By: Cristina Liao, SFU Student
Feeling like the hopeless romantic that you are? Want some suggestions for soft love ballads that will warm your cold, dark soul? Then this article is for you! These are definitely some of the best love songs and they deserve a listen as soon as possible.
1) “Surrender” by Birdy
British singer-songwriter Jasmine van den Bogaerde, better known under the stage name Birdy, released her fourth studio album,Young Heart, in May 2021. “Surrender” serves as one of the earlier singles from this project. With descriptive imagery encompassing the whole song and soft, calming production, this is the definition of a love ballad well written. Birdy writes about surrendering to love and the evocative way she weaves her words is masterful. Lyrics such as “and if I could reach the Northern Lights / maybe I could understand it all / sometimes I try so hard to fight / when all I want to do is fall / into the night / into your arms, surrender,” make the song stronger than ever. This is also a perfect listen for when you’re walking around in the forest and falling deep into the world of love — it’s what I do, anyways.
2) “Welcome to Wonderland” by Anson Seabra
Extremely underrated American singer-songwriter Anson Seabra writes the best love songs. “Welcome to Wonderland” is one of them and also serves as his debut single. This Alice-in-Wonderland-esque piano ballad is still one of the most heart-warming songs I’ve ever heard to date. With lyrics like, “Dancing through a dream / underneath the stars / laughing till the morning comes,” even the most emotionless person will feel some sort of sappy. If you don’t feel anything while listening to this, you’re on your own.
3) “Like That” by JP Saxe
“Like That” is a single straight off of JP Saxe’s debut album Dangerous Levels of Introspection. It’s about knowing no one will ever love you as much as your significant other. This is a pop-filled love song that’s not only catchy, but also filled with endless emotion. With lyrics such as, “No one’s ever loved me like that” and “When I’m a mess or at my best / You’re the first thing I don’t second guess,” Saxe talks at length about the love he feels toward his favourite person. This is one artist you should definitely watch out for!
