This February, we curated a 12-track list of Irish songs that fold together warm love songs and low winter moods to soundtrack quiet evenings and dates. The mix pairs household names with fresh voices so listeners can sip, sway or stare out the window with a good song on repeat.
Start slow with Hozier and Damien Rice for songs that feel like shared secrets. Hozier remembers that learning his craft was "a long, slow, painful process" which helps explain why his quieter numbers land so deeply. Damien Rice wrote "The Blower's Daughter" as one of the aching centerpieces of his album "O" and its naked intimacy still reads as a slow burn.
Add widescreen nostalgia with "Dreams" by the Cranberries and the meditative wash of Enya's "Only Time" for roomy choruses and soft comfort. Dolores O'Riordan wrote "Dreams" about first love and the song remains an effortless anthem for hopeful longing.
Thread in modern Irish voices who translate ache into witty, intimate pop. CMAT brings a mordant humour to heartbreak and critics say her songs are "mournful yet accessible, emotionally literate and cleverly crafted, but, crucially, with a huge sense of humour" which keeps the playlist lively and surprising.
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Orla Gartland and SOAK add conversational lyricism and bedroom pop textures that feel like notes passed across a room.
The aim was a playlist that works as a social embed and a shareable date night soundtrack. Drop the Spotify embed into a story on IrishCentral and readers can press play without leaving the page. Each track below is chosen for mood and sing-along potential.
Check out our cozy, romantic Spotify playlist here:
Listen, share and let it keep you warm this February.
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