We all date people at some point in our lives, which means we all go through breakups, some of which will inevitably be tough. Your partner may cheat on you, be abusive, try to control you too much, decide out of nowhere they don't love you anymore, or- perhaps the worst possible way to end a relationship- randomly cut off all communication leaving you in the shitty position having to break things off (because who wants to continue trying to fix a relationship with someone who won't even talk to you for weeks at a time?). Regardless of how bad your breakup is, there is always music to get us through difficult times. Here are some of my favorite songs that have helped me temporarily feel better about myself while dealing with a breakup (and with multiple friendship breakups, too).
1. "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"- Taylor Swift
Of course "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" has to be the first on this list, because even if you're not a big fan of TSwift, who even are we if we can't all relate to this classic breakup anthem of hers at least once in our lives? Whether or not your ex actually tries to get back together with you, you can jam to this song confidently knowing you made the right choice because of all the wrong they did you.
2. "Really Don't Care"- Demi Lovato
In this song, Demi perfectly captures everything you might want to say to an ex who screwed you over. She sings, "I can't believe I used to stay up writing songs about you, you don't deserve to know the way I used to think about you," which is relatable for those of us who may have had a breakup so frustrating that we can't believe there was a time at which we had legit romantic feelings for that person.
3. "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)"- My Chemical Romance
Whether you went through the stereotypical emo teenage phase or not, we all need a little bit of MCR in our lives. This song is about that the fact that it's okay to be not okay-- it's perfectly valid to feel frustrated over a relationship, and you shouldn't have to pretend nothing's wrong for the sake of making someone else happy. Perhaps the most powerful line in this song-- and among those I've heard in any song-- is "you said you read me like a book, but the pages are all torn and frayed."
4. "Cake"- Melanie Martinez
I just really love Melanie Martinez and encourage anyone reading this to check out her music, but this song specifically is comforting and relatable to hear during a breakup or romantic struggle. It's subjective, but if you feel like your partner manipulated or used you in any way, it's the perfect song for you.
5. "You Need Me, I Don't Need You"- Ed Sheeran
Not necessarily a song about a breakup, but it's so angsty that it's comforting to listen to anyway. While Ed Sheeran is massively talented, he doesn't have many angry songs out there, so this one definitely deserves appreciation.
6. "Mean"- Taylor Swift
Yes, another TSwift song (I'm a longtime fan and have no shame about it). This song is so much fun to jam out to even though it's about a mean person, and it's one of the few songs of hers that are relatable to pretty much everyone even if you haven't actually been through a breakup.
7. "Decode"- Paramore
You may remember this song from the first Twilight movie, but if you try not to associate it with that, it's a pretty good song. It describes how someone can change from a person you fell in love with to a person you hardly know anymore.
8. "Undo It"- Carrie Underwood
For me personally, this song captures my feelings about a breakup the best out of all these songs. Carrie Underwood has created several songs about breakups and they are all decent, but I especially love and relate to this one because she sings about the feeling of wishing you could go back in time to before you knew someone because they made you feel that shitty.
9. "Thnks fr th Mmrs"- Fall Out Boy
FOB is perfect to make you feel better in any situation, but this song is timeless. I don't even need to explain this one-- the lyrics do that themselves. "One night and one more time, thanks for the memories, even though they weren't so great, he tastes like you, only sweeter."
10. "Make You Miss Me"- Sam Hunt
Sam Hunt is an extremely talented country artist with powerful lyrics and an equally powerful voice. In this song, he talks about wanting to make an ex be reminded of you all the time so the breakup will be just as tough on them as on you.
11. "Twisted Tongue"- MisterWives
You may not know of MisterWives (other than some of my other articles in which I've mentioned them) because they are never on the radio and rarely talked about, but even if indie pop isn't quite your style of music, this one song is worth checking out. I personally love to listen to this when I'm mad at anyone in general, rather than just over an ex.
12. "Cowboy Casanova"- Carrie Underwood
Yet again Carrie Underwood musically captures all the negative feelings you might have about an ex. This is one of her more well-known hits, but it's definitely one of her best. Even if I'm angry over someone, I feel so much happier when I listen to this song. It's so fun and catchy too-- how can you not be happy listening to it?
13. "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" -P!nk
What I've always loved about P!nk is her unapologetic sass in all her music. She is one artist who certainly isn't afraid to say what's on her mind. If you've grown frustrated with a relationship because you're always fighting with your partner and sick of trying to work things out, this is the song for you.
14. "Bleeding Out"- Imagine Dragons
This song takes on a much more dark, somber tone than the rest of them, but that's what Imagine Dragons usually does with their music. "Bleeding Out" is actually about suicide-- the lyrics describe the feeling of being so upset over a loved one that you want to kill yourself. I wouldn't say this one is as relatable as the others, because we might not necessarily feel suicidal over an ex, but it can still help you get through a tough breakup.
15. "Forever and Always"- Taylor Swift
Okay yes, I had to put one more TSwift song on here, but this is actually one of her most underrated songs in my opinion. It's from her Fearless album, the second one that she released, and the reason I always liked it so much was because at the time it was so much more angsty and upbeat and less "soft", if you will, than her songs normally were. (Of course, now that's a normal style of music for her but trust me, it's still a great song!)
16. "That's What You Get"- Paramore
If you never went through a period in your life during which you repeatedly jammed out to Paramore, or at least to this song, were you even a teenager? Pretty much all their songs (at least from this time period) are upbeat, angsty and intense, but there's something about this one that really has a way of making you feel better about relationship troubles.
17. "Best I Can Do"- MisterWives
More music from this awesome indie pop band! This song is about how you can try your hardest over and over to preserve a relationship but your efforts never seem to satisfy the other person. It's certainly a horrible feeling, but MisterWives captures it quite well with this song, and in a way that definitely reassures us wer'e not alone.
18. "Good Girl"- Carrie Underwood
Not gonna lie, this song is essentially the same as the aforementioned "Cowboy Casanova", it just didn't become as much of a hit. It's still a fun, upbeat, sassy tune, and it certainly hasn't gotten old to me (even if it is over 4 years old). Carrie has some really genius lyrics in this song, such as, "his lips are dripping honey but he'll sting you like a bee, so lock up all your lovin', go and throw away the key."
19. "Novocaine"- Fall Out Boy
You know, part of what makes FOB's music so timeless is they just capture emotions, angst, and creativity in ways not many other artists can. Unlike "Thnks fr th Mmrs", this is a much more recent song and not as big of a hit, but can still provide comfort while going through a rough patch romantically.
20. "U + Ur Hand"- P!nk
Like I said, I love how blunt P!nk is in all her songs, but especially this one. She sings this song about being so done with an ex who's pissing you off and wanting back everything you ever gave them. I always loved this song while I was younger, but I love it even more currently since I can relate to it now-- and since I actually understand now what she meant by the phrase "you and your hand"!
I know there are plenty of other songs out there to help with breakups, but I just wanted to create a list of all the best ones that I personally know. You might not normally be into these types of music, and that's okay, but I encourage you to check those songs out if you're looking for some uplifting during a tough time. They have really gotten me through some rough patches, so I want to spread the word about them to other people who be going through similar rough patches.
And if you are one of those people, I feel for you and wish you all the best. Your friends and family are there for you, and music is always there for you too!
