Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and the panic is beginning to set in. As partners struggle to navigate Pinterest in search of thoughtful gifts, us singles will be carefully curating playlists to remind our lonely hearts that we “ain’t got no valentine.”
Whether you’re recently single, #foreveralone or just haven’t managed to catch that special someone’s attention yet, this one goes out to you.
If you need a good cry or a dance, we’ll visit genres for each emotion you’ll experience while coping with your loneliness.
“you’re my world”
atlas
If you already know who atlas is, you were probably expecting to see “valentine.”
But “valentine” is far too happy to jam to while laying in bed, elbow deep in a tub of ice cream.
“you’re my world” follows a breakup as the speaker’s girlfriend transitions from being his world to nothing at all. The light, joyful tempo, juxtaposed with the increasingly sad lyrics will do a beautiful job at plucking each of your sad heartstrings.
“Mover Awayer”
Hobo Johnson
Hobo Johnson is the king of sad, angsty, emo rap. Many of his songs revolve around him never getting the girl and “Mover Awayer” follows Johnson as he, yet again, longs for a girl he does not have.
The melody’s sound effects lighten the mood and keep the music happy no matter how unfortunate the lyrics may be.
“I Miss Having Sex But At Least I Don’t Wanna Die Anymore”
Waterparks
“I Miss Having Sex But At Least I Don’t Wanna Die Anymore” by Waterparks is a whirlwind of a song. The upbeat pop-rock style of the song screams “I don’t care,” but the lyrics tell a sadder story.
The singer wants someone to love but he says girls only chase him for his talents and wealth. He misses the woman he loves but says “it’s fine, it’s cool.”
“You’re the One”
Greta Van Fleet
Greta Van Fleet puts a modern spin on a hard rock-style. With a sound that resembles a reincarnated Led Zeppelin, each guitar chord and riff will cause your heart to swell.
“You’re the One” has a slower tempo, which compliments the song's sad lyrics. Our speaker loves a woman who is pretty, yet evil. She’s the one he wants, and he wishes she would come back.
“clementine”
Halsey
Here’s the one thing you need to remember if you’re reading this: you’re a bad b---h. And who better to explain why than Halsey?
“clementine” is a soulful ballad about being strong and independent and it’s a real tear-jerker. The slow crescendo that expands throughout the entire song grabs hold of your chest and resonates well with all audiences, whether in a relationship or not.
“Addict (Acoustic)”
Ethan DeRose
Ethan DeRose’s calling card is his sad, longingful lyrics. Each song paints a picture of a broken man wishing for love. “Addict” is accompanied by an acoustic guitar and the hollow sound emphasizes the tragic tone of his voice. The song is not slow and the melody is not particularly sad, but the lyrics resonate with those who are “addicted” to someone they can’t have.
“BROKEN GIRLS”
Saba
For the rap fans out there, Saba most closely resembles the mainstream hip-hop/rap style.
“BROKEN GIRLS” is not about loss or longingness, but instead the speaker reflects on how his “type” is “damaged” girls. The song follows along as he explains his tragic fate of falling for girls who suffer from depression and anxiety and have baggage.
“I Don’t Love You”
My Chemical Romance
Let’s be honest, anything by MCR will do. How one band was able to unite millions of people in their sadness while also simultaneously hyping them up is still a mystery to us all.
“I Don’t Love You” combines the perfect amount of soul-crushingly sad lyrics with the guitar chords and drum beats of an emo ballad.
You didn’t have to wear eyeliner in high school to relate to Gerard Way when he sings “I don’t love you like I did yesterday.”
“Don’t Start Now”
Dua Lipa
Pop-lovers know the importance of “dancing out” your feelings and Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now” has the perfect upbeat tempo for the job.
Lipa turns a simple “f--k you” into a pop anthem about showing the world that you’re better than things your ex put you through. It’s about knowing yourself worth and owning it.
“If I Could Tell Her”
Ben Platt, Laura Dreyfuss - Dear Evan Hansen
Evan Hansen’s love interest is sitting right in front of him.
But he still can’t tell her how he feels.
Sometimes the person you long for the most is within arms reach but the timing just isn’t right and “If I Could Tell Her” perfectly describes that when Evan belts “But we’re a million miles apart,” and does so in true musical theater climactic fashion.
“Potential Breakup Song”
Aly & AJ
“The type of guy who doesn’t see what he has until she leaves” is exactly who you don’t want to be your Valentine, so pat yourself on the back for not sending the person who ignores your “what are you doing Friday?” text.
Aly and AJ’s 2007 musical masterpiece will have you screaming into your hairbrush-microphone until you remember that Valentine’s Day’s is stupid anyway.
Reilly Mullen is the asst. news editor and can be reached at reilly.mullen@ubspectrum.com or on Twitter @ReillyMMullen.
Reilly Mullen is the editor-in-chief at The Spectrum. She is a senior majoring in political science with a journalism certificate. She enjoys Dunkin’ iced lattes and Scrabble. A former web, features, news and managing editor, she is a columnist at heart but has covered everything from UB Football to breaking news.
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
