Love (& Anti-Love) Songs for February
Yes, February is for lovers. But it’s also for that campus crush, platonic soulmate, and long-distance friend. Now is as good a time as any to tell the people in your life just how much you love them, so the PLAYBACK team compiled their favorite love songs for you to play while thinking about your sweeties.
But we also know that wayward love can make even the sappiest of us cynical, so we also made you a list of some anti-love songs to play when you physically cannot see one more person carrying a big bouquet of roses.
Listen to one playlist. Listen to both. Choose wisely, sing loudly, and try to spread some love this month.
Love Songs:
“Someone Like You” – Mac Miller
“Mac’s delivery is soft and unguarded, and introductory tunes are heavenly. It’s a love song that feels real—warm, uncertain, and deeply human—lingering in that fragile space where affection and doubt coexist.” – Sophia
Everything is Love – The Carters
“Falling Slowly” – Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
“I don’t know you, but I want you.” The song’s opening line and its entirety confirm that, though no one can ever fully know another person, love can still grow. It teaches us that love doesn’t need perfect certainty or seamlessness to be true.” – Keon
“Silver Words?” – Rodriguez
“About You” – The 1975
“Daisy Lady” – Tir na Nog
“Nothing Can Come Between Us” – Sade
“Sade is romance personified. Whether you’re loving your partner, your family, your cat, the city, or your life, hold onto that love and let it guide you. We may not ever know the meaning of it all, but we know love. So, grab onto someone you love and dance the February cold away to some Sade.” – Nyah
“If I Had A Gun…” – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Anti-Love Songs:
“Don’t Hurt Yourself” – Beyonce & Jack White
“The thing I love about “Don’t Hurt Yourself” is how the music, the cadence of her voice, and the lyrics encapsulate the rage that comes with betrayal, especially when you’ve built your life with someone.” – Djeneba
“Cool About It” – boygenius
“Forget Her” – Jeff Buckley
“Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” – John Mayer
“What I love most is that the lyrics refuse to depict the cliché of a beautiful parting. Instead, they embrace the bitterness and frustration of a slow dissolution, acknowledging that the love doesn’t simply vanish just because the relationship can no longer hold together.” – Keon
“Campus” – Vampire Weekend
“Friendzone” – ThunderCat
“Friend Zone” flips the love song on its head, turning romantic frustration into something strangely fun and cathartic. Thundercat pairs elastic bass lines with silky synths and a deceptively smooth groove, masking the sting of unreturned feelings beneath humor and funk.” – Sophia
“Gauze” – Deftones
“Gauze” is a perfect track for irritably watching a cappella groups and big red bouquets pass you on the sidewalk. Really, the entire Koi No Yokan album is great for playing through performative wired earbuds and rolling your eyes at happy couples.” – Nyah
“Nothing New” – The Marias