There are five stages of breakup grief: denial, drunk texting your ex, getting back together, breaking up again, and — eventually — coming out the other side better and stronger than ever. When you finally reach that point where you're no longer missing your ex, it feels like an orgasm, an iced coffee, and the first day of spring all at once. Getting over a breakup is something to celebrate, and there's no better way to do that than with a fire playlist. I've rounded up some songs to listen to when you're over your ex for good, because you deserve to recognize your strength.
It's OK to still feel some resentment. It's OK to still be in pain. But a day will come when you stop wishing you were still with that person, and that's when you can really start to move on. Whether you're still hating on your ex or ready to start loving on yourself, there's nothing quite as powerful as realizing you and your ex are never, ever, ever getting back together... and actually being OK with that. Once you're ready to permanently crop your ex out of the picture, these breakup songs will remind you just that you're way better off without them.
Aren't you the guy who tried to / Hurt me with the word 'goodbye'? / Though it took some time to survive you / I'm better on the other side
The message of Dua Lipa's "Don't Start Now" is simple: You're better off, and you should make sure your ex realizes that.
Some mistakes get made / That's all right, that's OK / You can think that you're in love / When you're really just in pain
Not every relationship has a happily ever after, and Ashe's "Moral of the Story" is all about accepting those unexpected plot twists.
Oh, it's funny how / The warning signs can feel like they're butterflies
It's tempting to only reflect on the good parts of your past relationship, but Halsey's "Graveyard" is an important reminder that unburying the bad stuff is how you grow.
You were never on my side / Fool me once, fool me twice / Are you death or paradise? / Now you'll never see me cry
As well as being the next James Bond film theme, Billie Eilish's "No Time to Die" is the perfect ballad for learning to forgive yourself and learning from your mistakes.
Don't know why I looked the other way / I wanted you to change, yeah / I shouldn't love you, but I couldn't help it / I always knew that you were too damn selfish
No matter how hard you try, you can't change someone who doesn't want to change, and Madison Beer's "Selfish" is necessary for anyone who's ready to accept that.
Seasons change and our love went cold / Feed the flame 'cause we can't let go / Run away, but we're running in circles / Run away, run away
In every bad relationship, someone's got to be willing to make like Elsa and let it go, and Post Malone's "Circles" is all about acknowledging that some people simply aren't meant to be together.
We'd always go into it blindly / I needed to lose you to find me / This dance, it was killing me softly / I needed to hate you to love me, yeah
Even if you and your ex didn't have a relationship quite as tumultuous as Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez's, "Lose You to Love Me" is still a lovely reminder that sometimes, breaking up with someone else is the only way to strengthen your relationship with yourself.
I've always been told, one day, I'll find / Somebody who changes my mind / If they come along, I won't think twice / 'Cause I already got a good thing with me
Being over your ex doesn't necessarily mean being ready to move on to someone new. If you're looking to live your best single life for a while, then "Good Thing" by Zedd and Kehlani will definitely speak to you.
He keeps leaving you for dead / I don't know what you been waiting for / So you've got your love locked up instead / But somethin' better's waitin' at your door
After a breakup, you might be compelled to keep your heart guarded, but Khalid's "Know Your Worth" is all about learning to open up again when the time (and the person) is right.
You tried to break my heart? / Oh, that breaks my heart / That you thought you ever had it / No, you ain't from the start
Would any post-breakup playlist be complete without Lizzo? Truth hurts, but getting your ex doesn't have to be painful.
For anyone close to that final stage of breakup grief, I'm rooting for you. Just keep your chin up, your friends close, your ex's number blocked, and these empowering songs on repeat.
