Inspired by my relationship and in celebration of two of my friends getting engaged this year, I have decided to step in the name of love (not like the Pied Piper) and go down a rabbit hole of my all time favourite love songs. Real yearn for your touch, on bended knee for your hand, give your second button to your crush music.
WARNING: A lot of yapping ahead.
What You Won’t Do for Love - Bobby Caldwell (1978)
As someone born 22 years after his debut, I can only imagine the enigma Bobby Caldwell must’ve been. The cover of his first album is a silhouette of a man sitting on a bench and what appears to be the evening moon glowing from the Sun’s fading reflection (I need this record on vinyl). On that album is the now classic single, ‘What You Won’t Do for Love’. This single was the world’s introduction to Bobby Caldwell. Much debate was sparked about his racial identity until those arguments were squandered when he would tour as support for Natalie Cole. But you see, I am 23 years old so when I discovered Caldwell as a kid I was utterly flabbergasted. “White men have soul?” I gasped to my pseudo older brother. At 13, I experienced young love for the first time. At 13, I also experienced heart break for the first time. Naturally, I downloaded the complete ‘What You Won’t Do for Love’ album and spun those .mp3 files until they all corrupted. When I hear those songs now, I think of the school holidays I spent with my brother and our friends in my living room obliterating zombies. We survived horde after horde, reaching a level never reached before until Khai tapped the disc tray and ruined our progress! Still hurts me to this day.
Rest in Peace Bobby Caldwell. Your music is forever.
Southside - Lloyd & Ashanti (2004)
My first exposure to the concept of A Bronx Tale was watching the music video for ‘Southside’ on YouTube when I was 7 years old. I still have never seen A Bronx Tale (and I do not think I ever will). ‘Southside’ is not exactly the most breathtaking love song (it is after all a product of its time) but what it lacks in writing, it compensates for in the chemistry between the two vocalists. Even Nelly’s collaborations with Ashanti do not ooze this amount of sensuality and feeling. An album between these two during this time would’ve made a young me implode. This song did a lot for young yearning Nyan. As a boy raised on the south side of Brisbane, I always thought I would find my own south side story: A Logan Tale.
I also want to mention the remix with Scarface because his opening lines speak to my soul, “my south side, my get back, my heart break, my karmas…”
Sweet Lady - Tyrese (1998)
Before Tyrese became a walking meme, he was perhaps the coolest dude in Hollywood (at least to me). Tyrese’s chorus on ‘Pullin’ Me Back’ by Chingy was the first chorus I remember religiously trying to learn. I would be in the mirror in my second-hand Baby Milo hoodie singing “eVerY TiMe I TRy to lEAve”. It was bad. I watched the ‘How You Gonna Act Like That’ music video back-to-back with ‘Let Me Hold You’ by Bow Wow & Omarion almost every day. Roman was my favourite part of 2 Fast 2 Furious (second was Devon Aoki as Suki). Roman was a good mix of super cool and funny man until they degraded his character to full-time comic relief next to Ludacris. Every Tyrese at the Apollo clip is incredible (particularly ‘Nobody Else’) and I annoy my girlfriend with that fact all the damn time. Basically, Tyrese was that guy. ‘Sweet Lady’ was the second single from his debut album in 1998 and it remains as one of his best. I believe the video pays homage to his Coca-Cola advertisement from 1994 where he is singing on the bus. I have not researched to confirm this but it is too much of a coincidence not to be. Tyrese comes from an era where you had to be a singer. ‘Sweet Lady’ might be his best example of this. It is also an example of how Tyrese has been theatrical since the very beginning.
Cry for You - Jodeci (1993)
Quite possibly the pinnacle of begging music (sorry Boyz II Men). Have you ever loved someone so much that even though it’s only been an hour since they’ve been gone, it’s just too long and you need them to come back home? Singing in the desert dressed in all black leather is dangerous dedication to the heart that few could understand. Ever since my girlfriend moved to Japan, I have been binging this song like some romance comedy when it is actually a soap opera- and to be fair, my girlfriend is always calling me dramatic so this feels right. Being a Cancer and raised with such impassioned music will make one hell of a romantic in my definitely not biased opinion. I do not have much else to say other than if you have never heard this, you need to immediately! Jodeci is one of the greatest musical groups of all time for a reason. Very few can beg like them, very few can be as horny as them and with vocal runs even fewer can match.
As - Stevie Wonder (1976)
An entire list about love songs could just be saturated with Stevie Wonder. I do not think there is any other artist in the world who could write love as visceral and beautiful as he could. What he was able to capture with his lyrics, his vocal tones and the instrumentation is honestly unfathomable. Only reason this is not higher is because the numbering is baseless and everything else is either drenched in nostalgia or recent emotion. ‘As’ is only one example of Wonder’s incredible penmanship on what we think or know about love. He makes you feel.
“I’ll be loving you always until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky…”
For the Love of You, Pts. 1 & 2 - The Isley Brothers (1975)
Teleports me back into the arms of my partner.
I Found My Smile Again - D’Angelo (2008)
During the crushing period (an insane thing to say as a grown man) before I began dating my girlfriend, I would play this on loop thinking about her every night before bed. We had been friends for years but when the realistion hit of “oh… I really really like this woman”, ‘I Found My Smile Again’ had already been in rotation. It sums up most of how I was feeling. “You helped me find my smile again…”. I had always been a fan of D’Angelo but the deep love and exploration of his entire discography did not occur until a couple years ago. Finding the feelings I have for my partner coincides with the connection I found with D’Angelo’s music.
The original 1996 version from the Space Jam soundtrack is also gorgeous.
I Gotta Be - Jagged Edge (1997)
Sometimes you just gotta be and there is nothing else to it.
Newness - Musiq Soulchild (2002)
The anxieties of not knowing where this can go combined with learning everything about this person is what makes new love so exciting. You get so caught up with this individual and so indulged with every little detail about them- speech patterns, the little wrinkles when they’re mad. You could know someone for years but when that line of intimacy is crossed, there is a whole new world of their thoughts. ‘Newness’ from Musiq Soulchild’s sophomore, ‘Juslisen’ captures the feeling of wanting to know someone so wonderfully. That new love you want to spend every minute with music.
Superstar - Usher (2004)
I did not know what to choose as the final song. I had so many different choices for this whole list trying to decipher what truly counts as a love song or decide what means the most to me. Again, the whole number order is not a ranking but more what I was thinking of as I was going down. I almost went with ‘Kiss Me Thru the Phone’ by Soulja Boy and Sammie because I will be honest, I have an unhealthy attachment to that song. Ultimately, I have decided to go with ‘Superstar’ to cap off this messy list because I was just crying to it thinking about my girlfriend. Long distance really sucks. My partner is a superstar though. I still get giddy when she messages me something cute and corny. I felt like I was 13 again when I was exploring those feelings I developed for her. She is the coolest person I know. I take pride in being her number one fan. ‘Superstar’ is not just one of the best songs from ‘Confessions’ but from Usher’s entire catalogue. Weird guy. Love his music.
Thank you for reading this nonsense! Here is the Spotify playlist: