Playlist: Cheyenne Woods

At The Players’ Tribune, we know that music and sports have always been great teammates. That’s why we’ve created Playlist, a series where we ask our contributors to look inside their phones, cars, workout mixes and whatever else — and share 10 songs they’ve had in heavy rotation.

Here with this week’s Playlist is LPGA golfer (and R&B authority) Cheyenne Woods.

(Scroll to the bottom for a Spotify playlist with all of Cheyenne’s songs.)

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1. “***Flawless,” Beyoncé

Of course I’m starting with Beyoncé. She is such a powerful artist — and woman. She really embodies female empowerment in a way that I can love and understand.

“***Flawless,” off her latest album, might be my favorite Beyoncé song. I’ll listen to it while I work out or while I practice. It gives me that feel-good energy.

I actually got to meet her once (when I was about eight or nine). This won’t shock you, but: It was amazing. I’ll never forget what she said when she saw me. She looked at me, paused, and was like, “Wow, you look like you could be my daughter.”

Am I saying Beyoncé is my adopted mother? Basically.

2. “Drunk in Love (Remix),” The Weeknd

Need a late pass on this one — it’s from a couple of years ago, but I didn’t find it until this past year. I’ve literally had it on repeat since.

I went to a Weeknd concert a few weeks ago, and when he played this it was the most exciting thing ever.

3. “Forbidden Fruit,” J. Cole (featuring Kendrick Lamar)

I went to college in Winston Salem, North Carolina, so J. Cole was pretty much required listening because that’s close to where he’s from. I love his music because it has a lot of storytelling and kind of grabs you with every word. He only has a handful of radio hits, but his best songs are the ones that you really need to listen to carefully, like “Trouble.”

4. “Slave Master,” Future

This is from Dirty Sprite 2, Future’s album that just came out. Most of the songs on there are really hype, really upbeat club songs. I love Future and how he raps — though I’ll admit, sometimes you can’t quite understand what he’s saying.

One thing I’ve realized, playing competitively, is that it helps to have a good song in your head before you go out and play. It just really helps me get in the right mood and feel ready to compete. I can’t have anything that’s too hyped — because if I’m on the golf course I have to be able focus and channel my adrenaline in order to perform my best. But something like this is perfect.

5. “Nice and Slow,” Usher

Okay, let’s get really real: Usher was my childhood crush. So I grew up listening to him nonstop. And “Nice and Slow” is just a classic R&B song. It never gets old, and is one of my all-time favorite songs. I’m not a fan of Usher’s more poppy side — I like it when he sticks to R&B. That’s what I listen to still to this day. Confessions and My Way. If only all childhood crushes held up this well.

6. “This Moment,” Janine and the Mixtape

I love finding new artists. I just found Janine within the past six months, but I’ve already downloaded all of her albums and have been listening to them nonstop.

7. “At Your Best,” Aaliyah

Aaliyah’s music is timeless. This song is over 20 years old, but it could still be played on the radio today and wouldn’t seem out of place. There are very few artists who can make music like that, and she was one of them. “At Your Best” is one of her most beautiful songs — it’s one of the most beautiful songs, period.

8. “Back That Thang Up,” Juvenile

I had to include this one because this is my go-to karaoke song. My best friend and I can bring the house down with this one. Our rapping can be pretty spotty, but I’m a solid back-up dancer.

9. “The Pressure,” Jhene Aiko

What I like about this song is that it’s personal. I love personal music. That’s why I listen to Jhene.

10. “Say What’s Real,” Drake

Drake taps into that same idea, for me — I like how personal he is with his raps. This is an older Drake song, from his So Far Gone mixtape. I used to listen to it almost every day in college. For me, as a college athlete, I felt like this song really embodied the journey I was embarking on: from “trying to become successful” to “dealing with success.” There are certain things you have to adjust to when you experience success. People might start acting differently. It’s just a different world that you’re emerging into in general. And this song is kind of saying what’s real, in that respect. It’s speaking to what Drake’s world is turning into as he’s emerging as a bigger star. It’s something I can relate to. Honestly, I had to stop myself from putting like six Drake songs on here.