The Jets

Hear tracks by Frank Ocean, Alicia Keys and of course, the Jets.Frank Ocean.Angela Weiss/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesDear listeners,Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, but for today’s playlist I wanted to give you something more specific than a collection of love songs. (For one thing, that mix would be approximately three billion tracks long.) Here, instead, is a playlist of crush songs.How exactly to define a crush? I’m glad you asked, because earlier this week The Times published an entertaining history of the word’s etymological evolution. For all the experts consulted in the piece, I most appreciated the definition offered by one reporter’s 7-year-old daughter: A crush “means you are in love with someone but the other person doesn’t know.” She added, “If you walk past them, all your blood goes up to your head, and it feels so startling.”Naturally, this state of being has provided inspiration for all sorts of notable songwriters, like Bruce Springsteen, Frank Ocean and Alicia Keys. As you’ll hear on this playlist, though, crush songs run the emotional gamut from painfully heart-wrenching to light and flirty, sometimes even with a bit of self-deprecating humor thrown in.Valentine’s Day is too often considered a holiday only for those already lucky and content in love. But if you’ve got your eye on someone special and haven’t let them know yet, or if you’re just trying to ride things out until you catch the ick and are finally liberated, let this playlist be your soundtrack. Consider it a candy heart from me to you. Crank it up and get ready to pine.Got a beach house I could sell you in Idaho,LindsayListen along while you read.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More