Although Valentine’s Day tends to center on romance, love stretches far beyond it, ranging from platonic love to self-love and everything in between. The Tribune’s mixtape reflects on Black artists who skillfully capture the feeling in its many forms.
“Baby Steps” by Olivia Dean – on self love
From the album that earned her Best New Artist at the 2026 Grammys, Olivia Dean delivers “Baby Steps,” a song that captures the post-breakup healing process. She traces the journey of learning to trust yourself again to finding your independence and choosing your own company. In an online world saturated with couples content, pink-and-red aisles, and his-and-hers everything, the song offers an alternative: Showing up for yourself is just as cool as being with someone else.
“Nico’s Red Truck” by Dijon – on distance
For anyone living far from home, “Nico’s Red Truck” understands the quiet ache of distance. Dijon revisits North Carolina through a crumpled photograph, feeling the warm summer air as his friends squeeze into his dark green Honda Civic, their grins frozen in time. Though at first he worries the memories will fade, he comes to realize that places stay alive through the people and moments tied to them. Loving a place doesn’t stop when you leave; it becomes something you carry rather than return to.
“Godspeed” by Frank Ocean – on family
In “Godspeed,” Frank Ocean sends us off with love. He captures the bittersweet feeling of growing up and stepping into a life of your own, away from the comfort of home. You might outgrow where you came from, look back and see it differently, but that childhood never stops being yours. Siblings, our very first friends, anchor us early on, providing a lifelong assurance that we’ve always got someone to lean on. His song conveys that no matter how far we go, the table is set: We’ll always have a place to call home.
“She’s Always in My Hair” by Prince – on friendship
Valentine’s Day tends to place couples front and centre, but the unwavering support and companionship from friendships deserve just as much celebration. With “She’s Always in My Hair,” Prince probably intended to write a love song, but it reads just as much like an ode to the people who stay when things get hard. Being in someone’s hair sounds irritating or overbearing, yet here, Prince presents it as an incredibly intimate gesture of being a constant, loyal presence in someone’s life.
“Heartbeat” by Childish Gambino – on situationships
“Heartbeat” is the perfect song for that confusing in-between stage where you’re seeing someone intimately, yet you can’t call it a relationship. Actor Donald Glover, also known by his musical stage name as Childish Gambino, captures the push and pull, the miscommunication, and the mind games that surface when feelings get involved, but no one dares label the relationship. Through it all, the song reminds us that intimacy is never casual: It’s messy, raw and oddly relatable. The heart wants something it can’t name, but that doesn’t make the love any less real.
“Days” by Ravyn Lenae – on breakups
Valentine’s Day tends to sting after a breakup, but “Days” turns that pain into empowerment. Saying goodbye to the past, Ravyn Lenae flips the script, reflecting on a relationship that wasn’t right—she hasn’t lost herself, just the days. He’s out of sight, out of mind, and anyway, it’s better to be alone than in bad company, right?
“Pegasus” by Arlo Parks ft. Phoebe Bridgers – on romance
This one’s for the lovers. “Pegasus” by Arlo Parks and Phoebe Bridgers captures a love that feels exhilarating yet grounded. They sing about falling headfirst for someone who welcomes your authentic self without performance. The happiness feels so unreal that in the song, Parks calls her mom just to say she’s in love, as if she needs proof it’s actually real.
