Editor’s Note: The songs were chosen for their embodiment of romance (or lack thereof) by The Reflector editors.

Best Romantic Songs:

“Closer” By: Nine Inch Nails
Adam Kazery
If you’re a hopeless romantic like myself, nothing beats a good love song. And when it comes to love songs, there’s none more romantic than “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails. The Downward Spiral is the most romantic album one could ask for. Next time you have an evening alone with your special someone, try setting the mood with dinner, an ice cold bottle of the cheapest wine you can get your hands on and “Closer” blaring from the hi-fi.
Your date will know you’ve got style and sophistication when she hears Trent Reznor’s soothing vocals at a volume that’ll have your neighbors clamoring to phone in a noise complaint. Even Starkville’s finest law enforcement will appreciate Reznor’s tasteful dropping of the f-bomb. When they get to your door, turn it up even louder, flail around and sing along, wine bottle in hand. After you regain consciousness from the repeated Tazing, you’ll remember this magical evening fondly.
“Nobody But You” By: Langhorne Slim
Carl Carbonell
This is undoubtedly my favorite love song ever written, not to mention one of my favorite all-around songs in general. There are a plethora of Langhorne songs that I would deem worthy of the “Best Valentine Song,” but I chose this one for a specific reason. Of course, it has the charm of Langhorne’s tacky-yet-loveable voice that all of his songs do, but this song is written from the perspective of a man who just quite simply loves a girl.
It’s not dramatic. It’s not over the top. It’s not mushy. It’s honest. The song is about being willing to give up all the fluff of life (boots, money, guitars, suits and televisions, according to Langhorne) simply to be able to bask in the glory of loving his lovely gal. On a deeper level, it’s about sacrificial love and nothing else. And that is the best kind of love there is in my book.

Best Break-up Songs:

“Angel of Death” By: Slayer
Carl Carbonell
Not that you need to know why someone would pick a Slayer song for “Worst Valentine Song,” but I’ll go ahead and tell you anyway. I’ll start by saying that I think Slayer is awesome. Now that that’s out of the way, the song “Angel of Death” is one of the most lyrically disturbing songs I’ve ever heard in my life. The song is essentially a recap of the Holocaust, which I believe to be quite possible the most unromantic event in the history of the world.
In the midst of my appreciation of Slayer I must say that outside of irony’s sake, there’s not a single Slayer song that I would be so bold as to label appropriate for Valentine’s Day (or any other romantic occasion for that matter). And I think Slayer would be very proud to hear that I feel that way. But to each his own.
“Miserable” By: Lit
Ariel Nachtigal
When my first relationship ended in the dumps, I had a hard time trying to express how I felt about the end. While stumbling blindly through my music collection one day I found a perfect song to embody the breakup mood I was in. Lit’s album “A Place in the Sun” Track 04. “Miserable.”
The lyrics embodied the feelings of loss and confusion that I was experiencing. Everybody has gone through that one relationship that ran them through the emotional wringer and made you swear off all future possibilities of love. Not only does this song contain most of the feelings that I associate with broken promises, but made it easier to forget the mess I was in and move on. Now thankfully, I am happily married and the song only a memory of the bad stuff now gone.