There’s a scene in every Hallmark movie where the protagonist’s life feels like it’s teetering on chaos—love’s lost or just on hold, the big city is suffocating, or their small-town Christmas festival is somehow on the verge of financial ruin. Cue the montage: They roll up their sleeves, bake a thousand cookies, mend fences (literally or otherwise), and self-discovery takes center stage. And you just know the scene hits harder because of the music behind it.

That’s the magic of a soundtrack, y’all. It gives every little moment weight, turns every glance into a spark, and makes the mundane feel monumental. My life? Same energy—minus the snow-covered movie set. My soundtrack has shaped me, stitching together every awkward first dance, family road trip, and late-night decision to stay up just a little longer, hunting for lyrics that make me feel seen. It’s part love letter, part report card, part therapy session.

Music is where I learned love could be messy. It’s where I realized heartbreak isn’t the end of the story. And it’s where I’ve always returned when words failed me. So, let me take you through my own playlist, the greatest hits that shaped who I am and how I see the world—relationships, flings, heartbreaks, and all.

Track 1: “Jolene” by Dolly Parton

For When Love Gets Complicated

Let’s start here, where most things do for me—with Dolly. When I was eight, my mom threw this song on repeat while making fried chicken, humming along like it was nothing. Meanwhile, I couldn’t believe my ears. The nerve of Jolene! She was beautiful, sure, but at what cost? The tension in that song left me thinking love was this twisted triangle of desire, insecurity, and power struggles.

Fast-forward twenty years, and I’ve found myself on both sides of the song: pleading for something worth saving or accidentally playing “Jolene” in someone else’s story. Relationships, I’ve learned, are never just black or white. Even when things feel razor-sharp, there’s always some shade of gray—and some high, haunting melody playing through it all.

Takeaway: Love can be messy, but fight for what’s worth fighting for. And keep perspective when things don’t work out—it’s probably not just about you.

Track 2: “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles

That Soul-Searching, Single Phase

Picture this: Fresh heartbreak. It’s a Tuesday night, and you’re lying on your bed like you’re auditioning to play Tropey Romantic Hero in the next Netflix drama. Enter Harry—swooping in with an existential ballad that sounds exactly like the tears you’re trying not to cry.

This track could have been my theme song during my “What does it all MEAN?” phase in my late twenties. You know, the one where your friends are semi-settling down but you’re still ordering Postmates for one and convincing yourself “coasters are optional” the way clean-dish adults don’t.

It wasn’t just the lyrics. “Sign of the Times” made me pause and sit with my discomfort—and the realization that sometimes, singleness can be fertile ground for growth. Not every season needs a romantic storyline. Growth often happens when no one’s looking.

Takeaway: Give yourself space to reflect. That “ooof” feeling you’ve been avoiding might just be the growing pain you needed to feel.

Track 3: “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac

Cue the Heart-to-Heart

Every Southern family has that one song that will wreck you two notes in. “Landslide” is ours. I’ve watched it circle my family like clockwork, played on guitars at bonfires or leaned into during porch-swing confessionals.

When I hear it, I think about change and how god-awful necessary it is, especially in relationships. There was one summer where I sang this on a loop after ending a long-term relationship—the kind you’re so sure will last until one day, it doesn’t. My mama told me love, when it’s real, grows alongside you; it doesn’t hold you back, even when things get hard.

That little lyric—Can I handle the seasons of my life?—is like a gut check. Relationships shift, people grow. If you’re not growing toward each other, maybe it’s time to let go.

Takeaway: You can’t stop change. Love someone who loves watching you evolve—and be okay with letting go when they don’t.

Track 4: “Crazy in Love” by Beyoncé

For New Love Butterflies

Y’all. Few things feel more accurate than the opening horns of Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” during those first heart-racing weeks of a new relationship. You know the phase: texting like you’re getting paid for it, planning outfits with ridiculous precision, and wondering if this person really is as amazing as they seem, or if it’s just your brain swimming in dopamine and two iced chai lattes.

This song was my anthem when I first started dating my now-partner. Our first few dates felt like we were strutting through life in slow-mo, walking mix tapes in the making. Beyoncé nailed it: Love at the start isn’t logical. It’s reckless, addictive, and over the top—and that’s beautiful, in small doses.

Takeaway: Dive into the fun of it! Early love is electric, so enjoy the thrill. Just stay grounded as you make sure there’s actual substance beneath the glam.

Track 5: “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor

The Ultimate Breakup Banger

Fun fact: There is no correct way to survive a breakup, but belting Gloria Gaynor in your sweatpants at 2 a.m. certainly helps. I’ve burned through this song on repeat after damn near every heartbreak.

One particularly iconic (read: tragic) moment involved crying into a pint of mint chocolate chip three days post-breakup, only to have my sister storm into my living room with a glittery scarf tied around her head: “This isn’t who we are,” she declared before hitting play. Thirty seconds in, we were shouting “Go on now, GO!” like we’d just seen The Exorcist.

Breakups are hard. They force you to rebuild. But man, does Gloria ever remind you to do it with swagger.

Takeaway: Heartbreak sucks, but resilience? That’s forever. Don’t run from the grief—it’s building you into someone stronger.

Track 6: “Forever After All” by Luke Combs

The Real Deal Love Stuff

This one caught me off guard. I’d always shrugged past wedding-y country tunes because they felt a little too perfect, a little unrealistic. But one day, this song stopped me—like, add to playlist immediately kinda stopped me. It reminded me of the kind of steady, imperfect, everyday love my grandparents had growing up in small-town Tennessee. The kind where even after five decades, they still bickered over toast but held hands when they thought no one was watching.

Nothing flashy, nothing Hallmark—but timeless, just the same.

Takeaway: Love isn’t always fireworks—it’s the little things, those “right now” glances that make you realize forever’s already in motion.

Closing Thoughts

Songs hold memories like jars catching lightning bugs—they remind us of places we’ve been, truths we’ve forgotten, and people who’ve shaped us. My soundtrack? It’s not always pretty or polished, kinda like my love life. But those highs, lows, and in-betweens have all taught me something about connection, resilience, and growth.

So maybe the real takeaway here is this: Pick the tracks that fit your soul. Sing along, lean in, let the music push you forward. And don’t forget to bring snacks—it’s one hell of a journey.