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

For YouKenny Lattimore

Kenny Lattimore – For You (Official 4K Video)

R&B singer Kenny Lattimore.

I’d like to introduce one of his signature songs, the Grammy-nominated “For You.” This track portrays a proposal, with lyrics told from a man’s point of view.

In it, he tells his partner she is irreplaceable and asks for her hand in marriage.

The way he conveys his feelings so directly, without roundabout expressions, is really wonderful.

It’s a perfect song not only for weddings, but also for moments when you want to reaffirm your love.

To Be With YouMr. BIG

Mr. Big To Be With You Japanese

This is a song released in 1991 by the American hard rock band MR.

BIG.

It was included on the album Lean Into It.

The simple performance and lyrics—where a man who has single-mindedly loved one woman tells her, as she cries over being heartbroken by another man, “I’m the one who should be with you”—really hit home.

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.

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.”

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.