PLAYLIST: Heart Beats
WORDS BY EMMIE STAFF, ART BY Maddie Baggenstoss
Whether you’re busy hanging out with your pookie or re-watching “(500) Days of Summer” alone in your apartment, the EMMIE staff has you covered this holiday season. Check out our picks below and listen to the playlist on Spotify.
“Of All The Gin Joints In All The World”- Fall Out Boy
Pete Wentz managed to write the horniest FCC friendly song in 2005 and it’s “Of All The Gin Joints In All The World.” When I first heard the lyrics “and oh they way your makeup stains my pillowcase / like I’ll never be the same” at 11-years-old I immediately went to create a sex playlist for it which would not be used for almost a decade. This song is for the yearners with no plans tonight. Please join me in laying on my bed holding my Dr. Simi plushie while Patrick Stump sings to me the words, “I used to waste my time dreaming of being alive / (now I only waste it dreaming of you).”
–Camila Trimberger-Ruiz
“Love Sosa” - Chief Keef
Though love isn’t necessarily present in the content, vibe, energy, or spirit of the song; love is definitely in the title. One time I was driving while listening to Love Sosa on loop and T-boned an old woman’s car. Love… Sosa.
–Oliver Gerharz
“Saturday Night” - The Blue Nile
“Who do you love?” Paul Buchanan personally asks this to every listener of “Saturday Night.” There’s an ever-present reassurance in his crooning vocals and in the beautiful accompaniment of orchestral and electronic sound. This song and band personifies the soundscape of the random downtown you grew up in, any memories you have of a city nearby, or any dreams you left behind. It sounds nostalgic on your first listen as if you’re falling in love with your first girlfriend again. Letting love be simple, ordinary, and necessary The Blue Nile unravel its mystery. Love is Saturday night. So who do you love?
–Easton Parks
“Kiss Me” - Sixpence None The Richer
This song is the definition of a perfect cliché love song. Lyrically, the song tells the story of innocent young love through classic imagery of kissing in the “moonlight” and dancing in an open field. The lyrics possess an overall air of lightheartedness, which perfectly compliments the use of various harmonic instruments throughout the song. The accordion solo near the end additionally sets the scene of a romantic gondola ride in Venice, whisking listeners away into a world of romance that is both sincere and effortless.
–Elise Daczko
“Dead Sea” - The Lumineers
This song is deceptively simple, with only a guitar and a couple of string instruments that kick in during the chorus, but the charm lies in its straightforwardness. The first verse ends with the lyric, “I don’t gamble, but if I did, I would bet on us.” Like most love songs, this song talks directly to the object of the singer’s affection, but it doesn’t resort to songwriting cliches, like “I need you” or “I want you” but instead crafts a narrative of the way the couple’s lives intersected in just the right way, as they were both feeling restless and unsettled in their lives. It sounds like a conversation between the two, where the singer recounts how she once told him he was her Dead Sea, because he buoys and uplifts her. The front man of the Lumineers used this song as a proposal to his now-wife, so because of that, this song always ranks as deeply romantic in my opinion.
–Aideen Gabbai
“touch tank” - quinnie
Although this song maybe isn’t what most people would think of when asked to find a love song, I feel that it does a great job of capturing romance in a lighthearted way. The song is sweet and witty, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously; it frequently makes fun and unserious references to the ocean. In addition to referencing nature, the lyrics that make this song unique to quinnie are those that use anecdotal details to bring the song to life. “Gold-skinned eager baby, blue shirt out the laundry” is a line from the song’s chorus that for me brings to mind the way that loved ones have a specific smell and aura around them: the scent of their detergent or the warmth of a hug. A common theme that appears throughout her music as a whole is the idea that small details are what allow us to know and love other people. “touch tank” in particular is a love song in the sense that it reveals snippets of many personal memories that together paint a picture of an earnest and youthful love story.
–Maddie Baggenstoss
“Möbius Chicken Strip”- Origami Angel
When given the task of finding a love song recommendation, midwest emo is likely not the go-to genre. However, Origami Angel has managed to bring a plethora of love songs to the depressed incel riddled world of emo. The duo combines upbeat instrumentals with lyrics that showcase the feeling of experiencing a love like never before. All in all, I think “Möbius Chicken Strip” is the perfect track to show off your love whether it’s romantic or platonic, especially if you or your pookie are a little bit emo.
– Elliot Novak
“Cosmic Love”- Florence + The Machine
F+TM’s “Cosmic Love,” combines classical harp and piano with (you guessed it) some pretty outer-space-y effects. The song describes love as being an all-powerful, all-consuming force, rendering you blind to…pretty much everything. Is it healthy? Probably not…but, speaking as a Single Lady here, if love ain’t crazy and out of this world, then count me out. And if love doesn’t sound like the powerful, belt-y voice of Florence Welch, then double count me out.
– Isabella Kafka
“Shine Your Light on Me” - Natalie Bergman
Waking up on a Sunday morning to Bergman’s celestial voice singing about “sweet Jesus” makes me want to accept religion and convert. Blasting this song throughout my apartment not only brings joy to the day but makes me genuinely believe love is real. I’m not a big fan of “lovey dovey” songs in a lyrical essence but rather the feeling of love and happiness the sound gives off. While I do enjoy this love song, I will not be listening to it on this particular day. No reasoning needed <3
– Cori Dyner
“Kangaroo” - This Mortal Coil
A non-conventional choice, “Kangaroo” fittingly opens with gloomy cello and bass and details a yearnful encounter with love. The closing few lines “Oh I want you; Like a Kangaroo” begs the question “What does that even mean?” and adds some mystery to this affair. I don’t even know what it means but I get it at the same time. A mysterious kind of love. A marsupial-like relationship? Unsure. This tune opens up the group’s 1984 debut album and was originally written by Alex Chilton.
–Mia DelFrate
“Cloud 9” - Beach Bunny
As someone who is perpetually single, my love song playlists are pathetically bare. However, the hopeless romantic in me blasted Beach Bunny’s “Cloud 9” every morning on my junior year drive to school. The hints of pessimism breathing panic into an otherwise confident track are incredibly relatable for those of us who are easily swept into whirlwind chaos crushes. While the aftermath leaves us feeling like post-February-tornado rubble, we can have fun screaming along to this song while the fun lasts. (Me? Cynical? Never.)
- Emmery Clements
“Liar” - Paramore
This is the best love song released in 2023 and if you disagree, you’re just wrong… sorry, I don’t make the rules. I may be biased because this was my top song on Spotify last year, but it’s genuinely an incredible song. It’s centered around falling in love with your best friend and trying to deny the feelings until you burst (DEFINITELY not relatable… haha). The song ends with Hayley Williams’s acceptance of this love and reminding herself that falling in love is okay and that it’s not something to be embarrassed or ashamed of. The lyrics “And all the ways I'd keep you safe / I keep you safe from me”, really highlight that feeling of not wanting to ruin a friendship with romance. I’ve TOTALLY never felt that EXACT way before so I can’t relate… Who am I kidding, this song is the perfect parallel of my love life. All I’m saying is that if you fall in love with your best friend, embrace it… you might get lucky :)
– Paige Kearney
“Pearly-Dewdrops’ Drops” - Cocteau Twins
Usually when you think about love songs, the first thing that comes to mind is the sweet lyrics that’re professing their admiration. With Cocteau Twins’ 1986 classic, you can’t understand a single thing they’re saying! But you know it’s probably the most beautiful thing you’ve ever heard. The shoegaze vibes of the instrumentals alone are enough to bring a tear to your eye, and a desire to feel gut-wrenching, world-altering love. The fact that it can convey that strong of a feeling without even being aware of the lyrics is more than enough to make it one of my all time favorite love songs.
– Bailey Krause
“Pasilyo”- SunKissed Lola
Music is truly impactful when it evokes emotions that completely shatter language barriers. I do not speak Tagalog, but the music in “Pasilyo” is able to transcend my lack of understanding and fully encapsulate the intensity of love. Of course, I have done my fair share of Googling translations of the song, but even without translations you are able to perfectly envision its setting: a wedding, as you are watching your beloved walk down the aisle. “Pasilyo” is a beautiful addition to any playlist, even if it makes you feel like clutching your heart and falling over.
– Erica Kallas