First Love Mixtape: Side B (Encore)

First Love Mixtape: Side B (Encore)

Author: The New York Times June 4, 2025 Duration: 22:01
In last week’s episode, the Modern Love team shared the songs that taught us about love when we were young. But in this week’s episode, we hear from you, our listeners, about the songs that helped shape your ideas about love. We heard from present-day teens streaming their anthems on repeat, and we heard from listeners who have been with their partners for over 50 years. There were stories of jazz and rap; adrenaline rushes and loneliness; and many hard-won lessons in matters of the heart. (“Don’t let your friends choose your boyfriends,” Amy from St. Louis said.) We share a compilation of some of your songs and stories in the first half of our episode. And we finish our episode with an essay about the end of love. After more than 50 years of marriage, Tina Welling decided that she wanted a divorce — a decision that turned out to be liberating. Thank you to all of the listeners who sent us their teenage anthems. We’ve compiled them into one glorious Spotify playlist. [You can listen to this episode above, or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts.] Here’s how to submit a Modern Love essay to The New York Times. Here’s how to submit a Tiny Love Story.

For two decades, the Modern Love column in The New York Times has offered a uniquely intimate window into how people navigate relationships, heartbreak, and connection. That same spirit of honest, personal storytelling finds its voice in this weekly podcast, hosted by Anna Martin. Here, the written essays are brought to life, often by notable actors, and expanded upon through Martin’s thoughtful conversations with the authors and other guests. They delve into the aftermath of the published story, exploring what was learned and how lives have unfolded since. You’ll hear about love in its many forms-romantic, familial, platonic, and self-love-across a spectrum of experiences that are by turns heartbreaking, awkward, humorous, and profoundly uplifting. This isn’t about fairytales, but the real, messy, and transformative moments that define us. The Modern Love podcast, from The New York Times, continues that essential tradition of sharing our most vulnerable stories to see our own lives more clearly. New episodes arrive every Wednesday.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 445

Modern Love
Podcast Episodes
How I Got To Here | With Katie Couric [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:00
Katie Couric reads Leslie Lehr's Modern Love essay about learning the true depth of her relationship with her husband.
Friends Without Benefits | With Taissa Farmiga [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:29
Taissa Farmiga reads a story about "friends without benefits" who spend years circling each other without defining their drawn-out, nebulous relationship.
A Heart Outrun | With Colin Farrell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:01
Colin Farrell reads the story of man who had given up on love -- until it showed up at his door.
A Second Embrace | With Cheryl Strayed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:22
Cheryl Strayed -- co-host of WBUR's "Dear Sugar" podcast and author of the best-selling memoir "Wild" -- reads a story about taking a second chance on love.
Broken, Not Bound | With America Ferrera [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:31
America Ferrera reads the story of an African aid worker, and an event that drastically shifted her perspective.