WHY YOU NEED A LOVE SONG | By Troy L. Rawlings

Wednesday June 3, 2026

Happy Summer 2026 yall!! Yes it’s time for Seersuckers, Slim Hot Dad Shorts, and Sexy Sundresses! But it’s all worthless without Love in the air. And what better way to have LOVE floating in this crazy, modernized, tech-saturated atmosphere of ours than a good ole Love Song. That’s right. I’m talking about that; baby I love you forever, and I don’t want to lose your good loving…I may not be able to give you the Sun, the Rain, the Moon, the Stars and the Mountains… but I will give you my heart and a Gas Card!

When I think back to some of the best times of my Life, I can always remember a song that could easily be in the soundtrack of my own personal movie. And though we didn’t have cell phones/ little computers in our pockets, we had stereo systems and walkmans with headphones that let us groove while blocking out the noise of the world. And while I’ll always be a true HIP-HOP head, I Love me some juicy, deep Love Songs! And we need them now more than ever.

I remember being about 6 and my older brother having a little Slow Jam party in our basement. He and his friends were 16 and couldn’t wait to turn on Stacy Lattisaw’s “Let Me Be Your Angel” so they could Slow Dance with the girls. And luckily, one of the girls had a little sister there my age who wanted to dance with me! Yes indeed! See, back in the day parents figured the older sibling was the best baby sitter ever because “You can go if you take your brother/sister” worked every time. Now, I had danced plenty of times before this, but this… this was different. This was a full slow dance to a Love Song with a girl who wanted to dance with me. I was done!

As a teenager, it was all about House Parties and the Skating Rink. Who remembers COUPLES SKATE…COUPLES SKATE…and searching for that girl or guy you’d been eyeing all night. I wasn’t good at skating backwards… so it was side by side or me behind her unless she could spin and go backwards. But I still remember that line-up. Three back to back bangers! Keith Sweat “Make It Last Forever”, Anita Baker “Good Love”, & New Edition “Can You Stand The Rain”! Wooooo… there wasn’t anything better.

When I got a bit older in High School, while other young DJs were selling Hip-Hop, and Club music mixtapes… I was selling Slow Jam tapes. Yeah… I’ve always been this guy. For the younger folks reading this… This was a 90 or 120 min Maxell cassette tape (google it)! 45minutes to an hour of back to back Love Songs. You know, it’s hard not to be a hopeless romantic listening to Love Songs. I was one of the main reasons that our Class of 1993 Senior Prom Theme was “U & I” by Jodeci. Years later I found myself hosting and DJing a Blue Lights in The Basement Slow Jam Party at a Jazz Club I helped start in Baltimore. Shout Out to the CLUB 347 crew.

The great thing about good music is that it never really dies. As time went on, new amazing artists came through. All the way till now. I could name a ton of new and old school artists whose music I love. It wasn’t just about how good they sang, it was really about how the songs made me feel. How what we listen to can actually change our mood. As The Whispers would say, “This Is What I Do, to Get You IN THE MOOD.” From Luther Vandross to Maxwell, from Anita Baker to Beyonce, from Marvin Gaye to October London… These Ambassadors of Love have made songs that help us escape the hectic work days, change moods, and kick back. And most importantly, connect to that one we love… or just desire… just saying.

Tell me below some of your favorite LOVE SONGS, old and new. Would you like to come to an R&B/ Slow Jam vibe party? Remember to Log On to ReachLAAngels.com for all the hottest events, restaurants, and venues to fit your tastes.

Until The Next Time,

God Bless, One Love

Troy