There’s something about Valentine’s Day week that softens even the most guarded listener. The playlists slow down. The group chats grow sentimental. The late-night drives stretch a little longer. And this year, a wave of new music from Black artists across the globe is meeting that mood head-on. Consider Victoria Monét’s “Let Me” and Odumodublvck’s “They Love Me.” On paper, they sit at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. Yet both circle the same core desire: to be seen, wanted, and valued. 

Across R&B, Afrobeats, and hip-hop, these new releases lean into romance without slipping into predictability. Some are candlelit and soft-spoken. Others are bold, braggadocious, and unbothered. Together, they remind us that love, whether romantic, self-directed, or ironic, is never just one thing.

Here’s a closer look at the tracks currently soundtracking hearts around the world…

#1. Victoria Monét – Let Me

“Let Me” marks Victoria Monét’s first solo single in two years, and the timing feels deliberate. Arriving just before Valentine’s Day, the track leans into classic ’90s R&B textures (soft percussion, plush harmonies, production that feels like silk sheets) while still sounding unmistakably current. Produced by Camper, with co-production from Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman, Branden “B Mack” Rowell, and Cashmere Brown, the song gives Monét room to do what she does best: glide. “Let me be your ride or die / Let me love you back to life,” she sings, not as a demand, but as an offering.

Importantly, there’s a grown quality to the record. She isn’t pleading for love; she’s extending an invitation. Following the massive success of her Jaguar II era and three Grammy wins, she sounds centered. “Let Me” isn’t about Victoria Monét proving range or chasing charts. Instead, it’s the kind of song that hums softly in the background while two people decide to trust each other a little more.

#2. Odumodublvck – They Love Me

Now, flip the script entirely. “They Love Me” isn’t about romance in the traditional sense. It’s about enemies watching, obsessing, and quietly unraveling. Built on punchy, high-impact production, Odumodublvck leans fully into his larger-than-life persona with razor-edged confidence. “Enemies love me / Everything wey I do omo fancy am / I dey make dem sick of me,” he declares, transforming jealousy into proof of relevance. Notably, it’s not affection he’s celebrating; it’s fixation. The kind that comes from rivals who can’t look away.

There’s something mischievous in how he frames it. He understands that success irritates people. That presence alone can provoke. Rather than softening that tension, he amplifies it. The hook feels like a smirk stretched across a stadium. In the context of Valentine’s week, “They Love Me” becomes an unexpected anthem for self-worth. Here, love is ironic and weaponized. Even your opposition is tuned in, studying your every move.

#3. Smallgod, Sarkodie, and Joshua Baraka – Fire

If “They Love Me” is bravado, “Fire” is confession. Smallgod’s collaborative instincts shine as he brings together Ghanaian rap heavyweight Sarkodie and Ugandan vocalist Joshua Baraka. The result is Afro-fusion that balances sharp lyricism with melodic warmth. At its core, “Fire” is about saying what you’ve been holding in. Sarkodie delivers his verses with controlled intensity, while Baraka’s vocals provide emotional lift. Meanwhile, the production glows rather than explodes, allowing storytelling to take center stage.

What makes the track resonate is its synergy. It doesn’t feel like three artists competing for attention. Instead, it feels aligned, measured, and sincere. During a week built around romantic gestures, “Fire” captures that nerve-wracking thrill of finally saying the quiet part out loud.

#4. Jill Scott ft. JID – To B Honest

When Jill Scott asks, “Won’t you please let me in?” on “To B Honest,” the vulnerability is sincere. Marking her first album in 11 years, there’s a lived-in calm to her delivery. She embodies openness without spectacle. Her verses are plainspoken, almost pastoral, rooted in friendship and emotional closeness as the foundation of love.

Then JID enters. His verse is intricate and image-heavy. The contrast is striking. Scott is direct; JID is ornate. And somehow, that difference deepens the record. Because real relationships often look exactly like that, two people with different emotional languages trying to meet in the middle. In a season that glamorizes grand gestures, “To B Honest” pulls love back to something quieter and truer.

#5. Wande Coal ft. Qing Madi – Dearly

“Dearly” feels like warmth. Wande Coal’s voice carries the romantic ease Afrobeats fans have cherished for years. Pairing him with Qing Madi, one of the most exciting young vocalists rising right now, creates a cross-generational exchange that feels organic rather than strategic.

The production leans soft: gentle percussion, smooth harmonies, melodies that feel familiar without sounding dated. Wande Coal delivers his signature smoothness, while Qing Madi adds emotional texture and youthful longing. Most importantly, their chemistry feels natural. It doesn’t sound like a calculated collaboration. Instead, it feels like two artists meeting in the same emotional space.

Featured image: Dalvin Adams

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