Instead of featuring just the Men’s Folio team’s weekly playlists (you can catch up here), however, we’ve opened up the column to friends, industry mates, and people who we think have the right groove.

Together with the release of an easy-listening yet rapturing album Spiral, Chok Kerong and Vanessa Fernandez share some of their favourite songs to love to in our weekly music column.

With tracks coming from classic hip-hop greats SWV, D’Angelo; timeless icons Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder; soulful contemporaries Snoh Aalegra and Sabrina Claudio — listen away to your greatest, most loveliest, pleasures.

Chok Kerong and Vanessa Fernandez — Who Deserves Your Love (feat. Lucas Pino)
Kerong: How do you process lost love? It’s a strange mix of grief, indignation, spite and desperation. We can still get funky with those emotions though.

D’Angelo — Untitled
Vanessa: The ultimate sexy time song.

Chaka Khan — I Feel For You
Kerong: Catch those feelings and celebrate! This song is full of surprises, from the glitchy intro (which apparently was the result of an accident), Stevie Wonder’s harmonica feature and the surprises in the chords later.

Jacob Collier ft. Lianne La Havas — Feel
Vanessa: Such a beautiful, tender song with Lianne’s soothing sultry tone

Anita Baker — Caught Up In the Rapture
Kerong: You’re in love, there’s a vibe, “I want you in my life for all time”. There’s something about the production and lyrics that communicates the idea of security – there’s no plot twist, we’re staying right here.

Mariah Carey — Fantasy
Vanessa: Adore this playful 90s classic with a throwback twist thanks to the Genius of Love sample

Michael Jackson — Baby Be Mine
Kerong: That drum fill in the beginning! It’s like falling through a trap door and finding yourself at a club with a killer band. The best songs sound like they shouldn’t end, and this is one of them.

G-Unit ft. Joe — Wanna Get To Know You
Vanessa: My favourite hip-hop song to set the mood that samples Marvin Gaye which is absolutely the reason why this works as a great love song

Ray Charles — Roll With My Baby
Kerong: Ray Charles swings so hard on this, you can’t not dance to it!

Snoh Aalegra — I Want You Around
Vanessa: All about that simple yet profound feeling of comfort that special someone gives

Chok Kerong — Diggin’ On You
Vanessa: One of my favourite TLC covers of all time that is the musical embodiment of how love makes you sway and bounce at the same time

SWV — Rain
Kerong: Just a fantastic reimagining of Jaco Pastorius’ “Portrait of Tracy”. A stroke of genius by Brian Alexander Morgan, and of course SWV’s voices are just made in heaven.

Sabrina Claudio — Confidently Lost
Vanessa: An ode to the idea that we don’t need another half to be whole.

Soulful Ghosts — Release
Kerong: I love how the song unveils itself gradually, with little details darting in and out. In combination with Vanessa’s voice, it makes us feel like we’re floating in another dimension. Put this on and go float with your special someone.

Janet Jackson — That’s The Way Love Goes
Vanessa: Such production on this chill vibe thanks to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Lots of interesting tidbits about it including the guitar riff actually being made with an obscure keyboard.

Stevie Wonder — As
Vanessa: He is the GOAT. Beautiful lyrics and the version George Michael and Mary J. Blige did is also pretty nice!

Maxwell — Matrimony: Maybe You
Kerong: Can you go wrong with Maxwell? “Tell me what you thought I thought you thought I thought…”

Chok Kerong & Vanessa Fernandez — Wonderful You
Vanessa: I wrote this about love and the divine, which are essentially one and the same. I think the lyrics “how wonderful you are,” say it all!