Valentine’s Day (Except You’re Single)
Ah, Valentine’s Day. A holiday for couples who need to prove their love for each other through consumerism and Hallmark cards void of any personal emotion. At least, this is what most single people tell themselves when yet another year passes without someone to romance with.
One comforting ritual, for me, is to listen to my favorite love songs, just to feel something inside while the couples pass by on their way to a candlelit dinner (or whatever they do). This year, I am debuting my Anti-Valentine’s Day playlist exclusively to Juniper readers, and breaking down each artist and song along the way.
1. I Wanna Cry - Atlantic City Melodies
I am kicking off the playlist with a Chicago-based DIY artist also known as Andrew Smith and for his work in Jungle Green. Atlantic City Melodies released “Eight Songs for the End of the Decade” in January, and it is packed with Beach Boys-esque sad songs accompanied by happy melodies. Although “I Wanna Cry” clocks in around one minute and thirty seconds, it is a perfect vignette to start off any lonely day playlist. We all wanna cry sometimes, but especially on Valentine’s Day!
2. It’s Gonna Take a Miracle - Deniece Williams
Deniece Williams needs no introduction. If you are unfamiliar with her work, I suggest you revisit her 1979 record, “When Love Comes Calling,” as it features some of the best gospel/soul/disco deep cuts out there. If you’re fresh out of a toxic relationship, this one will especially resonate. Across the verses, Williams narrates the experience of feeling uncertain about finding someone new after that one person leaves your life.
3. I Bet On Losing Dogs - Mitski
Is it truly a sad playlist without Mitski? The lyrics “I’m losing by their side” sung repeatedly in the chorus captures that universal feeling of destruction when falling out of love. Whether your crush is already in a relationship, or simply not right for you, this one hits hard.
4. I Give Up - Caroline Palochek
Palocheck’s 2019 solo LP Pang is so good it hurts my feelings. This track could apply to that moment when you delete all the dating apps off your phone for a week and tell yourself that you’re going to start meeting people face to face. But then a couple of weeks later you’re bored and redownload them and end up talking to the same type of person each time. Or is that just me?
5. Don’t Make Me Over - Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick tells it like it is in this empowering break-up song. Whether you’re cutting ties with a toxic ex or finding inner peace and loving yourself, this song is highly recommended. It would not be a good karaoke song due to the number of extremely powerful and long notes at the end, but is ideal for lip syncing.
6. Fall In Love With Me - Iggy Pop
Closing off this year’s Valentine's Day playlist is the man, the myth, the legend himself: Iggy Pop. The 6-minute ballad is vaguely reminiscent of the plotline to the Netflix original series You, mixed with that feeling you get when you maintain eye contact with the most attractive person on your subway car for longer than 10 seconds. Falling in love with strangers is a skill that non-single people can no longer fully partake in, and that is something you can brag to them about.
I hope, dear reader, that this playlist has made you feel a little bit less lonely or stressed out about the dreaded holiday approaching. You can listen to the playlist below on Spotify, and make sure you treat yourself nice on Valentine’s Day.