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Evan Ross' Memorial Day Weekend Playlist: Eight Songs to Get Your Summer Started

Guess which Ashlee Simpson tune is his favorite!

By Marc Malkin May 22, 2015 9:53 PMTags
Evan Ross, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1Jason Merritt/Getty Images

A few months ago, Evan Ross released a lyric video for his new song, "How to Live Alone."

The song was inspired by The Hunger Games: Mockingjay actor's wife, Ashlee Simpson. In short, Ross, 26, sings about how he'd rather live alone than be without his true love. (The two married in August and Simpson, 30, is now pregnant with their first child.)

Ross, whose mom is music legend Diana Ross, has now released a new version of the song that features T.I. Available on iTunes, "How to Live Alone" will be the first single from Ross' upcoming debut album.

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"This song means so much to me, as a songwriter and also for what it stands for," he tells me. "I feel so lucky to have found someone that I do want to spend my life with and having T.I. come on board to make it that much more, I can't be prouder."

With new music on his mind, we thought it was the perfect time for Ross to offer up his perfect Memorial Day Weekend playlist.

Here, we give you Ross' top eight songs to get your summer started…

1. "Earth Song" by Michael Jackson: "This is one of my favorite songs of Michael's. I loved the music video and it has stuck with me since I was a little boy."

2. "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson: "I was lucky to grow up around Michael. I remember seeing him perform this song. It paints a picture in your head and leaves you with a visual of the magic world of love."

3. "I'm So Tired of Being Alone" by Al Green: "His performance of the song is one of my favorite things to watch. I put it on almost every night when I am relaxing and just can't hear it enough."

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4. "It's My House" by Diana Ross: "This reminds me of my childhood. I was too young to understand the lyrics and I did not understand what they meant but this is one of her songs that brings me back to being a little boy."

5. "Zion" by Lauryn Hill: "I am inspired by this song as a soon-to-be dad. The love she has for her son, I can't wait to feel when we welcome our daughter."

6. "Outta My Head" by Ashlee Simpson: "I love this song.  It's by my wife, my best friend and I think she is so talented."

7. "Dream On" by Steven Tyler: "Steven is my favorite rock vocalist. You can hear the passion in his voice in this song and I can play it on repeat over and over again. He is also a great friend to me."

8. "Good Life" by T.I.: "This song is from the ATL soundtrack (and my first film), where I first met T.I., who over the years has become a mentor and a friend. It reminds me of how far I have come."