How Healing Can Be Found in Heartbreak Songs
You can better understand your sadness by listening to heartbreak songs.
Picture this: You’re coming home from a demanding workday, still missing your ex-girlfriend from three months ago, still obsessing over your manager’s remarks, and still worrying about paying your bills on time.
The lyrics of a certain song fill the room when you press the play button on your playlist. You’re standing, staring blankly at your walls. In that moment, you can’t help but feel less alone and more understood.
You now realize that heartbreak songs can help you feel less depressed and more connected. They help you make sense of your sorrow and help process any other related feelings. It’s no surprise that your phone is filled with songs about moving on from the break-up.
Before you cringe over what’s become of you, consider that listening to music has many other benefits besides providing solace during breakups. If this is how you cope, then why judge? Going through a break-up is difficult, but there is a silver lining: listening to good breakup music can infuse you with newfound energy.
Best Heartbreak Songs to Add to Your Playlist
Repeatedly listening to the same songs can suck, so we’re here to help you add more in the hopes of soothing the heartbreak. In addition to that, you may even discover artists you’ve never heard of before, so read on:
“Love You Anymore” by Michael Bublé
Listening to this song can make you feel like you’ve loved someone deeply and that you’re still finding it hard to let go. You know that you no longer love the person the same way you did before; perhaps your love for them is now more platonic. Even so, you still struggle to let go of the intimate memories you two created together.
“Crying Over You” by Honne
You should definitely check out this talented electronic music duo if you haven’t yet. Their song perfectly captures how someone unexpectedly enters your life and brings you great joy before things get challenging. You’re then crying more often and then you two ultimately decide to part ways. This song can help you realize that, in order for better things to happen, even good things must end.
“I Miss You, I’m Sorry” by Gracie Abrams
If you had a bad breakup, this is a good one to blast. The song explores the emotions of attempting to repair something irreparably damaged and feeling as if you see pieces of them everywhere you go in the aftermath.
Without a doubt, these lyrics resonate even more deeply when listened to in Gracie Abrams’ delicate voice. The emotional state of a breakup is revealed in each verse and chorus, progressing from perplexity and longing to the realization of a relationship’s ripples.
“Yesterday” by The Beatles
Of course we mustn’t forget the classics! “Yesterday” by the Beatles is a melancholic ballad about a relationship ending and the regret of losing someone to mistakes that time cannot undo. Even though the lyrics are rather simple, this song makes the destruction of losing a lover very clear. If you’ve been wishing you could go back in time and undo the breakup, let this song be your comfort. We believe in better tomorrows for you!
“End of the Road” by Boyz II Men
The phrase “end of the road” refers to the end of a meaningful experience or journey between two former lovers. Boyz II Men explores the end of a treasured relationship they wish to maintain in the framework of this song.
Did your split make you realize you were the only one who still wanted to continue the relationship? You must’ve eventually realized that your partner was no longer happy, so you had to let go. This song eloquently depicts the difficulty of leaving a relationship that you so wanted to last (bonus points for the great R&B feels).
“Easy on Me” by Adele
Let’s not argue about Adele’s ability to give us a glimpse into her emotional headspace and make us feel as if we had also been divorced. Yes, splitting up with a girlfriend can be challenging, but a marriage ending cuts deeper, especially when involving children.
With the loss of her marriage and the need to explain to her child why it had to happen, the singer expresses her desire for grace during this trying time. Being kind to ourselves is a gift we should give ourselves every day because, as this song reminds, it’s our first time living and some things are just beyond our control.
How Can Sad Songs Help?
Listening to good breakup music can be quite healing.
There’s more to embracing music during heartbreak than just listening to sad tunes. As stated in an article by Bowers (2024), studies have demonstrated that listening to heartbreak songs can be an effective psychological healing technique.
If you’re still feeling depressed after a relationship breakup, here are extra explanations as to why listening to sad songs can ease your heartache:
It Fosters a Sense of Collective Sharing
People with great empathy are more likely to be moved by sad songs. As a way of sharing an emotional experience with others, some of us even watch other people’s reaction videos while listening to music. A sense of collective sharing increases our sensation of being moved and elicits sentiments of safety and acceptance.
It Reduces Anxiety
Sad music helps our nervous system relax. In addition to promoting quicker sleep, it also lowers stress levels. The reassurance, emotional closure, and mood control that come from listening to sad music serve to calm our fight-or-flight reaction. It helps you become more aware of your emotions and provides a chance to better understand them.
It Helps You Find Beauty Despite Loss
The greatest thing about tragic art is that it gives meaning to the world’s misery. Despite the bittersweet feelings it arouses, the reflective nature of a melancholic song or the eerie beauty of a gloomy musical composition can generate a sense of peacefulness. It stimulates pleasure through nostalgia and reflection on the past.
Listen, if you’re having a bad day, it’s okay to blast heartbreak songs. Don’t mind the naysayers if they mock you for it. What’s not okay is mocking other people’s pain, especially those they’ve yet to experience.
Focus on getting better. Once you’re ready to meet new people in search of lasting love, we’ve got you covered.
References:
Bowers, T.P. (2024). “Music and Heartbreak: How Music Can Heal.” Taylor Sound and Video.
https://taylor-sound.com/music-and-heartbreak-the-healing-power-of-music/#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20research%20has%20shown,powerful%20tool%20for%20psychological%20healing.