Lure, Lust and Love

Between working a minimum wage job, hunting for internships and intently waiting to binge the next volume of “Stranger Things,” there is still time to social media stalk that special someone — and/or embark on a spontaneous rendezvous before the summer is over.

Embrace the low stakes that accompany a momentary summer romance, which might just follow a meet-cute,rom-com, “The Notebook”-esque plot.

Here’s a playlist of new and old songs to enhance the fervor of your summer fling (or immerse you vicariously into one). Hopefully the lovestruck paradise you find is not as fleeting as this ten tune list.

“Sparks Fly” by Taylor Swift

Unfortunately, there is no time to wait for a rerecording of Swift’s 2010 album, “Sparks Fly,” to enjoy this track along with a heart-warming, youthful lover for the summer. The twang of Swift’s old country, enunciated singing won’t fail to make you gush — and sing along — to this narrative of a heated burst of lively “sparks.” This song is the antidote to the partner who is “reckless that should send [her] running.” The clouded, yet innocent blinding love encapsulates the hesitancy to pursue a summer fling – knowing it will likely end in … sparks.

“Feels Like” by Gracie Abrams

The early stages of an overwhelming and perhaps unknown territory of romance with the clock ticking are perfectly imagined by this track. It provides the possibility of romance in the merely mundane; Abrams references the cold train leaving Connecticut, matching clothes, playing music on phones and not leaving the apartment. Although these are typical, extravagant elements of a whirlwind romance, these lyrics and rising tempo allow listeners to recognize that “living in a movie [you’ve] watched” could be a culmination of the little things you endear about someone.

“Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer

This timeless 1997 song perfectly transports you into a small-town romance followed by a little rendezvous “beneath the milky twilight … on the moonlit floor.” With the crisp nighttime air and roaming under the moon’s natural sparkle, this tune will surely convince you to give in to your urges to make that move — that kiss — on a special someone.

“Electric Love” by BØRNS

It appears Taylor Swift’s sparks have turned into blazing electricity! The upbeat tempo and electric guitar of this song reflects the singer’s rare luck in finding “lightning in a bottle” (or the love that he has been scouring for); this fiery electricity struck him by surprise and hopefully this spontaneous and unexpected spark lands in your bottle this summer.

“Daylight” by Harry Styles

Styles’ newly released album, “Harry’s House,” illustrates a thoughtful timeline of falling in love and slowly drifting away from that person who once was your metaphorical home. Here, we’ll focus on the honeymoon stage with the fifth track of 13. The running feeling of joyous outbursts throughout this song emphasizes his adoration for his partner in stating that “if I was a bluebird, I would fly to you / You’d be the spoon / Dip you in honey so I could be sticking to you” in the pre-chorus. However, these loving lyrics are interrupted by intense instrumentals that demonstrate the uncontrollable passion for this person — a foreshadowing of the love dwindling. This serotonin-inducing track with a slight hint of trouble is a perfect fit for a fleeting summer fling.

“Perfect” by One Direction

Has that summer fling turned into unrequited love? One Direction has the perfect song for you with the five men pining and attempting to compel their lovers to stay with them by listing boundless possibilities whilstsinging: “And if you like midnight driving with the windows down / And if you like going places we can’t even pronounce / If you like to do whatever you’ve been dreaming about / Then baby, you’re perfect.”

“The Louvre” by Lorde

Traveling abroad or to another city this summer? Lorde,with beautiful imagery and metaphors, will create the backdrop for you and your lover in a picturesque city. Although she overthinks “punctuation use” — as many of us do — and regards herself as a “sweetheart psychopathic crush,” she believes their love is worthy of hanging in the Louvre. The ominous instrumental at the end of the track leaves room for uncertainty — a temporary summer fling.

“Are You Bored Yet?” by the Wallows ft. Clairo

It’s time to ask that looming question. Although it’s sonically dreamy and uplifting imagining a coming-of-age beachside indie movie,the lyrics suggest boredom and insecurity in their romantic partner. A sun-filled lighthearted romance is passionate but it’s implied to last for only a brief moment in time. The track concludes with Dylan Minette and Clairo begging one another to “tell the truth, so [they] don’t have to lie.”

“Die for You” by The Weeknd

As this playlist has been a timeline for falling in love with a summer fling, with pre-cognizance it will end, there is that possibility for the fire to be reignited. Abel’s 2016 R&B pop song is filled with pleas of passion and lust to convince a former lover to return. The tension and tempo build up to a climactic chorus revealing that he would “die for” his lover and that “the distance and the time between [them] / It’ll never change [his] mind.” Whether you’ve cut ties with your summer love who was merely a fling or holding onto the thread of possibility that they’re “the one”, this song will leave you pondering a long time after.

“Altar” by Kehlani

Although Kehlani wrote this song for a love who has passed away, a slightly more optimistic, metaphorical interpretation can be instated for the loss of a summer “love” or fling. Whether it’s the time, place, or circumstance, love can be ephemeral; hence, the singer’s plea to “put [her love] on the altar, stay just a little bit longer.”