Love sucks but these songs don't

Sentry staff picks love songs for the perfect Valentine’s Day playlist

“I Found Her Among the Aliens,” sung by Molly Kirby, is the perfect song for Valentine’s Day. The lyrics are soft but bold and talk about the otherworldly beauty of their partner. Lyrics like, “With her glowing hair / And her galaxy eyes / I thought that I would scream,” are enough to make a lady swoon. The ukulele playing the simple, upbeat chords in the back make the listener want to melt into the side of their honey bunny and travel into the unknown. The lyrics, “She knew a thousand different languages / I didn’t understand a word,” shows that true love is about acceptance because of the differences.

-Frankie Spiller

“Cuz I Love You,” a promotional single released by Lizzo, coincidentally on Valentine’s Day, is one of the artist’s most soulful songs to come from her third album. Making the most of her breathtaking voice, Lizzo’s lyrics convey a story and sense of being entirely overwhelmed with love and finally understanding what it truly feels like after having a series of misfortune in romantic relationships. More power is offered by the backing melody of R&B and Jazz. It’s very hard to not have vague emotional responses to the finished collaborative sound. The song exhibits Lizzo’s range of talent and is a fantastic modern love song to add to your Valentine’s Day playlist.

-Sophie Auriti

As Valentine’s Day approaches, nothing sets the mood better than Rihanna’s “Love on the Brain.” Filled with fluent strums of the guitar, the crescendo of heartfelt organs, and a range of vocals that are, in other words, out of this world, “Love on the Brain” doesn’t disappoint as a love song that doesn’t suck. Not only is it a mellow, reminiscent feel of the 1950s that Rihanna creates, but it’s the surreal atmosphere that listeners are transported to. The beat is steady, euphonic to the ear, with her versatile vocals when she cries “Must be love on the brain!” it is sure to make Valentine’s Day so much better.

-Isaiah Mancha

The 1973 classic “Time in a Bottle” by Jim Croce fits the criteria of ‘love songs that don’t suck’ with its sorrowful lyrics and deep meaning. Croce tells a genderless tale of love where one partner longs for the ability to cheat time in various ways in order to spend more of his or her life with their love. Every person who has been in love can relate to the feeling of not having enough time and that universal shared experience allows this song to resonate with multiple generations. This gem of a love song does not need to be kept in a bottle to stand the test of time.

-Taelar Pollmann