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70 Songs to Add to Your Sad Girl Playlist for When You Need a Good Cry
Apologies in advance for your soon-to-be-sore eyes.
You, my friend, are in need of a good cry. Instead of doom-scrolling social media, let's let some songs help us through it. It's absolutely no secret that the last two three several years have been intense, and that's me being generous—which means you obviously need a sad song playlist to get you in your feels and help you stay there until it's all better. Or, at least, until you're on the path to feeling better. When it feels like life kicked you in the teeth in a major way (#relatable #everyday #whenisitfriday), sometimes it helps to let it all out before you figure out how best to proceed.
And the good news? You don't even need to search Spotify, inevitably stumbling across two to three mediocre sad-girl playlists maximum, because we have one riiiight here that's 100 percent tested and guaranteed to make the tears flow. We've got the latest, just-released angsty jams—turns out COVID-19 gave singers a lot of material to work with—but we've also got the classics on here that have been making you weep for literally years. Yes, of course Adele is on here, how could you even doubt it?
So draw the curtains, curl up under the covers with your favorite stuffed animal, and have a packet of Kleenex at the ready—these sad songs are about to take you on an emotional, sob-filled rollercoaster ride. Bonus: Text a friend and have them join in on the sing-along cryfest. You're welcome.
"Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell
Nobody is doing it for girls who need to cry like Joni. She taught Emma Thompson in Love Actually how to feel. She did that!
"ceilings" by Lizzy McAlpine
Lizzy McAlpine has been dominating the sad girl music scene for a while now. And while this song has become sort of joyful thanks to TikTok, it's still really friggin' sad. It's still about a relationship that's over and imagining something that is no longer real in the present
"In The Kitchen" by Renee Rapp
This song has a good dose of sad sad: "So I'll dance with your ghost in the living room/And I'll play the piano alone/But I'm too scared to delete all our videos/'Cause it's real once everyone knows" and angry sad: "Ain't it funny how time shows you, you know nothing/'Cause I used to love you, but now you're dead to me/Strangers to lovers to enemies." That makes it kind of the perfect breakup song.
"Wake Me Up When September Ends" by Green Day
People looooove to make jokes about this song. You know, the "it's October 1, tell Billie Joe Armstrong to wake up" jokes? That's lowkey rude IMHO. This is a song about how depressing the anniversary of a traumatic event is. Sometimes all it takes to remind you of something horrible is a crisp in the air. It's not about taking a nap.
"Hang Me, Oh Hang Me"
Inside Llewyn Davis is a sad movie about a sad folk musician played by a sad Oscar Isaac singing sad songs. And you can listen to those sad songs whenever you want. This one is particularly dark, as you may have guessed from the title.
"Matilda" by Harry Styles
It's a sad song that tells a sad story that's not about romantic heartbreak, necessarily, but about the heartbreak one might feel from family and childhood trauma. Does it make it a little less sad to think about how it may be inspired by the Roald Dahl book? Not really! That girl had a sad life! Everybody say "thank you, Harry."
"Un-Break My Heart" by Toni Braxton
Now THIS sad song is for belting along. Try and not to, I dare ya.
"Easy on Me" by Adele
Don't let the title fool you. Adele's telling her son about why his parents divorced, and everyone on the planet heard the lyrics and immediately burst into tears. It's effective.
"The Luckiest" by Ben Folds
I mean, this is definitely about loving someone desperately, but it's also about what your life would be if you didn't have them and all the screw-ups that led you to this moment. (deep shuddering sob)
"Birthday Cake" by Dylan Conrique
This song is actually drawn from real-life (a friend's mom died from cervical cancer). And it is just as much of a gut punch as you think it's gonna be.
"hope ur ok" by Olivia Rodrigo
Sour is full of teenage rage anthems... and then all of a sudden on the last track, she becomes a geriatric millennial sipping wine, scrolling Facebook, and thinking about the friends she lost touch with. It's so sad. It's so sweet. Many tears.
"New Year's Day" by Taylor Swift
Nobody:
You: Please don't ever become a stranger whose laugh I would recognize anywhere.
Me: 😭
"It'll Be Okay" by Shawn Mendes
I mean, it's probably not a coincidence Shawn came out with this right after he broke up with Camila Cabello, since this song discusses the possibility of ending a romantic relationship. "I will love you either way." Immediate recipe to burst into tears.
"Glimpse of Us" by Joji
Have you ever broken up with someone, started seeing someone new, and not been able to get your ex out of your mind? This basically captures it perfectly.
"See Her Smile" From 'tick, tick... BOOM!'
This song from the off-Broadway musical tick, tick...BOOM was not included in the 2021 film, and yes I will be forever bitter that I never got to hear Andrew Garfield go full emo with this one. But I digress. It's a sad song about how you feel helpless when someone you love is hurting and you can't do anything about it.
"Rainbow Connection" by Kermit the Frog
Why is this tiny green muppet making me CRY????? I'm kind of enamored with secretly depressing songs that you might not know are sad unless you really listen to the lyrics. This is one of the best. It's a sad sneak attack.
"Tracks of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
This one goes out to all the depressed extroverts out there and the popular and/or perpetually happy kids who are hurting inside. Burnt out from putting on a brave face? Belt this song out.
"Baby Mine" From 'Dumbo'
There are a lot of sad Disney songs, but this lullaby takes the cake.
"Stormy Weather" by Etta James
Etta James is one of the most indulgent, emotional performers. She's perfect for wallowing in your biggest feelings. Even "At Last," her most famous song, sounds sad even though it's technically a happy song. But "Stormy Weather" is for sure sad. It's the musical equivalent of a big, healing cry session.
Leah Marilla Thomas is an entertainment writer, UNC alum, and former Hasbro Toy Tester (yes, that's a real thing) who loves The Good Place and Love Island equally. In her alleged spare time, she's probably either at the theater, in a park, or watching basketball.
Katherine J Igoe (she/her) was a contributing editor for Cosmopolitan and is a freelancer covering style, lifestyle, culture, and beauty (she's obsessed with gift guides, best-of movie lists, and beauty products). She's been a freelance writer and editor for over a decade, previously working for Marie Claire (2018 to 2021) and Bustle (2021), with bylines in the The New York Times, Parents magazine, and elsewhere. She lives in Boston with her family, and you can follow her on Instagram or Twitte. It's "I go to dinner," not "Her huge ego," but she responds to both.
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