Have you ever fell in love? Have you ever felt insecure around a crush? Have you ever pondered the question, “What are we?” Well Lyn Lapid’s to love in the 21st century is the album for you. This masterclass of an album tackles the joy of falling in love, the hardships of being a second priority, and the grief of moving on through the narrative of a situationship. While I’d love to analyze the whole album, my editors have limited me to just a few songs so here’s a selection of six of the finest songs on the album.

“poster boy”

“You were wearing corduroy

Lookin’ like a poster boy

Caught the scent of your shampoo

Yea I think that I love you”

poster boy is a song about meeting someone and quickly falling in love with them. Throughout the song, Lapid sings about her fantasies and how she can see her entire future with this person. Each note getting higher and higher combined with the fast tempo of the song makes for a song that feels like the speedy development of a crush.

“pick your brain”

“When the sun goes down

And when I’m not around

I wanna know

Am I the last thought that you were thinkin’ 

Before you’re sleepin’ ”

Typically in a relationship, many questions run through one’s head. The question that this song asks is “Do you think about me as much as I think about you?” pick your brain brings to the forefront the yearning for clarity in a relationship amidst what seems like endless mixed signals. The confusion over the difference between a genuine connection and infatuation is seriously considered throughout this song.

“keep me around”

“Put me away when my time is up

Kiss me again like I’m not enough to

Tie you down

But you’ll keep me around”

Have you ever felt like you weren’t good enough for someone? Nobody in a relationship wants to feel like a temporary part of their partner’s life. Well keep me around summarizes that feeling pretty well. From thoughts of being a second option to feelings of being abandoned, keep me around has it all. 

“like you want me to”

“I’m sorry but you know that

I can’t call you baby like you want me to

You need much more than I can offer you”

Self-deprecation is a common issue that arises when getting rejected by someone. That feeling of not being enough hurts and Lapid uses that to her advantage in like you want me to. Throughout like you want me to, Lapid sings about things not working out with her crush claiming that she wasn’t enough for the person. 

“the alternative”

“Life is short, things can change in a blink

Every time I jump in, I might sink

But what better way to learn how to swim?

So screw it I’m diving back in”

Where is there to go after a heartbreak? “What’s the alternative?” Lyn asks. After more than half an album, the alternative is the first song to break the trend of lingering on a past relationship and instead focusing on moving on. Even if the love from a previous relationship was toxic, that doesn’t mean one should shut out love forever. 

“ok with it”

“It’s the end and I’m ok with it

Seasons shift, they’re always changing and

We’ll be sad through the summer

Start again with different lovers”

Sometimes it’s ok for things to end. Not every relationship is meant to last forever. Not every story has a happy ending, but that’s alright. Moving on is such an important part of life that so many people fail to see after being heartbroken. Lapid’s song ok with it reminds us that one needs to keep on moving forward.

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As much as I love talking about this album, it really needs to be experienced firsthand. Lapid actually created music videos for every single song on the album and stitched them together to create a really sweet short film, which I recommend watching if you have 30 minutes of free time. Holistically, this album has more depth than some actual love stories. The thoughts, feelings, and experiences shared in these songs create a painfully realistic narrative.