Unnecessary Valentine’s Day Combinations: Music Moods and Snacks
Happily in Love; Jaffa Cakes
Shall I compare love to a fresh Jaffa Cake? There’s nothing like it. Soft, sweet, warm, comforting, with a zest to brighten up the darkest of days. In that respect, being in love is just like a Jaffa Cake. It’s a classic, but never boring or ordinary. The standout music recommendation is “The Best Part,” a poem about the one you love framed by softly strummed guitars and smooth performances from Caesar and H.E.R.
Folk/ Classic Rock:
“Sweet Creature” by Harry Styles
“I’m In Love With A Girl” by Big Star
R&B/ Soul:
“Best Part” by Daniel Caesar and H.E.R
“Loving is Easy” by Rex Orange County
“Beyond” by Leon Bridges
“Japanese Denim” by Daniel Caesar
The Oldies:
“La Vie en Rose” by Daniela Andrade
“Moonlight Serenade” by Glenn Miller
The Wild Card:
“LOVE.” by Kendrick Lamar (ft. Zacari)
“Truly Madly Deeply” by Yoke Lore
It’s Complicated; Jamaica Ginger Sticky Pudding Cake
Maybe you just met someone you really like but you're not in the space for a relationship. Or perhaps they're your friend's ex-partner. Maybe he's the Crown Prince of Jordan and doesn't know you exist. Whatever complicated situation you're in, the Valentine's Day chocolate smorgasbord has absolutely no appeal to you at all. Instead, try the Jamaica Ginger Sticky Pudding Cake. It's sweet but balanced with spicier, richer, more complex flavours like cardamom and ginger. Heat it up and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it's practically a complete meal.
Folk/ Classic Rock:
“You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” by The Beatles
“Femme Fatale” by The Velvet Underground
“Take This Longing” by Leonard Cohen
R&B/ Soul:
“Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand” by Leon Bridges
“Don’t Choose” by dvsn
The Oldies:
“Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying” by Ray Charles
“You Turned the Tables on Me” by Louis Armstrong
The Wild Card:
“Le grand amour” by Albin de la Simone
“Heartbeats” by Jose Gonzalez
“Comptine d`un autre ete, l`apres-midi” by Yann Tiersen
“Holding Out for a Hero” by Ella Mae Bowen
Happily Single; Digestives
It’s easy to mope around as a single person on Valentine’s Day, but you're healthy (besides chronic dehydration), healthy (cancelling plans to binge watch Netflix is totally normal) and you realize that life is sweet. What's there to be sad about? Today is a celebration of love and you've finally learned to love yourself. In fact, you've never practised as much self-care as you do now (and yes, eating three bags of crisps, putting on a face mask, and going to bed at 9 p.m. counts as self-care). Pop the kettle on, make a nice cup of tea, and dunk in some dark chocolate Digestives. We can fool ourselves a bit longer and claim that they're a wholesome, healthy snack, right?
Folk/ Classic Rock:
“Heart of the Country” by Paul McCartney
“Going to California” by Led Zeppelin
R&B/ Soul:
“P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” by Michael Jackson
The Oldies:
“Respect” by Aretha Franklin
“Dancing Queen” by ABBA
The Wild Card:
“Rare” by Ruth B.
“Love Myself” by Hailee Steinfeld
Crushing Hard; Kinder Bueno Chocolate Bar
You can admit it. You have a teensy tiny itty bitty little crush. It’s not a big deal. You try to take your mind off of it with some delicious Kinder Bueno. Then you try not to contemplate the inherent implications of two individually wrapped portions, as well as four easily fragment pieces, implying without a shadow of a doubt that it’s a snack meant to be shared. And you know just who you’d like to share it with. At this point, you might as well embrace your crush and enjoy the bright sunny music that comes alongside it.
Folk/ Classic Rock:
“I’m a Believer” by The Monkees
“I’m Walking on Sunshine” by Carl Wave
R&B/ Soul:
“Trip” by Ella Mai
“Midnight Blue” by UMI
“Easy” by Next Town Down
“Honesty” by Pink Sweat$
The Oldies:
“Can’t Nobody Love You” by Solomon Burke
The Wild Card:
“She” by Charles Aznavour
“Stare at Each Other and Fall In Love” by Daniela Andrade
“Fallin’ Too” by Russ
Thinking about love and romance? In this economy?; Strawberries
You're overworked, extremely stressed and unsure about every decision you make. Nothing makes sense, you're definitely not drinking enough water and you can't remember the last time you ate a leafy green vegetable. Thus are the hallmarks of your 20's, which is a journey in and of themselves. You live for the power of multitasking and strawberries are the way to do it. Yes, you could buy an actual dessert, however, strawberries are dense in Vitamin C, help increase your water consumption, and can perfectly compliment those leafy greens you don't own. Think of them as a two in one, buy one get one free, going-out-of-business sale style of a healthy snack. In this economy, efficiency is key.
Folk/ Classic Rock:
“Vienna” by Billy Joel
“I’ll Follow the Sun” by The Beatles
R&B/ Soul:
“20 Something” by SZA
“Saturday Nights” by Khalid
“Confidently Lost” by Sabrina Claudio
“Young Dumb & Broke” by Khalid (or the Elton John cover available via Spotify)
The Oldies:
“You Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes
The Wild Card:
“Some Time” by Russ
Just Broken Up And Not Okay; The Entire Contents of Your Refrigerator
You’re not okay and that’s okay. The first step to getting through heartbreak is wallowing a little. Have a good cry. Get a bit peckish and pause for a bit of tea. Might as well check the fridge while you’re there, right? Some bread, cheese, add in some fruits that’s a whole meal. A bag of prawn cocktail crisps wouldn’t hurt anyone, nor would the chocolate bars with the expiry date of four months ago. You’re already in misery, you might as well soothe your spirit with carbs.
Folk/ Classic Rock:
“How” by Regina Spektor
R&B/ Soul:
“Sober” (Acoustic Version) by Mahalia
“Figures” by Jessie Reyez (ft. Daniel Caesar)
The Oldies:
“What Will I Tell My Heart” by Ella Fitzgerald
“Cry to Me” by Solomon Burke
“Ain’t No Way” by Aretha Franklin
The Wild Card:
“Dunno” by Mac Miller (Preferably the Spotify Studios NYC recording)
“Fall Apart” by Post Malone
Finally Moving On; Sainsbury’s Scones
Time has passed and you're finally feeling less like a turtle caught in plastic and more like a majestic porpoise. Speaking of, you're finding renewed purpose in life and making peace with the way things went down. Instead of pain and bitterness, your finding peace and acceptance. Welcome to moving on. Feel free to stop by a Sainsbury's and grab a pack of scones. It's a new you, and the new you see no problem with eating scones and jam for breakfast, as a mid-afternoon snack, or an after-dinner dessert.
Folk/ Classic Rock:
“Two Ghosts” by Harry Styles
“I Could Use a Love Song” by Maren Morris
R&B/ Soul:
“River” by UMI
“Fool For You” by Snoh Aalegra
The Oldies:
“Wake Up and Live” by Ella Fitzgerald
“I Wish I Were In Love Again” by Frank Sinatra
“Tea for Two” by Art Tatum
“I Get Along Without You Very Well” by Chet Baker
The Wild Card:
“Clean” by Taylor Swift
“Superior Emotion” by AlunaGeorge
“Taxi” by EXES
Couldn't Care Less; Pot Noodle (flavour of your choice)
You’re debating between eating a bag of crisps or actually cooking the chicken you’ve been defrosting for days. You definitely could do your readings for your seminar on Friday. Or…you could watch yet another episode of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. These music picks are completely unrelated to love or romance; They’re just really good songs for when you’re just chilling out on a regular Thursday. Indulge in an unhealthy but extremely delicious Pot Noodle and call it a night.
Folk/ Classic Rock:
“Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles
“Sunny Afternoon” by The Kinks
“Sunday Morning” by The Velvet Underground
R&B/ Soul:
“Feeling Good” by Nina Simone
The Oldies:
“(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding
“Isn’t This a Lovely Day” by Ella Fitzgerald
The Wild Card:
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow/ What a Wonderful World” by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
“Such Great Heights” by Iron & Wine
“A Pirate’s Life” by We Cut Corners
