A thoughtful Valentine’s Day gift for someone can be as simple as a handmade card, homemade meal or even a playlist curated to their taste. Fitting with the holiday, there’s no better time to lean into the romantic melodies. Whether it’s for a partner or simply to embrace the feeling of love in the air, here’s a collection of love songs from five different genres that’s sure to have a sample of something everyone can enjoy.
Pop
The pop genre as a whole has no shortage of great love songs, but many of them seem to remain relatively surface-level. Taylor Swift is one artist who is best known for her romantic ballads with an entire album entitled “Lover.” Yet the song that is arguably her most loving is a little less on the nose: “invisible string.” She sings poetically of the little details that have led her and her partner to one another, almost as if they’ve been tied together by a “single thread of gold.”
For a more classically pop track, Michael Jackson’s “Love Never Felt So Good” is upbeat and playful, emphasizing how fun falling in love can be. Jackson’s lyrics are about finding a love so good, it feels as if it’s not real. The repetition of how “love never felt so good” with the disco-influenced instrumentals makes for a song that two lovers can dance around and feel good to.
Rap
In true Mac Miller fashion, “ROS” is a sweetly raw track, painting an honest portrayal of what it’s like to be in love. Starting slow and almost jazzy with just piano instrumentals, Miller raps about seeking his love out through “sunshine or rain.” It picks up in the second half — filled with verses expressing awe at his lover’s beauty and the feelings he has for her, “Your skin smell like butterscotch and your lips taste like kiwi.” Listening to this song should make you think of the one who will be yours, “through rain and through shine.”
Off of his compilation album, “untitled unmastered.” Kendrick Lamar’s “untitled 06” is a stunning example of love and loyalty in rap. The funky jazz instrumentals and CeeLo Green’s velvety vocals make the track incredibly unique and fun to listen to. Lamar’s lyrics describe trying to open yourself up to someone and in turn have them open up to you, a vision of genuine love. He calls the person he’s rapping about a “goddess,” and finishes the song with the repetition of “I am yours,” portraying his devotion.
Indie
“Anyone Else But You” by The Moldy Peaches is an endearing duet between band members Kimya Dawson and Adam Green. The lyrics have a gentleness to them, explaining why they can’t imagine loving anyone else but the other person. Some of the verses are charmingly silly, singing “We sure are cute for two ugly people,” while some are more straightforward and lovely, reading “You’re a part-time lover and a full-time friend.” The entire song holds a childlike innocence, making it a precious addition to any indie fan’s playlist.
A bigger name in the indie scene is Father John Misty, whose biggest song “Real Love Baby” is the epitome of a declaration of true love. Its airy acoustic melody matches the picturesque love story Misty creates with his lyrics. He smoothly sings of being in love in a way that’s bigger than himself: “I’m in love, I’m alive / I belong to the stars and sky.” With this song playing, it’s impossible not to feel full of life, just like Father John Misty.
Rock
There are so many options from The Beatles’ discography that could be chosen as a love song for someone’s playlist, one of the best being “Don’t Let Me Down.” It’s a track full of blatant yearning, with John Lennon singing about being in love for the first time, and “It’s a love that lasts forever.”
Lennon is joined by Paul McCartney for the catchy chorus, pleading with their lovers not to let them down. It encapsulates that feeling of early love, when the relationship feels new and full of promise, which also comes with fears. With a real love like The Beatles are singing about, there’s no way to be let down.
“Songbird” by Oasis is a romantic ballad in a very simple way, made up of only two mostly repetitive verses. Being one of the few songs written by Liam Gallagher, the lyrics are even sweeter when they sing “Gonna write a song so she can see / Give her all the love she gives to me.”
The chorus’s single line “She’s not anyone” is sung over and over again, proving that this love Gallagher is singing to is incredibly special to him. The simplicity of the lyricism makes the track even more enchanting, giving listeners the chance to think about the ones most special to them.
Folk
The beauty of folk music comes from its ability to strongly convey meaning while being so stripped down, making it easy to communicate true love. Bob Dylan’s “Boots of Spanish Leather” does this incredibly well with nothing but his voice, his guitar and his poetic lyricism.
Dylan sings about leaving his true love and wishing there was something he could send her to remember him by, but all she wants is for him to return home. He sings earnestly about all the things he could bring her and that if he had all the treasures in the world, he’d “forsake them all for [her] sweet kiss.” Despite the distance, Dylan’s feelings remain strong — even when his love leaves herself — proving that true love knows no bounds.
Tyler Childers’ “All Your’n” is a more modern example of romantic folk music. The upbeat melody accompanies Childers’ raspy voice as he sings about loving someone until his “lungs give out.” This clear dedication of his heart is made even clearer by the promise of himself completely, singing “I’m all your’n and you’re all mine.” A love made up of equal devotion is certainly one worth singing about.
