Pop music makes me happy.

I have a wide range of musical tastes. I love all kinds of music - from classics to classical and everything in between. My favorite band of all time is The Police. I lamented as a younger me that I'd never get to see them in concert since they broke up when I was a kid. But my childhood dreams were realized when I got to see them at a reunion tour concert in Boston in 2008. (P.S. Yikes! I can't believe it was so long ago!)

But the music I come back to most often, the kind that I listen to when cleaning or when I just need a pick-me-up is pop music. Like bubblegum, ridiculous pop music. Ke$ha? Yes please. La Roux? Definitely. J-pop from an anime? As long as it has a catchy beat that I can vacuum to, sign me up! I mean, part of me is vaguely embarrassed to be listening to club pop dance hits; it feels a little age-inappropriate. But this music is called pop(ular) for a reason! And it's just so damn catchy!

So while slogging through yet another workday, my iPod is blasting Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Lily Allen, Timbaland and Black Eyed Peas (as a small sample). I am not as entrenched in music as some people seem to be - it's not the core of my existence the way it is for other people, but I do appreciate it, and I'm hoping to provide a decent musical education for my kids. But I reject the idea of needing to play only those cheesy Raffi songs or whoever is the top kids musician these days. (No offense intended to anyone who loves that kind of thing. It's just not me.) I plan on playing the music I enjoy, minus anything that has graphic lyrics, obviously. That's what I grew up with - no "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" remakes or anything like that in my childhood. I grew up listening to Jackson Browne, The Police, The Beatles, James Taylor, Carly Simon, and so on and so on. I plan to do the same for my kids. I mean, why not? It's fun, it's energetic, and most importantly, I enjoy listening to it too. I refuse to become one of those moms who look like they might get stabby if they have to listen to "Monkeys on the Bed" one. More. Time.

So, go ahead - you know you like it, too!