SPECTRUM RECOMMENDS: Best love songs

Valentine’s Day is approaching, and whether you’re spending it with your significant other, someone else you love, or just by yourself, it’s a great time to talk about our favorite love songs. Who knows, maybe you can make a last minute mixtape with these.

“Born For Loving You” by Big Thief

Ciah Courtney, Senior Sports Editor

“Timeless” by Taylor Swift

When I first heard this song back in 2023, I immediately fell in love with the storytelling and the visible image Taylor paints. Taylor sings about hoping to find the love you share with a person in every lifetime, and the relationship you have with this person is classic, effortless, and full of love. One of the best love songs Taylor has ever written due to her perfect storytelling.

Alyssa Ramos, Senior Multimedia Editor

“irreplaceable” by Beyonce

Yes, I know this is a breakup song, but not everyone celebrates Valentine’s Day (yes, I am single). This song is by far one of the greatest breakup songs to help the ladies get back on their feet and give a big middle finger to their toxic exes. I grew up listening to this song with my mother, and the overall message behind this song has been implanted in my mind and confidence. Ladies and gentlemen, know your worth!

Alyssa Ramos, Senior Multimedia Editor

“Hands Down” by Dashboard Confessional

Hands Down is one of those songs that you remember where you are the first time you’ve heard it. Chris Carrabba wrote it about a date with a girl that he had in high school. When he wrote the song in his mid 20s, he still called her the love of his life. Even to this day, he still opens by saying, “This is a song about the best day that I’ve ever had.” Considering the fact that he is married, I like to think that he married the girl that this song is about. Some claim Never Meant by American Football is Emo’s Stairway To Heaven. It’s actually Hands Down highlighting the euphoric aspects when you feel things deeply.

Jacob Wojtowicz, Senior Features Editor

“Chesterfield King” by Jawbreaker

The 1990s version of Hands Down.

Jacob Wojtowicz, Senior Features Editor

“invisible string” by Taylor Swift

I think it is pretty to think that all along there was some invisible string tying people together. To think that no matter who you are with now, you are always going to be destined to your person in the end? It’s so goddamn pretty.

Amy Aracena, Managing Editor

“Corazón Sin Cara” by Prince Royce

Every Hispanic, or even New Yorker, knows this staple of how Prince Royce sang about loving his woman despite what she looks like because the heart, truly, does not have a face. He fell wholeheartedly in love with her despite everything negative she thinks about herself, because to him, she’s the most beautiful person in the world, isn’t that the cutest thing? Honestly, only the Prince can yearn like this.

Amy Aracena, Managing Editor

“Love Me Like You Do” by Ellie Goulding

This is a love song I’ve recently rediscovered and haven’t stopped playing. It was written in 2015 for the “Fifty Shades of Grey” soundtrack and, like the movie, the song captures a love that’s intense, all-consuming and a little dangerous. I hope you all have a Valentine as passionate as that, or at least that you’ll give this song a listen and think of someone special.

Belle Clark, Copy Editor

“In My Life” by The Beatles

I’m usually not an emotional guy, but something about “In My Life” puts me in my feelings. John Lennon walks the listeners through a journey, from streets that no longer exist, to friends that have changed, a reflection of the life he’s lived. The song understands that life moves forward whether we want it to or not, people and places we love may vanish, but the memories we have will always remain. After acknowledging all the past memories John sings, “But of all these friends and lovers, there is no one who compares with you.” He has fully reflected on a whole lifetime of moments, but this one person stood the test of time. Through all the heartbreak and loss, the individual by his side is a symbol of love that triumphs all pain. This song is very human, and no matter what circumstances one is in, I feel this song can find its way into everyone’s heart.

Saqib Khan, Assistant Features Editor

“Bless the Broken Road” by the Rascal Flats

Now, I hesitate with this song as a non-religious woman, but the overall meaning overrules anything that I didn’t quite resonate with. There’s just something so beautiful about the idea that the universe — whether that’s through a God or just your own perfect timing — led you to the right place to meet the right person.

Izabella Ducato, Editor-in-Chief

“Be My Own Boyfriend” By Olivia Dean

There’s nothing more beautiful than the love you give yourself. This song reminds me that love will come and go from my life, but the love I give myself will always continue to flourish. “Lately I’ve been just what I need. Stole my heart and I’m gonna be my own boyfriend.” The more time I spend in this season of singleness, the more I’m able to appreciate my own company and worth. Whether you’re spending this day with a special someone, friends, or family…remember to give a little extra bit of that love to yourself. Be YOUR own boyfriend!

Olivia Risolo, Assistant Multimedia Editor

“Champagne Coast” By Blood Orange

To me this song can capture romantic love, platonic love, and even complicated love. As the song goes on, we hear the main singer get more and more desperate, and the instrumentals too. It captures perfectly the feeling of yearning to give love, be loved, and everything in between. We listen to a relationship where both parties genuinely care about each other, regardless of what they’re going through, “On my last strength against you, Baby, tell me what you need, Young as I want to know, I will never let you go, Trading a baseball lover as I face the snow, So, tell me, what's the joy of giving if you're never pleased?”