Destiny's Child "Love Songs" tops Valentine's Day playlist

Let’s face it, when it comes time to seal the deal on Valentine’s Day there’s only so much mileage you can get out of roses and chocolate-covered strawberries. Music has long been recognized as one of the most powerful aphrodisiacs and works like Ravel’s “Bolero” and anything by Barry White have been soundtracking make-out sessions for decades. Every year though there are new titles released to tie-in with Valentine’s Day and this year the Destiny’s Child compilation “Love Songs” from Legacy Records leads the pack.

Destiny’s Child “Love Songs” contains one new tune in the recently-recorded “Nuclear” but otherwise the 14-song set list will be as familiar to fans as the touch of their lover’s lips. The sensual and perfect for V-Day “Cater 2 U,” the slinky Isley Brothers cover “Second Nature,” and the steamy “T-Shirt” are among the best mood-setters here and if those don’t get the job done then other inclusions like “Temptation,” the Bee Gees cover “Emotion” and the Kelly Rowland solo track “Heaven” surely will. And lovers should definitely take a hint from the wisely-titled “Say My Name,” presented here as a Timbaland remix.

Legacy has also just released a Billy Joel title for Valentine’s Day, “She’s Got a Way: Love Songs.” Like the Destiny’s Child release “She’s Got a Way: Love Songs” is a compilation but in this case there is no new material appended. Joel never sounded more in love than he did on “Uptown Girl” but that song is about ex-wife Christie Brinkley and it is not included here. But plenty of Joel’s other big numbers are about love and hits “She’s Always a Woman,” “Just the Way You Are,” “Honesty,” and a live version of “She’s Got a Way” are all on board. The rest of the set is culled from deep in Joel’s catalog, including the ’90s cut “All About Soul” and the very early instrumental “Nocturne” from the “Cold Spring Harbor” album.

Reggae fans haven’t been left out of the Valentine’s Day love fest; singer Morgan Heritage has a new single in the humbly-titled “Perfect Love Song” and you can purchase the track as an instrumental so you can sing it to your lover yourself. Reggae star Gregory Isaacs has a 4-CD box set dropping on Valentine’s Day; the 80 songs found in “The Love Box” should get lovers through even the lengthiest evening of kissing and hugging.

And if you really want to do some impressive wooing, download a free copy of “Sabine,” the new Valentine’s Day single from Silentaria (electronica artist Rixa White.) White purposely didn’t put any lyrics to “Sabine” so that you could customize it to suit your romantic needs.