Unless you’ve never had a relationship (which might not be a
bad thing) or you’re one of the lucky few who end up spending the rest of their
lives with their first girlfriend/boyfriend, chances are you have, at some stage,
been dumped. You’ll know, then, that when you’ve been dumped (and sometimes even
when you’re the dumpee) that music suddenly affects your mood a LOT more than
before.
I’ve recently been dumped so I figured, rather than dwelling
on everything, I’d take the time to list my top ten break-up songs. I’ve taken
into account that, although all you might want to do is cry, sometimes at such
a situation it’s important to listen to uplifting songs. Of course, you might
be less affected by the whole thing in which case here’s a list of ten great
songs to enjoy!
With that in mind here are my top ten break-up songs: five
are happy and five might tug on your heartstrings.
Happy ones!
1: Kelly Clarkson –
Stronger
I think the best way to sell this song is to quote a line
from it: “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
It might not seem like it
right away because, well, you’ve just split up with someone you obviously care
about but in the long run, you’ll be alright and probably become a stronger
person because of it. Instead of moping about whatever happened, listen to this
song and feel empowered.
It’s way too easy to show the other person how much it’s
affecting you but it’s much more satisfying to show them that you’re going to
be okay and this is nothing but a little blip in your life. Show them that you
don’t need them and that you’re okay on your own.
This is the kind of song to put on when you feel like a tear
may fall at any moment. It perks you up and makes you feel stronger about
everything that might be going wrong – not just break-ups. It’s also a great
way of sticking two fingers up to your ex – it’s all about thanking them for
making you stronger and making you realise you’re better alone.
2: P!nk – Try
I LOVE this song! It has some of the most relatable and
perfect lyrics I think you could ever want to hear when you’re going through a
break-up. Just like Kelly, P!nk has always had that kind of attitude that you
aspire to have; she does what makes her happy and doesn’t care what other
people think.
“Where there is desire, there is gonna be a flame... Where
there is a flame, someone’s bound to get burned... Just because it burns doesn’t
mean you’re gonna die, you gotta get up and try.” Read those lyrics and tell me
that they’re not what you want to hear when you’ve just split up with somebody. Okay, so there’s a touch of negativity in them because they suggest that
somebody’s always going to get hurt but we can overlook that for a second.
I think it’s the lyrics of this song that make it such a
great one to listen to during/after a break-up. It helps to put things in
perspective. Let’s face it, sometimes the urge to just sit in your pyjamas and
be a misery guts is overwhelming but this song helps you realise that you have
to keep pushing through. Life’s for living, not moping!
3: Delta Goodrem –
Not Me, Not I
Okay, I admit that this song isn’t the most uplifting in
terms of tempo but focus on the lyrics, especially the lyrics! This is probably
best to listen to if your ex was a bit of a liar or a cheater or something. It’s
all about catching them lying and telling them that they’re stupid for thinking
that they could ever get away with it. It then goes on to say how life goes on
without them and, yeah, they hurt you but you’ll get over it.
Like I said before, there’s nothing worse than your ex
knowing that they’re still under your skin. You want them to know that you’re
going to be alright in the end. This isn’t me telling you to pretend you’re not
affected at all because, well, that’s harsh! It’s me saying that you shouldn’t
let them know exactly how much it’s getting to you.
Delta Goodrem has such an incredible voice which is
perfectly highlighted in this song. Her vocal range is incredible and, even
though she hits notes that I can only ever dream of hitting, it’s still amazing
fun singing along. Give it a whirl!
4: Cher – Believe
It’s dance-y, it’s fun, it’s Cher… What’s not to like about
this track..? Nothing. Forget that it’s slightly cheesy; it is Cher after all.
Sing into your hairbrush, pull out all your best moves , and party!
This song admits that it’s hard at first (what break-up isn’t?)
but it then goes onto say that you’re strong, you can do this, and you’re
better than your ex. If that doesn’t make you feel better, nothing will! You
might not think it right now but soon you’ll look back on this whole shebang
and wonder what you were so hung up on.
Even if you don’t want to focus on the lyrics (they’re
always the part of a song that makes me well up!), focus on how upbeat the
music is and let yourself go. Find a space in your room and dance the night
away. Beats crying yourself to sleep, doesn’t it? Plus if, like me, you’ve been
doing a spot of comfort eating, it’s a fun way of burning calories. Chocolate
AND a dance..? Yes please!
5: Taylor Swift – We Are
Never Ever Getting Back Together
Like Adele, Taylor’s made a bit of a name for herself with
the whole ‘write a song about your ex’ thing. There were rumours that this was
written about John Mayer, then people said it was about Jake Gyllenhaal.
Firstly, I think we should take a moment to appreciate just
how attractive Taylor Swift’s boyfriends are (I think she’s linked to Harry
Styles at the moment!), and secondly, forget whoever this song is supposedly
written about and pretend it’s written about your ex.
I mean, obviously, these songs are going to depend on how
the break-up’s occurred and what the situation is like between you and your ex but
I think this song fits any situation. I wrote a little review about this song
and, in hindsight, maybe I was harsh because this song has grown on me big
time.
This song makes you feel good and makes you feel strong and
in control of the situation. It’s incredibly fun to sing along to, it’s fun to
dance to, it’s just fun – something you might really want right now. Sing it
loud and proud!
Sad ones!
1: Whitney Houston –
Didn’t We Almost Have It All?
The title of the track pretty much tells you how depressing
the song is going to be so maybe don’t listen to this unless a) a bit of a sob
will make you feel MUCH better, or b) you think you’re strong enough to take it
emotionally.
This is the song that made me realise I was feeling stronger
about everything. When I was first dumped, I tried listening to it and got a
bit weepy. Eventually I tried to listen to it again and, hey presto, I made it
through without a single tear in sight.
This song is a little ballad all about remembering how good
things were between you and how you almost had everything and somehow it went
wrong. (I did tell you this was a bit of a tough one to listen to!) I’m sure
there’s no Whitney track in existence that isn’t fun to sing along to and this is
no exception… Maybe just keep a few tissues nearby in case of any pesky tears!
My advice is get a bar of chocolate, a few tissues, and weep
away the bad feelings to make room for the good ones again. Remember; you can’t
grow flowers without a little rain!
2: Adele – Someone Like
You
I almost feel like I don’t need to say anything about this
song. We all watched that Brits performance (if you didn’t, it's up there so watch it!) so
we all know how powerful and emotional this song is. Even if you’re not going
through a break-up, it still has the power to make you cry. Why? Because we’ve
all felt this way at some point.
This song, albeit mildly depressing in ways, is actually
quite empowering. It’s all about remembering that one day, in the future, you’ll
be able to look back at the relationship and the person with a fond smile and,
in the meantime, you’ll find someone else and be happy with them. It’s also
about accepting that part of you will probably always love that person and
accepting that it’s not such a bad thing.
Adele’s vocals have the power to give me goosebumps and move
me beyond belief, whilst her lyrics are impeccable and easy to relate to. I
actually prefer the Brits version to the CD version because I find it more
powerful but maybe that’s me.
3: Becky CJ – Easy For
You
I found this little beauty on YouTube and, whilst all of her
songs (and covers) are brilliant, this is the song that I kept listening to
over and over when I got dumped. Becky CJ is, for me at least, a blend of Adele
and Ed Sheeran with her own style added to it. Her vocal range is brilliant,
her voice is strong and powerful, and her lyrics are amazing.
For me, some of the lyrics hit super close to home but the
part of this song that stands out most for me is “I’m gonna make it easy for
you ‘cause I’m loving leaving you.” It fits regardless of whether you were the
dumped or the dumpee - it helps you think about taking control of the
situation.
If you can make it through this song without goosebumps or
tears, I salute you. It’s the kind of song that makes you feel better about
everything because you realise you’re not the only one going through it and
yet, at the same time, it has the ability to reduce you to tears. It’s brilliant!
4: Celine Dion – All By
Myself
If you’ve seen Bridget Jones, you’ll know exactly why this
song has made it on the top ten break-up songs. Do like Bridget and sing your
heart out, even if you end up singing through tears. It’s bound to make you
feel better. If you haven’t seen Bridget Jones, take a moment to pause reading
and go YouTube it!
I can’t talk for most people but I know that, since being
dumped, I’ve felt a bit lonely. This song, as hinted at in the title, is about
not wanting to be by yourself. It has a slow build up which gets you a bit
emotional but then suddenly it hits the fun part; the part you can scream at
the top of your lungs.
It’s a fun miserable song, if such a thing could ever exist.
There’s parts where you can pretend to drum, there’s parts where you can sway,
there’s parts where you can shout out the lyrics – it’s practically flawless!
It’s okay to feel lonely because it won’t last, I promise!
5: Roxette – It Must
Have Been Love
This is such a classic break-up song, I almost feel there’s
nothing I can say about it. You know it’s a good break-up song when you hear it
a lot on Mellow Magic. I don’t know if it gets played so much now but I know
when I was 15, it was played a lot.
Even with the sad songs, I’ve tried to pick ones that aren’t
that soppy because that’s not great for anyone; you might end up crying lots
which results in puffy faces and lots of tissues being used (poor trees!).
“It must have been love but it’s over now” – think positive…
It might be over but love is a great emotion and the fact that you’ve had the
chance to experience it, however short lived, is a great thing! That being
said, grab the chocolate and tissues because you might feel a tear or two
coming on if you listen to this song too much.
So there you have it, guys; my top ten break-up songs. Keep
your chin up and enjoy. Indulge yourself in a few good crying sessions (they
help) but remember that this is all just a short chapter in the long and happy
life you’re going to lead!