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Love is one of the most common inspirations for songs and for good reason. With Valentine’s Day coming up, there’s nothing like romantic tunes to set the mood. Whether you’re taking the time for self-care, hanging out with your SO, or planning to see Fifty Shades, you’ll need a playlist for downtime, your commute, and any other time in between. From pop to R&B, we’ve got you covered with a variety of music genres to complete your February 14th.
1. “Touch” – Kehlani
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwZq_gTKlfo
There’s something that Kehlani just gets, whether it’s her on-point breakup anthems or tracks about various stages of a relationship. “Touch” perfectly conveys how we feel when we have a strong physical connection with someone and the haunting melody strikes the perfect balance between fast and slow.
2. “Morning” – Marc E. Bassy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijv5Wz3Dn-c
Bassy has his fair share of love songs but “Morning” acknowledges the mistakes we inevitably make in relationships and our hope that whoever we’re with will still be with us in the morning.
3. “Yours” – Russell Dickerson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g83se50wTrs
We all have our go-to love songs, but it’s usually a let down when we look up the inspiration behind a track and find out it was based off a dream or something trivial. That’s not the case with this song. “Yours” was written by Dickerson for his wife and lyrics like “The best me has his arms around you, you make me better than I was before,” will leave you wishing to be serenaded.
4. “Never Be The Same” – Camila Cabello
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQhIUzPJi8o
If you’ve been wondering how Cabello has been doing since going solo, the answer is more than fine. Cabello recently released her debut album and “Never Be the Same” is her album’s second most popular track on Spotify. The song captures how it feels when you’re falling in love with someone new and she compares the emotion to being on a high and feeling forever impacted. The only caveat? Cabello sings the ballad at a high range so it’s almost impossible to emulate. Believe me, I’ve tried.
5. “Dusk Till Dawn” – Zayn ft. Sia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt2k8PGm-TI
Almost as dramatic as the video itself, “Dusk Till Dawn” is no doubt a love ballad, and it may also acknowledge Zayn leaving One Direction. Zayn and Sia are both powerful vocalists but you don’t feel as if one overpowers another when they harmonize. The slow build to the chorus and the eventual beat drop will have you wanting to play this on repeat.
6. “Selfish” – Future ft. Rihanna
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JzGyMBms_M
Not your typical love song about everything going right in a relationship, “Selfish” discusses how two can come back together despite the “broken lies” and “wrong turns.” While two people can be bad news for each other, “Selfish” has us rooting for them regardless.
7. “Hate That I Love You” – Rihanna ft. Ne-Yo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMOOr7GEkj8
No playlist is complete without throwback tracks and we can’t forget about Rihanna and Ne-Yo’s collaboration. Everyone can relate to the song, from feeling mixed emotions about someone but being unable to let them go despite how much we’ve tried.
8. “Next to You” – Chris Brown ft. Justin Bieber
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEuQU6a90Pc
With the video being set amidst an apocalypse, “Next to You” fits cheesy love themes all in one song. We all want that reassuring security in a relationship and despite anything happening in the world, dystopia or no dystopia, we’ll hopefully always have that one person.
9. “Every Kind of Way” – H.E.R.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn1FH9BS-Ic
Rising R&B singer H.E.R. had her identity initially remain a mystery as she wanted her music to speak for herself. It certainly has as her tracks have been supported by Usher, Rihanna and Bryson Tiller. “Every Kind of Way” details one’s relatable wish of wanting to know everything about a crush and knowing how committed they’d be to that person. It’s just one of the many love anthems of hers you should add to your playlist.
10. “Always Be My Baby” – Mariah Carey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfRNRymrv9k
One of the odes of Carey‘s prime, the track proves that not all breakup songs have a negative connotation. There will always be nostalgia for past loves and the song, and Carey’s vocals are just as iconic decades later.
