Valentine's Day, Vol. 3

It's Valentine's Day 2022, and love, allergies, and COVID-19 are in the air around us. Obviously, the most worthwhile thing in the air is love, and while I know there's a large part of the population who thinks V-Day is tacky, manufactured, and not needed, I like having a perfect excuse to go on a date with my husband and buy him a small gift. It's so weird to think that this is the third iteration of the Valentine's Day Post, especially since the whole of 2020 feels like a fever dream at this point, but as always I'm so excited to share with you 2022's Valentine's Playlist, which is of course a much smaller version of the Master Playlist you can find by following me on Apple Music @audioaesthetics. Without further ado, let's jump in and see what the playlist has in store for us this year!

Remedy by Adele (written by A. Adkins, R. Tedder)

Featured on her 2015 album 25, Adele has stated that this song is about all of the people in her life that she loves, but especially her son, Angelo. A lot of times, we want to absorb the pain that our loved ones are going through so that they'll be happy, but the best way to be the remedy to a loved one's pain is to simply be there with them and for them through it all to let them know they're not alone.

I remember all of the things that I thought I wanted to be/So desperate to find a way out of my world and finally breathe/Right before my eyes, I saw my heart, it came to life/This ain’t easy, it’s not meant to be, every story has its scars/But when the pain cuts you deep, when the night keeps you from sleeping/Just look and you will see that I will be your remedy/When the world seems so cruel and your heart makes you feel like a fool/I promise you will see that I will be, I will be your remedy

Crashed by Daughtry (written by C. Daughtry, D. Calitri, K. Sommer, N. Ossoff)

Featured on their 2006 self-titled album, I was OBSESSED with this Daughtry song when I was in the ninth grade, and it became part of the foundation of my very first ever "curated" playlist that I put together for the one and only Twilight franchise (back when they were only newly released books, not the completely and utterly insane films as well). Listening to it again this week, this song about falling in love the same way one might run headfirst into a brick wall still rocks and I still know every single word.

Well, I was moving at the speed of sound/Head spinning, couldn’t find my way around and/Didn’t know that I was going down, yeah, yeah/Where I been, well, it’s all a blur/What I was looking for, I’m not sure/Too late, I didn’t see it coming, yeah, yeah/Then I crashed into you, and I went up in flames/Could’ve been the death of me, but then you breathed your breath in me/Then I crashed into you like a runaway train/You will consume me, but I can’t walk away

Crush by David Archuleta (written by D. Hodges, E. Kiriakou, J. Cates)

Featured on his 2008 self-titled album, Archuleta was a baby-faced 18 year old when this song came out fresh off of his time on American Idol. It's still got a great beat and is a lot of fun to sing along with, and it's easy to relate to when you think about your first big crush and all of those feelings you didn't know how to sort through at the time.

I hung up the phone tonight, something happened for the first time deep inside/It was a rush, what a rush/‘Cause the possibility that you would ever feel the same way about me/Just too much, just too much/Why do I keep running from the truth, all I ever think about is you/You got me hypnotized, so mesmerized, and I just got to know/Do you ever think when you’re all alone all that we could be, where this thing could go/Am I crazy or falling in love, is it real or just another crush/Do you catch a breath when I look at you, are you holding back like the way you do/‘Cause I’m trying, trying to walk away but I know this crush ain’t going away/Going away

Let's Do It by Lady Gaga (written by C. Porter)

Featured on she and Tony Bennett's 2021 album Love for Sale, Gaga absolutely nails this Cole Porter classic. Sometimes, you just have to throw your hands in the air and say, "Fine, I love you, let's go ahead and do this thing," and this song expresses that in a super fun, jazzy way.

When the little blue bird who has never said a word starts to sing, "Spring, spring"/When the little bluebell in the bottom of the dell starts to ring, "Ding-ding"/When the little blue clerk in the middle of his work starts a tune to the moon up above/It is nature that's all simply telling us all to fall in love/And that's why birds do it, bees do it/Even educated fleas do it/Let's do it, let's fall in love/In Spain, the best upper sets do it/Lithuanians and Letts do it/Let's do it, let's fall in love

Sugar by Maroon 5 (written by A. Levine, H. Walter, J. Hindlen, J. Coleman, L. Gottwald, M. Posner)

Featured on their 2014 album V, this is one of my all-time favorite Maroon 5 songs. It's such a fun bop, it's catchy as hell, and has a super cute music video to go along with it that does a great job inspiring love.

I’m hurting baby, I’m broken down/I need your loving, loving, I need it now/When I’m without you, I’m something weak/You got me begging, begging, I’m on my knees, yeah/I don’t wanna be needing your love, I just wanna be deep in your love/And it’s killing me when you’re away, ooh baby/‘Cause I really don’t care where you are, I just wanna be there where you are/And I gotta get one little taste/Your sugar, yes please/Won’t you come and put it down on me/I’m right here, ‘cause I need/Little love, a little sympathy/Yeah, you show me good loving, make it alright/Need a little sweetness in my life/Your sugar, yes please/Won’t you come and put it down on me

Get On Your Knees by Nicki Minaj ft. Ariana Grande (written by C. Angelides, H. Walter, J. Hindlen, K. Perry, L. Gottwald, O. Maraj, S. Hudson)

Featured on Minaj's 2014 album The Pinkprint, this track is super easy to vibe to even with the annoying purring sound effect she did on almost every single song on this album (annoying to me, maybe not to you, but it drives me nuts). Love is obviously not solely about physical intimacy, but it is a fun perk when you're with the right person.

Yo, I’ll be back at eleven, you just act like a peasant/Got a bow on my panties because my ass is a present/Yeah it’s good-er than Meagan, you look good when you’re begging/I-I be laughing when you begging me to just put the head in/Lemme sit on your face, it’s okay, you can play with it/When I’m bouncing it, chill out and don’t you make a mistake with it/Lemme see what you working with, if I’m riding I’m murking it/Slow grinding, I’m twerking it, yeah I bagged him, I Birkin’d it/I don’t need a dozen roses, you ain’t gotta wine and dine me, no/I don’t need a pretty poet, ooh getting all emotional/You gotta beg for it, beg for it, I wanna see you looking up/Baby, I’ma need you to beg for it/Get on your knees, get on your knees, get on your knees/Baby, just get on your knees/Say pretty please, say pretty please, say pretty please/Baby, just say pretty please

Runnin' Outta Moonlight by Randy Houser (written by A. Gorley, D. Davidson, K. Lovelace)

Featured on his 2013 album How Country Feels, this is a good, fun, classic country love song from Randy Houser. You can dance to it, you can sing to it, and you can be reminded how much fun being in love can be while listening to it.

Don't you worry 'bout getting fixed up/When you wake up, you're pretty enough/Look out your window at the cloud of dust/That's my headlights, that's my truck/Come on baby, don't you keep me waiting/I gotta go, I've got a reservation/Tailgate for two underneath the stars/Kiss on your lips when you're in my arms/Whoa, girl, every now and then you get a night like this/Whoa, this is one that we don't wanna miss, no/Come on baby, let me take you on a night ride/Windows down, sitting on my side/Tick tock now we're knocking on midnight/Me and you, girl, running outta moonlight/I wanna hold you 'till the break of dawn/Hear the crickets sing a riverside love song/Hey baby, all we got is all night/Come on now, we're running outta moonlight

Happy Valentine's Day to those who celebrate! Hopefully all the candy and good vibes make today a little less "Monday." Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!