Say Hello 2 the Night.

*cue Halloween movie theme*

Good evening witches + ghouls, spooky season is finally upon us! Decorate your homes, prepare the costumes, scare your friends + plan the parties! And behind every great Halloween party- besides the booze + candy, of course- is a playlist that’ll keep everyone alive.Luckily, I know what you seek, and I, the Master of Mixtapes, have got you covered. The title of DJ is not too easily given and since you wear it proudly this year, it is important that you keep your audience dancing til they’re dead. Fear not. Allow the Master to be your guide + grant you eight wishes of party music. Here are songs from my haunted Halloween favorites to help you make your monster mash smash.

Every playlist needs an eclectic amount of options for each kind of party and a bit of oldies for every holiday is a must. Classics like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” are good for both starters when the crowd is small but pumped + growing, and also perfect for the last song when the clubs are closed + everyone’s leaving. And you know the Motown legend + King of Pop never miss when it comes to gettin’ the party jumpin’. Michael Jackson’s title hit from the highest grossing album of the same name is THE Halloween song and Stevie was one of the first to do it. Sure, you got goodies like Monster Mash, but does anyone even know that dance? I can tell you right now just about everyone on this planet has tried MJ’s zombie dance at least once in their lifetime and how many covers are there of Superstition? “Very superstitious, writing on the wall.” Come on. And Vincent Price’s evil laugh? Chills. To. This. Day.

Now, when the part is going full force and just about all our friends’s friends are there, you need to kick it up a notch. I recommend “Cannibal” by Ke$ha (yes, back when she used the dollar sign) and miss billionaire, Caribbean mama Rihanna’s “Disturbia”. Her “Good Girl Gone Bad” phase was filled with some of her best work while Ke$ha was radio hit queen in 2010. Disturbia sounds like a lot of fun when you focus on the upbeat, but its Riri’s lyrics that give a much darker feeling. “It’s a thief in the night to come and grab you/ It will creep up inside you and consume you.” That’ll put a halt in your arm pump jump. Just as wild and one of her side B-type cd singles, Ke$ha’s Cannibal mixes love and pop with… yup, you guessed it, cannibalism. Her lyrics literally say “I’ll pull a Jeffrey Dahmer/ I eat boys up breakfast + lunch/ then when I’m thirsty I drink their blood.” UMMM. What better way to celebrate Halloween than by dancing to techno songs with dark lyrics about stalking + eating your dance partner?

Third, we have the home of most Halloween music: the movie soundtracks.. Besides books, films are where Horror’s name became a phenomenon and the music is a top tier tool that helps make it terrifying. This is the part of the party when you need to everyone to feel the hype and fun while also taking a bathroom break, a dance pause and grab another drink or snack. The Master recommends rock music; the adrenaline is felt without even having to move. So the hype of the dance phase is still kicking without everyone on the dance floor. Decode by Paramore and System by Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington are two of the best vampire movie soundtrack songs that sound chilling and energetic all at the same time. Decode was featured in the YA sparkly vampire book to film Twilight and while the film is…absolutely horrible, the main soundtrack single almost makes up for the supernatural soap opera angst craze with Hayley Williams’ beautiful yell over a haunting electric guitar. And speaking of haunting guitar…”System” was featured in R&B star Aaliyah’s bloodsucking flick Queen of the Damned as one of Vampire Lestat’s live performances. While it was the last films she did before her death in 2002, it stays as one of Chester’s only solo singles he released without his band before his own death in 2017. Intense with the amp up high, the rock pierces your soul with Chester’s deep howl, as if a werewolf singing to the moon. Hey, what’s Halloween without a couple screams?

Finally, a little something for the young ones. If you’re not like the Addams Family, moms + families may want a couple, more sweeter options for the children’s ears, so Calling All the Monsters by China McClain + Fresh Prince’s Nightmare on My Street collaborated lighthearted lyrics with the Halloween spirit, giving kids play without anything that’ll keep them up at night. Well…maybe just one night. Former Disney star of A.N.T. Farm fame, China Ann McClain released the treat ten years ago to bring on the monster mood that is spooky season, letting all the kids know “Tonight, all the monsters gonna dance.” She recently redid the song with her sisters for the anniversary, but decades earlier in 1988, Will Smith- formerly the Fresh Prince- released his own little diddly for one of the Nightmare on Elm Street sequels. The simple hip hop song tells the story of his own Freddy experience after watching the film himself and although it was never actually featured on any soundtrack or film, it definitely should’ve been. Will’s child-like originality brought Freddy to a new audience and generation in a whole different way and if you listen to the song, it’s not only funny but Freddy Krueger’s voice is much more like a growl. It’s not much, considering it’s not Freddy’s actual voice, but to any kid who’s never seen the Nightmare on Elm Street series, hearing this song is just as scary, but fun.