Unfortunately, I, like many others, will be spending this Valentine’s Day without a Valentine – but that doesn’t mean I don’t absolutely love the holiday. There’s nothing like watching others receive gifts in the hallways, smelling flowers and chocolates as cards are exchanged, and watching a rom-com with the ones closest to you. Here are a few of my favorite Valentine’s Day songs: some about love, some about yearning, and a few about being alone.
“(You) on my Arm” by Leith Ross
Leith Ross has described this as a “happy love song” about a “massive crush,” and it captures a youthful wistfulness that sweeps many up during the romantic season. Rather than remembering, Ross is yearning and imagining, perfectly capturing unrequited, even unknown, feelings. Though the song starts slower, the chorus is perfectly paced and melodic. I instantly imagine walking through pink florals while daydreaming about someone or something when I hear this wistful record.
“Love Songs” by Clairo (cover)
Clairo’s rendition of “Love Songs” is track 3 on “Like Someone I Know: A Celebration of Margo Guryan.” The album is a tribute to late 1960s artist Margo Guryan, taking a collection of songs from her album “Take a Picture” and giving them new life through contemporary covers. Though many interpret “Love Songs” as a song about being unable to move on from a past love, when I listen, I hear it as a song about being in love with love and all of the devastation and wistfulness that come with it. Clairo’s cover is perfectly dreamy, the easy synth and soft drumbeat carrying the listener along a gentle breeze of Clairo’s vocals. I can see myself listening to “Love Songs” on a walk through a city, park, or in my own room, a beautifully versatile tune for transitioning into spring and thinking about love.
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by Elton John, Kiki Dee, cover by Jesse McCartney and Anne Hathaway
As a kid, I was obsessed with Ella Enchanted and its fusion of fairy tale elements with modern references. I’d replay the DVD over and over, always making sure I included the special features. The movie features multiple covers, including “Somebody to Love” by Queen, and ends with a fairytale wedding punctuated by a cover of “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” The combination of the strings, backing vocals, and electric piano make this song feel peak 1970s and perfect to dance to – also the perfect track to end a fairytale wedding, emphasizing that they “all lived happily ever after” through song and dance.
“Love me Not” by Ravyn Lanae
This song really makes me want to dance around, Mark Ruffalo and Kirsten Dunst in Eternal Sunshine-style. The chorus draws from the classic game of picking petals while chanting “he loves me, he loves me not” with each one, creating a great anchoring chorus. The pre-chorus is beautiful, backing vocals blending great with Lanae’s already smooth voice.
“This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” by Natalie Cole
Another song I associate with a childhood film, “This Will be (an Everlasting Love)” ends the 1998 version of The Parent Trap. The film opens with “L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole, Natalie Cole’s father, and “This Will be (an Everlasting Love)” plays as the ending credits begin to roll. The song also appears in A Cinderella Story and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, all films that are a great time if not taken too seriously. This song is such a fun representation of love and instantly reminds me of early 2000s films.
See the full playlist of recommendations on our Spotify!
