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Six songs to help you get through the heartbreak blues
As Taylor Swift says, “heartbreak is our national anthem; we sing it proudly”
Whether you're mourning the loss of a relationship, friendship or even both, navigating a heartbreak is no easy feat. It can feel like an avalanche of emotions is slowly piling up on you, with no escape in sight. Luckily, there are many ways to mend—or at least partially mend—a broken heart. The Eyeopener suggests practicing self-kindness, having a well-deserved crying session and most importantly, using the powerful tool of music to help you get back on your feet. Here is a specially-curated playlist to help you through this emotional rollercoaster. And remember: it’s going to be all right!
“Supercut” by Lorde
Starting with a song to help get you into the reflective mood, “Supercut” by Lorde talks about all the memories that circle through your head as you’re trying to deal with heartbreak. Lorde sings chillingly about “all the love we had and lost” and how “the visions never stop” in this track about what was and what could have been. Whether it’s the good, the bad or the ugly, “Supercut” can act as the dramatic accompaniment to that montage of memories playing through your mind like a scene from an Oscar award-winning film.
“Finally” by Accusefive
With lyrics like “maybe it is doomed/doomed to fail” and “where did you leave my heart,” this track by Taiwanese band Accusefive is a devastatingly pessimistic ballad hidden behind a veil of guitar melodies and haunting background vocals. Even if you don’t understand the lyrics, this song's crescendoing bridge and audibly distraught vocals can keep you company as you do some (healthy) post-heartbreak yearning.
“Gone” by TWICE
Are you feeling a little betrayed and need to get the anger out of your system? If rage is your presiding emotion, “Gone” is a fitting tune to help you embrace that resentment and remind you that you deserve better. In this track, TWICE sing about never wanting to see someone again after feeling let down. With powerful vocals and an equally commanding instrumental, this song is best paired with some aggressive head-bobbing and an angry text draft—which you definitely should not send.
“Forgiveness” by Rina Sawayama
Rina Sawayama captures the desire to let go and move on from heartbreak in “Forgiveness.” While you may want to forgive and forget, it’s certainly not easy and Sawayama’s lyrical melody knows that it can feel like you’re “running in circles.” The swaying rhythm of this tune encapsulates the struggle of moving back and forth between blame and forgiveness. Let her raspy but smooth vocals paired with the song’s steady tempo drift you away and help ease the pain.
“Coconut Mall” from Mario Kart
OK, maybe you need a breather from it all and you want to empty your mind of the seemingly never-ending spiral of emotions. In that case, the antidote may be to put on those headphones and pretend you’re just a little Nintendo character vibing with the palm trees and tiled floors in Coconut Mall. Sit back, relax and let the serotonin flow through you as you wind through the racetrack.
“Last One” by The Aces
Hopefully, you’re feeling a little better after that much-needed break from your thoughts. As you're exiting your wallowing phase and moving on to acceptance, this upbeat track from The Aces can usher you into the next step in your grieving period. The band’s vocals, guitar, bass and percussion elements play together to create a cheerful tone that recognizes that the journey to this point has been long, but maybe it is time for it to come to an end. While it can seem like the heartbreak will last forever, it will get better. Eventually, the last song will play and you’ll find the agony fading away.