Love songs in Western music: classic and popular tracks to listen to when a romance begins

Best I Ever HadDrake

Best I Ever Had – Drake (Lyrics)

Drake is a rapper who has maintained a long-standing presence with his melodious style—something any hip-hop head would know.

Among his works, the track cherished as a supreme love song is “Best I Ever Had.” It samples the love song “Fallin’ in Love” by the band Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds, resulting in an overall highly melodic composition.

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Love The Way You LieEminem Ft. Rihanna

Eminem – Love The Way You Lie ft. Rihanna

One of the charms of duet love songs is the call-and-response.

“Love The Way You Lie” is a piece where you can enjoy that dynamic, released by Eminem and Rihanna.

The song portrays a complicated romantic relationship: it’s striking how the tsundere-style woman, angry at her boyfriend’s lies yet forgiving him, trades lines with the man who, despite initiating a breakup, ends up saying, “Come back to me after all.”

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LoveKendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar – LOVE. ft. Zacari

Kendrick Lamar, a rapper who is undeniably praised as the best in the world right now.

Apparently, this song was written for his girlfriend, whom he’s been with since high school.

As the line “love me” appears repeatedly, it’s a very simple song, but I think that simplicity makes the feelings all the more heartfelt.

Love LiesKhalid & Normani

Khalid & Normani – Love Lies (Official Video)

Is it a song about “searching far and wide for love and still not finding it”? Khalid’s beautiful voice—he’s been getting a lot of attention lately—is emphasized to the fullest.

The title “Love Lies” is interesting because it can be interpreted in two ways: either “love tells lies” or “love lies (there),” meaning love is present.

I Need LoveLL Cool J

LL COOL J – I Need Love

A romantic and melancholic rap ballad influenced by 1970s rhythm and blues.

Written by American rapper LL Cool J when he was 18, the track was released in 1987 and became a hit in the United States and various European countries.

True LoveP!nk

P!nk – True Love (Official Video) ft. Lily Allen

P!nk is exactly the kind of cool, big-sister-like artist who cheers on girls walking their own path.

This song is very P!nk—edgy, singing about that feeling of “I hate you, but I love you.” And it suggests that this kind of messy love might actually be the real thing.

Before you start dating, it’s natural to think about the things you don’t like about the other person.

But wouldn’t it be nice to love them, flaws and all?

Love Can Be…Vince Staples

Love Can Be…

As you might guess from the hard beat with a house-music vibe, it’s a little different from the typical sweet love song.

The lyrics take a girl’s point of view with lines like “What a letdown,” and that cool, dismissive tone is oddly addictive.