This month, our writers collaboratively created a playlist containing anti-love songs for Valentine’s Day. It gives a little sample into what we are listening to while also reaching out to those who may be in their breakup era, loathe Valentine’s Day or are focusing on self-love this holiday.
“Worst Day” by Future
I think this song fits perfectly because the whole time Future is complaining to listener about how he has too many baby mamas to visit and buy gifts for on Valentine’s Day. -Ryan Johnston
“Flowers” by Miley Cyrus
Miley may have the breakup anthem of the year. Dropped on her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth’s birthday, “Flowers” is the ultimate anti-Valentine’s Day track—a lament to an ex that eventually turns into a celebration of oneself. The catchy chorus “I can buy myself flowers/write my name in the sand…I can love me better than you can” is both a savage burn and a reminder that self-love is the most important relationship of them all. -Kate Jakubowski
“BOYSHIT” by Madison Beer
Madison Beer doesn’t speak boy shit, and she surely lets potential suitors know during the masterfully-produced pop song by the same name. The track encourages listeners to kick those F-boys to the curb this Valentine’s season. -Brady Jager
“Valentine” by Fiona Apple
Despite its title, this song has nothing to do with Valentine’s Day. In this track, Fiona Apple recognizes her inability to move on from a man she was in love with. The clever “I’m a tulip in a cup / I stand no chance of growing up” line demonstrates her struggle to mature and grow from her inner turmoil due to a past relationship. Apple declares her conflicting love for this person through this angsty track. -Olivia Davis
“Take You Back” by Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter is an artist that I used to listen to on and off. But I’ve recently checked out her whole discography, and I’m loving every second of it. This song honestly puts into perspective how much time and money you end up spending on your significant other, when you could be treating yourself. My favorite lyric is “Every moment that I ever spent on you, Shoulda just bought a new pair of shoes.” It’s a very catchy and sassy breakup song, and one of my favorites from this album. -Cael Byrne
“your clothes” by Jane Remover
There’s something so cathartic about the lovesick jealousy present in Jane Remover’s “your clothes”. What could have easily been an overwhelming amount of self-pity in the lyrics is perfectly balanced by Jane’s biting sense of sarcasm (“I’m in love with an airhead that popped my balloon,”) and the anthemic main melody allows for a flawless release of tension. As the synths cascade into distortion reminiscent of TV static, it’s easy to overlook the misery of the situation and just get lost in the madness of it all. -Josh Skarda
“Television” by IDLES
Why is it that we can be so kind and accepting of our friends and their troubles, but rarely extend that grace to ourselves? This song is from a friend’s perspective, reminding the listeners that in a world designed to make us hate ourselves, self-love is worth fighting for – even if it gets violent. “If someone talked to you / the way you do to you / I’d put their teeth through.” -Carmella D’Acquisto
“Two Week Notice” by Leanna Firestone
I could build a whole playlist around this theme all on my own, and in fact, I have one. From ‘get over your ex’ pop singles to ‘self-empowerment’ anthems and just plain ‘I was too good for you’ songs, I decided to take a middle of the road approach. This song has lived in my head for the past couple months due to its sheer honesty about relationships and the effort that goes into them. It relates the effort put into someone else to working a full-time job. It’s a heartbreaking song about a partner giving minimal effort in the relationship and the other person feeling the effects of that. It really delineates one of the many reasons why love sucks, and thus fitting perfectly in our playlist. -Emily Prochaska
“Sigue Sin Mi” by Marco Antonio Solís
Sigue Sin Mi in English translates to go on without me it fits the theme as it is about someone telling their about to become ex to go on with life without him/her. – Yamil Hernan Tocuyo-Lopez
“Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye
I never thought I’d listen to this song again after it almost randomly topped charts in 2012. However, I found myself listening to it in the days after a breakup and, further, I found it perfectly capturing the situation I was in. A relationship that was seemingly fine to everyone else suddenly ending on what we thought was good terms; feeling confused and lost about what was left of my identity, but also being “glad that it was over;” having to reckon with every story having two sides, illustrate through the duet portion of the song: This song, to my surprise, became the soundtrack to the beginning of my breakup era. -Hunter Turpin