Maman by Loane is my Guilty Pleasure for a special reason, even though it may be held in high regard by many more than just me. It speaks to my heart. Like the singer, I was fortunate to have found love “indélébile,” at only 19, without the “lovers, the beds” and heartache her lyrics describe. The years “flew by” with him, “holding hands” a lot. I too had the joy of being “maman” to two wonderful children. Holding toddler hands is a memory I cherish, and, as Loane sings, I would have loved “to stop time.” The first verse of Maman hints at a problematic relationship between the singer and her mother. I too “kept everything that makes me who I am” from my mother even though I now see she played a huge role in making me who I am. While she lived to be 102, and we had many happy moments together, we were never close in the way I dreamed of as a child and later found with my husband, just as the song recounts. My Guilty Pleasure is imagining that I’m playing this song for my mother, telling her its title and how much it means to me. Not knowing French, she loves hearing the joy and sense of security her holding my hand brought me as a child. Meanwhile, I secretly delight in knowing this song encapsulates so beautifully so much of my life, including the negatives in our relationship.