February can be a very polarizing month. If you’re in love, you probably adore it: the flowers, the chocolates, the delightfully cheesy gifts. If you’re not, you might find yourself rolling your eyes and speedwalking past the seasonal aisle at H-E-B. What I love most about love, or the lack of it, is how intensely it drives our lives. Love comes in countless forms. It makes us crazy, makes us ecstatic, and, most importantly, makes for great music. So, without further ado, here are 5 songs about all kinds of love to get you through the month.
- Los Angeles – Big ThiefÂ
Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, and James Krivchenia never fail to bring me to tears. Their music is folky, vulnerable, and poetically written. Los Angeles is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever listened to. It’s about an unbreakable love that transcends friendship and romance. You know that feeling of loving someone to the point of just knowing without even needing to speak?Â
- You Keep Me Hangin’ On – Kim Wilde
The 80s are so back, and Kim Wilde is here to remind us that “situationships” are not just a 21st-century woe! This is a classic for anyone needing a push to set boundaries in their love life this month. We’ve all been there. This song is angsty, powerful, and demands that you sing your heart out. Seriously, put on your headphones and get out that hairbrush mic.Â
- You got time and I got money – Smerz, Clairo, VVTZJ
You got time and I got money is a slow, sensual song about new love. Smerz captures the feeling of hanging on to every strangely familiar detail of a new person. The song is so gentle it feels like someone is audibly tiptoeing, the way you do at the start of a relationship, or when you step into something new. Here’s to that funny feeling in your stomach, savoring every moment, and surrendering yourself fully to love.
- The Sofa – Wolf Alice
If you’ve been feeling a little pessimistic lately, this one’s for you. It’s a moody ballad about not needing to have everything figured out, featuring a beautiful, emotional violin and piano solo. Ellie Rowsell, Wolf Alice’s lead singer, understands that we often carry contradictory feelings about love and life, all coexisting deep inside us. Maybe you just need to lie on the sofa, distract yourself with bad TV, put yourself first, and know “that’s okay.”Â
- Never Too Much – Luther Vandross
I appreciate a true yearner, and Vandross is exactly that in Never Too Much. He sings about being on top of the world because of a love he can never get enough of. The song is timeless soul; funky, upbeat, and joyful. At its best, love, like the bass in this track, makes you want to get up and groove.