head over heels
*Tears for Fears plays softly in the background*
happy Valentine’s Day! whether you engage with this feature on the day of love or at a later date, the sentiments of the head over heels playlist are evergreen. this installment of a filmless score comprises many of my all-time favorite songs. what more can i say? i was born on a Friday, AKA Venus Day. i’m a romantic with glowing hearts in my eyes, who’s often seen the world through rose-colored glasses. though the playlist title speaks for itself, i’ll take this opportunity to define the concept of being “head over heels”: it’s an idiom where the words “in love” are usually implied at the end.
picture this: you’re so infatuated with the object of your affection, the rug’s been pulled out from under your feet (perhaps literally and metaphorically), and you’ve just accepted your topsy-turvy fate.
even though the main plot of a filmless score focuses on the love story between the bad boy love interest and the femme next door, there are a few subplots that reflect the sentiments of the posse. when we last interacted with our cast during the party and the after party, there were multiple love stories, affairs, and entanglements in development. so far, we know that some characters are still hesitant to trust based on their previous relationships. yet, the bad boy love interest and the femme next door are eschewing these feelings because this dynamic is unlike anything they’ve ever experienced.
at 4 hours long, head over heels is one of the longest playlists because it represents the central narrative. i’ve organized the playlist into categories that reflect various stages of being in love, many of them named after other songs. while curating this playlist, i realized just how often the phrase “head over heels” is used in popular media—it was almost as if i developed a keen awareness to dial in on the sentiment wherever it appeared.
i should note that this playlist features a few repeat appearances from artists we may have been introduced to in earlier installments (or they have multiple songs on this specific playlist), including Adi Oasis, Leven Kali, Juto, Radiant Children, COSIMA, Steve Lacy, and more. head over heels features 67 tracks1, but i’ve only embedded about half of them for the sake of time and space. enjoy!
title tracks
my soul understood “Head Over Heels” by Tears for Fears before i even embraced it as one of my favorites. the song perfectly encapsulates taking a chance when it comes to love, no matter what the end result may be. featuring a brooding librarian as the love interest (and a chimpanzee cameo), the accompanying video is very much of its time. but i think we’ve already established my fondness for the 1980s and its baked-in quirkiness.
“I'm lost in admiration, could I need you this much?”2
“HEAD OVER!” by ROMderful and MLLN is a jazzy R&B track that reminds me of a warm sunny day, like a late spring afternoon that previews summer’s imminent arrival.
heartfelt covers
Kara Jackson’s cover of “Right, Wrong or Ready” by Karen Dalton nearly brings me to tears every time i listen to it. the video has that pristine dreamy quality that we’ve already established matches the femme next door’s inner world.
“I could have told him about the morning
The daylight always dawning
I could have told him that he'd be resting on my mind
He stays on my mind”3
Kelsey Lu’s cover of “I’m Not In Love” (originally by 10cc) is for the character who still can’t get over their ex or the one who's in denial about the feelings they’re developing. yet another beautifully haunting video—be warned that it is NSFW.
“I'm not in love so don't forget it
It's just a silly phase I'm going through
And just because I call you up
Don't get me wrong, don't think you've got it made”4
lovesick
titled after Jerome Thomas’ 2019 track of the same name (featured on the playlist)
featuring: songs about being lovedrunk, addicted to love, love jones, feeling intoxicated by someone’s presence, never getting over someone who you thought was THE ONE—you get the point.
Tei Shi’s “Addict” describes a character who keeps running back to a lover out of familiarity.
“Keep thinkin' about
When you say to me
Love is not a temporary thing to me
I've been wonderin' too”5
“Masterpiece” by SAULT is one of the greatest love songs i’ve ever had the pleasure of discovering. it’s a modern song with a retro soul quality—what’s not to love? i think the following lyrics also overlap with the “star-crossed” category further in this curation.
“If I wait any longer, my heart will bleed
Can't spend my whole life in a lucid dream
When my friends tell me that I got a love disease
'Cause I said I won't live if I have to do life
Without you”6
Leven Kali’s bluesy R&B ballad “EEK” describes meeting someone and pouring out all of your feelings about a past romance after one too many drinks. very clever of him to slightly slur his words before singing “what’s in this drink?” 7 the video is shot in a hazy, kaleidoscopic visual effect that i’ve always been fond of.
“Idol Eyes” by Common Saints has not loosened its grip on me for the past five or so years. i’m sure y’all can tell that i love songs that sound like they should be paired with magical trips and smoke-filled rooms. this one in particular might be a retroactive soundtrack for the 1960s “free love” movement—the chorus is all about making love and getting high. if any of our characters go home with more than one person, “Idol Eyes” will play in the background.
“Forget discrimination ‘cause we’re made of the same
Everybody’s loving ain’t no time to make names
Oh, we got the feeling and forever remains
Flying altogether on an orbital plane”8
see also: “Soulmate (Heartstrings)” by MMYYKK.
inside my love
titled after Minnie Riperton’s 1975 track of the same name (not featured in the playlist, but my favorite song of hers is highlighted below)
physical connection is one thing, our souls intertwining takes things to a whole other level. featuring: songs that describe an intense union and shacking up—somebody get the U-Haul!
“Baby, This Love I Have” by Minnie Riperton got its fair share of plays when i hosted a radio show in college. this song is for the character who doesn’t always get their words across as clearly as they desire, but their lover feels the immense passion emanating from their spirit. this is actually the last song on the playlist because it sentimentally leads us into the next installment titled alone, together.
“Things I say and do may not come clear through
My words may not convey just what I'm feeling
But I, I hope you'll recognize what's right before your eyes
Oh, your heart should realize
From where I'm dealing”9
with an assist from Jai Paul, Fabiana Palladino confirms that she’s ready for commitment on the stirring single “I Care.”
Surely Shirley’s “Honeymoon Island” has a fittingly kitschy video to match its retro-tinged sound. of course, our characters hope that the honeymoon phase never ends, but fate may have other plans.
“Sighing, the waves they are crying, this love is defying, two hearts on the line”10
see also: “N Side” by Steve Lacy; “Gear” by Ivan Ave; “I Want You Around” by Snoh Aalegra; “At My House” by Yellow Days; “This Could Be Forever” by Haich Ber Na; “This Is For the Lover in You” by Shalamar.
you’re my latest, my greatest inspiration
titled after Teddy Pendergrass’ 1981 ballad of the same name (not featured on the playlist)
featuring: songs about the type of love that inspires you to be a better version of yourself, expressing full-blown admiration, and seeing the possibilities of a bright future while staring into someone else’s eyes (and if things turn out too good to be true, let’s allow the characters to enjoy this momentary bliss, okay?!?)
Greentea Peng’s “Dingaling” interpolates lyrics from “African Queen” by 2Baba, which I recall being prominently featured in the film Phat Girlz starring Monique.
“You are my African queen
The girl of my dreams
You take me where I've never been
You make my heart go ding-a-ling-a
Ding-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling”11
the split-screen motif returns in the video for “Rampant Wild Free” by Noah Slee. this is another visual that overlaps with the sentiments of the after party and the posse as characters stock up on refreshments at the local convenience store. lyrically, the song describes passion that defies time, gravity, and common sense.
“Never ever ever ever felt this way so fast (3x)
Rampant wild free,
'Cause I want you”12
“The Purple Bottle” by Animal Collective is among my top 5 favorite songs of all-time (but who’s actually counting?). sonically, it’s a clusterf*ck. emotionally, it resonates as a reminder that love always prevails. it also matches the moment when characters are ready to take things to the next level—defining the relationship, moving in together, meeting each other’s families (if they didn’t already do the latter prematurely during the after party).
“I've got a big, big, big heartbeat, yeah!
I think you are the sweetest thing
I wear a coat of feelings and they are loud
I've been having good days
Think we are the right age to start our own peculiar ways?
With good friendly homes”13
Sampha can do no wrong in my eyes. the lyrics of “Suspended” are introduced immediately as the song begins, so he wastes no time expressing how he feels. overall, the song is an airy electronic groove that captures a whirlwind romance. perhaps it matches the moment where a character catches themselves reminiscing about what could have been, but prepares to embrace what’s ahead in the realm of love.
“Suspended
I've been lifted by her love
I fell lifted from above”14
for our main characters, “Light Work” by Elmiene makes falling in love sound easy. after a series of relationship fails, the love dynamic expressed in this song is like a breath of fresh air.
“It's light work, baby
Light work, baby (I need you, oh, I need you)
(There's nothing heavy 'bout this love, girl, it's light for me)”15
see also: “I Saw the Light” by Todd Rundgren; “Rare” by Radiant Children.
can’t get you outta my head
inspired by Kylie Minogue’s standout hit from 2001 (not featured on the playlist)
the category title speaks for itself. this love is the only thing on one’s mind.
marking her second appearance in this series, COSIMA really embodies the archetype of the femme next door in the “Somebody!” visualizer. in the visual, she appears romantic, soft, and flirty. lyrically, she’s also reflecting the inner monologue of a character who’s obsessing over whether this new romance will be a summer fling or a long-term thing. all her friends are saying “girl, get outta your head and let love in!”
“You, you're looking out on life
With this half stopped heart and your half empty eyes
You never get a thing that you want or like
And then he walks right in in his yellow shorts and he kisses you (wow!)
And when he kisses you
Crying feels like something that you only ever used to do”16
i’ve previously described Sunni Colón as someone whose music epitomizes the essence of this developing story. on “Dream About You All Through The Night,” it’s as if we get the counternarrative of the lover from COSIMA’s song, confessing that he DOES want this to be a forever thing.
“Don't you know by now
I wanna be your last
Fascinated by you
I dream about you all through the night”17
you may recall that “Homebody” by Juto was featured in the contextual coming of age playlist. now, we return to the latter part of the following video, featuring the song “Options.” yet again, one of our masculine love interests provides reassurance that he’s right where he wants to be.
“If I wanted anyone else I could get em but I only want you”18
on a groovy and sincere note, the video for “LAVA” by Still Woozy finds the singer dancing in the rain. the bad boy love interest’s friends can tell he’s got the love jones real bad. whenever his lover is out of sight, he’s distracted by thoughts of her.
“You never leave my mind (c'mon)
Why would you have to go?
You couldn't be the kind
I could ever outgrow”19
see also: “Stuck in My Head” by Adi Oasis; “Thinking About You” by Faye Webster; “Psychic” by Arin Ray; “The Boy” by Rochelle Jordan; “Out of Me Head” by Steve Lacy.
i’m sprung!
titled after T-Pain’s debut single from 2005 (not featured on the playlist)
SALIMATA is the type of fly, braggadocious female rapper that i would love to have a cameo in this hypothetical film—perhaps in the femme next door’s posse or as the slightly older sister or cousin they all look up to. on her song “Sprung” featuring Peyton, she expresses her desires and acknowledges the mutual feelings of her love interest.
“Not what I've said, but since we on the discussion
I like to wake up to the day with some kissin' and lovin'
A pretty nickel since we mingled, this is simple eruption
I beg your pardon, I didn't mean to get your feelings erupted
You like the way I be stuntin', I think your stunts really cool”20
“Gold Filigree” by Yves Jarvis describes a love so good, you wanna put a ring on it.
“Making love to the highest degree
I need to get you some jewelry”21
“Enough!!” by A Tribe Called Quest is an erotically-charged track that resurrects the essence of “Bonita Applebum,” another one of my top 5 favorite songs of all-time. admittedly, i giggle when Q-Tip says, “that’s old n***a jargon.”22 our characters are all in age-appropriate romances, but there may be a person among the posse that needs to dust off their lingo because it’s been so long since they were “boo’d up” and caking on the phone during cuffing season.
“Is this enough love that I give to you?”23
see also: “Bonafide Love” by Buju Banton featuring Wayne Wonder; “Gravity” by River Tiber; “ken burns” by Ety.
lovefool
titled after The Cardigans’ 1996 rom-com adjacent masterpiece (not featured on the playlist)
“love me, love me, say that you’ll love me!”
loving isn’t foolish, but it can make a fool out of you despite your best efforts.
“Commitment” by Luna Luna is a bilingual love ballad that i will never get over. sure, the song itself is about rumination. but you ever been in love so deep it makes you sing and dance? i wish everyone in the world could hear this song at least once.
“Oh, tell me why
I’m a fool of your commitment
Running too narrow”24
Dreamer Isioma’s “Dumb In Love With You” is sung passionately with a soulful call-and-response, echoing how love can make one feel dazed. in the visual, the singer is an intergalactic traveler racing against the clock to return to the world they originally planned to escape25. kinda sounds like a character who experiences love with others as a tug-of-war, even if the sensation comes as naturally to them as the air they breathe.
“You can have my breath and half heart
But tuck it away you have to guard it
Hold my fears I'll hold yours
I can handle it
I can handle your world
Woah you are my world”26
signaling the band’s second appearance in a filmless score, “Ready 4 the Letdown” by Wet World describes a sapphic character who’s waiting for the other shoe to drop, even as they boldly express their feelings aloud. i love the continuous shot (captured on iPhone 14) that makes us feel like we’re in singer and drummer Steph Barker’s periphery, as she wakes up from what one presumes was a night of passionate love with clothes strewn across the floor.
“Lips so sweet
Got you in my sheets
And I’m on my knees
Tastes like candy”27
see also: “Crazy Stupid Love” by LAUNDRY DAY.
star-crossed
titled after Kacey Musgraves’ 2021 album and its title track (not featured on the playlist)
every romance won’t last the duration of the film. but boy does it feel SO GOOD right now. featuring: songs about the type of love that one would die for, but living for each other is so much more gratifying.
in the video for “Mortal” by Baby Rose, the singer moves in slow motion as the party around her accelerates. visually and thematically, this song exists squarely between the previous installment (the party and the after party) and the next one (alone, together). this is another track that effectively employs call-and-response, the staccato delivery of the chorus sticking firmly to one’s bones.
“And your waves pull me deep underwater (And your waves pull me deep underwater)
I'm getting weak at the thought (I'm getting weak at the thought)
Fall to my knees, here's my offer (Fall to my knees, here's my offer)
You know I am just a mortal
Rather be close than be far from you (Make it easy, ooh)”28
this playlist is full of retro-sounding modern songs, affirming that the sounds of a filmless score are anachronistic to the time period it’s set in. “BB I Would Die” by Marci is a tenderhearted ditty that describes a relentless lover.
“Heavy heart beneath a sigh
Hear my reply
Baby, I would die
Before I tell a lie”29
the video for Vince Staples’ “When Sparks Fly” has a hazy blue hue as he rests his head on a gorgeous woman’s lap. in this narrative, love becomes a protective mechanism from outside forces. this is definitely a moment that reflects a character’s inner monologue—the world moves around him as he solemnly raps from the park bench they both recline on.
see also: “DNR” by MICHELLE; “Collect” by Pretty Boy Aaron featuring Luna Luna and Family Reunion; “romeo & juliet” by agajon featuring Ninja Kidsoul.
show me how
titled after Men I Trust’s viral 2018 single (not featured on the playlist)
love is gonna learn you something today. featuring: songs where a lover leans on their other half for instruction and confirmation that this was meant to be.
with “Teach Me,” Reuben James is an attentive student of love as he requests that a lover shows him the kind of bliss they can experience together. he’s mesmerized by what he discovers.
“Make this night unforgettable (now you've got me started)
The way you move is incredible (tell me what you want me to do)
Sweet caress we're unstoppable (look at how you've got me)
And I can see you an animal (tell me what you want me to do)”30
“Tell Meeeee” and “Tell Meeee Again” by Salami Rose Joe Louis are brief tracks, where one appears earlier in the playlist, and the other represents a reprise later on. in the film, the first track would be featured as a union grows stronger, whereas “…Again” would show up as an intimate scene transitions to the next.
“Tell me
Whatever you may need
You know I am your love”31
see also: “Show Me” by Mac Ayres; “Day By Day” by Amaria; “What It Means to Love” by The South Hill Experiment.32
take off your cool
titled after André 3000 and Norah Jones’ stunning duet from 2003 (not on the playlist)
“baby take off your cool, i wanna see you”
featuring: songs about baring one’s soul (and/or body) that remind me of Silk’s timeless lyric, “there’s a meeting in my bedroom, so girl please don’t be late.” (i know, i’ve got song references for DAYS).
accented by a funky bassline, “Naked” by Adi Oasis featuring Leven Kali gets right to the heart of the matter. the video repeats the kaleidoscopic 1970s aesthetic that defined Leven Kali’s “EEK” earlier in the playlist, proof that this is a match made in melodic heaven.
“I wanna see you naked (I wanna see you naked)
I wanna meet the real you, tell me how you feel, boo
I wanna see you naked (I wanna see you naked)
Maybe we can have a drink, too, bring that champagne through
I wanna see you naked (Ooh, ooh-yeah, yеah-yeah)
Skin to skin until the sunrise all night”33
“Pressure” by Milk & Bone is another song that doesn’t hesitate with the lyrics being introduced immediately upon pressing play. this track swells with emotion and unrelenting passion, a hint that lovemaking won’t cease anytime soon.
“You're like good water pressure
In a cold rainy summer
I can feel in my fingers
All the lust
In the comfort of your bed sheets
Is this your heartbeat?
Or is it mine?”34
see also: “Send Nudes” by Warpaint.
i’ll conclude with a song that’s not widely available on streaming but holds a special place in my heart. “Jon B” by abhi//dijon is named after the “blue-eyed soul” crooner who left his mark on R&B in the 1990s. the song itself finds Dijon spinning the block on a romance of the past—let’s hope for the bad boy love interest’s sake that the femme next door’s ex stays in the rearview mirror.
“And I just drove by your block
And it reminds me
Sneaking to your folks
Past midnight listening to Jon B
Hoping that they don't wake up
Hoping that they don't catch us”35
head over heels: the playlist
i have discontinued my use of Spotify (for many reasons, but mainly because i don’t actually use it for streaming). moving forward, these playlists will be available exclusively on Apple Music and YouTube.
prior sync placements
according to Tunefind, 7 songs on the playlist had existing sync placements in film & television. check out each link to see which shows or movies they appeared in.
the YouTube playlist has 69 tracks to account for two songs that aren’t available on streaming elsewhere.
timestamp 0:21, which corresponds with the actual song, not the featured two-part video.
the space theme is fitting as the performance is attributed to their band, The Celestials!
i would also include “Key to Love (Is Understanding),” a cover by BadBadNotGood featuring Jonah Yano, in this section, though i only thought of featuring it shortly before publishing. perhaps i will add the song to another installment for further exploration.