Valentine

"Valentine" by Laufey explores the theme of falling in love for the very first time, capturing the associated feelings of awkwardness, vulnerability, and delightful surprise. The lyrics narrate the experience of a person who has historically rejected affection and is therefore completely unprepared for the flood of emotions that come with reciprocated love. It delves into the internal conflict between the excitement of a new romance and the fear of the unknown. The song's message is rooted in the relatable, often clumsy, journey of navigating a first relationship, highlighting the shock and disbelief when one realizes they are loved back. Laufey encapsulates the feeling of being a 'late bloomer' in love, as she mentioned her twenties were her first real experience with dating and relationships after a youth dedicated to studying music. The song is a gentle, honest portrayal of the transition from being guarded and emotionally independent to opening oneself up to the potential joy and pain of a romantic connection.

The song begins with a candid confession of having avoided romantic affection for a long time. Now that it's present in the narrator's life, it feels strange and unfamiliar. She describes the awkwardness of receiving compliments, unsure of the proper etiquette in this new romantic dynamic, humorously questioning if she can call her partner 'pretty' in return. This sense of bewilderment grows with each moment, as she comically admits to being scared of mundane things like flies, and more significantly, of men, leading to a plea for help.

This internal turmoil culminates in a sudden, surprising realization: she believes she has fallen in love. The experience is depicted as something that happened in the blink of an eye, unexpectedly leaving her with a 'valentine.' This newfound love brings a cascade of anxious, forward-looking questions. She wonders if this person will be her last kiss or the only one she will ever truly miss. This thought is immediately followed by the impulse to flee, citing her young age of twenty-one and the uncertainty of her own identity as reasons to escape the intensity of the situation. The feeling is overwhelming, especially since this is the first person to reciprocate her feelings, putting her on the verge of a 'heart attack' from the sheer shock and excitement.

The narrator reflects on the loss of control over her own emotions, specifically her heartbeat, as she finds herself caught up in this unexpected romance. The simple phrase 'I love you' sends a physical shock through her body, not just because of its romantic weight, but because it introduces the terrifying concept of having someone significant to potentially lose. The song concludes by reiterating the disbelief and astonishment at this turn of events. She marvels at how she could have fallen in love and expresses a sense of wonder and disbelief that she can now call this person hers, solidifying the idea that love arrived as a sudden, yet cherished, surprise.

"Valentine" was written by Laufey on Valentine's Day. She initially shared a snippet of the unfinished song on TikTok "for fun," where it quickly went viral. The overwhelmingly positive response from the Gen-Z demographic on the platform prompted her to complete the track. The song was born in her dorm room at the Berklee College of Music, where she was a student. To finish and produce the song, she collaborated with fellow Berklee alumnus Spencer Stewart. They worked together to add "magical harmonies and piano flares" that enhanced its romantic feel. The song was officially released on February 14, 2022, serving as the lead single for her debut studio album, Everything I Know About Love, which followed on August 26, 2022. Laufey stated that the song was inspired by the "electrifying and shocking feeling that you get when you realize someone loves you back" for the first time.

"Valentine" is written in free verse, lacking a consistent, structured rhyme scheme or meter, which mirrors the unpredictable and unstructured nature of falling in love for the first time. The rhythm of the lyrics mimics natural speech, which makes the song feel more like a genuine and personal confession. While there isn't a strict AABB or ABAB pattern, Laufey employs occasional rhymes to create a sense of cohesion, such as 'respond' and 'clue' (a slant rhyme), and more perfectly, 'time' and 'valentine.' The song's musical rhythm has a gentle, waltz-like feel that contributes to its dreamy and romantic atmosphere. The tempo is relaxed, allowing the listener to focus on the lyrical storytelling. The interplay between the conversational lyrical rhythm and the smooth, jazz-inflected musical rhythm creates a charming awkwardness that perfectly suits the song's theme of fumbling through a first romance.

"Valentine" is characterized by its blend of vintage and modern stylistic elements. Musically, it draws heavily from traditional pop and classical jazz of the 1950s, a style Laufey consciously emulates. The instrumentation is deliberately minimalist and intimate, featuring a gentle guitar, a guiding piano, and a soft, brushed drum groove with walking double-bass lines, creating the feeling of a live jazz combo. Laufey's vocal delivery is a key technique; she uses a smooth, intimate tone and incorporates scat singing and complex harmonies that are reminiscent of a barbershop quartet, which adds a nostalgic quality. Her vocal intonation and delivery are modeled after jazz legends like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. Lyrically, the song employs a direct, conversational narrative voice, which contrasts with the vintage musical style. The use of modern, relatable phrases like "It's kind of weird" and "scared of guys" grounds the song in a contemporary, Gen-Z context, making the classic sound accessible to a younger audience. This juxtaposition of old and new is a defining feature of Laufey's artistic style.

"Valentine" became a significant breakout song for Laufey, largely due to its viral success on TikTok. This online traction is credited with launching her to commercial popularity and establishing her name within the pop and jazz genres, especially among a Gen-Z audience. Atwood Magazine noted its hit status among the app's demographic due to its "youthful and awkwardly endearing" take on love. The song served as the first single from her debut album, Everything I Know About Love, setting the stage for her career. Its popularity has led to multiple live performances and arrangements, including a version with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, which was featured on her live album, A Night at the Symphony. The song has been celebrated for bringing a traditional vocal jazz sound to a modern audience, with Music Talkers calling it "one of the greatest studies of the genre." Special heart-shaped vinyl pressings of the single have been released, often selling out quickly, indicating its dedicated fanbase and cultural cachet as a collector's item.

The central metaphor in "Valentine" is the very concept of suddenly having a 'Valentine.' It symbolizes the unexpected and abrupt nature of falling in love. The lyric, "I blinked and suddenly I had a valentine," represents the speed and surprise with which love can enter one's life, transforming their emotional landscape without warning. The narrator's fear of 'flies' and 'guys' serves as a symbolic representation of her general anxiety and fear of intimacy or being hurt. The physical reaction of being 'seconds away from a heart attack' is a hyperbolic metaphor for the overwhelming shock and excitement of having her feelings reciprocated for the first time. Furthermore, the feeling of a 'shock through every bone' upon hearing 'I love you' symbolizes the profound and visceral impact of emotional vulnerability and the simultaneous realization of having 'someone to lose'.

The most significant recurring phrase in "Valentine" is the line, "I blinked and suddenly I had a valentine." This line appears in the chorus and at the end of the song, acting as the central thesis. Its repetition emphasizes the sudden, almost unbelievable nature of the narrator's new romantic situation. The motif of surprise and disbelief is woven throughout the lyrics with phrases like "I surprise myself," "damn it / It's kind of weird," and "How the hell did I fall in love this time?" Another recurring motif is the narrator's anxiety and fear, highlighted by the lines "I'm scared of flies / I'm scared of guys" and the feeling of being "seconds away from a heart attack." This repeated expression of vulnerability contrasts with the joyful surprise of having a valentine, creating the song's signature bittersweet and endearing tone.