As Valentine’s Day approaches, love songs are topping the charts and setting the mood. Love is a universal feeling, but everyone’s experience is different. Music can bring these confusing and conflicting emotions together. I’m not here to give a basic review; here’s my top five love songs.
- “peace” by Taylor Swift
As an avid Taylor Swift fan, it was hard to choose a favorite from her discography. The anxieties and worries that go along with love are perfectly encapsulated in “peace.” Throughout the song, Swift sings about how her life can be chaotic and interrupted, but she wants her love to be enough for her partner. Although we may not all share Swift’s lifestyle, “peace” is relatable for many who experience the complexity of love. Partners can’t stop other people’s words and actions, but their love can bring order and calm in the storm.
- “Fix You” by Coldplay
From the title alone, this song may not sound too loving, as fixing a partner should never be the goal, it is deceiving. “Fix You” shows how if you love someone, you can let them leave and grow. But when that person you love is hurt and afraid, they can run back to you, and you will listen without judgement. Love is not perfect; people will struggle, but love comes from listening and staying with people when they need you most.
- “hope ur ok” by Olivia Rodrigo
Unlike the focus of the previous songs, “hope ur ok” illustrates unconditional love, as she loves the people she mentions regardless of their struggles and circumstances. I can’t listen to this song without my eyes tearing up, as Rodrigo sings of love for people from her childhood who struggled while she knew them. She sings of how even though she didn’t know them well, she hopes they left and found love for themselves. This song isn’t the usual pick for love songs, but really, there’s nothing more loving than wishing someone happiness and freedom from their pain.
- “Love You Forever” by Robert Munsch
Switching to another aspect of love, the nostalgia of this song will always be pure and endearing. Alongside the book that bears the same name, Munsch’s song shows the way love develops throughout life. The mother starts by caring for the son, and by the end, the son is helping the mother as she gets older. The first love I, and many others, have experienced is with my family; there’s no one who I love more than them. Along with the pure sentimentality of the song, it’s such a simple way to describe the raw emotions of love.
- “The Only Exception” by Paramore
Love is an emotion that can be all-encompassing, whether that be through happiness or pain. “The Only Exception” speaks of how Hayley Williams, Paramore lead singer, has only ever known pain and hurt from the love of others, and how the risks of love outweigh what it can offer. The song transitions when she finds the right person. They are the exception to her rule; she won’t let the pain come because she will keep them close enough to her. Williams puts finding love in such relatable words. “When you know, you know” is a common phrase, but Williams uses it to include the risks and worries that go along with love.
Love is a common sentiment, but everyone’s experience is different. The art of music brings millions together and creates a comfort level in their emotions. People deserve to feel understood, and these five songs do exactly that as we head towards Valentine’s Day.
