In the lead-up up to Concrete’s Sex and Relationships issue, we asked writers to contribute to a less-than-joyful side of relationships, their end, by submitting their go-to breakup songs.  

“All I Ask” by Adele – review by Micah Petyt 

If this is my last night with you 
Hold me like I’m more than just a friend 

Adele is a staple for any break-up playlist, but “All I Ask” from 25 often goes underappreciated when compared to her far more famous “Someone Like You.” In it, Adele sings to a future ex-lover, pleading for one final moment together, perfectly capturing the dreaded feeling that your relationship has run its course. The pain and loss she feels is brought out as she asks her lover, “since you’re the only one that matters, tell me who do I run to?,” reflecting the feeling of hopelessness felt when the only person who you want to lean on has cast you aside. Desperation is also touched upon in the line “…it matters how this ends, ‘cause what if I never love again?” which has shaken me to my core on many a tear-filled night.  

“Los Angeles” by Big Thief – review by Violette Douglas 

We dream our dreams together 
Even without laying in the same bed 

The throbbing of the bass that remains methodical throughout feels like a mirroring of the way in which heartbreak keeps hitting you right in the gut until it is gone. Lyrically, it is so personal and yet so universal—we have all been haunted by that intimate silence that no contact brings. The explored feeling of being misled by the passage of time, portrays how we can avoid the permanency of pain by wallowing in it. We then hope to let that pain go. At the end of the day, we are all just trying to understand each other. Relationships are just trying to ‘sing’ for one another as Big Thief so beautifully put it.  

“I Know It’s Over” by Jeff Buckley – review by Daisy Hawker  

I know it’s over still I cling 
I don’t know where else I can go 

Have you ever swaddled yourself in your bed, sodden with tears, listening to Jeff Buckley freshly post-breakup? If you want to feel the line “if you are so very good looking, why do you sleep alone tonight?” in your bones, I recommend putting “I Know It’s Over” on repeat for your next breakup. It’s the worst pain you’ll feel, but I found it got me through my grief a lot faster. 

“All I Need to Hear” by the 1975 – review by Eleni Lucas 

So, tell me you love me 
‘Cause that’s all that I need to hear 

Slow piano and sorrowful lyrics are what characterise this devastatingly beautiful tune by the 1975. Healy describes his own pointlessness in the absence of reassuring words from someone he can’t quite reach, and becomes desperately adamant of their solace, sincere or not. This song bridges the gap between the habit of talking to someone all day, every day, and finding a new routine that they’re not in. So, whether you’re longing for a text back or just someone to sit you down and hold you, this song has felt what you’ve felt ten times over. 

“Promise” by Laufey – review by Micah Petyt 

I’ve done the math, there’s no solution, 
We’ll never last. 
Why can’t I let go of this? 

Laufey is one of the few current artists who has successfully mastered the melancholy of jazz, and “Promise” is the epitome of this melancholy. From the slow, quiet piano and the violins that tug at your heartstrings with each pull of the bow, to the matter-of-fact nature of “… it hurts to be something, it’s worse to be nothing with you,” Laufey creates a heart-wrenching anthem for anyone who has spent hours contemplating breaking no contact. 

Image credit: Micah Petyt