14 songs about friendship for your Palentine’s Day playlist

No Valentine? No problem

Even February 14^th can be singles night if you make it so. Rather than spending Valentine’s Day alone, we recommend doing what single people have been doing on this day for years: rounding up your mates and having your own celebration. Soulmates come in many forms, and this holiday is your opportunity to let them know exactly how much you love them. Whether you’re planning a Galentine’s, Palentine’s, or some other variety of forced pun, we’ve rounded up 14 of the best songs about friendship for you to scream in each other’s faces.

‘Told You So’ – Little Mix

We’ve all had to bite our tongues after meeting a friend’s new partner, and we’ve all had to hold them again when the relationship inevitably goes down the drain. They may have missed every red flag, but as Little Mix remind us, true friends never hold this against each other. This stripped-back, guitar-driven track from LM5 will have you swaying with your arms around each other’s shoulders.

‘Count On Me’ – Bruno Mars

Would that guy from Hinge ever sit beside your bed and sing you to sleep? Well, Bruno would. Mars delivers a happy little ode to lifelong friendship in this track that everyone’s attempted to learn on ukulele at some point. (Don’t lie.)

‘I’ll Be There For You’ – The Rembrandts

Such a friendship anthem that it’s literally the theme song of Friends. ‘I’ll Be There For You’ reminds us that real friends are there in the good times and the bad – especially when “your love life’s DOA”. Listen past that uber-familiar first verse and chorus for a surprisingly touching bridge.

‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ – The Beatles

“Are you sad because you’re on your own?” the Beatles ask. No, is the answer – because they have each other. This classic Beatles track acknowledges that the hunt for a romantic partner can be frustrating and at times a little depressing, but it also reminds us that great friends make the whole thing far easier.

‘I’m Only Me When I’m With You’ – Taylor Swift

Back in her country heyday, a teenaged Swift penned this up-tempo track about her hometown friends. It’s earnest, open-hearted and full of love – everything a great Palentine’s Day should be.

‘Umbrella’ – Rihanna ft. Jay-Z

Being single on Valentine’s Day can be a pretty gloomy prospect, but when it’s looking overcast, Rihanna has your back. Her friendships are apparently pretty strictly binding – “Took an oath, I’ma stick it out to the end,” she sings – but even if you aren’t ready to promise your friends eternal devotion, ‘Umbrella’ is still good for a dance.

‘7 Rings’ – Ariana Grande

Ariana’s taking herself engagement ring shopping, and she’s dishing them out to all her closest friends. “Bought matching diamonds for six of my b*tches,” she sings. Most of us don’t have the resources for gifts quite this lavish, but it’s nice to have a reminder that romantic partners aren’t the only people in our lives we can spoil.

‘Team’ – Lorde

Lorde makes having a big group of friends to celebrate with sound a lot more fun than meeting the love of your life. Even though they might be growing out of partying and staying out all night, they’ll always be on each other’s teams.

‘Lean On Me’ – Bill Withers

Withers’ simple melody and straightforward lyrics add up to something incredibly sincere as he sings about the reciprocal nature of true friendship. A great Palentine’s Day involves everyone leaning on each other – figuratively at the start of the night, and maybe literally by the end of it, depending on how much you’ve all had to drink.

‘You’re My Best Friend’ – Queen

It’s technically a love song, but when your friends are your Valentines there couldn’t really be anything more appropriate. Queen’s sunshiny hit puts it plainly: “I really love you, oh, you’re my best friend.”

‘My Girlfriends Are My Boyfriend’ – Demi Lovato ft. Saweetie

“I found the love of my life,” sings Demi, and then corrects herself: “Wait, I mean the loves of my life.” Romantic partners will come and go, but romanticising your friendships is forever.

‘Wannabe’ – Spice Girls

Sure, they may be great on paper, but do they get on with your friends? The Spice Girls have their priorities in order – they want a guy who treats their friends just as well as he treats them. And they also want a zig-a-zig-ah, of course.

‘You’ve Got A Friend In Me’ – Randy Newman

The best song to come out of the Toy Story franchise, and that’s saying something. Just don’t let ‘When She Loved Me’ come on after and the night will stay cheerful.

‘I’ll Be There’ – Jess Glynne

Whether you’re going through it this Valentine’s Day or you’re the one in charge of taking a friend’s phone out of their hands, this Jess Glynne track should be on the playlist. Actually, there’s very few Jess Glynne songs that wouldn’t fit the bill. Maybe consider adding her entire discography.