Music is great medicine for a breakup. Whether you’re looking for empowering anthems or heartfelt ballads, there’s a song for you to process your emotions. So, get some tissues ready and tune in to our playlist of breakup songs from LGBTQ+ artists and allies.
1. ‘Flowers’ by Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus catapulted back into the spotlight with the post-breakup anthem Flowers. Fans believe the song is a nod to Cyrus’ break-up with Australian actor Liam Hemsworth. She just so happened to release the track on his birthday. Coincidence? We think not!
Loaded with impactful lyrics, Cyrus parodies Bruno Mars’ ballad ‘When I Was Your Man’ but changes out heartache for empowerment. Turn up the volume, have a boogie, and know you can also buy yourself flowers.
2. ‘Nights Like This’ by Kehlani ft. Ty Dolla $ign
In 2019, Kehlani reminded us that on some nights, you just can’t help thinking about your ex. Reminiscing, sipping (to numb the pain) and missing are prominent themes in her collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign. The song’s music video features a science-fiction bi+ love triangle between the artists and an android grappling with the troubles of their relationship. Kick back and listen your way through your feels with Nights Like This.
3. ‘Anything But Me’ by MUNA
MUNA doesn’t disappoint in this heartfelt track about leaving a relationship that didn’t feel right, with no regrets. Anything But Me speaks to the mixed feelings of the decision to break up. The band said their message was, “…no one’s holding you back — you can untie the knot and skip into the sunset whenever you’re ready.” This one is great for a cathartic dance around the living room, singing into a hairbrush mic at the top of your lungs.
4. ‘Hearts in Halves’ by Cub Sport
Brissy pop group Cub Sport touches on the euphoria of a deep connection with a past love. Not all break-ups are permanent, and Hearts in Halves explores the beauty that comes from a strong connection with another. At the end of the music video, Nelson and his bandmate Sam put aside all denial of their love and reconcile.
Filmed at The Beat Megaclub in Brisbane, this song is an ode to an Australian queer break-up.
5. ‘Godspeed’ by Frank Ocean
This combination of R&B, soul, and gospel was released in Frank Ocean’s album Blonde in 2016. Godspeed is about finding closure and wishing someone well after a relationship has ended. The song makes several biblical references and includes a church-style organ in the melody. It is rumoured to be a prayer to a special person from Ocean’s past.
Delve into this hypnotic hymn and sing along to the lyrics “wishing you godspeed, glory.”
6. ‘Could Cry Just Thinkin About You’ by Troye Sivan
The Aussie singer Troye Sivan is a favourite among the gays. His music explores the queer experience, from sexuality and love to heartbreak. In Could Cry Just Thinkin About You Sivan reflects on and longs for the return of a past lover. The heartfelt lyrics and emotional delivery symbolise the part of a person that lingers even after they’re gone. Troye opens a door for self-love and new connections in the lyrics, “I don’t know who I am with or without you. But I guess I’m ‘bout to find out.”
7. ‘You Still Get Me High’ by Kylie Minogue
It’s not all Padam Padam on Kylie Minogue’s album: Tension. There’s also room to feel your way through the intoxication of a deep emotional bond in You Still Get Me High. The pop queen takes us on a journey from the excitement of new love to the difficulty of parting ways. We are left with nostalgia for the good times and the enduring turmoil of a powerful connection. Sometimes, we “just can’t say goodbye,” even if it’s only in our mind.
8. ‘Care’ by beabadoobee
Beatrice Laus, known professionally as beabadoobee, released Care as the debut single of her first album. While not explicitly a break-up song, the track describes feelings of anger toward Laus’ contemporaries, who she felt didn’t understand her value or care about her work. The song is inspired by 90s rock anthems, often used in romantic comedy films of the era, and will give you that nostalgic hit of teenage angst that can feel weirdly good during a breakup.
9. ‘Too Good At Goodbyes’ by Sam Smith
If you’re looking for a tearjerker, Too Good At Goodbyes is the song for you. Sam Smith describes the track as “…getting good at being dumped”. The lyrics speak to the fear of abandonment that comes with the entrapment in a break-up cycle. Grab some tissues as Sam Smith brings you through the melancholy of knowing they will just leave again.
10. ‘Talia’ by King Princess
Break-ups can feel like the death of a loved one. King Princess taps into the grief after the end of a relationship in Talia. She speaks of using alcohol to create a sensory experience of her former lover, only to wake up hungover without her. The lyrics “If I drink enough, I can taste your lipstick, I can lay down next to you. But it’s all in my head…” are all too relatable following a breakup.
11. ‘I Will Survive’ by Gloria Gaynor
You’ve definitely bopped along to this disco hit at any club you’ve been to around the world! Intended as a female-empowerment anthem, Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive has become a gay anthem. It was released in 1978, and during the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, it was adopted by the gay community as a response to the stigma they were experiencing. This is another one to dance around the living room like you’re lip-syncing for your life.
12. ‘Curious’ by Hayley Kiyoko
Hayley Kiyoko really embraces her role as a queer trailblazer. Many of her songs are about lesbian and bisexual relationships, but Curious is the one you’ll want to add to your breakup playlist.
The song is about self-respect when facing the inconsistency of a lover who wants you back but won’t commit. If you need a reminder that it’s okay to walk away from someone playing games, Curious is the one for you.
13. ‘Strangers’ by Halsey ft. Lauren Jauregui
Strangers is a strong, unapologetic pop collaboration between Halsey and Fifth Harmony’s Lauren Jauregui. The song is about two queer women who long for each other after their relationship has crumbled. The music video sports a Romeo and Juliet-style storyline where two lovers are forced by their communities to spar in a boxing match. Listen to Strangers for raw lyrics that cut deep.
14. ‘Put it on Hold’ by Mo’Ju
Queer, Australian First Nations artist Mo’Ju wrote this song to process mental health challenges, which led to the breakdown of a relationship. Put it on Hold is about catching your breath, healing, and returning stronger. This is a smooth, lo-fi track to listen to with your morning coffee or while basking in the sun pondering life.
15. ‘Hits Different’ by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is the queen of breakup songs. Hits Different was released in 2022 on the album Midnights. The album is about thoughts Swift had while awake in the middle of the night. At the time, she was still with her partner of six years, Joe Alwyn, but the two split in early 2023. Fans speculate that the album may have been informed by the unravelling of their relationship at the time.
Unlike Swift’s previous breakup tracks, Hits Different marries a danceable beat with lyrics that capture the multi-faceted emotions of heartbreak.
16. ‘Boy Problems’ by Carly Rae Jepsen
Boy problems, who’s got them? Carly Rae Jepson does in this bubbly breakup tune. Co-written with Sia, Boy Problems is a conversation between Jepsen and a friend. Frustrated, Jepsen’s friend tells her the hard truth, the guy isn’t going to change. Sometimes we all need an honest friend to tell us how our relationship looks on the outside. Listen to Boy Problems for a boppy girl talk session.
17. ‘Believe’ by Cher
This club banger relaunched Cher’s career to a new generation. It is an empowering goodbye to any remnant feelings for her former partners, as well as a mic drop to doubters and misogyny in the music industry. For Cher, Believe wasn’t just about breakups from exes, but also leaving the version of herself that cared what haters thought behind. The song has since become a queer breakup anthem about moving on to a ‘life after love’.
For advice on how to get through a breakup, check out this article.
Looking for love songs to inspire you to get back into the dating game? Here’s our list of gay love songs for him.