It is too dang COLD! I mean, I get it, it’s winter! It is supposed to be cold and snowy but enough already! Geez!  Perhaps, to get away from it all, you might be dreaming of a beach somewhere where palm trees sway in the breeze, where you are lying in the sand listening to music as the waves crash in front of you and someone is serving you something slushy and frothy to drink. But what would be on your playlist? Luckily, I have recently returned from a 2 ½ week vacation in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico (don’t hate) and can give you the highlights from the playlists of my iPod, beach club and party cruise. Just an FYI there’s no Mozart or Godsmack!

We R Who We R – Ke$ha I got my vacation started by putting this ode to individuality and club kids everywhere on repeat during my flight to Mexico. (Anyone else fantasize about dancing in the aisles of an airplane? Or, is it just me?). As luck would have it, I heard this several more times before I left. This is just the first single off her second CD Cannibal which is a follow-up to her multi-hit debut disc Animal.

Raise Your Glass – P!nk Raise your glass if you are wrong in all the right ways! All my underdogs! We will never be anything but loud and nitty-gritty, dirty little freaks! Whenever this ultimate, party song came on it was pretty much guranteed that everyone within hearing distance would sing along as loud as possible and pump their fists. Who knew that everyone considers themselves a dirty, little freak? This is off the pregnant pop star’s recent Greatest Hits So Far!!

The Time (Dirty Bit) – Black Eyed Peas I gotta say, I heard "I Gotta Feeling" (off The E.N.D. CD) more than "The Time" in Mexico as in over and over again (I was having flashbacks to summer 2009) and without fail people would always happily dance to it. However, this new song has a little bit more bite to it with its combo Dirty Dancing sample and muddier house sound. Off their Beginning CD.

What’s My Name? – Rihanna ft. Drake Rihanna is everywhere right now. Between her hit collabos with Eminem, Jay Z and her own highly danceable hit songs "Only Girl in the World" and this one, it’s official, she is never leaving our iPods. "Whats My Name" features my new fave Drake, who makes me melt. Yeah, I heard you good with them soft lips…I come alive in the night time… Sigh. Do you know I’ve spoken to librarians (who work with teens) who have no idea who Drake is! (They do now!) "What's My Name?" is off Loud.

Monster – Kanye West ft. Nikki Minaj, Jay Z, Rick Ross and Bon Iver Kanye’s latest album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is INSANE! As in insanely awesome and not-to-be-missed! The friends that came with me on vacation were quoting it constantly. My favorite track off the album is "Monster" mainly due to Nikki Minaj’s amazing rap. It must be heard to be truly appreciated.

Hold it Against Me – Britney Spears So if I said ‘I want your body now, would you hold it against me?’/ Cuz, you feel like paradise and I need a vacation tonight! Shakespeare it is not but is it catchy? Umm... yes! I heard this song 10 times, every remix possible, before I learned who was singing. The song is off her newest album Femme Fatale, which is due out in mid-March. Get back in the Britney habit with her great 2007 CD Blackout which features some of my favorite Brit Brit songs: "Gimme More," "Piece of Me" and "Break the Ice."

Teenage Dream and Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Glee Cast ft. Darren Criss a.k.a Blaine It’s official, Gleeks are everywhere! My love of Glee is well known but it is always a surprise when you meet complete strangers in random places who love Glee too or hear the songs played over the stereo of a Mexican beach club. I made my new friends (Holla, Minneapolis!) over a mutual love of the newest cast member Darren Criss. His rendition of Katy Perry’s "Teenage Dream" off of Glee: The Music, Volume 4 is fantastic and very dreamy. Also, not to be missed, and very appropriate for the current weather, is Darren’s adorable, flirtatious duet with Chris Colfer (Kurt) on the song, "Baby, It’s Cold Outside" which can be found on Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album.

Other artists, also in heavy rotation: Enrique Iglesias, Lady Gaga, Taio Cruz, Jay Z and Katy Perry and electronic house god DJ DeadMau5.

So go on, make that playlist and start dreaming of warmer weather and summer vacation NOW!