Listen to These Dallas-Made Love Songs This Valentine's Day

As contrived as it all may be, Valentine’s Day always manages to provoke the deepest feelings in us. If you’re in a relationship, consider it a day of celebration, albeit one with an unnecessary degree of pressure on you and your partner. If you’re single, well, that can suck.

Feelings like those, in all their forms, are the basis for a vast majority of all the music ever released. This Valentine’s, we’re keeping it local and highlighting songs by Dallas artists who aren’t immune to the love bug. Our music writers, Simon Pruitt, Desiree Gutierrez and Sean Stroud picked out some of their favorite local love songs. Some are cute. Some are raunchy. The best ones are somewhere in between. Listen for yourself and find out.

"American Denim" by Sam Cormier

Every Sam Cormier show could double as a masterclass on connecting with an audience. The Dallas-based singer/songwriter is quietly building an unimpeachable reputation as one of the most reliable acts in town. Released on streaming in 2022, “American Denim” remains his signature output to date, a yearning ballad that frames his desire for another as a sort of inevitability.

Cormier’s writing reaches its emotional crescendo during its sonic nadir, with the line “You make me want to take up smoking/ What good are my lungs/ When you’re staring I stop breathing” springing on the listener during a slow interlude towards the end of the song. It’s that sort of songwriting that sticks in the hearts of an audience, and it propels Cormier to sticking around in the scene for years to come. Simon Pruitt

“I Can’t Forget Him” by Kameron Ross

Dallas stans country heartthrob Kameron Ross. He has the accolades to prove it. Ross recently took home the Dallas Entertainment Award trophy for Best Country Act for the second year in a row. His latest single “I Can’t Forget Him” is a heartstring-tugging love song about the one you just can’t let go. If you’re trying to win that special someone back, let them know they are still on your mind by putting this song in Instagram stories. If you’re really down bad, give it a permanent spot on the grid. Desiree Gutierrez

“EYA” by Louie TheSinger

Louie TheSinger isn’t playing games. The UMG Nashville country singer is not only setting a precedent for Latin country singers but setting standards for asking exactly what you want. And Louie ... well, we will let him say it himself: “They wanna whine and dine ya, I'm tryna 69 ya/ They wanna kneel in front ya, I'd rather be behind ya / They try to blind you with their cash, I just wanna eat you / Never mind that, we'll get to all that,” he sings in his single “EYA.” And yes, “EYA” does mean what you think it means.

Take a note out of Louie’s book and tell them how it is by dedicating “EYA” to your valentine today. DG

"Lovinaires" by Sarah Johnson

Longtime DFW Americana songwriter Sarah Johnson took as big a swing as ever last Valentine’s Day. Lovinaires is a sweetly Western-tinged track with lyrics as catchy as they are borderline ironic, making for a song that’s just so lovely on the day of love that you just can’t help but love it: “If I had a penny for every kiss/ It’d be a full-time job with benefits They can have their things/ I don’t care/ Baby we’ll be Lovinaires”

Bonus points for the accompanying colorful music video featuring an array of homemade Valentine’s props made by Johnson herself, and for the "Lovinaires" release party that was "singles only." SP

“Bonnie & Clyde” by Alexandra

Time ain’t nothing but a number. Dedicate “Bonnie & Clyde” to that finance bro you just met at Skellig. Valentine’s Day fell on a Friday. You’ve had a hard week. We won't judge you. This is the meet-cute love song with frivolous whimsy that makes you wanna risk it all. Written over a bottle of wine, Alexandra’s top hit is one for the heartfelt lovers who can’t help but be jaded by whirlwind romanticism. They may not be the one, but they’re the one for right now. DG

"Easy Love" by Rosemont Kings

Lead singer Kraig Loyd dedicates “Easy Love” to all the couples in the crowd each time the Oak Cliff-based funk band plays it. From the opening guitar strums, the groovy keyboard, the brass riff that follows it and Loyd’s voice behind swelling background vocals, this song just sounds like a date night, and one that’s going perfectly. There’s a reason the band chose “Easy Love” to be the lead single on their eponymous 2023 debut, and their live chops are all the more reason we keep dancing to it. SP

"Bonnie Lee" by Texicana

“Bonnie Lee” is a bright, spirited song about someone finding real love for the first time. Chris J Norwood’s guitar pushes the track forward as Dev Wulf sings gently, weaving pictures of innocent adolescent love. The track’s use of harmonica adds a layer of warmth and nostalgia over top like hot fudge on a double-scoop sundae. Sean Stroud

"I Just Wanna Believe in Love Again (Live)" by TJ Novak

TJ Novak is putting in a Herculean effort to bring back the live album, so there are technically three versions of this song, but they all kick ass. The live versions showcase Novak’s iconic spacey wah pedal prowess as he sings about his desire to give love another try, despite his less-than-stellar past experiences. Admittedly, most of the song is just the band rocking out and taking turns showing off their chops, but when it comes to love, who needs words anyway? SS

"All I Need to Hear" by Mitchell Ferguson

This Matthew Healy-approved The 1975 cover slows down the original to draw out the heartbreak and desperation behind the lyrics. Mitchell Ferguson pours his soul into every word sung over a slow, twangy acoustic guitar while a steel guitar crows far off in the background. It's one of those bittersweet love songs that's agonizing to listen to in the best way.