Love is in the air with Valentine’s Day coming up tomorrow, but you wouldn’t know it from the music people are listening to. It’s supposed to be the most romantic time of the year, but research shows people around the world are playing songs about breakups and heartbreak instead.
Deezer, the music streaming service, reports that last year, they saw a 560% global increase in love songs in the week leading up to the holiday. But when they analyzed their data from the top 10 songs streamed on Valentine’s Day last year, the most-played songs were not as romantic as you might expect.
- The most-streamed song on Deezer last Valentine’s Day was Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers,” which features lyrics that promote independence, like, “I can buy myself flowers. I can hold my own hand.”
- But songs about breakups can help people process their emotions, according to Dr. Annemieke van den Tol, expert in music and psychology at the U.K.’s University of Lincoln.
- She explains that realizing someone else has gone through the same thing and dealt with it can help give people hope and “reframe any negativity.”
- Deezer’s Valentine’s Day data reveals that people are most likely to listen to sad songs later in the evening, with these tracks peaking at around 8:15 last February 14th.
The Top 10 Most Streamed Valentine’s Day Songs
- “Flowers” - Miley Cyrus
- “Another Love” - Tom Odell
- “Lift Me Up” - Rihanna
- “Unholy” - Sam Smith, Kim Petras
- “As It Was” - Harry Styles
- “Creepin” - Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, 21 Savage
- “I’m Good (Blue)” - David Guetta, Bebe Rexha
- “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” - Bizarrap and Shakira
- “The Loneliest” - Måneskin
- “Cuff It” - Beyoncé
Source: Daily Mail