Love is in the air — and in the art. Our writers have come together to compile all of their favorite pieces of media that, in one way or another, remind us that love really is out there. Regardless if your heart is taken or not this Valentine’s Day, these great works are sure to make it skip a beat.
‘My Sweet Lord’ (1970) by George Harrison
George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” conjures up an eclectic mix of spiritual imagery and warm fuzziness on every listen. The song is luscious, expansive and undoubtedly charming. Interestingly, its scarcity and repetition of words have led it to be heavily dissected since its original release in late 1970, with many coming to conflicting and diverging views about the song’s true meaning. To me, it’s simple: it’s an ode to that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you’re surrounded by the ones you love.
— Ari Segal, Music Desk
‘La La Land’ (2016)
I first watched Damien Chazelle’s Technicolor masterpiece when I was 13, and I only continue to grow more enamored by it. Following a jazz musician (Ryan Gosling) and an aspiring actress (Emma Stone), the film functions as an escape from the mundane traffic of everyday life, be it real or metaphorical. Its musical numbers and allusions evoke old Hollywood — a nostalgic look on a bygone era of art, joy and romance. The parting of the two protagonists at the end of the film has been perceived as controversial to some, but to me, it only strengthens the message: love is both passionate and fleeting; powerful and bittersweet. Love is real, kept alive by those who have the courage to dream about it.
— Safa Wahidi, Contributing Writer
‘Final Fantasy X’ (2001)
“Final Fantasy X” is a game that prioritizes its blockbuster narrative over all else. The romance between main characters Tidus (James Arnold Taylor) and Yuna (Hedy Burress) simply falls into place as a result. Their story is one which rejects fear of sin and sacrilege in favor of the lives they want to lead. Yuna struggles with the fear of self-sacrifice in order to maintain temporary religious order and Tidus struggles to meet eye-to-eye with his father years after his disappearance. The game portrays the world of Spira with an intersectional lens, unafraid to call out systems of oppression. The voice acting is campy and iconic, and the tropical-fantasy aesthetic is unabashedly 2000s, but that only makes “FFX” even more charming as it ages.
— Michael Blankfein, Contributing Writer
‘Vignette Suite’ by Kerry James Marshall
Kerry James Marshall is decidedly one of my favorite contemporary artists; in 2017, he was even placed on the Time 100 most influential people in the world list. His vibrant acrylic paintings touch on the Black American experience, narratives of Africa in Western spheres of art, colonial histories and present ramifications, Black joy and so much more. What I find so beautiful about his “Vignette Suite” is the embrace of idealized love between two people, depicting this Black couple as though they were floating through a Rococo painting from the 18th century. Marshall explains it best himself: “you can’t underestimate the value of a figure in a picture that seems self-satisfied.” The satisfaction and beauty of love is so evident across the four vignette paintings in this series.
— Zimra Chickering, Arts & Entertainment Senior Staff Writer
‘Cardigan Sweater’ (2013) by Jasmine Kennedy
“Cardigan Sweater” is the perfect sapphic love song to curl up with this winter. The song tells the story of an admirer, who yearns to approach the woman in the cardigan sweater who lives above her apartment. Throughout the song, the admirer from afar gleans information from her soon-to-be lover’s life; her taste in music, her favorite color and what kind of socks she might wear. Eventually, the admirer becomes brave enough to communicate, and from here their relationship begins to bloom. This song perfectly captures the nervousness accompanying a new crush, the vulnerability of shifting from stranger to lover and the sublimity of meaningful companionship.
— Shaylee Artus, Contributing Writer
‘Piano Concerto for the Left Hand’ by Maurice Ravel
“Piano Concerto for the Left Hand” begins before you are prepared to hear it. The first notes are the bass strings, giving the illusion that the orchestra is still tuning up. Something’s missing. Like the strings in Ravel’s Concerto, I was born unexpectedly, then given a few minutes to ripen before my twin stole the show. Suddenly, the piano bursts out with a dramatic, modern melody: my twin, Danny, has always been the more innovative one. Desperate to have independent identities, Danny and I forged differences early on — I was the right, artsier side of the brain, while he occupied the left, analytical side. Eventually the strings join back in, persisting with their original melody over the sound of the piano’s theme. It’s clunky, chaotic but also stunning. The eccentricity of the piano, combined with the deeper, darker tones of the strings, make the two an inseparable pair.
— Eva Roytburg, News Editor
‘A Case of You’ (1971) by Joni Mitchell
When Joni Mitchell removed her discography from Spotify last year, it broke my heart. While I admire Mitchell’s principles, she took with her the greatest love song of all time when she left.
The first time I heard “A Case of You,” I was 16, wondering why Clairo was singing about “wine” and “Mitchell” and “cases” on her single “Bags.” When I clicked play on her inspiration, the understanding seeped in. Mitchell’s voice is free-flowing, yet strong. James Taylor’s poignant acoustic guitar accompaniment sounds like love, like mourning and missing. “Oh, you're in my blood like holy wine / You taste so bitter and so sweet / Oh, I could drink a case of you, darling / And I would still be on my feet,” Mitchell sings.
I recognized love for the first time in that refrain. I’d never felt so tender in my life.
— Oli Turner, Arts & Entertainment Editor
‘Pusheen’s Valentine’ (2019) by Jess the Dragoon
Cats. The world loves cats. And, in this short film by Jess The Dragoon, cats are revealed to love each other, too. “Pusheen’s Valentine” portrays a softer side to the internet sensation that has captured the hearts and shelves of cat enthusiasts and pop culture stores worldwide. Strolling through the city, Pusheen gives and receives love in the most unexpected ways, one in which city dwellers gift Pusheen chocolate candies for Valentine’s Day. Make no mistake that cats cannot eat these sweet delicacies in real life, but the sentiment makes this short a bit sweeter before Pusheen faces her scariest challenge: a pack of wild dogs. In “‘damsel in distress”’ fashion, an unnamed street cat saves Pusheen from death. This animated short reveals that larger-than-life characters need love, too.
— Milan Parker, Contributing Writer
‘About Time’ (2013) by Richard Curtis
Time travel. Who would expect a rom-com's plot to be about time travel? Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson), the time traveler, can live life on his own terms and manipulate interactions with people as he wants. He does use it to his advantage and win his girl's heart, but he is plagued with obstacles, such as his father’s death and sister’s accident. Instead of going back in time and fixing things, he chooses love to sustain him. The movie reminds its viewers to enjoy every moment of their lives because we only have so much time. The film is a perfect tribute to the spirit of Valentine's Day, as it encourages all of us to take comfort in the people we love, whether they are our significant other, friends or family.
—Yashonandan Kakrania, Contributing Writer
‘I Got Love’ (2021) by Mother Mother
Despite the title, “I Got Love” sounds nothing like a love song. The first few lyrics hit like a gut punch: “I don‘t got a god I can call my own / And I don‘t got a body that feel like home.” The raspy vocals and heavy drums create a sound that is angry, messy, chaotic and almost brutal. And yet, the more I listen, the more love I hear. After all, you don’t have to choose between love and anger. Sometimes love is anger. Sometimes love is saying, “The world may be awful sometimes, but I’m gonna love the goddamn thing anyways.” Or, in the words of Mother Mother, “I rock my pain like a baby child / And I know that we’ll be alright / ‘Cause I got love.”
— Mila Kocic, Contributing Writer
‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ (2022)
“Did you get arrested?,” my mom asked over the phone after I left the theater sobbing. I called to tell her how much I appreciate her after watching this masterclass film, but failed to communicate the reason why. “Everything Everywhere All At Once” is the whole package. In a journey with dimension-traveling, hot dog fingers, and a racoon hibachi chef, the core of “Everything Everywhere All At Once” is the relationship between a mother who feels unfulfilled and a daughter who feels unloved. The film deals with existential nihilism in creative ways, allowing viewers to come to the realization that if nothing truly matters, in that vein, everything does.
— Matt Rodriguez, Contributing Writer
‘My Belle Evangeline’ from ‘The Princess and the Frog’ (2009)
Oh to be a firefly in love with a star, serenading her as two frogs slow dance round a lilypad. I first saw “The Princess and the Frog” in 2010, and I have never forgotten the tenderness of Ray’s (Jim Cummings) song for Evangeline. His untouchable belief that another firefly is waiting for him among the stars raises the bar for devotion higher than the entire galaxy itself. And the Cajun phrases woven into the song’s lyrics? The tenderness of the trumpet interlude? “My Belle Evangeline”describes a selfless, adoring love, a love in complete awe of its object, the flawless love of a faithful firefly. Because of his song, since childhood I have believed that no matter how hopeless romantic pining may seem, love “always finds a way.”
— Brigid May, Contributing Writer
‘Different This Time’ (2018) by Cornelia Murr
For much of my little time on Earth, I’ve idealized the passionate course that love —romantic love, that is — takes when life is still new and shiny. Sure, such a sensation barges into your headspace with enough force to knock you off your feet. Perhaps I find now, as Cornelia Murr conveys so well in her music, it can be more frightening than pleasurable to submit to whirlwind longing. What this song instills in me is the notion that enduring love is more rewarding — a rare, transcendent love which demands immense dedication beyond just feelings. How wonderful would it be to have a constant warmth by your side, no matter what? To have someone who will devote themselves in earnest to your care precisely because it’s you? I don’t think there’s a more beautiful thing.
— Eliot Vaughey, Contributing Writer
‘Orange and White’ (2022) by Conner Smith
Like the ancient feud of the Montagues and Capulets, the 124-year-old football rivalry between the University of Georgia (UGA) and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) is powerful enough to prevent people from divergent lineages from falling in love. Yet, Conner Smith, a UTK fan, counters this in “Orange and White.” Smith details falling in love with a Georgia girl who’s visiting UTK, paralleling Romeo entrenching on Capulet property. While Juliet reveals her love for Romeo in a soliloquy, it’s fitting that a UGA fan demonstrates her love for Smith by singing “Rocky Top,” UTK’s unofficial fight song. Smith’s ability to convince a girl who’s been red and black her whole life to be “fallin’ for a boy in orange in white” is — dare I say it — a country music “Romeo and Juliet” love story.
— Matthew Chupack, Executive Editor
‘Bonita Applebum’ (1990) by A Tribe Called Quest
The seminal hip-hop love song, “Bonita Applebum” has influenced generations of hip-hop heads to find courage to ask their love interests to “put them on.” A single from Tribe’s debut album, “People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm” (1990), the song showcases Tribe’s ability to fuse jazz instrumentation with rapping. “Bonita Applebum” is an understated, delightful reflection on Q-Tip, Tribe’s lead vocalist’s, charisma. Q-Tip zigs and zags through his library of vocabulary and syllabic manipulation, pursuing his lover with the calculated rhythm of a jazz keyboard. Q-Tip is one of hip-hop’s all-time great sample producers, a skill I value as pivotal to a DJ’s ability. On “Bonita,” Q-Tip mashes together three diverse sources to create a collage of musical cohesion. An undeniably essential hip-hop love song; you gotta put it on.
— Ben Brodsky, Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor
‘Boxballet’ (2021)
The tale of two lovers from different worlds has been told to exhaustion, and it is hard to imagine it infused with new vitality. Like a coach hyping up a boxer before a final brawl, however, animator Anton Dyakov found a way to revive it with new strength. His animated short film “Boxballet,” which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2022, tells the story of unlikely love between Olya the ballerina and Evgeny the boxer in breathtaking hand-drawn visual detail. The film is a reminder that even when the world seems cruel, dull and lifeless, love has a way of making it all OK.
— Sam Shafiro, Live Art Desk
‘You Are In Love’ (2014) by Taylor Swift
Love is something Taylor Swift "has spent [her] whole life trying to put … into words." For each and every stage of a relationship, she has a song for you. For me, "You Are In Love" is Swift's ode to love, not based on her personal experiences, but on the relationships of those around her. The instrumental pairs beautifully with Swift's lyrical mastery, providing a soft, dreamy backdrop to the scene unfolding before you. Throughout the song, Swift characterizes love as something that's nearly tangible, taking precedence over all other emotions. Love lingers throughout all the little moments of the relationship, such as the silences between small talk, midnight drives and the early Sunday mornings.
— Talia Yu, Contributing Writer
‘Heartstopper’ (2022-)
I never understood the idea of a “comfort show” until I had the pleasure of watching “Heartstopper” for the first time. Adapted from the graphic novels of comic artist Alice Oseman, the show is a beam of light amid today’s tumultuous stories of modern day love, centered around the budding relationship of two boys in secondary school alongside their struggles with sexuality and coming of age. It thoughtfully depicts platonic and romantic forms of love in all of their complexities, urging the viewer to hold on to — and hold out for — those who will treat them as they deserve to be treated. “Heartstopper” tells us to search not just for love, but also safety, joy and comfort within all of our relationships — and especially within ourselves.
— Erin Devine, Contributing Writer
‘Ditto’ (2022) by NewJeans
The sweet lyrics, underlying beats and soothing voices of the five members of NewJeans come together to ask their newfound love to “say it back” as they carefully confess their feelings to him. They sing about their beating heart, “ra-ta-ta-ta”-ing, telling him that they “got nothing to lose.” All the while, they also express their shyness, hoping that he’d understand that they had been waiting “All this time.” NewJeans delivers the sweetest, sincerest and most careful love confession, reminding us of the tingling feeling when we first begin to love someone. The school uniform and film camera aesthetic of their music videos add to this nostalgia, taking fans back to the time of their youngest loves and making this release a total package of love.
— Ellen Choi, Contributing Writer
‘The Young Girls of Rochefort’ (1967)
One of the more bittersweet aspects I’ve had to learn about love is its unexpectedness. As someone who grew up preparing for almost everything, the serendipitous nature of romance has fueled frustration, as well as sudden, joyous memories. And, I don’t think any piece of media encapsulates the unpredictability of love like Jacques Demy’s musical “The Young Girls of Rochefort.” Every character is searching for their one soulmate in this seaside city, from the twin sisters Delphine (Catherine Deneuve) and Solange (Françoise Dorléac) to composer Andy (Gene Kelly) to sailor-turned-artist Maxence (Jacques Perrin). You’re on the edge of your seat as you see one character’s true love exit as they enter, waiting for all the stars to align. And, just when you think all hope is lost, love finds a way to reunite these destined partners. Along with being a light-hearted, colorful comedy with lively musical and dance performances, “The Young Girls of Rochefort” is a reminder that you’ll never know when you’ll come across love, so don’t be afraid to live.
– Eythen Anthony, Arts & Entertainment Editor
