Ciara’s Top Ten Love Songs
When choosing a Valentine’s Day gift, it’s always good to stick to the classics but put a modern spin on them. Instead of chocolates, how about cake pops? Instead of flowers, how about a fish in a heart-shaped bowl? Instead of a mixed CD with boring love songs by Barry White or Beyonce, how about a playlist with less traditional (but still touching) songs? Below, you’ll find ten modern love songs that will swoon your sweetie.
No One’s Gonna Love You – Band of Horses
This song was an easy pick. It’s quiet and beautiful and gets to the heart of relationships—making your partner happy.
Love Lyric Highlight: “Anything to make you smile/it is a better part/of you to admire.”
Heartbeats – The Knife
“Heartbeats” is probably a Swedish dance duo The Knife’s most famous song because of its churning bassline and danceable synth rhythms. But if you can take a break from dancing and listen to the lyrics, you’ll notice that it is one of the most endearing love songs ever written.
Love Lyric Highlight: “Ten days of perfect tunes/the colors red and blue/we had a promise made/we were in love.
Boyfriend – Best Coast
Best Coast frontwoman Bethany Cosentino penned an entire album of songs that perfectly convey the ups and downs of being a single twenty-something in this day and age. While her rhyme schemes may be a bit elementary, she still knows exactly how we all feel. “Boyfriend” is a song that tells the story of a girl who wants a boy. It’s pitch-perfect in its realness.
Love Lyric Highlight: “One day I’ll make him mine/and we’ll be together all the time/we’ll sit and watch the sunrise/and stare into each other’s eyes.”
Her Middle Name Was Boom – Glassjaw
After years of debate, I am very confident that Glassjaw is my favorite band in all music, so of course, one of their songs would make it onto this list. “Her Middle Name Was Boom” is a song that was written about the lead singer, Daryl Palumbo’s best friend. She stuck by him when he was going through hard times, and even though they were romantically involved, he still truly loved her.
Love Lyric Highlight: “And it’s home/and we’re walking, she’ll lead/if she’s waiting, we’ll leave/I’m so gracious to have you here.”
Lord Knows Best – Dirty Beaches
Dirty Beaches’ album Badlands was my pick for one of the best albums in 2011. With its classic sensibilities and modern storylines, it embodied a smoky, brooding sound that will translate to all music lovers. “Lord Knows Best” was one of the standout tracks for the album. It’s an easygoing love song with a looped piano riff that churns from beginning to end. It sounds like the slow dance song from the 1950s sock hop and is pitch-perfect.
Love Lyric Highlight: “Lord knows best/that I don’t give a damn/about anyone but you.”
Train Song – Feist & Ben Gibbard
This beautiful duet by indie darlings Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie fame) and Leslie Feist tells the story of long-distance lovers traveling to see one another. It drips with all-too-real nervousness and remains a catchy, sing-along-ready tune.
Love Lyric Highlight: “It’s so many miles and so long since I’ve met you/don’t even know what I’ll find when I get to you/but suddenly now, I know where I belong/it’s many hundred miles and it won’t be long.”
Tick – Yeah Yeah Yeah
Sometimes, love songs can be fun. “Tick” is Karen O. simply yelping about her awesome boyfriend and telling the world how good he makes her feel. There is no shame in that!
Love Lyric Highlight: “Time you take it/you look so good/you take your time.”
The No Seatbelt Song – Brand New
Brand New has become one of the most loved bands of our generation. From their debut album, Your Favorite Weapon, this song is one of the most heartfelt and sensitive love songs of the 2000s and will always be one of my absolute favorites. Its sweet lyrics and simple acoustic instrumentation make it a song to listen to repeatedly.
Love Lyric Highlight: “It’s only you beautiful/or I don’t want anyone/if I can choose/it’s only you.”
Skeleton Key- Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos
Upon first listening, “Skeleton Key” may not seem the best pick for a love song playlist. I will argue that the song tells the story of a girl who did love a boy, even though the boy wasn’t ready to love her back. It’s told from his perspective and shows he’s sorry for what he’s done to her. Give this song a shot; I’m sure you’ll want to hear it repeatedly.
Love Lyric Highlight: “I did a horrible thing to that girl/I bread my misery and drown it in her/, and she got me high/and I hardly noticed there were tears in her eyes.”
The Gardener – The Tallest Man on Earth
For our playlist closer, I’ve chosen a perfect acoustic song by The Tallest Man on Earth. “The Gardener” may have a slightly morbid subject matter, as the protagonist slowly kills off anyone who speaks ill of him to his lady. Still, at its core, it’s about a man wanting to ensure his girl only sees him in the best light possible. It’s sweet, I promise.
Love Lyric Highlight: “I know the spy is going to tell you/it’s not my flag up in the pole/so now he’s buried by the lilies/so I could stay forever more in your eyes, babe.”
So there you have it. This February 14th, try to avoid tradition and give your love something unconventional, but most importantly, from your heart.
