It’s finally June and that means that love is in the air! On the 12th day of this month, we will be celebrating Brazilian Valentine’s day and, in my honest opinion, if there’s a veritable way that passion can be deeply expressed, it is through music. That is why I, in collaboration with my friends and family, came up with this list of lovable and heartwarming songs you should listen to at this time of the year.
Some of you might be thinking “I’m not dating anyone, why should I care about this?!”. Well, I’m single too, but there is something about love songs that make me “completely and perfectly and incandescently happy”, to quote Pride and Prejudice (2005). They allow us to notice the beautiful things in the world and the people around us. So, yeah, I hope you enjoy this list too, my fellow hopeless romantic!
1. lover, by taylor swift
There was no way I could begin this list with anyone other than my favorite artist. Taylor Swift has a lot of “gorgeous” love songs, but since I wasn’t allowed to make this list entirely about her, I had to pick only one and my choice had to be Lover. Being the title track of her 7th album, this lyrically “enchanted” ballad celebrates the purest and simplest parts of a relationship. It’s about appreciating the little things that make every romance one of a kind, like living the Christmas lights up longer than usual and saving seats and jokes. In conclusion, this is the perfect song for you and your loved one to listen to while “dancing ’round the kitchen in the refrigerator light”.
2. Tenerife Sea, by Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran is a mandatory choice when it comes to making Valentine’s Day playlist. However, I decided to leave out the obvious “Perfect” and “Thinking out loud” (although I really adore them) and pick some other song that was as beautiful but underrated. Tenerife Sea starts with a playful guitar that leads us to a melodic declaration of love with words as heavenly as the waters of the biggest of the Canary Islands, which gives a name to the song. It is the 8th track of his second album, X (2014).
3. Something, by The Beatles
Considered by John Lennon the best track on their album Abbey Road (1969), Something was written by George Harrison after he got inspired by the name of the song “Something in the way she moves”, by James Taylor (which is also the opening line of the Beatles’ song). Although it was presumed to be about his first wife, Pattie Boyd, other sources mention it is about the Hindu deity Krishna. Either way, this is a very sweet and classic song for you to dedicate to your loved one, with its playful melody and lovely lyrics. Also, the video clip shows all four of The Beatles’ couples and the song was the band’s 18th number 1 single on Billboard.
4. Lucky, by Jason Mraz (feat. Colbie Caillat)
This is an iconic song from the 2000s but it is so adorable that it continues to be one of my favorite love songs even after 13 years of its release. Winner of the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, Lucky is a joyful duet made for the “friends to lovers” cliche. The music video was shot in Prague, Czech Republic, where we watch Jason and Colbie in separate takes until the end when presumably they finally see each other. So, if you were lucky enough to have developed a required attraction for your best friend, this one is for you!
5. Follow You, by Imagine Dragons
I know Imagine Dragons isn’t known for love songs, but the interesting part about Follow You is its backstory. The band’s lead singer, Dan Reynolds, was getting divorced from his wife, Aja Volkman, and they spent seven months without talking to each other. “One day”, as he was driving to the lawyer’s office, he received a message from her saying she didn’t need to own him to love him, and that she loved him without expectations. They gave up on the lawyer and went to have lunch together, like a first date. Dan later proposed to her again and they got married for the second time. It is not about perfect love, but about love that lasts, that deserves second chances. Follow You was one of the singles of their album Mercury – Act 1 (2021) and is the perfect song to listen to while you wait for the album’s Act 2, to be launched on July 1st.
6. 18, by One Direction
Some of my friends are great directioners and they made me make sure I was going to add a song by the beloved British boy band to this list. After a few suggestions, I chose 18 because I think it fits perfectly to our university moment, as it is the age for most of us during freshman year. This means that, if you started your relationship during college, you will probably get the feeling of this track from Four. Young love is portrayed here as a try, that can be fine through all that is yet to come and that still brings out the youth even over time. Interesting fact: 18 was written by the previously mentioned Ed Sheeran.
7. Green Eyes, by Coldplay
Coldplay, like Ed Sheeran, is a must-have on this kind of playlist, and as they are almost moving here to São Paulo – with six shows in October, by far -, there was no way they wouldn’t be on this one as well. Green Eyes is about having someone you can hold on to and that makes all the hard times feel lighter and you feel stronger. With its heartwarming guitar, it’s not a problem if your significant other doesn’t have that eye color, this song is amazing to use as a declaration of love – and if they do, even better!
8. The One, by Kodaline
Following the idea of bringing less known tracks by famous artists, I decided to go a little further and bring up one by a not really known band. Kodaline is an indie Irish band that you might have heard of from songs like “All I Want”, “High Hopes” or “Brother”, but I think The One – from their second album, Coming Up for Air (2015) – is a perfect addition to this list. The very sweet lyrics, combined with the soothing melody, always give me a cozy feeling. It is about knowing someone is the right person for you because they make even the worst times feel fine and safe.
9. Your Song, by Elton John
This is a classic and a must-have when it comes to love songs, considered by many, one of the most beautiful ever written. Your Song was composed in 1967 – in an extremely short period of time, by the way: about one hour! -, but was only launched in 1970, featured on Elton John’s second album that carries his name. The singer passionately tells how nice it is that love can be expressed through simple words and actions that have deep meanings behind them. Over the past 50 years, this iconic track has been covered by dozens of artists.
10. It Was Always You, by Maroon 5
To finish this list, I picked up a song about finally realizing that someone who you have known for a while is the right person for you. It Was Always You was a promotional single to Maroon 5’s 5th studio album, V (2014). It is the kind of upbeat pop music that can totally cheer you up. This track talks about the feeling of figuring out that what you were looking for was there the whole time; how it makes everything seems more alive and colorful, like the person’s hazel eyes (since we already had songs for people with green and blue eyes – thank you Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Elton John -, I think it was a necessary addition to this playlist).
If you liked these suggestions, you can listen to them – and many others – on the Spotify playlist down below. Have a lovely Valentine’s Day!
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The article above was edited by Giullia Cartaxo.
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