The Ultimate Soundtrack for a Dinner Party, Curated by Zoë François

When Zoë François said, "I wrote down page after page of songs," I knew I had found the right person for the job of curating the ultimate dinner party playlist for Simply Recipes. Zoë is the host of Zoē Bakes and author of Zoë Bakes Cakes—I know her best via Instagram for her dazzling desserts, fierce energy, and her excellent taste in tunes, which she picks for her Reels.

I asked Zoë to narrow down her list to 15 songs—that's about an hour of music to calm the nerves before guests arrive, inspire discussion and pad out quieter moments at the dinner table, and rouse impromptu dancing in the living room. As the evening winds down, "I tell them through the music to leave—there's one song that's kind of subtle, then there's a more direct one, like 'get the hell outta my house!'"

Here are Zoë's song picks to accompany your dreamiest, most fun dinner party.

• A Case Of You by Joni Mitchell—"The Blue album was on repeat during my high school years and Joni Mitchell’s voice always sets my nerves at ease—perfect level set before greeting guests."
• Quelqu’un m’a dit by Carla Bruni
• Wild Night by Van Morrison
• Who Needs Forever by Astrud Gilberto (Thievery Corporation Remix)
• Wishing Well by Sananda Maitreya (formerly known as Terence Trent D’Arby)
• Glory and Gore by Lorde
• It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over by Lenny Kravitz
• Fire by The Pointer Sisters—"Time to light the mini marshmallows on fire!"
• Just Fine by Mary J. Blige—"Dance off the sugar high."
• Lady Marmalade from "Moulin Rouge"—"I just saw the Broadway play and this song made the whole theatre dance in their seats."
• Nice For What by Drake—"DANCE party!"
• Escapism. by RAYE and 070 Shake
• Let’s Take a Walk by Raphael Saadiq—"Hint that things are slowing down."
• Traveling Light by Leonard Cohen—"Easing into the end of the night."
• It’s Over by Roy Orbison—"Need I say more: Time to go!"

LISTEN NOW: Zoë François' Dinner Party Playlist on Spotify

All three seasons of Zoë Bakes are streaming now on discovery+ and will also be available on Max starting May 23. Season 3 will make its cable premiere on Magnolia Network later this Summer. You can also watch Zoë on Magnolia Network's Silos Baking Competition premiering May 28 on Magnolia Network with new episodes every Sunday at 8/7c, also streaming on Max and discovery+ every Sunday.