How To Turn Your Smartphone Into the Perfect Mixtape for a Valentine's Car Ride

When I was a kid, nothing said ‘I love you’ quite like a romantic mixtape. And now that I’m a little more… ah… mature, nothing says ‘I love you’ quite like feeling young again.

In that spirit, what better way to spend this Valentine’s Day than reliving your teenage years with that special someone? If you’re planning a romantic car ride for Valentine’s Day (and you should be, because that’s another dying art), up the nostalgia with a perfectly crafted mixtape.

Of course, the fact that nobody uses cassette tapes any more means you’re going to have to be a little imaginative if you want to create an authentic retro experience. Rather than trying to hunt down a cassette deck for a 2015 F30, just get a cassette-shaped case for your cell, and stream your mixtape to your BMW’s stereo via Bluetooth. It’s a more than adequate replacement for an old-school cassette.

Now that’s sorted, it’s time to put your playlist together. Here are five must-have songs for the perfect driving mixtape:

Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car - Billy Ocean

Everybody knows that a mixtape needs to start with a bang, so ‘Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car’ is an obvious choice for track one.

For added playfulness, feel free to act out the “Hey! You!” “Who, me?” “Get into my car!” bit from the video on the driveway before you leave. Your teenage self would’ve loved doing stuff like that.

Fun, Fun, Fun - The Beach Boys

You’re in love. You’re feeling young. You’re in a car. That’s basically everything ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’ is about, so it’s a natural fit for your mixtape.

Valentine’s Day should be an opportunity for you and your partner to escape everyday life for a moment. Don’t you remember when driving wasn’t about getting to work, or the store, and really was all about having fun? And cruising to hamburger stands, obviously.

Brand New Key - Melanie

Let’s be honest, though. When you were making mixtapes, you probably didn’t actually have a car. But maybe you did have another set of wheels…

If ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’ doesn’t paint all that accurate a picture of your youthful exploits (don’t worry, it’s okay to admit it), you might be better off going with ‘Brand New Key’ instead. At the very least, it will make sure you both feel young at heart.

Come Away With Me - Norah Jones

There’s only so far nostalgia can take you. Eventually, you’ll need to drop the tempo and get a seriously romantic mood going. When that time comes, reach for ‘Come Away With Me.’ Not only is it basically the perfect love song, the video is also more than enough to officially class it as a driving song, too.

If you don’t have such remarkable scenery for your own Valentine’s Day drive, just mirror your smartph— I mean mixtape’s screen on the iDrive display as Norah Jones cruises through the desert.

I Drove All Night - Cyndi Lauper

No tribute to the heyday of the cassette tape would be complete without Cyndi Lauper. Luckily, ‘I Drove All Night’ is a great choice for the end of a romantic evening together.

There’s passion. There’s desire. There’s the perfect excuse for being so attached to your car because how else are you supposed to make grand romantic gestures like driving all night to get home? Perfect.

But how about you? Are there any other songs you’d put on your driving mixtape?