It has to be the most romantic time of the year. But people worldwide spend most of their time listening to songs about breakups and heartbreak.
Deezer, a global music streaming service, reported that Miley Cyrus’ powerful song “Flowers” was the most streamed song last year, with 1.6 billion streams.
With lyrics like “I can buy myself flowers” and “I can hold my own hand,” Deezer said the lyrics promote independence in a way that inspires and empowers listeners.
Other songs listeners looked to for inspiration included Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up,” which focuses on the people who are lost and how much they are missed, as well as Beyonce’s “Cuff It,” which advocated taking ownership of your life , and the Harry Styles song. “As It Was,” which he has, is about embracing change and your past self.
Streaming app Deezer reported that the top 10 songs listened to on Valentine’s Day last year were sad and focused on self-love after heartbreak.
Last year, Deezer reported a 560 percent global increase in love songs in the days leading up to the 14th and believed this indicated that romance is still alive and well.
However, Deezer looked at data from the top 10 songs streamed during the holiday itself and found that the most played songs “suggest that Valentine’s Day isn’t as romantic as we think.”
“We can assume that most people will be in a romantic mood or have a date planned on Valentine’s Day, but these popular streaming choices suggest otherwise,” says Dr Annemieke van den Tol, an expert in music and psychology at the University of Lincoln .
‘Ultimately, sad songs or songs about heartbreak can help people channel their own emotions.
“Realizing that someone else (the singer) has experienced the same thing, but has had to deal with it, can give us hope and help us reframe any negativity,” Van den Tol said.
Listeners are likely to listen to sad songs later in the evening, said Deezer, who added that these songs peaked around 8:15 p.m. on Valentine’s Day last year.
Later in the evening, listeners will most likely listen to sad songs that focus on the way relationships have affected them and the void they left behind
After Flowers by Miley Cyrus, Another Love by Tom Odell was the second most popular song on February 14 last year, with one billion streams last year.
The song expressed unrequited love and understanding why you can’t be with the person you desire.
Deezer calculated this by analyzing listeners’ own streaming data on Valentine’s Day 2023.
In third place was Rihanna’s song “Lift Me Up,” followed by Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ song “Unholy,” which looks at infidelity and a woman staying in the dark while her husband has an adulterous affair.
Harry Styles’ song ‘As It Was’ is at number five, while Metro Boomin, The Weeknd and 21 Savage’s song ‘Creepin’ is at number six.
The song is an example of the feeling of being betrayed by someone you love but not wanting to acknowledge the truth.
David Guetta and Bebe Rexha’s ‘I’m Good (Blue)’ was the seventh most listened to song and Shakira’s Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. Number 53 debuted at number eight, with the lyrics focusing on a powerful message about being too good for the person she used to be with.
Måneskin’s ‘The Loneliest’ came in at number nine and is about the deep feeling of loneliness and leaving the person you love, while Beyoncé’s ‘Cuff It’ comes way back in the final number 10 spot.
Those who are recently single, sad, and heartbroken will likely sit at home listening to music that encompasses their grief, rather than spending a night out on the town.
Experts say there’s a good reason why sad songs take precedence over happy lyrics, arguing they can heal a broken heart.
A 2022 study published in Psychology today revealed that sad music can help people experiencing heartbreak find joy and hope in life again, activate empathy and improve their mood.
“We will all have had our hearts broken, or probably will in the future. And in these times you may be listening to more sad music,” Dr. Douglas LaBier, an industrial psychologist who wrote the study, told Deezer.
“Listening to sad songs – like many of the songs revealed by Deezer’s streaming data – can ease heartbreak by letting go of the preoccupation with your sadness,” he continued.
“It can help you resonate with your feelings of despair that you will never heal from your broken heart.” Embracing the reality of your experience can point the way to healing actions.”
Research also shows that people feel pressured by Valentine’s Day, feeling like they have to be romantic, go on a date or act like the holiday is meaningful to them, according to a 2020 study from the dating app Enough fish.
The survey found that 43 percent of respondents thought Valentine’s Day was the most popular holiday and that one in five respondents wished the holiday could be canceled altogether.
In light of last year’s most popular music choices, Deezer releases a ‘Love Channel’ to celebrate all love connections, not just the romantic ones.
The songs will focus on self-love after heartbreak, and on celebrating best friends, parents, grandparents and colleagues.
Professor Jane Edwards told Deezer that it’s important to celebrate self-love after romantic disappointment, especially at this time of year.
“It can help you connect with your emotional state and even intensify feelings to achieve a kind of emotional release,” she said.