino for this exclusive playlist feature.

Check out Leighton’s playlist below and be sure to keep an eye out for her debut album!

Leighton Meester’s Playlist:

1. Empire of the Sun

I’ve been listening to Empire of the Sun a lot. They’re amazing! They have a lot of really good songs, but “Walking on a Dream” is one of the most-played on my iTunes. They’re very electro. It’s beautiful music, but it’s a little disco-sounding too. This song holds a lot of memories for me. I started listening to it about a year ago, and it reminds me of dancing all night in my hotel room in Paris drunk on champagne [Laughs].

2. Tom Petty

I love Tom Petty. I’m a huge Tom Petty fan. I really like a lot of his songs. I think “Refugee” is a really good song. I feel like the song has got so much soul and personality. I really like singing it. If I ever do karaoke, that’s my song!

3. Jay-Z

Lately, I’ve been listening to “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z. A collaboration between Jay-Z and Empire of the Sun would be amazing. I love this song though; it’s gorgeous. It’s an instant classic, and it’s like an anthem. I live in New York so I really love the song.

4. Lykke Li

I really like “Little Bit” by Lykke Li. Her voice is so beautiful. It’s very honest and simple, and it captures the feeling of young love.

5. Peter, Bjorn and John

I really like Peter, Bjorn and John. I love that song “Paris 2004.” It’s such a happy song. It reminds me of a sunny day.

6. Jori Hulkkonen

I really like this song called “Lo Fiction” by Jori Hulkkonen. A friend of mine introduced that song to me over two years ago, and I’m still not tired of it. It’s the kind of music that I love to make. There’s a good electronic beat, but the vocals are melodic and the lyrics are very personal but simple. It reminds me a little bit of “Somebody to Love” because it feels like a nighttime song.

7. Neil Young

8. Leighton Meester

I’ll say my own song, since it’s out now [Laughs].

9. Outkast

10. Gnarls Barkley

I love Gnarls Barkley. I have such a huge variety because good music is good music!

—Rick Florino
10.22.09

Check out Rick Florino’s new novel Dolor available now for FREE here…

Tags: Empire of the Sun, Jay-Z, Leighton Meester, Tom Petty