Three podcasts uncover and dig into the complexities of human relationships and the power of connection, exploring what love means in our lives.

This is Love

• Format: Podcast series
• Year: Since 2018
• Listen on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Podcasts and Google Podcasts

This is Love is a celebration of connection found in ordinary life. It’s all about love, but not necessarily romantic love. Yes, there are interviews between couples who share the stories of how they met and where they went from there, but there are also stories of how love exists in the connections we have to other people.

These are the stories that stand out in the show, highlighting the aspects of love that are often forgotten in Hollywood romcoms; the kinds of love that very seldom get a standing ovation.

There are also stories of the undeniable bond between humans and animals, and these are particularly riveting, showcasing the pure and majestic way animals make their way through the world, and how they and humans relate to each other.

In one episode, “Something Large and Wild”, Lynne Cox explains how she shared the ocean with a young grey whale during her morning swim. She was just 17, swimming in the Pacific before sunrise, when she felt a body move alongside her, having become separated from its mother.

As fishermen worked above water to locate the mother, radio messages whizzing from the coast to the land, Lynne kept swimming, not wanting to return to the shore lest the baby whale follow her and beach itself. She swam for five hours before the mother was located.

As she swims the baby to its mother, she witnesses the love between the two, brought together by scores of people who worked to see them reunited. Here, there is so much love, between fishermen, mother and child, and in the connection between humans and animals.

The show is far from mushy. Rather, it has a raw edge created by authentic storytelling by ordinary people sharing their lives with the audience. That is the sort of love that is celebrated, and ought to be celebrated more.

Next on our list is the episode “The Brain in Love”, featuring Dessa from the Deeply Human podcast, who has made it her mission to fall out of love.

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Blind Dating

• Format: Podcast series
• Year: 2020-2021
• Listen on: Spotify

Born out of the Covid-19 pandemic and the era of Zoom calls and virtual meetings comes Blind Dating, and it’s a fun and laid-back approach to both podcasting and finding love.

Each episode features one hopeful single who is presented with two potential matches via video call (with cameras off, until the very end). Guided by host Tara Michelle, they answer a series of questions designed to test their compatibility. The questions are not very deep, but do make for interesting conversations as the three get to know each other. At the end, the single must choose who they would like to go on a date with, and then the cameras come on for the pair to see who they matched up with.

There is also a fun catch: if the person chosen as a match decides they don’t want to go on the date, they can choose to go on an episode of their own, where they will be presented with two matches for them to choose from.

It’s a quirky podcast with shorter episodes that are rarely more than 20 minutes, and the game show element will attract anyone who enjoys streaming a good “finding love” reality show. Listeners will find themselves rooting for their favourite match as the contestants are also unseen to the audience, and in a time of Covid-19, the show presents a new take on finding love, even in the middle of a global crisis. 

The next blind date we’re peeking into is the series finale, “Where are they now?”, because after all those dates, surely something stuck.

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Our Love Song

• Format: Podcast series
• Year: 2020
• Listen on: Spotify

Do you have that one song that takes you back? Or reminds you of a special moment? Do you and your partner have a song you share? Our Love Song is a podcast all about how music intertwines with us and our love lives and creates a soundtrack that marks the journey of relationships.

Each episode introduces a new couple who share the stories of how they met, the challenges they faced and where they are now. The format allows for a carefree listen as the guests bounce off each other, and the way each couple interacts gives the audience a unique insight into their relationships.

The music they choose to define key moments in their journeys together is also indicative of their relationships and who they are, and the playlists they create are very revealing, making for a fascinating show.

The way the show is set up on Spotify is interesting: divided into segments that are separated by the songs, it makes the show a little more interactive and allows the listener to easily go back and find a particular song. However, this is also the show’s weak spot, since the segments start and end abruptly and the transitions can be a little choppy.

As a primarily music-streaming platform, Spotify hits the nail on the head with this show. The quirky and lighthearted stories with the songs woven through is a unique and wonderful way to highlight love. DM/ML

Looking for more podcasts on love? Check out Neroli Price’s reviews here.