Photo Illustration by Dani Fischer

That time of year has rolled around again: time for chocolates, flowers and single people pretending that they are not sad. It’s Valentine’s Day.

Most of the time, I dread Valentine’s Day. It is expensive and usually it is just an excuse for couples to engage in excessive PDA. The one thing that has kept me going throughout the years is love songs. No matter what my romantic status, love songs have uplifted me and made me feel warm and happy.

This playlist includes a variety of my favorite songs, and my absolute favorite is “See You Again” by Tyler, the Creator. With a steady building beat throughout and plenty of musical variety, the track mixes it up enough in one song between hopeful pop and rap that it is easy to listen to over and over again. In fact, that’s exactly what I have been doing—so much so that my brother will not allow me to listen to it in the car with him anymore.

No love playlist is complete without the classics. “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis has made a resurgence in the last few years due to Twenty One Pilots covering it, but I opted for the on this playlist is the cover by Haley Reinhart. She brings a fresh new perspective to a song that is not often covered by girls while still maintaining the original song’s simple, heart-wrenching melody. “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic,” by the Police is another classic, but unfortunately the song is super creepy when sung by the Police (like most of their songs). Instead, this playlist contains a cover by Sleeping at Last, and is slowed down from the original, as well as having more chords added past the generic four-chords most love songs use.

The classic love song that needs no cover is the Beatles “When I’m Sixty Four.” The phrase “there’s no need to mess with a good thing” is best exemplified in this song that has been a classic in my house ever since I was little. As teens, it’s hard to imagine what fifty years in the future is going to be like, and a lot of times we avoid thinking about it because we’re scared of global warming and the loss of Social Security and the world falling apart. “When I’m Sixty Four” is uplifting and hopeful, and even if you do not have a sweetheart this is the perfect song to listen to in order to be assured that everything is going to be okay.

Of course, love has changed since the time of the Beatles. That’s why I included “Honey” by Kehlani, a person of color and queer experience who has recently come back into the music scene after struggling with homelessness and depression. “Honey” was released as a single, and quickly rose to mainstream prominence, despite the female pronouns that she uses when referring to her love interest. Hayley Kiyoko is another queer artist included on the playlist, with her song “Pretty Girl,” serenading a nameless girl that she’s in love with. Both artists are at the forefront of queer culture and music, but the tracks can be enjoyed by anyone whose heart soars when they see their girl.

Regardless of whether you have a sweetheart, everyone enjoys a classic sappy love song. Press play, lean back and let this playlist be the background to your Valentine’s Day.