The Fucking Playlist Takeover: Symone Ridgell

Welcome to my Fucking Playlist takeover. Each week creatives from all over the world select their top songs for, you guessed it, fucking. This week, it's Symone Ridgell.

After graduating from Parsons New School for Design with a degree in photography, Symone Ridgell. began directing music videos for artists such as Noah Cyrus and King Princess. Ridgell’s work draws inspiration from the 90s and early 2000s music videos she grew up watching as a kid. She has produced stunning body positive work for brands such as PARADE and Moose Knuckles and created striking sex forward editorials for CR Fashion Book and PAPER.

1. Name:
Symone Ridgell

2. Where are you from?
I grew up between West Palm Beach, Florida and a tiny all-American town called Grand Blanc in Michigan, divorced parents style.

3. Describe your personality in 3 words 
Curb your enthusiasm. (There was a summer when all my interns called me Larry David… and I see it now).

4. What makes you feel sexy?
Dancing alone in front of a mirror. A drink in hand makes it even better. 

5.What's the best concert you've ever been to (and why)?
I went to see MGMT when I was in high school and they just started to riff, turning a 3-minute song into a 12-minute experience.

6. What's your favorite part of your body?
I’m obsessed with the entirety of myself. 

7. What's your favorite time to listen to music?
Always. I don’t drink coffee, so it’s the way I jump start my brain in the mornings and how I stay awake during late work nights. I have these big over-the-ear noise canceling headphones that I’m always walking around with.

8. How do you like to relax and unwind?
An evening in with some jazz, takeout and a bottle of Lambrusco.

9. What do you think is the most important quality in a lover/partner?
Individuality. By far.

10. How do you get inspired?
Procrastination and daydreaming are a major part of my process, and which will usually direct me on the right path. Though, I will say I structure my procrastination to stay on theme. So I might go to a museum, have a movie marathon, or check out some photo books. If I’m stuck, I’ll almost always say yes to hanging out in a different part of town and seeing some friends. Usually, the idea will present itself if I’ve stepped away from it for a moment. I’ve rarely found sitting in front of a computer for hours has led to my favorite work. Most of the time, I’ve actually found it more wasteful than doing all the other seemingly unrelated activities I was doing. There’s an episode of The Bernie Mac Show just like this.

1. Your go-to song to get in the mood / get turned on?
2 Wicky - Hooverphonic

2. A song you have a fun/crazy sex story about?
Spit - Show Me the Body, Princess Nokia

3. A song that always makes you feel sexy?
Sugar Water - Cibo Matto

4. A song that you never get tired of listening to? 
Smoking Song - Mick Jenkins feat. BADBADNOTGOOD

5. A song that reminds you of a lover? 
6 Underground - Sneaker Pimps

6. A song that helps you relax? 
Cementerio Club - Pescado Rabioso

7. Last song you played for someone?
Vibrate - OutKast

8. The song that best defines you?
Closer - Nine Inch Nails

9. A song from a concert you loved?
Make Love - The Jack Moves

10. A song from a sexy music video you love?
Doubling up here and repeating Make Love - The Jack Moves. This video always reminds me of the Ohio Players back album cover for Honey.

11. Bonus Songs:

LUST. - Kendrick Lamar (It has that same reversed sound of Vibrate by OutKast that makes you feel like your head is spinning.)

Good Disease - Aim featuring Stephen Jones. (This is my other mood when I want something more light and airy. Thom Yorke can't always be the mood.)

The Hush - Texas. (This song makes me feel like things are moving in slow motion.)

Dance Like U - Okay Kaya. (This is a good seduction song. It's not noticeably sexy to start, but then she drops the important question "Do you dance like you fuck or do you dance like you make love?")

Take Off Your Cool - OutKast featuring Norah Jones. (A perfect wind down track.)

Go and listen to the playlist now and treat yourself to some sexy time.