After a relationship ends, there are a number of stages that you may go through on your journey to healing. Fortunately, beyond the stage where you want to hide under your blankets with a bottle of Malbec and a box of Girl Scout Cookies, and the stage where you carefully craft ways to get revenge on your ex, there is a place of acceptance and growth. And the many songs about moving on after a breakup can serve as stellar inspiration for arriving at this peaceful place.
The truth is, there is no one "right" path to moving on. For some, it requires making self-love a priority, by way of saying affirmations or other similar strategies. Others may need to seek therapy or journal about the breakup to work through their emotions and gain a new perspective on how this event could be a positive thing. And for many people, it's a matter of unfollowing their ex on social media and surrounding themselves with loved ones.
However you choose to get there, remember that there is a light at the end of the tunnel — an endlessly exciting phase where you can finally envision life beyond your ex, and rediscover who you are outside of that relationship. And when you need a little reminder of that light, queue up these super motivating songs ASAP.
Once upon a time, it was made for us / Woke up one day, it had turned to dust / Baby, we were found, but now we're lost / So it's time to let it go.
The beauty in this breakup song is that there isn't an ounce of resentment in it — it's all about acknowledging and accepting your differences with your ex. So, if you're seeking to make peace with your split, crank this pensive pop ballad.
I cut you off / I don't need your love / 'Cause I already cried enough / I've been done, I've been movin' on since we said goodbye.
Put this empowering tune on repeat when your ex is making their best effort to come crawling back into your life and you're having none of it, TBH, because like Dua Lipa, you're moving on.
There may be something in the water / Over here in California's — got me feeling like I'm better off alone ... Cause when I'm on my own, I feel alive.
There's something innately healing about hearing Rena Lovelis sing "I'm better by myself" repeatedly over the course of this song — it essentially functions like a musical affirmation.
I'm not the way that I used to be / I took the record off repeat / You killed me, but I survived / And now I'm coming alive.
When thoughts about the things your ex did or said start to haunt you, take a cue from Fifth Harmony and just shake it off like an Etch-A-Sketch. You're Miss Movin' On, after all.
Of course she was sad, but now she's glad she dodged a bullet / Took a few years to soak up the tears / But look at her now... watch her go.
Selena Gomez's latest releases seem to be all about healthy reflection and rebuilding your sense of self after a painful breakup (see: "Lose You To Love Me.") But this catchy single, in particular, is an excellent choice when you need a little reminder of how you're killin' it now that you've let go of your last relationship.
If it takes a rocket, okay / Somewhere more than a planet away ... I wave to the man in the moon / Nowhere to be and nothing to do / With a lightyear between me and you.
This melancholy song is one of Maren Morris' lesser-known works, but it's well worth listening to when you're working on gaining some distance from an unhealthy past relationship.
Feeling inspired 'cause the tables have turned / Yeah, I'm on fire and I know that it burns.
You know that blissful feeling when you run into an ex, or you know they've been creeping on your socials, and you can hold your head high because you're literally thriving without them? Yeah. That's what this bop is all about.
Woo girl, need to kick off your shoes / Got to take a deep breath, time to focus on you ... Boss up and change your life / You can have it all, no sacrifice.
Just try and listen to this pump-up jam (or honestly any of Lizzo's songs) and feel sorry for yourself — I dare you. Moving on could be just a few hair tosses away, fam.
It'll all get better in time / And even though I really loved you / Gonna smile 'cause I deserve to.
When in doubt, repeat Leona Lewis' simple phrase: "Imma be okay." As they say, time heals everything.
And I'm not the girl that I intend to be / I dare you, darling, just you wait and see / But this time not for you but just for me.
This song is super upbeat as far as breakup anthems go, but it's still just as powerful. Even if you aren't totally over your ex yet, this song may provide a glimmer of hope that you'll get there eventually.
