It’s almost February, and you know what people say: “Love is in the air.” I love celebrating love, but it’s also such a complex concept to me. Valentine’s Day is often based around romantic love, but why not celebrate all different types of love? If there’s so much love in the air, how can all of it only revolve around romantic relationships?
My favorite thing about love is how versatile it is. It’s important to think about what you’re grateful for. What do you love? How about your pets? Or the nature you see every day on your walks to class? Or even your childhood best friends that you get to see over break and never drift any further away from? Love takes on so many forms, and all of them are so beautiful.
A simple search on Spotify for Valentine’s Day playlists will show you hundreds of premade options, all with typical love songs for you and your Valentine to listen to all day long. While these are great, I want to offer a greater perspective to those who might not have a Valentine this year or those who want to get in touch with everything they love in life!
- Loving Yourself: “I am not a robot” by marina
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Let’s talk about self-love. Many believe that it’s impossible to love someone else if you don’t first love yourself. Whether or not you agree with this, it’s still beneficial to practice self-love.
In this song, Marina Diamandis teaches an imperfect person an important lesson. She sings, “You are not a robot / You’re loveable, so loveable / But you’re just troubled.”
After painting the picture of a girl who’s unsure if she’s hanging around people who truly appreciate her, Diamandis reminds us that we aren’t robots who need to cover up our feelings to impress others.
Instead, she reminds a vulnerable girl of her best qualities, singing, “But you are so magnetic, you pick up all the pins,” and encourages her to “Just open up and sing.” It’s true; we often get caught up in impressing others and sometimes completely forget about who we are, and that’s what’s important and unique about us.
Loving yourself is crucial!
- loving your friends: “Futile devices” by sufjan stevens
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Yes, yes, I know, a remix of this song was in a movie about very non-platonic love, Call Me by Your Name. So, keep in mind, it’s still up to interpretation (just like any song lyrics are) if Sufjan Stevens is singing about romantic or platonic love.
However, Stevens is one of my favorite artists of all time, and this is one of my favorite songs of his. As someone who’s listened to this song many times, I’ve always thought it was about platonic love, such as friendship.
Why do I think this? I think this song is so wholesome. Stevens brings the listener through a journey of a relationship, describing various memories of him and another person. For example, the lyrics, “And when you crochet, I feel mesmerized and proud” and “I think of you as my brother” depict a close friendship to me.
This song illustrates some of the best parts of friendship. Close, sibling-like bonds and being proud of your friends and all their accomplishments — that’s love!
- Loving life: “Radio” by Lana del Rey
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If you think Lana Del Rey’s discography only consists of sad songs, think again! To me, “Radio” is the embodiment of bliss.
Though Del Rey has a lover by her side in this song, she comments on the current state of her life, comparing it to how hard it was before. Now, she seems to just be living in the moment, enjoying everything.
The chorus, very iconic and catchy, sums this up well: “Now my life is sweet like cinnamon / Like a f*cking dream I’m livin’ in.” Lover or not, she’s just a girl living her best life, a life so good that it compares to a dream. Knowing Del Rey, she hasn’t had a perfect life, so this romanticization of her life is even more heartwarming.
I think it’s so fun to sing along to this song and start romanticizing wherever I am in life, geographically or emotionally.
- loving a pet: “Martha my dear” by the Beatles
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Ugh, this song is so cute! Before I knew its true meaning, I simply thought of it as a nice love song. Little did I know, Paul McCartney wrote and sang this song about his beloved sheepdog, Martha. It turns out that Martha was McCartney’s best friend, as proven by this song.
Another fun fact: Martha lived on! Even after she had passed away, McCartney kept a puppy from an older litter of hers. It’s undeniable that they were owner and pet soulmates.
It’s easy to see why this song is actually about an animal. From the lines, “Hold your hand out, you silly girl / See what you’ve done” to “That you and me were meant to be for each other / Silly girl,” McCartney’s words are just so sweet.
I can’t help but think of my pets now that I know the intention behind this song. If you’re missing your home pets at college, give this one a listen.
- loving nature: “solar power” by Lorde
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I always jump at the chance to include the amazingly talented Lorde in an article. “Solar Power” brilliantly describes a spring or summer day where you’re outside, soaking up the sun until you’re red and burnt. It describes the kind of day where you just become part of all the nature around you, a special kind of love.
Lorde goes all in. She completely disconnects. I love the lines, “Acid green, aquamarine / The girls are dancing in the sand / And I throw my cellular device in the water / Can you reach me? No, you can’t (Aha).”
Yeah, she’s that girl. She loves being outside so much that she destroys her phone, not wanting to talk to anyone. And you know what? I get it. I need to do that this year.
I hope you were able to find a new song that brings you feelings of love for something or someone in your life. If not, maybe you agree with my perspective on love in general — it’s so vast.
Love really is in the air! We should all express our love, whether for our pets, friends, family, selves, or the environment around us, as fully as we can.
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