Ok, I’m just going to come out and say this upfront: this playlist is not as traditionally “cool” as our fall edition. There aren’t a ton of obscure local bands or classic deep cuts; nor are we trading in the slow jamz that are typically our bread and butter at FRIDAYNIGHTSALONE.

Instead, I’m here to lay down some harsh truths in the new year, and I’m packing a playlist to match.

Our last post railed against the autumnal temptations of cuffing season – and while you might think that the allure of settling down would recede in darkness of bleak midwinter, one would be wrong. Hayrides and homecoming given way to an endless cavalcade of holiday engagements and wistful thoughts of having someone to kiss at midnight on New Year’s or finding a reason not to order Postmates for one come February 14.

It’s understandable to have your head turned by such phantasms, but do not be distracted by false idols, my children. It’s not just that I don’t believe in them, it’s that I know you don’t either.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not here to shit on love. If you got engaged this Christmas and you’re feeling #blessed, please don’t let me detract from your joy. (As if I could.) But I am here to call out the things that we mistake for love in the modern dating world. We think we want love, but more often than not, we want something else. It’s not about love – it’s about lust and sex and power and self-sufficiency. It’s about playing the game. It’s about learning to shoot at someone who outdrew you. It’s about all the things that we grasp at as we claw our way out of the endless cycle of madness that we call love and heartbreak.

So, if you’re feeling #seen by all this, this playlist is for you. Twenty-plus songs about love, lust, obsession, and villainy, all designed to remind you that love isn’t all you need. They say that all is fair and all, but love as we practice it in the modern age isn’t a battlefield – it’s a back alley knife fight.

Keep those knives sharp in 2019, kiddos.