Can you distinguish the difference between romantic and platonic love? The idea of expressing love to your significant other or partner versus expressing love to your friends is something that has recently become more relevant. In the past, love songs were typically about a guy singing about a girl, which we still have a lot of, but there wasn’t much when it came to appreciating and loving your friends. In the last decade or so, we’ve been able to see how people are expressing their affection for their friends and quite loudly too. Love songs no longer have to be confined to the bounds of a romantic relationship and instead can be about the love of a platonic relationship. None of this is meant to downplay the passion and respect that can come from romantic love songs, as they often tend to be the most memorable and meaningful. One of the best types of songs is one that borders the boundary between both platonic and romantic love, as it leaves the audience to determine who they choose to think of when they hear it. Both types of love songs can hold the same level of passion and devotion toward a relationship and bring the audience to feel the same emotions towards the people in their lives that they love. 

To give a few examples of each, I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorites from each category.  

Romantic Love Songs: 

“I Wanna Be Yours” by Arctic Monkeys: This song describes the yearning love someone can have about wanting to be anything for the person they love as long as they get to be theirs.  

“Congratulations (feat. Bilal)” by Mac Miller: This type of love song puts the audience in a situation where they most felt love and describes the love they felt in that precise moment. These tend to feel the most intimate, similar to “She’s Mine Pt.1” by J.Cole. 

“Take Me Where Your Heart Is” by Q: The melody, while the lyrics are so literal about being in love, feels like a hug from your partner after not seeing them for a while.  

“pov” by Ariana Grande: this song is more from the perspective of the person feeling loved and learning to accept that love given to them.  

“Natural High” by Bloodstone: This 70s love song is the epitome of what classic love feels like; the soft melody with the direct love-letter lyrics.  

Platonic Love Songs: 

“Long Live” by Taylor Swift: This song brings out the youthful memories of being with friends and knowing those will be the core memories you will remember forever in your friendship. 

“Best Friend” by Conan Gray: Loving loudly has nothing on this song as it blends in the situational style of songwriting while still describing an accurate up-and-down friendship that lacks no loyalty. 

“Me and Michael” by MGMT: The chorus sings this good, repetitive line that feels like that string that holds a friendship together and that unwavering feeling that you and them are unstoppable together. 

“Till Forever Falls Apart” by Ashe and FINNEAS: This song takes the remembrance of the past shared with each other and the unwavering love shared and mixes it into this dramatic duet that, when listening with your friends, it will undoubtedly make you all feel on top of the world. 

“BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish: When discussing an open-ended love song, this is the first song that comes to mind, as it doesn’t explicitly mention a lover or a friend but still applies the same principles of love, loyalty, and passion.