10 queer love anthems to make your heart race

What makes a love song great? Is it a sweeping orchestral arrangement that makes your heart race? Is it a ballad belted out so flawlessly that it makes you question if you should get back together with an ex, just so the lyrics truly resonate?

For these 2SLGBTQ musicians, it's a mix of all of the above. Whether the lyrics speak to the joy of sidling up to a crush or telling the love of your life you can't be without them, these queer love songs aren't shy about who they're for. From a sweeping serenade courtesy of Charlotte Day Wilson to a country ballad by Orville Peck, here are 10 queer love songs to add to your Valentine's Day playlist.

'Take Care of You,' Charlotte Day Wilson feat. Syd

"I was like, 'I want to write a no-nuance, lesbian R&B love song!'" Day Wilson told Apple Music about writing the loved-up slow jam "Take Care of You." "I'm always ready for your love," she proclaims on the straightforward track, her sultry vocals sounding assured yet inviting. There's a calculated subversion of religious imagery to — in Day Wilson's words — "make it gay." Case in point with her lyrics about worship: "You'll come around like I've prayed for it/ wearing your cross on my chain for it," she says, giving it a brand new, sensual meaning. Syd hops on the track to assist and engages in a honeyed back and forth with Day Wilson, making "Take Care of You" a gorgeous love song by and for women. 

'Closer,' Tegan and Sara

"Closer" feels more like an ode to crushes than a flat-out love song, but that's exactly why it sparkles so much. Simmering with lust, it perfectly captures the magic of shiny new infatuation, when you can't help but let your daydreams run wild about the object of your desire. It nails the urge we all have to be in someone special's orbit and to get, well, closer. Tegan and Sara expertly recognize that there's something intoxicating about being near to the person your heart pounds for: "Here comes the breath before we get, a little bit closer/ here comes the rush before we touch, come a little closer," they beckon, as the synths power up and leave you wanting to run to the dance floor with your partner in tow.

'Radical Love,' Cerena

This song isn't exactly about love in the traditional, romantic sense, but rather a love letter to humanity and what people can achieve when we care for and uplift one another. The electronic song points to unconditional love as a way to bridge gaps and foster connections. Over the smattering of echoing beats and synths, Cerena lays the groundwork for starting a revolution rooted in kindness. The song becomes a call to action when a snippet of a speech from U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar pops up: "Radical love means that we radically love each and every single person within our communities to make sure that we are providing for them the basic rights as humans."

'Flowers, for You,' Adria Kain

"Flowers, for You" is deliciously sweet, as Kain is unapologetic about having fallen in love. The funk-tinged R&B song starts off with Kain unguardedly putting her feelings out there: "You know I want you girl/ and you know every time that you call I'm picking up cuz' you're worth it." Hopes of a forever kind of romance permeate the track, as Kain ponders marriage and beyond. She isn't shy about wanting this woman, and she wants her bad.

'Miss Chatelaine,' k.d. lang 

Of course, Lang's most iconic hit is "Constant Craving," but who can resist another one of Lang's more upbeat songs about falling in love? The euphoric "Miss Chatelaine" details an obsession over a lover's smile, a locking of eyes and a kiss. It's a dizzying, head-over-heels outpouring of how excited it feels to be enamoured with this person. Lang's energy is infectious, especially when she fully announces how she feels about those seemingly tiny moments: "Just a smile, a smile/ hold me captive just a while."

'You're the One,' Kaytranada feat. Syd

"You know I want you, baby, you know I do/ I'll give you my heart and the rest is up to you," sings Syd on this slickly produced track from Kaytranada. An ideal soundtrack for falling in love under strobe lights or a disco ball, "You're the One" is lovestruck lighting in a bottle. The bouncy bass line isn't just fun; it's persuasive. As one fan noted in a comment on YouTube under the music video: "This song makes me want to send money to that Nigerian prince who sent me an email." 

'Drive me, Crazy,' Orville Peck

Country music doesn't have the best track record for amplifying 2SLGBTQ performers, but Orville Peck has done an excellent job of queering the genre with his confessional, cowboy hat-wearing western lyricism. Using his deep baritone, he paints an intimate picture on "Drive me, Crazy." There's something undeniably romantic about long drives, and how the road serves as a winding space for introspection and daydreaming about loved ones, which makes it the perfect backdrop for this love song. Peck said the track "is about two truckers who are passing each other constantly, and they're in love, and their story exists entirely on the highways." While that might seem a bit downcast, the song is a fond postcard that holds warm memories from that special time. "You always said you'd drive me crazy/ said it was you and me 'til we died," he sings, letting listeners know that the love will be alive and burning rubber until the very end.

'Persephone,' Allison Russell

Not all love songs are saccharine, and this sentimental ode to a teenage lover is one that blossomed from darkness. When the track was released, Russell shared that "'Persephone'" is an homage to my first love — she helped me through my early days of being a teenage runaway and taught me that people can be kind…. It's about the healing joy of experiencing a consensual sexual awakening after a decade of abuse — and about the transformative rebirth that is possible when we begin to love and be loved with mutual care, respect and honesty." Choosing to love despite a painful past is what makes this rootsy, country love song so special. It acknowledges that relationships can be built on imperfections, and that refuge can be a person instead of a place. "I kiss you once, I kiss you twice/ fall asleep looking in each other's eyes," Russell reflects, her vocals bright and clear.

'Got it Bad,' Shawnee Kish

There's nothing quite like a passionate love, and Kish knows she's no match for the woman she's singing about on "Got it Bad." The lyrics reveal she's hypnotized and under her spell, and it becomes clear that the spark with her lover feels too good to give up. "How can this be that bad when it feels so good?" she sings, letting listeners know that she's falling headfirst into something magical. It makes you wonder if calling up your ex is a good idea, just so that the full impact of her lyrics can be felt.

'Yr Man,' Non La

"I want you as my man, so please just hold my hand," Non La sings on this indie-rock banger that details all the things they want to do to show their affection for their potential new beau. Whether wanting to cook for this person or steep their tea, "Yr Man" is a very sweet profession of love. It's an essential listen for anyone longing for someone else — and for those whose love language is acts of service.