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Oct 76 min read

14 Amazing Songs from Around the World You Can’t Miss

By Afifah Adi, WSM and Yana Jaafar


Music, for the longest time, is a close friend for most people. The messages, tunes, and instruments that are strung along offer us comfort, familiarity, and a sense of belonging. With the advancement of technology such as headphones and streaming platforms, access to music has become even more convenient than ever, allowing us to listen and sing along wherever we are. 


Therefore, we would love to share with you a playlist consisting of 14 amazing tracks from around the world, hoping they touch your heart as they did with ours. Here’s the playlist in advance!



Disclaimer: The songs are all our personal picks and do not represent the culture of the respective countries in any way.


Anuar Zain is a well-known name for those who love listening to Malay songs. His song “Sedetik Lebih” beautifully captures the theme of endless love, conveyed through the lyrics “ku kan terus mencinta, sedetik lebih, lepas selamanya” (I will continue to love you, a second more, after forever). This line depicts a love that goes beyond eternity, and the sentiment is also reflected in the music video, where props freeze mid-air, indicating that love transcends time itself.




“Brando” is a song filled with movie references, inspired by the singer’s high school friend, whose “whole personality was the media he consumed.” The friend claimed to know her better than anyone else, and she felt he only used her to share his cool interests rather than getting to know her. In fact, the title refers to Marlon Brando, who starred in the movie A Streetcar Named Desire, which she playfully inserted in the song, “I'm in a second-story window, and you're yelling at me, ‘Stella!’ And I'm laughing 'cause you think you're Brando, but you'll never come close,” criticising the friend's inflated self-image.



The all-time classic “Sempurna” is an Indonesian song that expresses how complete the lover makes the speaker feel. The song continuously praises the lover’s quality, describing how perfect she is and how she is as vital as his blood and heart, which he can never live without. While the lyrics may seem simple, the melodies tuned their emotional depth, creating a beautiful balance between simplicity and heartfelt sentiment.



This popular track from the Bollywood film Dunki is full of adoration and devotion to love. This heartfelt ballad is accompanied by calming musical instruments yet passion-filled, befitting of a romantic song made in Bollywood. The title “O Maahi,” and also the repeated words during the chorus mean my beloved, showing how much the speaker loves his lover. The most memorable line in this song is “Lo main qayamat tak hua tera” which translates to “I'll be yours till the end of the world.” The similarity between the Hindi word for the end of the world, ‘qayamat’, and its counterparts in Bahasa Melayu and Arabic is also fascinating!




Tilly Birds has produced viral-worthy songs in the Thai music industry. One of them is titled “Until Then”, or the literal translation “If We Meet Again.” The song describes the deep longing for lost loved ones and the hope of reuniting with them, wondering if things could stay the same. These thoughts were expressed through these translated lines; “If we could meet again someday, will you still remember me? Will you smile at me?” The music video beautifully captures its meaning, showing a child who grows up missing his parents until he becomes a father, reflecting the memories he had with his parents.




“Secreto de Amor,”which means “secret of love,” can be considered a total classic Spanish song. One can say every single citizen knows this song by heart, having accustomed to listening to it during the evenings, especially in local restaurants. Though it may sound sweet with Joan Sebastian’s tender voice and the melodious guitar strings, the lyrics actually describe the lover as a secret, someone who should be hidden, and a relationship that no one should find out. Yes, it is just as you thought; it is a song for a mistress! Even so, most listeners have no problem playing it for romantic moments with how sweet the melody is.



“No Reason” is a well-loved track that blends smooth vocals and emotional lyrics. The song dives into how separations can sometimes happen without reason and that there’s no one to blame for. The meaning centres around letting go, especially in a long-distance relationship where time spent apart may eventually take a toll on a couple. Its mellow R&B style is made memorable with the duet between Ryan.B and Effie, creating a catchy, longing-filled song. 



“Sayonara Elegy” or “Goodbye Elegy” was released in 2018 and used as a theme song in a popular Japanese television drama, Todome no Kiss. The song captures the struggle of separation and longing for past memories and relationships. As the title suggests, “Sayonara Elegy” expresses the sorrow of saying goodbye to loved ones. The tunes are infused with rock music, making it sound more intense, and it highlights the speaker’s internal conflict. The song also describes how powerful love is as an emotion that will continue to bite you down no matter how hard you try to let it go.



D.O. is a famous singer and is also known as a member of the K-pop group EXO. The song was released in April this year and conveys the warm and joyful feeling of being in love. “Popcorn” is used as a metaphor to show how the heart is fluttering and popping, likening the excitement of falling in love with popcorn exploding about. The music video is shot with the singer being surrounded by popcorn all throughout the day, portraying how happy he is.




If you are on a specific side of the Internet, especially on TikTok, you might have heard bits of this song—the famous pre-chorus to the chorus. The reason why this song, despite being released by Gims, a Congolese-French singer nine years ago, is still freshly used in trends within various interests is because of the angsty and heart-wrenching lyrics about the uncertainty of love, as seen from the title that translates into “Do you love me?” The lyrics also highlight the theme of falling out of love, especially in the chorus. For football fans, you might recognise this song from the sport’s edits, showing various players' skills or simply interactions with each other. For anime lovers, you might see this song used in edits of fictional characters. 



Befitting of its title, which means “peaceful,” this sweet song tells the feeling of realising love for someone, made perfect by its heartfelt lyrics. This song describes the beloved with a lot of nature metaphors, such as sunlight and a clear stream of water, which perfectly depicts the feeling of finding serenity in loving the right person who lights up your day. Our favourite line of this song is in the bridge of the rap part: “If it's not you, trust is something I won't bet on. If it's not you, peace is something I can't touch.”



You might not recognise it from the early bits of listening to this song, but as you progress, you might find it familiar, especially during the solo guitar that is widely used in videos across social media platforms. This heartfelt song gives a bittersweet feeling as it talks about love, loss, nostalgia, and words left unspoken. You can check out the music video on Youtube, which is just as breathtaking as the song, and you can learn more about its history. 



You might think that this song is the typical pop song to dance and bop your head to just by the beats alone, but when you take a look at the lyrics, you are greeted with the familiar longing towards a lover you adore so much to the point you pray to God that she’s protected every time she passes by and graces you with her presence. The combination of acoustic guitar and the energetic beats is simply immaculate, as it brings a sense of fun and carefreeness while also capturing the beauty of love!


  1. Turkish - Dip by Madrigal


While there are many genres in music, Turkish Indie songs sung by Madrigal are the ones that caught my interest the most. “Dip” is a perfect example of it, as the song not only utilises the repetition of verses just for the sake of it but rather to be a reflection to the lyrics that show the feeling of being stuck in the same place, a difficult situation while also wondering if the partner or companion feels the same too. Our favourite part is during the bridge of a guitar solo, which is simply mesmerising to listen to.



We hope you enjoy these song suggestions. Feel free to comment if you've heard any before, or let us know if you end up liking them after your first listen!


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