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10 songs that feel like Killing for Love

Matched to Killing for Love by José González on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

Killing for Love
The song you love
Killing for Love
José González
moderate 11/100 intensity 70 BPM
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John Wayne Gacy, Jr. — Sufjan Stevens moderate 70 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same heavy pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (11/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (70 BPM).

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Parasite — Nick Drake moderate 72 BPM

96% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (15/100). Same smooth texture.

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Goodbye Cruel World — Pink Floyd moderate 80 BPM

Keeps the same heavy pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (16/100). Measured 94% alike.

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Yesterday's Wine — Willie Nelson safe 70 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (11/100). Same smooth texture.

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Clementine — Elliott Smith moderate 72 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same contemplative pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (11/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (72 BPM).

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Love Is Selfish — Jack White safe 72 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (11/100). Same smooth texture.

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Which Will — Nick Drake safe 72 BPM

Keeps the same contemplative pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (11/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (72 BPM).

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Things Behind the Sun — Nick Drake safe 72 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (11/100). Same smooth texture.

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Hazey Jane I — Nick Drake safe 72 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same contemplative pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (11/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (72 BPM).

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Boy with a Coin — Iron & Wine safe 72 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (11/100). Same smooth texture.

…and if you want it calmer

Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Killing for Love is more than you want right now.

Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan
Blowin' in the Wind — Bob Dylan safe 80 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 12/100, down from 11. Nearly the same tempo, too.

What Was I Made For by Billie Eilish
What Was I Made For — Billie Eilish safe 60 BPM

It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 14/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Thumbing My Way by Pearl Jam
Thumbing My Way — Pearl Jam safe 80 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 23/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

That's the Way by Led Zeppelin
That's the Way — Led Zeppelin safe 72 BPM

Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 21/100, versus the original's 11. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Marion by Bon Iver
Marion — Bon Iver safe 75 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 12/100, down from 11. Nearly the same tempo, too.

All Cats Are Grey by The Cure
All Cats Are Grey — The Cure safe 70 BPM

It stays in our safe band start to finish, so it lands at 11/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Sinking by The Cure
Sinking — The Cure safe 65 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while it stays in our safe band start to finish. Reads 11/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

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We No Who U R — Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds safe 65 BPM

Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 11/100, versus the original's 11. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Killing for Love” by José González?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” by Sufjan Stevens, “Parasite” by Nick Drake, “Goodbye Cruel World” by Pink Floyd — the top match scores 99% alike. Matching is by how the songs actually move (intensity, dynamic range, texture, tempo, predictability, vocal force), not by genre tag or popularity.

What songs are like “Killing for Love” but calmer?

“Blowin' in the Wind” by Bob Dylan, “What Was I Made For” by Billie Eilish, “Thumbing My Way” by Pearl Jam keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Killing for Love”?

It measures 11/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 3/10, smooth texture, no sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Tempo is 70 BPM.

How do you decide which songs are similar?

Every song in our catalog is measured on 8 dimensions — intensity, dynamic range, tempo, sudden changes, texture, predictability, vocal force and fine sound detail. Similarity is the distance between two songs across those measurements, so matches cross genres and eras. Shared mood tags break ties.

By the numbers: how this song compares

Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.

Where it sits in 19,000 songs

This sits near the calm end of everything we've measured — gentler than 99% of the 19,209 songs in the library. Its intensity reading of 11/100 comes from a dynamic range of 3/10, smooth texture, no sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.

What makes it unusual

What stands out most about this song is an unusually steady, even volume: more extreme on that axis than 100% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.

Feels almost identical to

Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.

What it’s good for

Sleep10/10
Focus9/10
Workout0/10
Dinner6/10
Party / hype0/10

Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.

2007 in context

The 311 songs we’ve measured from 2007 average a dynamic range of 6.3/10. At 3/10, this track is gentler and steadier than its year.

Mixes smoothly with

Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.

The fingerprint

Intensity11
Dynamics22
Tempo17
Surprise0
Density0
Predictability0
Vocal force25
Trigger load13

The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.

Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?

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