The 22 best LGBTQ breakup songs from the past decade

Ashley Simone JohnsonJun 26, 2021, 20:25 IST

Tayla Parx, Demi Lovato, and Sam Smith are prominent queer artists of the 2010s.Atlantic Records/Island Records/Capitol Records

Insider compiled a list of the best LGBTQ breakup songs of the past decade.
Some are melancholic (Arlo Parks' "Green Eyes") while others are bops (Demi Lovato's "Sorry Not Sorry").
All of our picks explore the nuanced vulnerabilities and chaotic tragedies of queer heartbreak.

Kehlani uses explicitly queer lyrics as she sings about relationship ups and downs in "Nights Like This."

"Nights Like This" was released as a single off Kehlani's mixtape "While We Wait" on January 10, 2019. Kehlani/YouTube

"Evergreen" by Ryan Beatty is fantastically chaotic and the perfect bedroom-pop song for a breaking heart.

"Evergreen" is the sixth track on "Dreaming of David." Interscope Records

"Green Eyes" by Arlo Parks gets real about some of the risks that come with being in a queer relationship.

"Green Eyes" was released as a single on October 20, 2020. Transgressive Records

"Ivy" by Frank Ocean tells the story of an unexpected young love that inevitably turned into hate.

"Blond" was released on August 20, 2016. Boys Don't Cry

Blood Orange's "You're Not Good Enough" is melodiously dreamy, but painfully straightforward when it comes to the lyrics.

"You're Not Good Enough" is the second track on Blood Orange's sophomore album "Cupid Deluxe." Domino Recording Company

"Baby, You Make Me Crazy" by Sam Smith is consoling and uplifting.

"Baby, You Make Me Crazy" is the seventh track on "The Thrill Of It All." Capitol Records UK

"Touch" by Shura is as visceral as it gets.

"Touch" was released as a single on March 4, 2014. Shura/Universal Music Group via YouTube

Fletcher's "Undrunk" is crude, but clever, in its exploration of regret and heartbreak.

"Undrunk" was released as a single on January 25, 2019. Fletcher/Capitol Records via YouTube

Mitski's "Nobody" is an existential song about love, or lack thereof.

"Nobody" is the ninth track on Mitski's fifth studio album "Be The Cowboy." Mitski/Amazon/Dead Oceans

Claud's "Guard Down" is a relatable reaction to heartbreak and examines the consequences of vulnerability.

"Guard Down" was released as a single on February 9, 2021. Saddest Factory Records/Dead Oceans

"Love, Or The Lack Thereof" by Isaac Dunbar is a song filled with complex emotions.

"Love, Or The Lack Thereof" was released as a single on November 20, 2020. RCA Records

"Sad" by Tayla Parx is a bop that naturally captures that sour feeling after a breakup.

"Sad" is the first track on Tayla Parx's second studio album "Coping Mechanisms." Atlantic Records

"Care" by Beabadoobee is "an angry girl anthem."

"Care" was released as a lead single on July 14, 2020. Beabadoobee/YouTube

"Sorry Not Sorry" by Demi Lovato is all about self-love and "feelin' so good."

"Sorry Not Sorry" was released as a single on July 11, 2017. Demi Lovato/Island Records via YouTube

Troye Sivan's "The Good Side" is tastefully intimate and apologetic.

"The Good Side" is the fifth track on "Bloom." Universal Music Australia

"Talia" by King Princess is a sonically intoxicating song about yearning.

"Talia" was released as a single on April 13, 2018. King Princess/YouTube

070 Shake's "Guilty Conscious" explores lying, cheating, and trust issues.

"Guilty Conscience" was released as a single on January 10, 2020. Def Jam Recordings

Muna's "Winterbreak" is nostalgic and reflective.

"Winterbreak" is the fourth track on Muna's debut album "About U." Muna/YouTube

"Another One" is a beautifully vulnerable ballad that touches upon feelings of jealousy after parting ways with a beau.

"Another One" is the 10th track on "Clarity." Bunhead

"Feel Something" identifies the numbness one may feel in an unfulfilling relationship.

"Feel Something" is the ninth track on Clairo's debut studio album "Immunity." FADER Label

"Pristine" by Snail Mail is as melodramatic as a song about tarnished love gets.

Snail Mail released her single "Pristine" on March 21, 2018. Amazon/ Matador Records

Wrabel's "11 Blocks" wrestles with the distance between ex-lovers.

"11 Blocks" was released as a single on June 24, 2016. Wrabel/YouTube

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