Let’s be honest: not everyone’s in love or in a situationship this Valentine’s Day. Some people are surviving a breakup, celebrating friendship-type of love, or finally starting their self-love journey. Heck, others are just plain out tapped out of giving love these days. Whatever your case might be, what’s true is that a good playlist makes any situation better.
As cliché as it sounds, music is medicine and a form of therapy. It heightens our everyday mundane experiences, helps us feel connected through lyrics and emotions, and also soundtracks our life’s most memorable joys. It’s no different when it comes to our personal love lives. Whether you’re jamming out to Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” with your girlfriends after a bad breakup or in love and playing a Romeo Santos romantic bachata 24/7 in the background, music goes hand-in-hand with your emotional experiences. Who doesn’t have that one song that takes you back to a certain time and place?
But why are love anthems so popular and always on demand? Some say it’s because they’re relatable and can exist in different forms. With this in mind, let’s not just talk about romantic love and self-love anthems this Valentine’s Day. Let’s celebrate other types of love, too. From Tomasa del Real to Villano Antillano, here are seven any-type-of-love jams that hit differently–especially when you’re currently experiencing them.
Lizz, Tomasa del Real – “Amiga”
Best friend love. There’s nothing like having a bestie that’s your ride or die. They’re the ones who get you through the worst times and the same ones who you share the most enjoyable, funniest, and unforgettable moments with. In this track, the two neoperreo baddies talk about getting their groove back–and getting over a man that’s not worth tears. In the song’s lyrics, Tomasa tells Lizz: “Perra you have the power / You will never ever be alone / From this you have to learn / You’re in first place.” And that’s the thing about BFF love: they’ll give you the unfiltered truth about any situation.
Ex Primos – “Ex Novia”
Before switching to another type of love, let’s continue discussing friendship and love. Nothing compares to your close circle of friends–also known as your chosen family–who always have your back. This electro-synth track talks about celebrating friendships and love with a beer in hand. “[It’s] an important reminder that we’re never truly alone,” the track’s press statement reads. “The song is dedicated to that special someone you can call up any time of day for an emergency beer and hug session.” Point blank: we all know that one person who’s always down for you–and, no we’re certainly not talking about getting back with any ex-girlfriends, despite the track’s title.
Carla Morrison – “Obra de Arte”
Carla Morrison is one of the most beloved Mexican singers of this generation. From love anthems to heartbreak stories, her music repertoire has you covered. She’s known to sing about all types of love, including the empowering self-love form. For her, self-love–specifically loving our own bodies–is what makes us unique. “Our bodies are full of imperfections, and that’s what makes us beautiful and perfect,” she said in a recent interview. “They are a great machine that can heal itself and let you know when it needs something.” So, next time you are feeling down, remember that you are an obra de arte, a complete masterpiece.
Princess Nokia – “Diva”
Self-love also comes in the form of feeling empowered. A specific thrill and joy come when you recognize your full potential. In Princess Nokia’s “Diva,” she captures the exact described emotions, all while celebrating femininity at the same time. The result? A feel-good self-love anthem delivered with a badass iconic attitude. What’s more to love? She shouts out other empowering and successful women while at it. Princess Nokia sings: “I feel like Beyonce, I feel like Shakira / Lemonade, I’m juicy, hips don’t lie, Selena / Britney, Christina, rest in peace Aaliyah / I feel like a goddess, I feel like a diva.”
RaiNao – “Mi Piscis”
Let’s dig into love with a partner now. It’s no doubt that Valentine’s Day is so commonly tied with the love you share with another person. The emerging Puerto Rican artist RaiNao expresses this perfectly with “Mi Piscis” from her debut EP Ahora A.K.A Nao, which talks about being in love. With a soft melody and her soothing voice, she describes being infatuated with someone. She sings: “You and me on the bike running through the neighborhood / An easy love / In the sky, a rainbow / You’re the pisces that gets me off if I’m busy / That gets me out if I’m busy.”
Karol G – “Ay, DiOs Mío!”
Karol G in love hits differently. While we love her sexy bad b*tch jams like “GATÚBELA” and breakup anthems like “MAMIII,” we equally enjoy her singing about being in love. In “Ay, DiOs Mío!” she shows her hopeless romantic side. “In this song I’ll tell the story of how I met Ema [short for Anuel’s real name Emmanuel],” the Colombian pop star told Billboard about the song’s creation. “The song starts from the moment Ema first wrote me a DM on Instagram and how he sent me DMs on Instagram and WhatsApp, until the day we met and went out. And when we went out, in the middle of dancing, and whether I’d go home with him or not.”
Villano Antillano – “Yo Tengo Un Novio”
Lastly, let’s talk about being in the depths of love. In La Villana’s “Yo Tengo Un Novio,” she talks about fully enjoying her man–and not being scared to square up if someone gets in the way. The Puerto Rican MC embodies the feeling of being in an unapologetic, sexy relationship through a playful, synth-pop track that is as catchy as it is relatable. With risque lyrics like “Yo tengo un novio que me lleva a la bahía que me dice mía mía mami no te comparto,” and “yo tengo ganas de que me rompa to los días y me deje sin batería,” she rawly encompasses what it’s like to be fully infatuated and deeply in love. That is, without a care in the world about what anyone else thinks.