KEY SONGS IN THE LIFE OF… Carletta Higginson

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Carletta Higginson is very much a native New Yorker (spoiler: the 1977 Odyssey classic does not make the list).

She grew up in Lower Manhattan, in a house filled with the music played by her dad (from Barbados), her mom (from the Philippines) and her older sisters (both reggae fans).

Soon, she would discover the contemporary music of New York itself, mainly through the city’s vibrant nineties club scene.

After graduating from Columbia, Higginson began her music career at law firm Pryor Cashman in (yep) New York, before moving to Jenner & Block, where she represented rights holders at the height of digital piracy.

She then spent a decade at Google, building out YouTube‘s licensed music offerings, and helping to turn it from industry punchbag to valued partner in the process.

In 2023 Higginson joined Warner Music as EVP, Chief Digital Officer, a key part of CEO Robert Kyncl‘s evolving executive team. Her Key Songs selections tell that story, with some more personal memories also included.

She reflects: “Coming up with this list gave me the chance to really sit back and think about the impact of music across various stages of my life. It was really nice to listen to songs that brought me right back to various experiences and places – and to the people who were in my life and who have influenced my life.

“It was super-challenging to then narrow that down. There were so many albums and artists I had to leave out, even before you have to select individual tracks!”

Geographically, Higginson hasn’t journeyed far – if her schedule allowed the time (it doesn’t), she could still walk from her current office to her childhood home. Professionally and personally, however, she’s come an awfully long way…

1) The Girl from Ipanema, Stan Getz and João Gilberto (1964)

My dad listened to a lot of jazz and bossa nova when I was growing up, and this song in particular, written by Antônio Carlos Jobim, is so representative of my childhood.

It takes me right back to a Saturday morning, listening to these sounds throughout the house, and it’s such a lovely memory of home.

Music was playing all the time when I was a kid, and it was actually a very eclectic mix, which made it difficult to pick just one track.

But I think this one, because of the way it’s a Brazilian bossa nova song, but there’s also a lot of jazz influence in there – and it was really popular! It’s the one that first springs to mind when I think back to my childhood and what our house was like at that time.

2) No Woman, No Cry, Bob Marley (1975)

This song always makes me think of my sisters. I grew up with two older sisters in the house, and they loved reggae.

The sounds that filled our house when I was little were bossa nova and jazz from my parents, plus some soul and funk – and reggae from my sisters. They used to especially love this song, and they would play it all the time.

It also speaks to the strength and resilience of women, which also makes me think of them.

It was such a powerful song in my life, with such a powerful message for me when I was growing up.

3) Can’t Knock The Hustle, Jay-Z, feat. Mary J. Blige (1996)

This was from the Reasonable Doubt album, Jay-Z’s debut, and it really reminds me of being in New York in the nineties.

I grew up in New York and I was there as an undergrad at NYU when this song came out. It was so impactful, and it reminds me of going out with my girlfriends in New York. We partied a lot in the New York club scene at the time – in between studying, I should point out!

Jay-Z was just coming through, and this was one of the songs that we would play, blaring it out, as we were all getting ready to go to the club.

It was an incredible time to be young in New York, with the music that was coming through and this incredible club scene – places like Palladium, Lotus, Cheetah, Lot 61 and Tunnel.

The energy was so palpable, it was pulsing through the city – with the grit of New York itself in the mix as well.

4) Destiny, Zero 7 (2001)

This represents a transition in my life. From NYU in the late nineties, we go to Zero 7 in the early 2000s, by which time I’m studying law at Columbia.

It was more of a chill vibe by this time and this song, this album [Simple Things], really got me through law school.

It was the music that I would listen to as I was studying, because I was focusing on different things by then, and that needed a different soundtrack.

Now, whenever I hear it, this song takes me right back to some very, very late nights – but this time in my room rather than in the clubs – a different type of late night!

5) Adore, Prince (1987)

It’s just a classic love song and the lyrics are so powerful.

When my husband and I were dating, this is the song that he dedicated to me. He played it for me and said no one and nothing had ever captured it better, that feeling of just being so in love with someone. No one could communicate that more profoundly than Prince did right here.

It was also a way of getting Prince on the list, because of course there are so many other songs of his that could have been in here, but this is the one with a very personal connection for me.

6) Moment 4 Life, Nicki Minaj, feat. Drake (2010)

This is the song that I was listening to when I was bringing my twin sons home from the hospital.

It’s about appreciating where you are and what you have. There’s a line in it that says, ‘I’m not lucky, I’m blessed’. And here I was, I’d just given birth, I was taking my brand new, healthy babies home with me, I had just made partner at the law firm [Jenner & Block], and this song captured all these overwhelming feelings.

I remember crying, not just at the song, of course, but because I was so grateful. I took a moment to really hold onto that feeling, and a big part of that was tuning in to a song that really summed it up.

It’s still very impactful, I still get emotional when I hear it, and it still takes me back to that exact time and place.

My kids actually ended up really loving Drake, so it became a really nice full-circle thing for us as a family.

7) Valerie, Mark Ronson, feat. Amy Winehouse (2007)

This represents Amy in general, because I was listening to her music so much while I was practicing law at that time.

Her sound was completely unique. She had this amazing ability to blend genres, old and new, but then, by doing that, come up with a sound that was all her own.

This song has a real pop element to it, but then it’s also got that left-of-center Amy style about it.

It turned out, of course, to be a very sad story and she’s such a great loss, but it was important to me to have her on the list, and this track represents her and her talent.

8) Love on Top, Beyoncé (2011)

This song is just so joyful, so upbeat, and it really reminds me of my time at YouTube.

I was lucky enough to go to Coachella and see her perform there in 2018, which was a mind-blowing, historic performance.

It came at a time where we were all working so hard, so it was inspirational to see such a talented artist who puts so much into everything she does – and the result is always spectacular.

It has a sense of fulfillment: she’s in a loving relationship, she’s on top, she feels great. It’s joyful.

9) Last Last, Burna Boy (2022)

I’ve been really into Afrobeats for the past few years, and this song is a great representation of that, because he takes an old R&B classic by Toni Braxton [He Wasn’t Man Enough] and brings his own elements, his own style.

The result is a great blending of genres, but with Afrobeats very much up front. It had a global impact, so it also represents the rise of Afrobeats in general.

Plus, of course, he’s a Warner artist, so it’s a really nice reminder of my time here so far and the successes that we’ve had.

I saw him perform at Afro Nation [in Portugal] last year and it was, as you can imagine, fantastic.

10) 24K Magic, Bruno Mars (2016)

I didn’t know where to put this one on the list, because it’s not the most recent, but it felt like a great song to end on.

24K Magic was an album that we listened to a lot, and this particular track has a real unifying quality to it. It’s the barbecue party song, the one that brings everyone in – the kids, the parents, the grandparents; everybody will bounce to this.

He also has Filipino heritage on his mom’s side, and my mom is Filipino, so it’s a nice nod to her.

When I think about Bruno, I think about that, and I think about his audience, the way he connects with them and brings people together.

He’s the consummate performer, he’s incredibly talented at everything he does – and he always seems to be having the best time doing it.