Happy Mardi Gras, everybody! Today marks the actual date on the calendar when New Orleans dedicates itself to throwing a gigantic party, with parades, public nudity, masks, beads and lots of drinking. The wonderful scene on Bourbon Street is a fantastic combination of tradition and modern debauchery, and when you compound the fact that the New Orleans Saints just won the Super Bowl and that we're coming off a three-day holiday weekend, the party should be extra energized.
Like any great party, it will require a killer soundtrack. That's why the MTV Newsroom is proud to present the official Mardi Gras video playlist, which features the likes of Lil Wayne (New Orleans' favorite son), Ludacris (who is from Atlanta but sums up the spirit of Mardi Gras with "One More Drink"), Miley Cyrus (who is always looking for a good "Party in the U.S.A."), Jon Bon Jovi (who celebrates the "Queen of New Orleans") and Ida Maria (whose "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked" is an appropriate sentiment for the amount of public nudity that slips into the proceedings).
The lineup also features hits from Jagged Edge, Sum 41, Beastie Boys and Cat Power. But the party kicks off with Better Than Ezra, a trio from New Orleans whose song "King of New Orleans" should be an anthem for anybody looking to enjoy themselves at one of the biggest parties of the year. As frontman Kevin Griffin sings, "Set him up/ And let him fall/ Turn him over in your hands/ God save the King of New Orleans." Laissez les bon temps rouler, everybody.