10 Love Songs that Won’t Make You Barf

Love songs sound like broken records—literally. The sappy crying is the scratching of the record and the cheesy repeated words are the skip-hop movements the record makes. It’s time for something a little bit different, something more in this millennium. We need something we can relate to, even if we’re pissed off about the cheating girlfriend or the not-so-low-key narcissistic boyfriend who gave himself more compliments than he gave you.

Listen to 10 love songs that won’t make you want to throw up last night’s pizza.

1. “The Story” by Brandi Carlile

No relationship is picture perfect, but the display of unconditional love matters most. In life, things get real and times get tough, but to have someone there with you, supporting you, regardless of where you are is unbeatable. “I think a lot of people are scared of unzipping their baggage to their lover for fear that they’d be turned away for being the complicated human being that they are. But this song sends the message that your struggles do not make you unlovable,” said Miami Dade College freshman Betsy Sardari.

2. “I Got You” by Bebe Rexha

The song has a different feel to it than most love songs. It has an up-tempo beat that’ll get you dancing. True devotion to a loved one is woven throughout the song. You’ll be singing the lyrics “I got you” at the top of your lungs to your boyfriend while he’s trying to finish his orgo homework by the time the song ends. Whatever the occasion, the intensity of the song will make you want to dance and profess your love all at the same time.

3. “I Know You Care” by Ellie Goulding

Sometimes people struggle to express their feelings. Some may call us foolish, but we’re simply in love. Though the song has a sad tone, it paints a bigger picture that many of us face in real life: loving someone through their failure to reciprocate, because we know at the end of the day they actually do care.

4. “I Love You” by Avril Lavigne

The simple things about a person can leave us in awe sometimes. Their consistency and beauty. Their soul. The balance they provide in our lives. You find yourself in love with them more and more each and every day. “This ballad is a very peaceful to listen to. It’s like hearing a list of reasons why you love the person you love,” said Jose Cubero.

5. “Brightside” by Icona Pop

“Let me be the rose to tint your glass, spray paint the lawn to get a greener grass.” That special someone goes out of her way to make you happy, to brighten your day, to put a smile on your face. They always bring the better or “Brightside” out of you. This song expresses that and more.

6. “Need ur Luv” by Charli XCX

This is the anthem for the “over extender” in everyone’s life. They’re always doing more for the other person—always at someone’s beck and call. “I bond with this song a lot because I sometimes feel like I care for people who don’t care the same way for me,” said Cubero. The song expresses a more complicated message of love—where leaving your inconsiderate boyfriend or neglectful girlfriend hurts too much.

7. “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys

This 2000s classic expresses the meaningless you feel when the person you love most isn’t near. It doesn’t matter what’s going on around you—at the end of the day, you just want to see your girlfriend’s face or hear your boyfriend’s voice. Things seem incomplete without them. You still go about your life, but there’s something missing. Your supportive girlfriend or protective boyfriend seems to tie up the loose knots in your life, making you feel a sense of completeness.

8. “Give Me Love” by Ed Sheeran

After you’ve given your all, it’s time for the other person to give some love back. But a lot of times we find ourselves in a relationship that seems like a never ending Shakespearean tragedy. You’re the hero and it seems like you’re doomed in a hopeless tale of love. “I find his desperation to be loved tragic. He’s reflective and self-aware of any destruction that is going on, whether it’s internal or external,” said Sardari. “It’s really hard to be in such a poor state and realize that the person you love is being affected negatively by it as well. Even worse when your place in their life is at risk because of those issues.”

9. “Hearts A Mess” by Gotye

We may all have been reluctant in a relationship before. We’ve been disrespected—like the time you caught your then best friend with the guy you thought actually loved you. Sometimes past relationships are like stains we can never seem to completely wash away. But we have to face the fact that we have to let those past experiences go and move on. “Holding resentment and closing yourself off to future endeavors doesn’t lead to any growth,” said Sardari. The song addresses how it’s okay to have trust issues but you have to work through the pain and tip-toe through the hurt.

10. “Water Under the Bridge” by Adele

Nothing sucks more than wanting someone so badly and them not being willing to commit to you. Sometimes you’ll wonder: Why did they lead me on? Why didn’t they just call it quits? You may find yourself throwing things around your room or calling your best friend to talk mad crap about them. This song has none of that. The message is of moving on and bowing out peacefully. Though it may be extremely hard, especially if you lowered your standards for that person and they completely played you—the best thing to do is to keep it movin’.