Quick check-in: how many times have you checked your messages today? Is your top song of the month “Let the Light In” by Lana Del Rey and Father John Misty? Are you in the middle of rewatching Fleabag Season 2? Or dog-earing pages of Normal People? Okay, no judgment: have you started believing the tarot card readings on your TikTok For You Page?
If you answered “yes” to any or all of the above questions, you caught it. What is “it” exactly, you may ask? And why is this “it” something a 20-year-old English major is more qualified to diagnose than any real medical professional?
The “it” I’m talking about is limerence. Limerence is defined as “the state of being obsessively infatuated with someone, usually accompanied by delusions of or a desire for an intense romantic relationship with that person.” The way I understand it, it’s kind of like if Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights took breaks from brooding in the forest every now and then to post something cryptic on his Instagram story.
Whether you think it’s just a fancy way of saying delusionship, limerence is something we’ve all felt at some point. But don’t worry — the end is just one playlist away. Here are three songs to get rid of your limerence (hopefully) for good. Disclaimer: they’re a little random, but it’s exactly what the doctor ordered.
- I will Survive By GLoria Gaynor
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Okay, let me get something off of my chest: I only started writing this article after watching Season 2, Episode 13 of Sex and the City for the 1100th time. If you haven’t seen it, then you’ve probably heard this TikTok audio:
Even though Carrie is kind of just saying things she definitely does not mean, I absolutely love the energy she has in this scene. The “I Will Survive” needle drop is simply too iconic, and I’ve definitely given the song a listen when I need a little extra “poof.”
An important part of moving on is picking yourself back up. Instead of concentrating all of that energy onto someone else, direct it literally anywhere else. Even though you may feel like the world is ending, it’s important to remember… you will survive.
- That Don’t Impress Me Much by Shania Twain
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This one’s a bit of a throwback for me. My mom was obsessed with Shania Twain when I was little, so I spent many a ride to preschool singing along to “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” Cut to 15 years later, I still have this one on repeat.
It may sound dumb, but sometimes searching for an ick really does help you move on faster. If you’re still trapped in the romanticization headspace, the ick doesn’t even have to be something real. Like, imagine them taking off their shoes to go through TSA at the airport… but they’re not wearing socks. I don’t know about you, but that really don’t impress me much.
- Dancing On My Own By Robyn
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Now that you’ve moved on from “poofing” and “icking”, it’s time for the ultimate moving on song: “Dancing On My Own” by Robyn. When all else fails, sometimes there really is nothing else you can do besides dance like you’re Hannah Horvath after tweeting “all adventurous women do.”
“Dancing On My Own” is a good reminder that even though being on your own can be scary at first, it doesn’t have to be that way forever. If you try one thing, please let it be a scream-sing in the car with your besties to this song. I promise it’ll make it suck at least a little bit less.
Three songs won’t cure your limerence overnight, but they can be the first three baby steps you take towards moving on for good. At the end of the day, there are plenty of fish in the sea. So wash away your limerence with some fun pop.