Impact’s Best Love Songs of the 2010s
February 9, 2023
Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and love is in the air. What better to get into the spirit of the holiday than some romantic music? We here at the Impact curated the best pop love songs of our collective teenage years. Take a look at each writer’s defense for why their song is the best of the best:
“Latch” by Disclosure feat. Sam Smith — Madison Reinhold
I think the music video for “Latch” really encapsulates why it is such a great love song. It shows couples being so devoted together and being in the moment. What I also love is how it shows multiple definitions of love and couples of different sexualities together. This, for the time and in such a mainstream track, provided a new window for young people tuning in. Other than that, it has a great overall sound and conveys the message of someone truly and devotedly in love.
“She Looks So Perfect” by 5 Seconds of Summer — Paige Drob
“She Looks So Perfect” is an anthem of infatuation, teen restlessness and underwear. It is a track that says so little, but so much at the same time. The song is a testament to the intensity of the feelings between narrator and subject. Although some may say the lovers are too young for their relationship to amount to anything, the lovers feel that their relationship is beautiful and something worth working for. To the narrator, there is nothing more perfect than the sight — and maybe a little more than just the sight if you catch my drift — of his love interest. He is so infatuated that he gets her name tattooed on him, and he proposes the idea of running away and getting married. To me, the most iconic line is the one that is the most confusing: “If you don’t swim, you’ll drown, so don’t move honey.” To this day, I am not one hundred percent sure what it means — Lyric Genius doesn’t, either — but I think “drowning” in this case might be comparable to the action of falling in love. “She Looks So Perfect,” at its most complex, is a commentary on the intricacies of young love, and, at its most simple, is a banger of a song to scream and dance to alone in your room.
“Run Away With Me” by Carly Rae Jepsen — Mike Merucci
There is no hyperbole in my writing of this: I think ”Run Away With Me” is the greatest pop song of all time. This is one of the few songs that I know every word to: That’s saying something, as I have an atrocious memory when it comes to song lyrics. Anyone who knows me knows that I can really belt it out when it comes to “Run Away With Me,” though. I can imagine it now: springtime, windows down, warmth running across my skin and the greatest pop song of all time blasting a little too loud. Until then, all I ask is that it wins our little Valentine’s Day bracket here.
“You Snuck Your Way Right Into My Heart” by Love Händel (from Phineas and Ferb) — Dana Holt
Playing a parody on ‘80s love songs, this song has a vibe that is unmatched. The guitar is immaculate and the lyrics are pure perfection. It beautifully captures the way love can unexpectedly enter your life. As the song says: “Like a ninja of love rappelling down from above,” this song snuck its way right into my heart.
“Mine” by Taylor Swift — Gabby Nelson
For all the Swifties, it’s hard to pick the best love song of the 2010s, but “Mine” is surely one of the best. “Mine” is the love anthem of Gen Z. It’s a song that you can’t help but sing out loud. Swift sings about a love that overcomes hardship, a love that is deep and unconditional.
“Braced myself for the goodbye /
‘Cause that’s all I’ve ever known /
Then you took me by surprise /
You said, ‘I’ll never leave you alone.’”
It’s a type of love we’re all searching for.
“Imagine” by Ariana Grande — Norene Bassin
“Imagine” tells the story of one of the 2010s’ most beloved celebrity couples: Ariana Grande and the late Mac Miller. I’m not too sure about the public perception of their relationship, but from the music these two wrote about each other, anyone can plainly see they were in love. True love. Grande released this song less than a year after Miller’s tragic passing. The lyrics of this song talk about what could’ve been and what, frankly, should’ve been.
“Imagine a world like that /
We go like up ’til I’m ‘sleep on your chest /
Love how my face fits so good in your neck /
Why can’t you imagine a world like that?”
The imagery in her lyrics is beautiful and tells a story of a true love she still dreams of. While she is happily married now, her and Miller’s love is immortalized in “Imagine.”
“We Found Love” by Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris — Ashe Burr
This song had an absolute chokehold on radio airplay when it dropped, and it still holds up as one of the best songs of the 2010s, despite it being from 2011. The track has become a staple track for Rihanna, and it helped give Calvin Harris something resembling a career in the United States. When this song comes on, it never fails to put me in a good mood with its optimistic yet relatable lyrics. “We Found Love” was Rihanna’s 11th No. 1 hit in the United States, and if it isn’t part of her set at the Superbowl, I will have legitimate beef.
“Baby” by Justin Bieber feat. Ludacris — Gabby Nelson
“Baby” was the song that launched Justin Bieber’s career. It has everything: a catchy chorus, angelic vocals and a dope rap verse by none other than Ludacris. “Baby” took off when it was first released (partially due to Bieber’s charm). It’s about the innocence and life-ending feeling of first love. It will forever live in the memory of every Gen Zer.
