100 Best Modern Love Songs (2023)

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A broad spectrum of concepts and ideas are conveyed with modern love songs. The many shades of love are essayed through lyrical stories in songs from different genres. The different aspects associated with love and relationships are showcased in a deeply emotive manner. What makes these songs special is the thought process that goes into establishing a deeper meaning.

The list below showcases a collection of modern love songs from different genres. If love is your thing, you will have a view, opinion, or song suggestion. Feel free to pour out your heart and mind in the comments section.

Top 10 Best Modern Love Songs

1. “Let Somebody Go”—Coldplay featuring Selena Gomez

2. “Willow”—Taylor Swift

3. “A Thousand Years”—Christina Perri

4. “Drivers License”—Olivia Rodrigo

5. “Positions”—Ariana Grande

6. “All of Me”—John Legend

7. “Someone Like You”—Adele

8. “Beg For You”—Charli XCX featuring Rina Sawayama

9. “Thinking Out Loud”—Ed Sheeran

10. “Just the Way You Are”—Bruno Mars

What Are Modern Love Songs?

Modern love songs are ballads that incorporate a wide genre of attributes associated with love. While traditional love songs emphasize more on the feeling of being in love or falling in love, contemporary love songs showcase the intensity of thoughts, feelings, and emotions associated with heart and mind.

The joy and sadness experienced in different phases of a relationship is brought to life with a complex range of sentiments in these songs. Both positive emotions and negative emotions associated with love are portrayed in a thoughtfully engaging manner.

The behaviors characterized by intimacy, passion, attraction, and infatuation are represented metaphorically or literally. Certain ballads share private thoughts, feelings, and desires in a confessional storytelling format. These songs highlight the vulnerability of people in love.

New age love is portrayed through diverse perspectives by singers and songwriters. Aside from feelings of euphoria, happiness, satisfaction, and excitement, new love songs also explore the dark side of relationships that stem through jealousy, anger, suspicion, obsession, and guilt.

#11—20

11. “Hello”—Adele

12. “Ocean Eyes”—Billie Eilish

13. “Love Me like You Do”—Ellie Goulding

14. “Perfect”—Ed Sheeran

15. “Hold My Hand”—Lady Gaga

16. “One Call Away”—Charlie Puth

17. “Let Me Love You”—DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber

18. “Halo”—Beyonce

19. “Senorita”—Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello

20. “Love Me Harder”—Ariana Grande and The Weeknd

How Is Love Showcased in Songs?

Different avatars associated with love are showcased in songs in a riveting manner. While a number of singers and songwriters depict aspects of happiness, trust, communication, forgiveness, commitment, and affection, in songs about love, certain musicians display a lovelorn lament that comes forth through unrequited love.

These songs are angst-filled stories of how thoughts interfere with a person’s ability to lead a normal life. While positive feelings of love are displayed with theatrically exaggerated overtones, negative feelings are showcased in a brutally honest manner in modern love songs.

The perils of a troubled state of mind are explained with a dark and somber perspective in sad love songs. These songs reveal startling facts about toxic relationships and breakups. The pleas and cries of begging someone to come back are exquisitely exhibited in songs about breakups.

The myriad ways in which one professes love for someone is expressed with emotional heartfelt desire in songs. The impact of love at various levels in a relationship are essayed in a thoughtfully enigmatic way in new age love songs. The pitfall of falling madly in love with someone is that it might not end well. This brings up the dark side of love.

#21—40

21. “Please Me”—Cardi B and Bruno Mars

22. “Anyone”—Justin Bieber

23. “I Don’t Want to Live Forever”—Zayn featuring Taylor Swift

24. “You Are the Reason”—Callum Scott

25. “Shallow”—Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper

26. “Forever After All”—Luke Combs

27. “Love on the Brain”—Rihanna

28. “Kiss Me More”—Doja Cat featuring SZA

29. “Love Someone”—Lukas Graham

30. “Speechless”—Dan + Shay

31. “Falling”—Trevor Daniel

32. “Better”—Khalid

33. “One Kiss”—Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa

34. “I’m Yours”—Jason Mraz

35. “Love”—Kendrick Lamar

36. “Adore You”—Harry Styles

37. “Follow You”—Imagine Dragons

38. “We Belong Together”—Mariah Carey

39. “Finally // Beautiful Stranger”—Halsey

40. “Little Things”—One Direction

Modern Love Songs vs. Traditional Love Songs

Unlike traditional love songs that emphasize on fixed concepts about love and romance, modern love songs encompass a broader spectrum of attributes associated with the same.

Traditional love songs incorporate a slow tempo throughout the song, while new love songs may combine a mix of slow tempo, mid-tempo and uptempo in their scheme of things. While traditional love songs are tailor made for slow dance, the beats of new age ballads are suited for both slow dance and club-friendly dance moves.

Modern love songs are known to incorporate diverse sounds and instrumentation as opposed to traditional ballads that opt for calibrated beats and instrumentation. Balladry in new age love songs exhibit a plethora of emotive elements associated with love and relationships while the same in traditional love songs emphasize on singular aspects.

Electronic sounds combined with acoustic rhythms, breathy-hushed style vocals, and falsettos form an integral part of the modern love ballads.

#41—60

41. “Young and Beautiful”—Lana Del Rey

42. “Hit Different”—SZA featuring Ty Dolla Sign

43. “I Love Me”—Demi Lovato

44. “Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart”—Alicia Keys

45. “Shape of You”—Ed Sheeran

46. “Love Lies”—Khalid and Normani

47. “When You’re Gone”—Shawn Mendes

48. “Done for Me”—Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani

49. “Trip”—Ella Mai

50. “Best Thing I Never Had”—Beyonce

51. “Me & You Together Song”—The 1975

52. “I Love You”—Billie Eilish

53. “Mirrors”—Justin Timberlake

54. “Lose You to Love Me”—Selena Gomez

55. “Sunflower”—Post Malone and Swae Lee

56. “Need You Now”—Lady Antebellum

57. “The Scientist”—Coldplay

58. “You’re Beautiful”—James Blunt

59. “Chasing Cars”—Snow Patrol

60. “Good Old Days”—Macklemore featuring Kesha

Themes in New Age Love Songs

Themes in new age love songs are rather diverse. While the centrifugal element in these songs is associated with love, a wide-spectrum of alternative attributes are brought to life with secondary themes. Certain themes are essayed with a broader understanding of a deeper meaning through conflicting aspects of love and relationships. New age love songs employ varying levels of dramatism, melodrama, and reality with themes, concepts and ideas.

#61—80

61. “No Air”—Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown

62. “Let Her Go”—Passenger

63. “Someone You Loved”—Lewis Capaldi

64. “Jar of Hearts”—Christina Perri

65. “Irreplaceable”—Beyonce

66. “Never Be the Same”—Camila Cabello

67. “Stuck with U”—Ariana Grande featuring Justin Bieber

68. “Too Little Too Late—JoJo

69. “Bleeding Love”—Leona Lewis

70. “Somebody That I Used To Know”—Gotye

71. “What If I Told You That I Love You”—Ali Gatie

72. “Already Gone”—Kelly Clarkson

73. “Nobody Wants to Be Lonely”—Ricky Martin with Christina Aguilera

74. “Fetish”—Selena Gomez featuring Gucci Mane

75. “Lover”—Taylor Swift

76. “Heartless—Kanye West

77. “Stay”—Rihanna

78. “Nobody but You”—Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani

79. “Beautiful”—Christina Aguilera

80. “Easy on Me”—Adele

#81—100

81. “Let Me Love You”—Mario

82. “Stay with Me”—Calvin Harris, Justin Timberlake, Halsey, and Pharrell Williams

83. “Dilemma”—Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland

84. “Yellow”—Coldplay

85. “When I Was Your Man”—Bruno Mars

86. “Soon You’ll Get Better”—Taylor Swift

87. “Underneath It All”—No Doubt featuring Lady Saw

88. “You and Me”—Lifehouse

89. “Too Much to Ask”—Niall Horan

90. “Lost Without U”—Robin Thicke

91. “Use Somebody”—Kings of Leon

92. “Scars to Your Beautiful”—Alessia Cara

93. “Like I’m Gonna Lose You”—Meghan Trainor featuring John Legend

94. “Wrecking Ball”—Miley Cyrus

95. “U Got It Bad”—Usher

96. “There’s No Holdin’ Me Back”—Shawn Mendes

97. “Cool”—Gwen Stefani

98. “Story of My Life”—One Direction

99. “Just Give Me a Reason”—Pink featuring Nate Ruess

100. “With You”—Chris Brown

Other Notable Modern Love Songs

“My Eyes”—Blake Shelton
“Intentions”—Justin Bieber featuring Quavo
“Delicate”—Taylor Swift
“To Die For”—Sam Smith
“Fingers Crossed”—Lauren Spencer-Smith
“With a Woman You Love”—Justin Moore
“Afterglow”—Ed Sheeran
“Exile”—Taylor Swift
“Talk About Love”—Zara Larsson featuring Young Thug
“When the Party’s Over”—Billie Eilish
“Conversations in the Dark”—John Legend
“Crazy What Love Can Do”—David Guetta, Becky Hill and Ella Henderson
“Butterflies”—Kacey Musgraves
“Solo”—Clean Bandit featuring Demi Lovato
“You Proof”—Morgan Wallen
“Let Me Down Slowly”—Alec Benjamin featuring Alessia Cara
“Back to You”—Selena Gomez
“Love Galore”—SZA featuring Travis Scott
“Powerful”—Major Lazer featuring Ellie Goulding and Tarrus Riley
“Alive”—Sia
“Vibez”—Zyan
“This Feeling”—The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini
“Adore You”—Miley Cyrus
“Body Party”—Ciara
“Miles Away”—Madonna
“Beautiful Crazy”—Luke Combs
“Heaven”—Julia Michaels
“In Case You Didn’t Know”—Brett Young
“Stay”—Zedd and Alessia Cara
“Beneath Your Beautiful”— Labrinth featuring Emeli Sande
“Count on Me”—Bruno Mars
“Into You”—Ariana Grande
“Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)”—Gary Allan
“Hero”—Enrique Iglesias
“Gotta Be You”—One Direction
“How You Remind Me”—Nickelback
“Heartbeat”—Carrie Underwood
“Sweet Creature”—Harry Styles
“Come A Little Closer”—Dierks Bentley
“Fire We Make”—Alicia Keys and Maxwell
“The Heart Wants What It Wants”—Selena Gomez
“Body Like a Back Road”—Sam Hunt
“Love Yourself”—Justin Bieber
“Ugly”—Sugababes
“Kiss It Better”—Rihanna
“Love”—Lana Del Rey
“I’m With You”—Avril Lavigne
“Stay”—Post Malone
“Just a Kiss”—Lady Antebellum
“Illegal”—Shakira
“If I Were a Boy”—Beyonce

“One Last Time”—Ariana Grande
“Still Falling for You”—Ellie Goulding
“Grenade”—Bruno Mars
“The One That Got Away”—Katy Perry
“Used to Love You”—Gwen Stefani
“Stickwitu”—The Pussycat Dolls
“Better Together”—Jack Johnson
“This Love”—Taylor Swift
“Somebody Else”—The 1975
“Loved Me Back to Life”—Celine Dion
“Secret Love Song”—Little Mix
“Lost Boy”—Ruth B.
“Maps”—Yeah Yeah Yeahs
“I Want You”—Janet Jackson
“Just a Fool”—Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton
“I Choose You”—Sara Bareilles
“Battlefield”—Jordin Sparks
“Takin’ Back My Love”—Enrique Iglesias featuring Ciara
“Perfect Storm”—Brad Paisley
“Masterpiece”—Madonna
“Cater 2 U”—Destiny’s Child
“A Thousand Miles”—Venessa Carlton
“Love and War”—Tamar Braxton
“Next to You”—Chris Brown featuring Justin Bieber
“I Hope”—Gaby Barrett
“Just a Dream”—Carrie Underwood
“Again”—Lenny Kravitz
“The Silence”—Alexandra Burke
“Big Girls Don’t Cry”—Fergie
“Skyscraper”—Demi Lovato
“Infinity”—Mariah Carey
“Anything but Mine”—Kenny Chesney
“There You’ll Be”—Faith Hill
“Love Me More”—Sam Smith
“I Never Told You”—Colbie Caillat
“It Will Rain”—Bruno Mars
“Unstoppable”—Sia
“Stay”—Hurts
“Come Away with Me”—Norah Jones
“Say Something”—A Great Big World featuring Christina Aguilera
“Keep It to Yourself”—Kacey Musgraves
“My Boo”—Usher and Alicia Keys
“Wanted”—Hunter Hayes
“It Girl”—Jason Derulo
“Thinkin’ Bout You”—Frank Ocean
“Miss You”—Aaliyah
“Not Like the Movies”—Katy Perry
“Who Are You When I’m Not Looking”—Blake Shelton
“The Truth”—Jason Aldean

“Legends”—Kelsea Ballerini
“Wish You Were Here”—Avril Lavigne
“Til It Happens to You”—Lady Gaga
“Officially Missing You”—Tamia
“Bad Things”—Machine Gun Kelly and Camile Cabelo
“She Never Cried in Front of Me”—Toby Keith
“Photograph”—Ed Sheeran
“Take Your Time”—Sam Hunt
“If This Isn’t Love”—Jennifer Hudson
“Set Fire to the Rain”—Adele
“Get Her Back”—Robin Thicke
“You and I”—One Direction
“Slide Away”—Miley Cyrus
“The Trouble with Love Is”—Kelly Clarkson
“Too Lost in You”—Sugababes
“Make Me”—Britney Spears
“Unforgettable”—Thomas Rhett
“True Love”—Coldplay
“Pretty Wings”—Maxwell
“4 in the Morning”—Gwen Stefani
“Nothing’s Real but Love—Rebecca Ferguson
“The Voice Within”—Christina Aguilera
“Indestructible”—Robyn
“Let Me Go”—Avril Lavigne
“Collide”—Howie Day
“Wide Awake”—Katy Perry
“The Reason”—Hoobastank
“Diamonds”—Rihanna
“Like You’ll Never See Me Again”—Alicia Keys
“I’ll Be Waiting”—Lenny Kravitz
“Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It”—Darius Rucker
“Who You Love”—Katy Perry and John Mayer
“Marry You”—Bruno Mars
“This Is It”—Scotty McCreery
“Distance”—Christina Perri featuring Jason Mraz
“I Stay in Love”—Mariah Carey
“Million Reasons”—Lady Gaga
“What About Us”—Pink
“She Got the Best of Me”—Luke Combs
“Underneath Your Clothes”—Shakira
“Back to Black”—Amy Winehouse
“You Lost Me”—Christina Aguilera
“Spanish Guitar”—Toni Braxton
“Don’t You Wanna Stay”—Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson
“Whatever You Want”—Pink
“It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To”—Billy Currington
“Fix You”—Coldplay
“Two Ghosts”—Harry Styles
“Don’t Let Me Be Lonely”—The Band Perry
“It Was Always You”—Maroon 5

“You All Over Me”—Taylor Swift featuring Maren Morris
“By Your Side”—Sade
“The Climb”—Miley Cyrus
“Perfume”—Britney Spears
“Done for Me”—Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani
“Try”—Pink
“Goodnight Kiss”—Randy Houser
“Something in the Water”—Carrie Underwood
“Try It On My Own”—Whitney Houston
“You’re the One”—Greta Van Fleet
“Sincerity is Scary”—The 1975
“What Now”—Rihanna
“Have You Ever Been in Love”—Celine Dion
“Say You Do”—Dierks Bentley
“Promise”—Ciara
“Think of You”—Chris Young and Cassadee Pope
“No One”—Alicia Keys
“I Won’t Give Up”—Jason Mraz
“Tell Me You Love Me”—Demi Lovato
“Unconditionally”—Katy Perry
“10,000 Hours”—Dan + Shay featuring Justin Bieber
“Heaven Sent”—Keyshia Cole
“I Wanna Be with You”—Mandy Moore
“Love in This Club”—Usher featuring Young Jeezy
“Put a Little Love on Me”—Niall Horan
“Chasin’ You”—Morgan Wallen
“Fight for You”—Jason Derulo
“Thunder”—Leona Lewis
“Everytime”—Britney Spears
“Incredible”—Celine Dion and Ne-Yo
“Blue Jeans”—Lana Del Rey
“1 + 1”—Beyonce
“What Goes Around…Comes Around”—Justin Timberlake
“Stranger in My House”—Tamia
“Trouble”—Leona Lewis
“Back to December”—Taylor Swift
“She’s Everything”—Brad Paisley
“Crave”—Madonna and Swae Lee
“Marry Me”—Thomas Rhett
“Behind These Hazel Eyes”—Kelly Clarkson
“Russian Roulette”—Rihanna
“Trust”—Keyshia Cole and Monica
“When I Met You”—Fantasia
“Next to Me”—Imagine Dragon
“It’s You”—Zayn
“Somewhere with You”—Kenny Chesney
“Caught in a Moment”—Sugababes
“Anything Like Me”—Brad Paisley
“Why”—Jason Aldean
“Show Me Love”—Alicia Keys and Miguel