(Written by Beach Bunny’s lead singer Lili Trifilio)

Valentine’s Day has for decades been symbolic of love in America, so what better day to release an album all about love and loss other than the iconic holiday itself. Valentine’s for day for me has been both a holiday where I’ve shared many cute memories with loved ones but it has also been a reminder of exes, old flames, and the loneliness of singlehood depending on where my love life is at that time of year.

Although this date was primarily selected due to the fact that we had to renegotiate a prior intended release date due to signing with Mom + Pop and for promotional purposes, the holiday fits perfectly with the overall vibe of the album. Whether you’re in a relationship or not hopefully the audience will be able to relate to the message behind the songs, which has always been the intention with this album from the very beginning. That being said, it’s important to remember that being single isn’t a bad thing and your value is not determined by if you have a partner or not. Valentine’s day is ultimately a day to show love to all but it is also a corporate America scam, so just remember that going into this time of year and never forget how badass you truly are.

Here’s some songs to express that…

I choose this song because it’s all about not needing validation from anyone to make yourself feel good. In the track Charli discusses how she doesn’t need someone else’s touch to make her feel aroused or complete. In this patriarchal society we live in, often times the focus of “sex” in hetero relationships is the man’s orgasm, whereas this song highlights the opposite. Since valentine’s day is often affiliated with sex and romance, I choose this song as a reminder to all the ladies out there that you don’t need to feel validated or good enough based on how you perform in the bedroom. You’re already enough and it’s important to remember especially during this period of the year where there is a high pressure to find a date for Valentine’s day.

I choose this track because this Valentine’s season we all need a reminder that we can be heartbreakers – not the heartbroken. It’s easy to get tied up in feeling envious of other people’s relationships or fall back into the habit of sliding into your ex’s DMs late into the night, but there’s no need to feel insecure or jealous. This song provides a nice compilation of tips and tricks on how to embrace your confident, attractive, badass self. You’re worthy of love, you’re worthy of romance, but you’re not just going to settle for the first person that comes around, right heartbreaker?

This track is an absolute classic and is all about feeling your most attractive, independent of circumstances. Although the lyrics talk about looking your best, the vibe is all about self-worth. Even on days where you don’t feel like a ten, this song is just a reminder to love yourself and affirm that you are good enough. You don’t need a Valentine’s date to make you feel pretty when you already wear a badge of confidence. Never forget your worth.

I choose this track because sometimes in the mist of cuffing season we might experience heartbreak from time to time, and if that time happens to be around Valentine’s day it can be pretty brutal emotionally. However, this song does a twist on the classic breakup song and is all about moving on, or at least attempting to. If you’re going through heartbreak this season it’s important to focus your energy on yourself in the present moment, not the unchangeable past. It’s ok to feel sad this Valentine’s day and grieve what once was but it’s equally as important to prioritise yourself and stop living for another person that doesn’t want to continue a relationship with you. You will heal, you will find love again – but in the meantime make a conscious effort to leave the pity party and start living for yourself again.

This track has the sickest buildup of all time and is definitely something to be boppin’ if you’re not feeling in the best of spirits. The main line of the chorus emphasises being fine on one’s own, which is a central theme of this playlist and the breakdown at the end of the song is definitely something you can scream in the car when you need an emotional release. Sometimes you need to affirm to yourself that you’re ok and this song does just that on top of having a melody that will be stuck in your head the entire Valentine’s day season.

This song is for all the punk-heads out there that need to seriously vent their feelings. In a sense it’s a breakup song, in another sense it’s a rageful diss track against one’s ex. Sometimes in seasons of heartbreak feeling simply sad just doesn’t cut it. Breakups are messy and miserable and Valentine’s day can certainly bring up all those feelings, but instead of listening to melancholic love ballads sometimes releasing all that resentment in a healthy way might be exactly what you need to being doing this Valentine’s day. I also like that the lyrics of the song talk about implementing self-care post-breakup despite the pain behind the words.

This track is perfect for anyone who has experienced betrayal in the past. The melody of the song is super addictive and lyrically complex as far as storytelling. Ultimately, it’s a hit about trust issues and a big “F U” to anyone’s that’s wronged you in the past. Sometimes Valentine’s day can cause us to analyse the past or look into what our past lovers are up to these days and we may experience hurt throughout this process. But during the Valentine’s season, although hurt might be inevitable, it’s also important to recognise that you don’t need to always blame yourself. Some people suck, even people you once cared about deeply, and during these moments of reflection its important to not get caught up in only blaming yourself when people have wronged you.

This song was an obvious choice for this playlist because it’s a high-confidence heater. The track talks about having standards, knowing what a hottie you are, and casting out undesirable partners left and right. You may be craving love this Valentine’s day season but sometimes it’s important to remember how amazing you are and that you are someone worth obsessing over. If you need to feel yourself this Valentine’s day, this is the bop to play. We have no time for thirsty, desperate energy in 2020.