Playlists for the holiday of love
By Alexa Rios, staff writer
Love is a mystic force. Valentine’s Day is either the best day if you have a partner who gives cute teddy bears from Safeway or has you kicking your feet when they send you a Snap a little quicker than usual or if you're like some of us you are making sad Bart Simpson edits to XXXTentacion. For all my lovers, regardless of how you’re spending your Valentine's, here are three playlists to make you even more infatuated or break your heart just a little more.
The first of the three titled “Love Songs'' is for all who are currently in a relationship. With one part being more of your classic titles, like The Carpenters 1970 hit, “Close to You” or Taylor Swift’s 2018 song, “Lover.” The other half however might be songs you've never heard of Jefferson’s Airplane 1967 song titled, “Today”. However, focusing on just two of my personal favorites. First is the song “The Purple Bottle” by Animal Collective, this whole album titled Feels is all about a relationship and its ultimate end. This song, in particular, is very vibrant, the first lyrics are a declaration of love towards someone. It’s a loud song that’s fast-paced but energizes you with the fun beat and lyrics for any romance. Our narrator starts thinking about getting a house together and talks to his friends about her so much that they’re annoyed. The second personal choice is Ciccone Youth’s “Addicted to Love” from the album The Whitey Album this song is a little more aggressive with its lyrics and while still a very much in love with someone song, almost as if I’m completely head over heels for this person. The song focuses on how it feels to be addicted to love, all the sweat and your breath becomes shaky and the beating of your heart overwhelms you. Overall this playlist revolves around the love you have for someone who gladly reciprocates it.
Next up, if you're not in a relationship but Cupid struck an arrow in your heart then this playlist is perfect for you. This is a combination of longing for someone who most likely doesn’t deserve you. These songs often describe the person whom they want and the little things they do that make you swoon. A song that speaks out to me is “If I Could Shine” by The Sweetest Ache in which the vocalist Simon Court expresses his desire to be the one who can make “you” smile. He wants to be standing side by side with them, be there for them when they need it and by the context of this song the person doesn’t seem to realize. I would describe this song as being dreamy. His voice is faint compared to the rest of the band but it adds some character. This song tends to remind me of the ocean because he describes this person standing at sea and longing to express his feelings. The next song is for my samba fans like myself. “Oba La Vem Ela” was released in 1970, it's an upbeat song by Jorge Ben. The message isn’t as difficult to decipher, but rather the language barrier. The song is about a man watching a woman arrive and admiring her. This reminds me of almost seeing your crush in the hallways and looking at them even if they don’t notice you. He compares her to being sweeter than a rose and ignores what people have to say about it. It's a very cheery song, the vocals are smooth and charming. Crushing isn't easy, but these songs capture the trance you get stuck in.
Lastly, to my readers who are heartbroken whether you guys broke up or the feelings aren't reciprocated, this playlist is for you (read the lyrics). If you’re feeling sad about someone, these songs will honestly just make you even more sad. Starting it off Bonnie Raitt with her cover of “Since I Fell for You” this song is so miserable. The first lyric “When you just give love and never get love” this song tells the tale of someone who completely regrets loving a person who broke their heart. However, she can’t keep them out of her head and still is hopelessly devoted to them even though she's left alone in the dust. She also indicates that she was happy being single until she fell in love, and now that the person is out of her life she feels like she did everything but it didn’t work. The tempo of this song is much slower than the rest since it’s the blues but her voice is so emotional and adds everything I've ever needed. Now to all my Spanish speakers, I’m sure you’re well aware of “Cien Anos” by the love of my life Pedro Infante. This song just hurts when you’re sad. It's about unrequited love in which Infante is completely ignored and forgotten about. His heart is filled with pain watching this woman be indifferent to him. However, he sings that if he lives a hundred years then he will think of her for a hundred years. That song kills me every time and his voice is a classic representation of the golden age of Mexican Cinema! If you want to watch the movie where it comes from it's called “Cuidado con el Amor.”
Hopefully, these playlists will get you in the Valentine's Day mood. From beautiful love songs to killer breakup songs whatever you are in the mood for I got you. Happy Valentine's Day!