Let's face it - quarantine has you updating your love life and your music playlists. Don't worry, you're not alone! It can get boring listening to the same love songs on shuffle, so here's five songs that should definitely be added to your library:
1. "she likes spring, i prefer winter" - slchld
This song is perfect for those chill, romantic days when you just want to appreciate the people (or person) in your life. The instrumentation isn't that complex, and the moving lines interact in a warm consistency that pulls the listener to constantly bob their head to the beat. If you find yourself being the more reserved, yet quietly enamored, partner in a relationship, this song is definitely for you.
The song's narrator describes their lover as "the lily of the valley" and contrasts their taste in seasons. They also express their devotion to their lover throughout the seasons, showing how any time of the year is better with them. It's such a sweet and gentle sentiment for a song. It doesn't even have to be a romantic sentiment, as a devotion that deep can exist between friends and family, as well. The soft support the narrator gives can be universally soothing and applicable.
2. "my ex's best friend" - Machine Gun Kelly & blackbear
This one's a bit more risqué for those socially distanced retellings. It's about an obvious affair between the narrator and their ex's best friend. The mild moral dilemma they face is quickly overlooked by the tension between the narrator and subject, however. This song is perfect for late nights when you're having fun with friends, especially when similar events have occurred. Sharing an embarrassing story with this song in the background is bound to happen at least once! Don't be afraid to turn on those LED strip lights and dance to this song by yourself, either!
3. "Bust Your Kneecaps" - Pomplamoose
There are breakups where one can feel wronged. Maybe seeking revenge has crossed your mind once or twice, and you can't help but feel like this could be your villain origin story. "Bust Your Kneecaps" is the perfect song for this. It's seemingly light instrumentals are contrasted by the oddly threatening lyrics, giving the perfect villain vibe for listeners. It doesn't matter what happened with the other person; all that matters are the subtle hints towards having an overprotective family involved in organized crime.
Wait, what? Having a family involved in…. a "family business" isn't a necessity to enjoy this song. During a breakup, sometimes family can become aggressive towards the perpetrator. The thought of a sibling or parent singing along to this song can be amusing, and ultimately the cheery music adds an extra spicy element to the listening experience.
If you've thought about becoming a villain after a broken heart, this song was practically made for you!
4. "Anderson" - Gianna Minichiello
We've all been there - when it's "complicated." Constantly circling around each other, hearts both in the right place but heads on entirely different sides of the world. It can be frustrating to be constantly caught in a loop of questioning where you stand with someone. Maybe they don't have enough time or can't accept commitment. Gianna Minichiello perfectly conveys this experience in her song "Anderson" from her 2018 EP "Latest Singles."
The lyrics feel so intimate and personal that the listener can instantly recall the emotions the situation put them in. Being scared to lose someone can be terrifying, but being scared to love someone can have strenuous and disastrous consequences. There might've been an Anderson in your life, or maybe there is one right now. Minichiello shows listeners that the experience isn't entirely uncommon. You're not alone in your frustrations!
If you're struggling to understand a relationship, this is definitely worth putting on full volume.
5. "Vanilla Twilight" - Owl City
Trust me. This song will make you cry in the right circumstances. The first time I listened to this, my favorite person had sent it to me after I moved halfway across the country. It hit so perfectly. The lyrics Owl City sings are so, so stunning. They're poetic and concrete at the same time; it sounds so articulate for such a painful and confusing experience. Long-distance can hurt in so many ways, especially during the first weeks. Constantly turning to tell them something in person, only to remember they're hours or states away. It pangs and sits in your chest so heavily it feels like one wrong move can topple you. This song not only conveys that feeling, but by the time the song is over, you feel lighter. Yes, we might be grieving their presence, and maybe whatever happened was inevitable, but that doesn't stop our minds from thinking. It doesn't stop us from thinking about the "what if's" and constantly playing out scenarios in our heads. It gets so lonely, but Owl City managed to convey these feelings and longing in such a soothing melody. It is relaxing and comforting to know that separation isn't the end.Maybe you need to cry, maybe you need to hear these words from Adam Young over a simple synth line, or maybe you just want to reflect on what was. Either way, "Vanilla Twilight" will fulfill those needs and leave you feeling a little less empty.
