Whether or not you celebrate, whether you find it sweet or mawkish, Valentine’s Day is good for one thing — grand, sweeping declarations of love.
Every year as Feb. 14 approaches, many significant others consistently try (to varying degrees) to turn their love lives into a scene from their favorite romantic comedies. Whether they’re channeling Heath Ledger from 10 Things I Hate About You to perform Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” with a full marching band, or evoking the spirit of Say Anything’s John Cusack for a simpler, boombox-assisted rendition of Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes,” Valentine’s Day is the day to tell your partner — and everyone else in their general vicinity — just how much you fancy them.
Naturally, the catalyst for many a romcom romantic gesture is the music that accompanies it. Some love songs are just naturally thought of in moments like this — Taylor Swift’s “Love Story,” Beyoncé’s “Love on Top,” Bruno Mars’ “Just the Way You Are” and John Legend’s “All of Me” come to mind as perfect soundtracks for Valentine’s Day romanticism.
But what about artists from the LGBTQ community? In the extensive history of romcoms, queer folks don’t usually get to have their voices represented when it comes to the saccharine storytelling genre — so why not show your support by tracklisting your Valentine’s Day with songs from a community that often finds itself left out of the proceedings?
Below, Billboard lists 20 loves songs performed by LGBTQ artist for you to jam out to this Valentine’s Day.
