Crushing is such sweet misery. Below are songs that go with all the stages you go through from when you first see the love of your life (who barely even notices you) to the that very final sad stage when they reveal that they don’t feel the same.

1. Alicia Keys – “You Don’t Know My Name”

The sighting of your crush – it’s the look on Alicia Keys’s face when she sees Mos Def (who now goes by Yasiin Bey) entering the diner. Like Alicia, you try to not stare, but in her defence, who could resist Mos Def’s face? He knows nothing about you, yet you’ve imagined your whole future together. Next time, you promise yourself, you’ll wear a nicer outfit, and, finally, tell him how you feel…

2. Mshoza featuring Mzambiya – “Kortes”

After pining and hoping to “accidentally” bump into your crush, you see them again, and again. You thought you liked them before, now, like Mshoza, you’re so in love, it’s making you emotional. You want to tell your crush how you really feel; you hang on to every word they say and try to think of something smart to say. Could it be, that L word? Either that or you’re really going crazy.

3. DJ Kent featuring The Arrows – “Spin My World”

Now your crush’s got you trippin’. You look at them and think, “You got me wrapped around your finger.” You want to do the goofy things like the couple in the video. But it’s also the hardest time of “your relationship” because though you want every opportunity to be with them, you also can’t control how dry your mouth becomes when the words “I like you” want to come out.

4. Chris Brown featuring Usher and Rick Ross – “New Flame” 

You’re braver and are ready for them to know how you feel, despite the fact that your crush is in a relationship. “If only my crush got to know me better; they would find out how perfect we are for each other,” you think to yourself. Like Usher and Chris Brown you’re going to tell your crush, “Come on baby, try a new thing.”  You want to to be the new flame.

5. Celine Dion – “All By Myself “

After all the pining and hoping and wishing and finally telling your crush how you feel, it’s a no. One single syllable has now changed everything. You feel like you will never find anyone to love you. You should go back to those earlier days when you “never needed anyone”. But you’re not meant to be on your own. You don’t want to be “All by myself anymore”, you sing repeatedly. Chin up, soldier.

Written by: @AsandaGura