5 Powerful Divorce Anthems To Free You From The Drama
Divorce is never easy. Even the ones that end somewhat amicably, there's still the fact that promises were made, eternal love was declared, and now it's over. But as much as an intense breakup hurts and as life-altering as it can be, we can rely on music to save us — in more ways than one.
According to a 2018 study published in PNAS, we don't just hear music — we feel it. Unsurprisingly, our brain finds music pleasurable, especially our favorite songs, so it releases dopamine as a response. "When you hear a song, your auditory cortex — the part of your brain responsible for processing sound — is activated," psychotherapist Desiree Silverstone told Live Science. "This activates other areas of your brain, including the limbic system — responsible for emotion — and the motor cortex, which controls movement." In other words, when you come across a song to which you can relate or are moved by, your brain activates and you feel good from head to toe.
Because there's so much solace to be found in music and it can unlock a whole spectrum of emotions, if you're going through a divorce, then you need some divorce anthems to support you. We have a few songs to get you started.
Flowers by Miley Cyrus
Since the beginning of her relationship with Liam Hemsworth, many of Miley Cyrus's songs have been presumably about the Australian actor. While some are mere speculations, others have been undeniable. For example, her 2023 album "Endless Summer Vacation" is a masterclass in reclaiming yourself after divorce, with the song "Flowers" being a major standout on the subject.
"I wrote it in a really different way," Cyrus told British Vogue in June 2023. "The chorus was originally: 'I can buy myself flowers, write my name in the sand, but I can't love me better than you can.' It used to be more, like, 1950s. The saddest song. Like: 'Sure, I can be my own lover, but you're so much better.'"
However, lucky for us, Cyrus took the song in a different direction, making it one heck of a divorce anthem in the way it takes empowerment to a whole new level. "The song is a little fake it till you make it," Cyrus added. "Which I'm a big fan of."
Easy On Me by Adele
In November of 2021, Adele released her fourth album, "30," and it was a doozy on the emotional scale, to say the least. In the days and weeks that followed its release, Adele never shied away from the fact that "30" is definitely about her divorce from Simon Konecki, which was finalized in early 2021.
Although the entire album is, like all of her music, fantastic, it's "Easy On Me" that can level anyone to tears who's been through any sort of romantic loss. In November 2021, Adele told British Vogue that "Easy On Me" was written in response to all the questions her son had about the divorce. "I just felt like I wanted to explain to him, through this record, when he's in his twenties or thirties, who I am and why I voluntarily chose to dismantle his entire life in the pursuit of my own happiness," Adele said. "It made him really unhappy sometimes. And that's a real wound for me that I don't know if I'll ever be able to heal." It's the self-reflection and candid vulnerability in "Easy On Me" that really makes this one a tearful sing-along.
Breadwinner by Kacey Musgraves
Although Kacey Musgraves and Ruston Kelly's marriage only lasted three years, their divorce provided plenty of musical fodder — enough for a whole album. Her 2021 record, "Star-Crossed," doesn't hold back on the details that led to divorce.
"I don't feel like I owe that to anyone, but I owe it to myself as a creator to flesh out all these emotions that I've felt, and I do that through song," Musgraves told Elle in 2021. "It would be strange if I didn't acknowledge what happened in my life creatively, but it is scary to be like, 'I'm about to share my most personal thoughts about me, about this other person, about a union that I had with someone.' I mean, I'm not a ruthless person. I care about other people's feelings. So it's kind of scary."
Musgraves may not be ruthless, but she does drag her ex on the album. For example, in the song "Breadwinner," we get some major insight into what marriage to Kelly was like and it doesn't look fun: "He wants a breadwinner / He wants your dinner / Until he ain't hungry anymore / He wants your shimmer / To make him feel bigger / Until he starts feelin' insecure / I wish somebody would've told me the truth / Say, 'He's never gonna know what to do / With a woman like you.'" Sorry Ruston, but this song is a fantastic divorce banger.
Forgiveness by Mandy Moore
While it's probably safe to say that most divorces are fairly rocky, Mandy Moore's situation was especially damaging. Moore married singer and songwriter Ryan Adams in 2009, then filed for divorce in 2015, citing "irreconcilable differences." But little did we know at the time, that the reason for the end of their relationship was far more complicated. It wouldn't be until 2019 that Moore accused Adams of emotional and psychological abuse, along with several other women.
When Moore talked to The New York Times in 2019 about her relationship with Adams, she said, "Music was a point of control for him," adding "I want to make music. I'm not going to let Ryan stop me." With Adams in her past, that's exactly what Moore did. In 2020, she released "Silver Linings," her first album in 10 years.
The song "Forgiveness" serves up some lines that are perfect for your divorce anthem playlist: "I wanted to be good enough for you / Until I wasn't good enough for me / Will I forgive you? / Will I? / Will I forgive you? / You don't get to know / Forgiveness, it isn't for you / The forgiveness is for me." Good; Ryan doesn't deserve her forgiveness, and being able to forgive ourselves for sticking around is what really matters.
Dance Again by Jennifer Lopez
With three divorces under her belt, Jennifer Lopez knows a thing or two about the pain that comes with the end of a relationship. She also knows how to manage all the emotions that come with it.
"I remember that when I got divorced [from ex-husband Marc Anthony], I did a song called 'Dance Again' and all I wanted was to feel like I wanted to dance again — and laugh and love and get up off my feet," Lopez told Glamour in 2020. "In times of uncertainty and anxiety and sadness and fear, you want that feeling. You want to just forget about your troubles for a little while."
"Dance Again" is equal parts empowering and hopeful: "If this would be a perfect world / We'd be together then (let's do it, do it, do it) / Only got just one life, this I've learned / Who cares what they're gonna say? (Let's do it, do it, do it) / I wanna dance, and love / And dance again / I wanna dance, and love / And dance again." It's also great for dancing around the house in your underwear while knowing your divorce isn't so much of an end, but a beginning.