25 Songs: For Big Feelings, Breakups, And Bold Moves

Welcome to VOL.UME: LOVE Right now, a new series of stories chronicling how we find and experience romantic connections in the digital age. For the entire experience, head to VOLUME.MTV.Com.


One of the sexiest singles of the year makes a meal out of an eas declaration: “I love the way you read my eyes.” Angel Olsen delivers it, aligning with Mark Ronson on the gauzy “True Blue,” however you could tell it to a lover, mention it in the resemble for motivation, or perhaps unholster it as a last-ditch plea. The phrase highlights what might be the key to the full damn thing: connection.


Thanks to swiping and DMs and selfies, our experiences with love are filtered in the same way as our lives: by means of the screens. Yet our yearning for natural connection hasn’t evaporated — it’s still right here, in the perfect music of 2019. It includes crush bops and attraction bangers, heartbreak odes, and celebrations of self. Some are steamy, full of flirting and fun, while others run hot, teeming with desire. A handful are raw, animalistic, and sexual. And certainly, some of these completely soundtrack the momentary nevertheless paralyzing hopelessness that flies in immediately after you get dumped. Everything in leniency, you know?


MTV News has curated a key playlist that captures the key elements of love right now — a bold text sent ahead of a late-night rendezvous, the memory of passion imprinted in an old tune, the unexpected relief that accompanies a breakup. They’re here to connect us to each other, and more importantly, to ourselves. You’ll love the way they read your eyes.


01 Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes, "Señorita"


It's getting hot in here, and also you could blame it on Camila and Shawn. For their first group effort since 2015's "I Know What You Did Last Summer," they crank the heat way up, recounting a brief nevertheless charged fling place on Earth in Miami and fueled by tequila. "Ooh, once your lips undress me, hooked on your tongue" so you mention we're just companions, however companions don't know the way you taste" are delivered with a flirty smile, while an entrancing guitar loop ups the tension. —Madeline Roth


02 Megan Thee Stallion, “Sex Talk” 


Not one for conveying affection through batting eyelashes or PDA, Megan Thee Stallion paints a uncensored picture of a bedroom meeting that’ll make you sweat. As she breathes, sighs, and moans by means of the lusty steam and rocky beats of “Sex Talk,” it’s clear Megan means everything she says. Prepare to bite your lip. —Trey Alston


03 BTS ft. Halsey, "Boy With Luv" 


Written for their dedicated fan base, the bubbly lead single off the South Korean supergroup's Map of the Soul: Persona is about the heart-fluttering feeling of finding joy in the small things. In “Boy With Luv,” BTS asks ever so sweetly, "How's your day?" Without any expectations. —Crystal Bell


04 Post Malone feat. Young Thug, “Goodbyes”


Post Malone’s admission that he can’t let go doesn’t stop him from launching vitriolic directives (“I want you out of my head, I want you out of my bedroom tonight”), however yet still, he’s tormented. Young Thug’s chaotic vocalizations help sell the drama, and by the end, the pair wave farewell and vanish into the ether before three minutes are up. Maybe Posty’s playing coy: That’s quite a graceful exit immediately considering that. —Patrick Hosken


05 Mahalia feat. Burna Boy, "Simmer"


This shining slice of dancehall pop takes its name and sample from Beenie Man's classic "Who Am I (Sim Simma)." Mahalia's honeyed vocals are almost trance-inducing. Over a thumping beat, she pleads for her man to take his time to show her some passion: "Cool down, simmer / Cool right now, please me." Her foil is buzzy Nigerian star Burna Boy, who retaliates with his side of the story. Ultimately, it doesn't sound like they meet in the middle, however the back and forth is sexy, danceable fun. —M.R.


06 Lizzo, “Soulmate”


As a self-love anthem, “Soulmate” is easy to fall for. However the barrier to entry could be much higher if it wasn’t for the radiance of Lizzo herself, who sells every inward compliment with pure delight, and the bounce music in back of her. “That’s where I really honestly fell in love with dancing any time If I was a little bit kid,” she tells MTV News of the genre. You could hear the sentiment in each clap and feel it in all of Lizzo’s smiling recitations of the title. —P.H.


07 Tyler the Creator feat. Playboi Carti, “Earfquake”


Tyler has come a long way from his days of dissing relationships and spitting in the face of emotion altogether. “Earfquake,” oppositely, finds him pleading in a manic high pitch for another chance, saying anything to keep his partner interested. Playboi Carti slings in for sharp ad-libs that distribute further splashes of color into the Seussian atmosphere of Tyler’s most susceptible anthem. The rapper hasn’t given up on love just however. —T.A.


08 Chloe x Halle, "Who Knew"


Chloe x Halle make radiant R&B that eats the soul, and "Who Knew" is no exception. "We began something by mistake / Who would've thought that I would feel this way? / This way about you," the sisters sing to someone previously boxed indoors in the friend zone. Chloe's lower register shines, yet Halle's jazzy harmonies swoop in to lift the Anita Baker-esque track to the heavens. —M.R.


09 King Princess, “Prophet” 


Is the smoldering “Prophet” a love song? It depends on how you interpret the subject of King Princess’s soulful refrain, “I can only think about you.” Whether she addresses cash, fame, contraband, or sex (all of which are either frankly or obliquely referenced) doesn’t matter as much as how the 20-year-old nimbly navigates the vintage backbeat underneath. She plays bass and guitar on the track, also deploying smoke bombs like “It's the price of the prodigy you wanna be.” No matter the meaning, “Prophet” ends up a definitive statement. Maybe it’s love; maybe it’s just power. —P.H.


10 Bad Bunny and J Balvin, "La Canción"


These Latin pop kings have given us the surprise album of the summer with Oasis, and it's the tranquil "La Canción" — “The Song” in English language — that stands out most. Benito and Balvin brood about memories of lost love, triggered right after hearing a certain melody. It's romantic and reggaetón, stitched with each other by a lonely trumpet solo that lets you fall right back with them. A excellent song about the power of a good song. — M.R.


11 Tove Lo, “Glad He’s Gone”


Tove Lo uses dark-rimmed pop to explore our bodies and the elation and detritus created any time we bring them with each other. On the breezy “Glad He’s Gone,” she mines the same territory, though this time it’s to coach a pal through a breakup. A floating guitar guides her comforting words (“Bitch, I love you / He never loved you”) by means of the warm realization that friendship will constantly be there, even once your boyfriend bails. —P.H.


12 Carly Rae Jepsen, “Everything He Needs”


Leave it to Carly Rae to flip a quirky show tune into something dazzling. Lifting the hook from a 1980 Popeye cut sung by Shelley Duvall, Jepsen and her co-conspirators hang scores of tinsel around the doe-eyed melody. The music reflects what the lyrics tell — the titular “he” is so enthralled with everything about her — and both combine into a fizzy encapsulation of new love shimmering with glee. —P.H.


13 Mustard feat. Ella Mai and Ty Dolla $ign, "Surface"


Mustard knew what he was doing getting Ella Mai and Ty Dolla $ign back with each other. The super-producer collaborated with the R&B stalwarts on 2016's "She Don't," however they return glossier than ever on "Surface," a Mai-starring jam punctuated by a characteristically charming verse from Ty. Mai is raw here, daring her man to "get below the surface," while Ty assures her, "You're the only one I want, bae, I'm focused." And so, a summer fling is place on Earth. —M.R.


14 Julia Michaels, "Falling for Boys"


"Falling for Males has all of the hallmarks of a Julia Michaels gem, including intimate anecdotes (it starts and ends with her dad wanting to beat up her exes), quirky production (ukulele strumming, twinkling strings, stuttering vocal effects, along with a late-arriving hip-hop beat), and self-aware confessionals ("I want, I want, I wanna love me right," she insists). The pop trendsetter is at her best, turning heartbreak into something cute. —M.R.


15 CNCO, “De Cero”


Two minutes into “De Cero,” CNCO’s Joel sings the song’s thesis in English: “Let's restart and we'll go far.” His bandmates Zabdiel, Erick, Christopher, and Richard bolster the rest of the track with appeals in Spanish to do the same — forget the heartache and begin again. It’s a nice thought, though anyone who’s tried it understands it’s a lot more complex. Delivered by way of the CNCO’s delicate croons over an energetic reggaeton rhythm, anything seems possible. —P.H.


16 Chance the Rapper feat. Ari Lennox, “I Got You routinely and Forever)”


Ari Lennox, a mid-tempo ’90s beat, along with a chorus of heavenly supporting vocals give Chance the Rapper one of his most joyful tunes however. Lennox’s vivid vocals take center stage in “I Got You habitually and Forever)” as she promises to have a partner’s back. Once Chance enters with his nostalgic flow, he questions other people’s understanding of his relationship, proving love is best understood between compatible minds. —T.A.


17 Heize feat. Giriboy, "We Don't Talk Together" 


South Korean songstress Heize’s latest single is for wallowing in post-breakup feels. Produced by Suga of BTS, this chill track follows a pair of exes struggling to confess their lingering yearning for each other. It's about emptiness, sure, nevertheless the bassline snaps and sparkly composition will have you dancing, which is what you need now. —C.B.


18 Mae Muller, "Anticlimax"


Telling off an ex has never seemed so effortless. Muller — a London singer-songwriter akin to Lily Allen — rides a grooving beat while speak-singing quietly savage bars like "You don't have a job and you're shit in the sack." Her attitude could with little effort be mistaken as wrathful, even vengeful, yet "Anticlimax" is surprisingly sunny. It's much less "Ring the Alarm" and more about finally realizing your worth. "All you are to me is one big anticlimax," she confidently coos. You could practically visualize a person's eye roll. —M.R.


19 Ari Lennox,: “Up Late”


Ari Lennox’s gutsy soul leads this strong, relaxing embrace of intimacy. Bluesy saxophones whisper in the horizon plus a tempting hi-hat keeps the pulse flowing, while Lennox immerses herself in a temple of bodily praise — she’s being worshipped. Hands trace circles on the skin as Lennox’s voice rises, cracks, and trembles in ecstasy. This is the divine moment as soon as desire and lust meet. —T.A.


20 Mark Ronson feat. Angel Olsen, "True Blue"


This one’s all about groove — up until it’s not. That’s not to mention that Ronson, a rhythmic master, ever lets up from the wounded beat (he doesn’t). However by the time Olsen’s purple, plaintive intonations about a lover reading her eyes reach the five-minute mark, the song’s crafty illusion reveals itself: It’s hypnosis. And any time the glittering disco ball helps prevent spinning, you’re left woozy and lovesick all of the same. —P.H.


21 Ed Sheeran feat. YEBBA, “Best segment of Me”


Whether it’s the somber guitar notes strutting forward, or the moment once the singers make their cases for being at their perceived worst — any time “Best segment of Me” comes on, tears are inevitable. Sheeran and YEBBA’s voices twist and swirl, grasping each other tight before unwinding gradually. It’s a slow burn that tells you what true love is. You shouldn’t settle for anything far less. —T.A.


22 Clairo, “Sofia”


Clairo says she penned the fuzzy, Strokes-like “Sofia” as an ode to childhood crushes Sofia Coppola and Sofía Vergara. As such, it teems with all of the exhilaration and effervescence that accompanies such a discovery — and in the capable hands of producer Rostam and mixer Dave Fridmann, it almost levitates. —P.H.


23 Kim Petras, “Got My Number”


In the kitchen, on the counter, on the bed, and on the floor are four places Kim Petras outlines where the object of her eye can “get it.” On “Got My Number,” she drops her digits (complete with area code) over a cascading neon soundtrack, then quickens the pace with a “Baby, I'ma sex it up for ya.” The song doesn’t even have a bridge; there’s simply no time to waste. —P.H.


24 Lewis Capaldi, “Someone You Loved”


Lewis Capaldi recently turned 23, however he’s an old soul. You visualize it in his warm, Harry Nilsson-esque everyman charm. And most importantly, you hear the grit on his otherwise gilded voice as he strains on the chorus of his devastating breakout hit “Someone You Loved.” He wails like he’s been through some shit, yet he still finds the grace to carry on. That must be what keeps him so young. —P.H.


25 Billie Eilish, "i love you"


This acoustic-led ballad sticks out against the jagged electronic production that fills most of Eilish's chart-topping debut album, and its penultimate placement on the tracklist brings the full project to the ledge. "I love you" is breathless and overwhelming, as Billie tries not to be in love; the key lyric here's "I don't hope to The song is about whenever you fall in love with someone and it's a drag," according to brother-producer Finneas O’Connell, nevertheless being bummed out has never sounded this enticing. —M.R.


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