We recommend: The best heartbreak songs
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Editor’s note: This month, we have put together a 'broken heart' playlist—the best soundtrack for all that yearning and aching. As we all know, the best romantic songs are the dukhi kind–from K-Pop to Nusrat, Sonu Nigam and Mitski. You can check out the full playlist over on our Spotify account!
- ‘Come Back To Me’ by RM: There’s a massive fan of this South Korean rapper among us—and rightly so, due to his “top notch” lyricism and flow. The song encapsulates the emptiness and disinterest one feels after losing a partner.
- ‘Faasle’ by Kaavish and Quratulain Balouch: This Coke Studio ballad resonates with Riddhi due to how the logistics of life can stand in the way of love.
- ‘Dil Ke Arman’ by Salma Agha: This classic from the 1982 film ‘Nikah’ picks itself thanks to a distinct vocal flair and a profound directness in songwriting.
- ‘Sweet Pain’ by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Michael Brook: The Pakistani maestro needs no introduction—there will always be a timeless quality to his productions and Khwahish’s meditative selection more than qualifies here.
- ‘Emai Poyave’ from ‘Padi Padi Leche Manasu’: This Telugu track brings together Sid Sriram’s melodious vocals with a pared back arrangement for those breakup vibes. Sriya likes this song because “The lyrics are amazing and also the ease to sing and feel”. We agree!
- ‘Unna Nenanchen’ from ‘Apoorva Sagodharargal’: This Ilaiyaraaja composition, sung by SP Balasubramaniam is rife with pain, and Manoj recommends it for its aching and beautiful Tamil lyrics. He also recommends watching the video version, for Kamal Haasan’s acting chops.
- ‘True Blue’ by Mark Ronson featuring Angel Olsen: Arunima highly recommends this number for Ronson’s production, and loves what Rolling Stone had to say: "its disco sludge smearing over summer windows like a psychedelic car wash." Among Arunima’s other recommendations: ‘Nobody’ by Mitski because “You can scream sing cry to this one!”
- My Love Mine All Mine by Mitski: Another Mitski on the list is this song which went viral on TikTok and Insta. For Vaani, the song is “like a balm for the soul, treating any and every ailment regardless of the context.”
- ‘Nindiya Ke Paar’ by Uzair Jaswal: Mahak recommends this Coke Studio Pakistan track, filled with ache and longing, because it’s “such beautiful music covering all range of emotions from meek sadness to angry denial.”
- ‘Just When I Needed You Most’ by Randy VanWarmer: Throwing it back to the 1970s, Vanessa recommends this heartbreak number because it evokes “a nostalgia for a time that may never come” with its melancholic sound.
- ‘Love Love Love’ by Of Monsters and Men: For the phase of heartbreak where there’s equal parts anger and confusion, Shruti recommends this song that makes her “cry every time I listen to it”. We can totally see why.
- ‘Mera Kuch Saaman’ by Asha Bhosle: This RD Burman song with Gulzar’s lyrics from the movie ‘Ijaazat’ is Sabah’s favourite as the lyrics perfectly “captures the idea of leaving things (and a part of yourself) behind in love or broken relationships.”
- ‘Onde Samane’ by Sonu Nigam: This song is from the Kannada movie ‘Gaalipata’. Nikhil suggests it as it is “one of Sonu Nigam's best kannada songs.” We may not know what the lyrics mean, but we sure feel the ache in Sonu’s voice.
- ‘Virah’ by Shanker Mahadevan: This lovely classical piece set to Raag Marwa— the quintessential heartbreak Raag—is from the Indian web series ‘Bandish Bandits’. Saket says he hasn't heard a song with more depth and we agree.
- Night Shift by Lucy Dacus: Rachel loves this song because it goes through all the stages of heartbreak and the push and pull you experience. She says, “I love love the line from the song ‘In five years I hope the songs feel like covers dedicated to new lovers.’”
- ‘My Kink is Karma’ by Chappell Roan: The synth pop queen is more known for her girl anthems but this one hits a sweet spot for Ilu as the song “indulges that fantasy and helps you feel better being better off without your ex.” That’s the best kind of heartbreak coping mechanism.
The splainer team’s picks
Our Advisory Editor Prachi Sibal, is as millennial as they get. Here are some of her picks:
- ‘Signal Fire’ by Snow Patrol, is for heartbreak and a little bit of hope. It appeared on the soundtrack of ‘Spiderman 3’ and had some beautiful moving images to go with it.
- ‘Un-Break My Heart’ by Toni Braxton, is a song that could well be the heartbreak anthem for the 90s kid. It has everything; pain, longing, and a singalong quality.
- ‘How to Save a Life’ by The Fray, may not have been written in the romantic context but speaks of a different kind of loss, that of a friend. And we know how painful that kind of heartbreak can be.
Our Editorial Manager Raghav caps this off with his four faves:
- ‘Summer of ‘42’ by Kishi Bashi, is a period piece love story with universal relatability due to a strings-filled hook.
- ‘I Don't Love You Anymore’ by Tyler, The Creator, finds beauty in bluntness set to an earwormy beat.
- ‘Mariners Apartment Complex’ by Lana del Rey, features the singer-songwriter at her peak in stellar layered lyricism.
- ‘Cold Little Heart’ by Michael Kiwanuka, is the heartbreak song to end all heartbreak songs, featuring soulful guitar noodling and crooning that hits you like a truck.
PS: Check out the splainer fam’s other recommended playlists—songs that mention location, one for unwinding at the beach, a soundtrack for the slog, songs to get your karaoke groove on, tunes that mention colour, their favourite cover versions, music for your next road trip, tunes to sing in the rain and songs to dance to in your underwear.
