Whether you’re snuggled up with your boo watching Netflix or wondering why John from Bumble ghosted you after such a great third date, these underrated love songs can bring out the hopeless romantic in anybody.
“Single” – The Neighbourhood
Despite the misleading title, the song is about lead singer Jesse Rutherford’s relationship with his long-time girlfriend, Devon Lee Carlson. The song contains heart-melting lyrics like “I don’t ever mind sharing oxygen/I just want to get lost in your lungs” and “I don’t know if we should be alone together/I still got a crush that’s obvious.” Rutherford concludes the song by addressing Carlson’s dad, Dave, singing “So Dave, would you let your baby be my girl?” The song captures listeners with the irresistible lyrics that are an interpretation of just how it feels to love and be loved by someone unconditionally.
“Hourglass” – Catfish and the Bottlemen
Written from the perspective of lead singer Van McCann’s girlfriend, the song focuses on how hard life is in a long-distance relationship and how it can really break a couple down, or in this case, make the other party miss their partner so much it consumes all their thoughts. With lines like “Come back, move in, mess my place/Chest infect me, waste my days” speaking about how no matter the consequences of having your partner live with you, the pros outweigh the cons just to be in their presence again, the track focusses on how important a physical presence can be in a relationship.
“Let Me Know” – LANY
Off the album “Malibu Nights” written about lead singer Paul Klein’s breakup with pop star Dua Lipa, the chill synth backtrack of the song covers a plea saying thateven though his partner, or now ex, has fallen out of love, he wants to know what he can change to get her back. The song doesn’t have a break-up anthem feel like other songs on the LP due to the nature of still being in love and willing to work on things rather than reminiscing on what could have been. Klein still wants to mend things, and through the lyrics of “I can’t promise you that I’ll be waiting/But for you, I’ll leave anything behind” the backing vocals sing “I still love you” throughout the song.
“Dark Side of the Gym” – The National
Also known as the “Prom Song,” this song carries a beat that could be played while slow dancing after a drunken night out at 3 a.m., the message in this track seems to be love in its purest form. As frontman Matt Berninger sings “I’m gonna keep you in love with me for a while”, the song has the classic theme of a boy seeing a girl and being too nervous to say anything, and even years later when he finally has the girl how the feeling can still pop up every now and then of how even just looking at this girl can leave Berninger speechless.
“Love Somebody” – St. Lucia
From the perspective of someone not in a relationship, this synth-pop group creates an old-school, slow jam type melody and they do it while singing about the longing and fascination yet uncertainty that comes with a new relationship. Though most of the song is made up of the simple lyrics of “I wanna love someone/I wanna love somebody”, the verses show the singer longing for acceptance and validation. The hesitation of not wanting to be rejected yet the overwhelming need to have a relationship is the contrast in the song as the song ‘s outro sings “I wanna love somebody/Go find me somebody/Go find somebody to love” as if the person of interest has not already been identified.
