By Carolyn A Thill, Editor-in-Chief
Valentine’s Day is a good time for reflection into the heart. For instance, the passion reflected in an artist’s heart shows through their music, their poetry, their films, and such. Love isn’t only expressed through romance. Love from the heart begins with sincere kindness, and is expressed in many forms. Below are examples of songs and films reflecting these various forms of love.
‘All You Need is Love’ by The Beatles
After 33 takes, this song became No. 1 all over the world during the summer of 1967. Its message is quite simple. Per the manager Brian Espstein from Medium.com, The Beatles wanted to give the world a clear message that “love is everything.”
‘Love is Your Name’ by Steven Tyler
Unlike what you’re used to when you here the name Steven Tyler, known for the band Aerosmith, here is a country video. Steven Tyler took a brief break from the band to go to Nashville and joined up with a band called The Loving Mary Band. Around 2016 he did some touring with them. “Love is Your Name” is one of the songs he made with The Loving Mary Band, and just like the name, it is a delight to listen to, especially around Valentine’s day.
‘Love is Love’ by Culture Club
Culture Club was a popular English band from the 1980s that came from London. The lead singer George O’Dowd was known in the music industry as Boy George. He was famous not just for his music, but also for his gender-bending performances.
Although the LGBTQ community was not as openly expressed back then, it didn’t stop Boy George from proudly standing up and breaking taboo. Some of Culture Club’s famous hits were “Karma Chameleon” and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?” The song “Love is Love” couldn’t put it any better. When it comes to love, what else matters?
‘I Feel Love’ by Donna Summer
From 1977, when disco was in its prime, “I Feel Love” has a certain sound to it that breaks through all genres. It’s a pretty simple song as far as lyrics go, but the music was created to aim for a futuristic mood, implementing use of synthesizers. Listening to this, it’s almost impossible to sit still. This song will get anyone up and into a good mood. Start off with a mimosa and dance your little heart out!
‘Savage Love’ by GMA
Fairly new, this song became a hit on TikTok during the summer of 2020. Recognized for its dance compilations and great beats, this video will surely lift your spirits while teaching you new moves.
Looking for an inexpensive way to celebrate Valentine’s weekend? Get a few friends together, and pull up this video. Watch it a couple dozen times until you are ready to record your very own TikTok.
Movies are a fun way to enjoy the evening during a cold wintery Valentine’s weekend. Below is an assortment of films that explore love from many different angles: kindness and generosity, classic romance, teenagers and diversity, mixed friendships, and lifelong bonds.
‘All You Need Is Love’ (2014)
Although this is not a romantic gesture kind of movie, it does shine light onto loving hearts. This is a documentary narrated by Sigourney Weaver, representing children living in poverty, from a country that is lacking many resources. The film shows what improved conditions could come about with a little love from everyone.
‘Valentine’s Day’ (2010)
This is a cute comedy with a compilation of multiple actors from Brandon Cooper, Ashton Kutcher, Patrick Dempsey, Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, Jessica Biel, and the list goes on. The movie employs a creative use of multiple story lines with couples intertwining. It centers on the ups and downs of being in love and dealing with the pressures of Valentine’s Day, even if you’re a child with a crush. With an all-star cast, you will be in good company snuggling up to this film. All you need is a giant bowl of popcorn and your favorite blanket.
‘Love Simon’ (2018)
‘Love Simon’ is a touching movie about a boy who is in high school, dealing with a lonely heart because he holds a secret that he is gay. The movie does a great job expressing that Simon is no different than any other common teenager in high school who deserves love just as much as the next person. This is definitely a good watch and without giving the ending away, let’s just say it is filled with happy surprises.
‘When Harry Met Sally’ (1989)
“When Harry Met Sally” is a well-known classic. This flick demonstrates the uniqueness and challenges from the angle of friendships between people of the opposite sex. It is both cute and funny.
It brings together two people with seemingly very different personalities who don’t hit it off well at first. However, destiny brings them to cross paths a few times in the future, where they develop a closeness that lends to being best friends. It demonstrates how a man and a woman can remain friends without romance. However, in this instance, it also shows that sometimes your BFF is the perfect mate for you.
‘Girls Trip’ (2017)
This movie is a must-see just for good old fashioned fun. Anyone not in a relationship, and running from the Cupid curse of loneliness, should see this flick. It will surely have you laughing so hard that you will wet your pants. “Girls Trip” portrays a group of very close friends who get together for a trip and experience a whole lot of crazy occurrences. The characters deal with real-life drama that anyone can relate to. “Girl’s Trip” not only provides excessive laughter, it also shows the strong bonds of friendship that are unbreakable, no matter how much time has passed.
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