With a name like Cigarettes After Sex, it’s not particularly surprising that they have become a staple name when it comes to love songs.
The American dream-pop band has been steadily rising over their 15-year career, with dreamy soundscapes and ethereal atmospherics being their main selling points. Their careful concoction of romanticism and seduction has earned them a worldwide following, with their occasional tours selling out quickly.
So without further ado, here is my list of the 10 best Cigarettes After Sex’s love songs!
1. Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby
Album: I.
Released: 2012
Kicking off the list is one of the most affectionate songs you’re likely to hear in quite some time. Cigarettes After Sex’s dreamy atmosphere and protective sound envelop you in this loving track that screams love and care.
I particularly love the repetition of the song’s title – “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby” – suggesting that everything will be okay as long as the protagonist and their subject get through it together.
2. Apocalypse
Album: Cigarettes After Sex
Released: 2017
There is typically a fair amount to unpack in Cigarettes After Sex’s songs, and “Apocalypse” is no exception. Its delicate strum and lyrical content suggest that the protagonist is trying to show their partner – who has experienced problematic relationships in the past – that they deserve better and nothing matters other than the two in the present.
Whichever way you look at it, the ethereal guitar chimes that resonate throughout the track create an intoxicating and romantic atmosphere.
3. Sweet
Album: Cigarettes After Sex
Released: 2017
When it comes to true and simple love, few songs do it better than Cigarettes After Sex’s “Sweet”. Their signature rich guitar plucks create a dreamy atmosphere that allows Greg Gonzales’ equally blissful lyrics and vocals to shine.
If you’re looking to show your adoration to that special someone with an equally special song, “Sweet” would be the way to go.
4. Heavenly
Album: Cry
Released: 2019
This one’s a little deeper than other songs that have been on this list so far. “Heavenly” is a song about wishing for a connection so true and complex that the rest of the world seems to disintegrate; all the problems and difficulties of the world dissolve into happiness and true love.
I think this is a beautiful song to send to your partner when you’re going through difficult times in life. Sometimes, music is more powerful than we think.
5. Keep On Loving You
Album: Affection
Released: 2015
Covers don’t usually rank high on my lists, but Cigarettes After Sex’s rendition of REO Speedwagon’s “Keep On Loving You” is too beautiful to ignore. Their unmistakable floatiness works incredibly well with the repetitive basslines and Gonzales’ ethereal singing.
Don’t tell REO Speedwagon, but I prefer Cigarettes After Sex’s version of this iconic track. Their unmistakable atmosphere is unparalleled when it comes to the theme of love.
6. K.
Album: Cigarettes After Sex
Released: 2017
“K.” was the first song I’d heard from Cigarettes After Sex just after the release of their 2017 self-titled record, and it stunned me. Its minimalist approach yet an abundance of emotion and sheer longing was something I’d never heard before, and it left a lasting imprint on my music taste since that point.
The track is about Gonzales’ partner, Kirsten, and the emotions that came with seeing each other during their long-distance relationship.
7. Don’t Let Me Go
Album: Cry
Released: 2019
This is the first entry on this list about a love that is no longer burning bright. In this melancholy offering from Cigarettes After Sex, they reflect on a relationship that ended (seemingly amicably) but the memories from it remain to be significant in each other’s lives.
This song was recorded in a small cathedral in Germany after the band played a show there on tour. They loved the atmosphere (and most likely the acoustics) so much that they recorded some additional material there, and I think that adds to the overall feeling of “Don’t Let Me Go”. It has an open, vulnerable air to it that speaks volumes against the lyrical content.
8. Crush
Album: Crush
Released: 2018
It’s hard to tell if “Crush” is more of a love song or a lust song. In one moment, the lyrics are delicate and caring, in the next, they resemble that insatiable infatuation with someone that slowly becomes an overwhelming sense of love.
I think the former fits the song better, as it maintains a naive innocence about love and relationships that can only be connected to having a ‘crush’ on someone.
9. Sunsetz
Album: Cigarettes After Sex
Released: 2017
Just as “Crush” is slightly ambiguous, “Sunsetz” is equally so in a different manner. The song sings of the difficulty of being apart from a partner, but it is unclear as to whether this person is a current partner in a long-distance relationship or someone who has since left.
Either way, there’s love aplenty in this serene offering from Cigarettes After Sex.
10. I’m A Firefighter
Album: I.
Released: 2012
Lastly, on this list, we have one of my favorite songs by Cigarettes After Sex, but unfortunately, it’s not one of their happiest by any means. Other songs in this article speak of the magic of love and its power at the moment, but “I’m A Firefighter” does the opposite: it explores the breakdown of a relationship and the feeling of hopelessness as it falls apart in front of the protagonist.
The line “Baby, I’m a firefighter trapped in a burning house in a silent picture” is hauntingly poetic, but I’d expect nothing less from Cigarettes After Sex.
Justin is an audio engineer with years of experience in the field. He has been creating and playing music his entire life, but he really found his passion for engineering when he was introduced to Logic Pro at age 10. Justin has spent countless hours perfecting his craft and now works as a freelance engineer out of Boston, MA.