Pour a glass of sweet tea, open your vetting checklist (dominant or submissive), and let these songs do the slow dance with you.
From porch jazz to late-night soul, every track says: Take your time. Earn the trust. Keep your heart safe.
Curated by Hope Maxwell for Sweet Tea, Sirs & Subs – because good love don’t rush.
1. Norah Jones – Come Away With Me The slow-dance opener. Sets the “let’s take our time” tone.
2. Ray LaMontagne – You Are the Best Thing Warm, earnest, “I’ll earn this” energy.
3. Etta James – At Last For when they finally pass the 3-month mark.
4. Leon Bridges – Beyond “Are you a friend of mine?”—perfect vetting question in song form.
5. Billie Holiday – The Very Thought of You Porch-swing jazz. Cicadas approved.
6. Amos Lee – Sweet Pea Playful but grounded. “Whistle while you vet.”
7. Chris Stapleton – Tennessee Whiskey Southern soul. Smooth, but you still check the label.
8. Lake Street Dive – Good Kisser Fun, flirty, but with boundaries: “I like it slow.”
9. Sade – By Your Side The ultimate “I’ll be here when you’re ready” anthem.
10. Nina Simone – I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl Cheeky, sensual, but consent is the sugar.
11. Gregory Porter – Be Good (Lion’s Song) “Be good to me, I’ll be good to you”—mutual vetting in 3 minutes.
12. Muddy Magnolias – Devil’s Teeth A little grit. “Don’t rush me, baby.”
13. John Mayer – Slow Dancing in a Burning Room Red flag awareness with a slow groove.
14. Aretha Franklin – (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman When they earn the title.
15. The Civil Wars – Poison & Wine Honest tension. “I don’t love you… but I always will.”
16. Hozier – Work Song “No grave can hold my body down”—loyalty vibes.
17. Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong – Dream a Little Dream of Me Sweet tea lullaby. Safe to dream now.
18. Jill Scott – A Long Walk “Let’s take a long walk… and talk.” — vetting in real time.
19. Sam Cooke – Bring It On Home to Me Earned trust. Earned home.
20. Lianne La Havas – Green & Gold “I’m growing into me.” — self-trust first.
21. Teddy Pendergrass – Close the Door Sensual, slow, after the references check out.
22. Al Green – Let’s Stay Together The 3-month milestone song.
23. Bon Iver – Holocene Quiet reflection. Gut check instrumental.
24. Rhye – Open Vulnerable, safe, mutual.
25. D’Angelo – Untitled (How Does It Feel) Save for after the slow dance. 🔥
26. Iron & Wine – Flightless Bird, American Mouth Twilight-zone intimacy. Porch swing mandatory.
27. Adele – Love in the Dark “I can’t love you in the dark” — transparency or bust.
28. Otis Redding – (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay Whistle break. Let the cicadas take over.
29. Patsy Cline – Walkin’ After Midnight Late-night discernment. “Am I walking into something real?”
30. The Teskey Brothers – I Get Up “I get up… when I’m ready.” — boundaries in blues.
31. Lauryn Hill – Nothing Even Matters When vetting turns into knowing.
32. Miles Davis – Blue in Green (Instrumental) Porch ambience. Let the silence speak.
33. Lizzo – Jerome “Take your ass home” — playful red-flag dismissal.
34. Kacey Musgraves – Slow Burn Title track energy. “Good things take time.”
35. Frank Ocean – Thinkin Bout You Gut check: “Do I feel safe thinking about you?”
36. Diana Krall – The Look of Love Jazz standard. “Look closer.”
37. Jason Isbell – If We Were Vampires “Maybe we’ll get 40 years” — time is precious. Vet wisely.
38. Angie Stone – Brotha “I need a brotha who respects my mind” — domme or sub, same rule.
39. Nat King Cole – Unforgettable When they’ve earned the collar.
40. Outro: Nina Simone – Feeling Good “It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day…” — you trusted your gut. You’re free.