Made with observations, opinions, and discussion at the Album Listening Sessions. Wanna join the conversation? Click here!
Digital illustration by Clarissa Bird. 2021.
The Breakup Playlist
So you’re finally ready to come to terms with the fact that you broke up. Maybe it was a romantic break up or a friendship break up or an imaginary break up with someone you never even dated. Dredge is here to help. Sometimes the pain, elation, or frustration of heartbreak can’t be articulated through simple words but only through the masterful work of songwriters and artists. Music can capture feelings sometimes we can’t or sometimes aren’t even aware that we need to feel. If any of this rings true for you, then we hope you will enjoy this Breakup Playlist and find joy in the memories you shared, grief in the mourning of a relationship coming to an end, and healing as you move on to the next.
Song Breakdown
Best Friends: I wanted The Breakup Playlist to follow the trajectory of a true friendship or romantic relationship’s demise. For me, that often starts with realizing the high I’m experiencing from a relationship which inevitably leads to realizing how far I’ll fall if things end poorly
Rocky: For me, this song chronicles the overthinking stage of a breakup when the thought has passed the mind that this relationship might be coming to an end, but one still has not fully acknowledged the reality of the situation
We Used to Be Friends: I do not know if this song needs any further explanation, but it captures the preliminary reaction and flood of emotions for my realization that my friendship was coming to an end and that urgent desperation to cling on to the dying relationship.
When You Were Mine: Similarly self-explanatory by the title, this Tegan and Sara song is a classic. It captures similar emotions to that of We Used to Be Friends in that you can feel the relationship slipping through your fingers and a sense of being completely out of control.
Did Ya Think: Consider this the guilt-free Should’ve Said No by Taylor Swift which still has not been re-released and therefore is still benefitting S******* B**** (Google this or see our Enneagram Playlist post for more info). Rage is part of the process and this is your moment for that. Write down all your mean thoughts, form revenge plans with your besties, basically go full burn book mode from Mean Girls because you deserve it.
good 4 u: Olivia Rodrigo really knew what she was doing when she wrote her album SOUR which is all about breakups, make-ups, and everything in between. I felt it was necessary to include this particular song for those people who might be experiencing intense jealousy and anger following a breakup or at the person who has left their life. If screaming this in the car doesn’t help, I don’t know what will.
ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?: This song captures the mixed emotions I felt following my friend break-up and what I imagine others might feel too. On the one hand, I was angry, heartbroken, upset and on the other, I still missed the friend I had lost and cherished the memories we had made together. This song is the first step in realizing that healing doesn’t have to be black and white, hatred and love but can be felt at the same time.
Hello My Old Heart: Another crucial step in the healing process, sadness. As an enneagram type 4 and romantic I constantly wallow in whatever perceived slight I have experienced, but if wallowing doesn’t come as naturally to you then I can guarantee this song will put you in that headspace. Listen with tissues, chocolate, and pajamas on.
Macee: I did try not to make this playlist ALL sad songs, but hey sometimes feeling all the crummy emotions is necessary to heal and get through the heartbreak. This song is about longing, missing someone, and feeling lonely.
Strawberry Shortcake: For me, this song is all about leaning into the difficult and maybe uncomfortable emotions like sadness, loneliness, and abandonment and realizing that we’re not always able to change the way we feel, sometimes we just need to ride the wave.
Love is a Losing Game: If you’re heartbroken, chances are that you have already listened to Amy Winehouse and probably this song. Don’t let the melancholy drag you down too far though, because if you hadn’t gone through that breakup you wouldn’t be who you are!
Bummer Days: Keep leaning into those emotions! More than that though, this song is about understanding when it’s time to move on or at least to start thinking about moving on. Don’t rush the process, but also understand you won’t feel like this forever, promise.
Pull It Together: This song captures the transition from externalized frustration aimed at the person or people you’re going through a breakup with to internalized frustration aimed at yourself. Another necessary part of healing, but if you take anything away from this song let it be to not beat yourself up too much.
About: Another Michael sings about the reminiscent phase of a breakup when you’re remembering all the good and bad times from your relationship. Let this song be your space for remembering that person, but when the song ends make sure you’re continuing to stay in the present and not romanticizing the past.
Stop Making This Hurt: For those of you going through a breakup where the other person just won’t leave you alone, this anthem is for you. Although you may want to keep some sort of a relationship up with the person in the breakup with you, a clean break is also helpful for re-establishing boundaries and focusing your attention on your individual healing rather than that of the other person.
Davy Crochet: I LOVE this song. A big part of my breakup healing process was going through my memories with my old friends and mulling them over and over again to see what I could or should have changed to prevent the fallout. Ultimately, overthinking did not lead to anything but a cycle of frustration, sadness, and feeling abandoned but it IS an important part for some people and after this song, you can check that off your healing checklist.
Don’t Swerve: “The very thought of you / it follows me around” YES. Again with the overthinking and anxiety of what do I do if I run into this person out in public? Here’s my solution: wait for a global pandemic to stop everything and then you won’t have to go in public and run into someone. But seriously, if you have actual tips for this leave it in a comment.
Want Me Back: You don’t need to feel guilty about wanting to get back with your ex and hey if that’s the path for you then get out of here and go do it! But, if you’re thinking about getting back with them or trying to be friends again and you know it won’t lead to anything productive, then play this song on repeat.
I Listen to Your Radio Show at Night: It’s natural to compare ourselves to others especially to whomever your ex inevitably moves on to and it’s also natural to check up on an ex every now and then. This is another aspect of mourning and remembering your ex-friend or lover but make sure to balance it with a healthy amount of distance and realistic perspective.
Slow Dances: If you do deal with romanticizing the past, let this song be your moment for checking in with yourself or remembering how horrible the person you broke up with actually was (assuming they’re the one at fault).
Rollin’ Around: I think this song speaks to the situation of dating someone in your friend group or having a fallout with one person from your friend group and how awkward it can be to navigate those dynamics. Additionally, when serious relationships or codependent relationships come to an end it can sometimes send us into an identity crisis tailspin and this song spells out that uncertainty beautifully.
Jaded: If you’re hung up on the Love is a Losing Game stage and in a deep pit of pessimism, understand that just because this relationship has come to an end doesn’t mean all your relationships are destined to the same fate. Go out to coffee with a friend, facetime someone you haven’t in a while, or write a letter to a family member. You’ve got this!
Pressure to Party: This song is about the pressure to feel you have to move on from your last relationship or especially move on faster than your ex. The truth is this is not a race and if you’re hurting that person probably is too (unless they’re a sociopath who knows). Give yourself the space to heal and try to understand the journey isn’t always linear and there’s no right or wrong way to mourn the end of a relationship.
White Flag: Clairo said it not me! “I hope you find solace in this" ESPECIALLY in this playlist. If you didn’t, then try giving it a few more streams, settle in with your comfort movie, and eat that pint of ice cream.
If you read this far, thanks for sticking around for my ramblings. My last piece of advice is to try and not force healing if you’re not ready and to understand that people don’t really ever fully move on or heal. Sometimes memories will always be bittersweet to think on but that’s okay, it just part of this thing we call life.
April Events Calendar
Art/Misc. Events
3/20-4/17 Spring Blooms at Memphis Botanic Garden
4/4 Remembering MLK: The Man. The Movement. The Moment
4/9 Nature by Firelight @ Lichterman Nature Center
4/9-4/17 Gore + Gore at the Medicine Factory
4/9 Friday Family Night: Aladdin
4/11 Word Travels Annual Sidewalk Poetry Contest Kickoff!
4/15-4/19 Africa in April Cultural Awareness Festival, Inc.
4/16-4/18 Memphis Art in The Loop
4/23 Family Night: Mary Poppins & GPAC Dance Kids
4/24 River Market at the intersection of Riverside Drive & Beale Street
Music Events
3/21-10/25 Night Time Jazz Brunch
3/27-4/4 Easter Bunny Photos at Bass Pro Shops
4/1-4/29 Bluebird Happy Hour at The Grove
4/3 Alison Brown @ The Halloran Centre
4/3 Live Music Pop-ups at Concourse: Jordan Occasionally and inoahcreation
4/9-4/10 Paquita in the Park Live at the Levitt Shell
4/15 Blackwater Trio
4/17 Crawfish, Gus’s & Mighty Souls
4/18 Memphis Symphony Orchestra
4/22 Mark Edgar Stuart
4/24 GPAC Youth Symphony Program Spring Concert
4/23 The Orpheum Presents: Candlelight Concerts: Nick Black
4/29 Brian “Breeze” Cayolle
4/30 The Orpheum Presents: Candlelight Concerts: Strings in the City: Memphis Music
5/7-5/9 Birth of Soul Music @ The Halloran Centre
Cover art by Grace Porter
Review: "Bee Pollen" Harlan
Harlan’s new single “Bee Pollen” was released today and has made a pledge to support the Black Lives Matter Movement. The proceeds from streaming the single will be donated entirely to Just City Memphis, an organization that raises money for community bail funds and helps previously incarcerated people expunge their criminal record. Harlan has also committed to donating all of the profits from her self-titled album to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) from here on out. Be sure to stream “Bee Pollen” and Harlan available now on all streaming platforms and to continue finding ways to support the Black Lives Matter Movement and Black creatives during this time.
Artist Spotlight: Girlfriend
This week London sat down for a Zoom Call with Rhodes student Kenya Edwards who is Curb’s first artist spotlight this month. As Black Music Month comes to a close, we are working to integrate Black artist spotlights into regular programming because without Black artists, that Memphis sound would fail to exist. We are so grateful to feature Girlfriend as she discusses how she got started, new releases, how Memphis has influenced her sound, and why it is important to keep creating music right now.
How are you with everything going on lately?
I’m pretty good, just trying to work and stay safe because both of my parents are essential workers.
We’re doing artist spotlights for Black Music Month, but really we need to extend it into our organization in general and into the school year. We’re going to do spotlights on Black Memphis Musicians right now. So let’s start with a little background, where is your hometown?
I’m actually from Sardis, Mississippi which is about an hour South from Memphis, so not too far away.
How long have you been making music and how has place influenced your work?
I’ve been making music probably since I was in Middle School. It was funny because the first song I recorded was a project for school. We had to remix a song and include definitions for different things like similes and hyperboles. We remixed the song and the teacher actually made us go by the studio and record it, so that was the first time I made music and after that I started writing in probably 9th grade and it all started from there. Right now place is influencing my music because I am more of an R+B singer, but Memphis is more of a rap city which is forcing me to be more creative and open up my music to that side. If I was somewhere else like Houston or an R+B city it would be easier, but for now I’m trying to gain more traction and work with new people so my current sound is more rappy.
So how would you describe your music style?
I would say different, I know everyone says their music is different, but I have a lot I haven’t released yet and it’s all so different. I really don’t have one specific sound, I would call it an expression because it can’t really be categorized to one genre of music. I really don’t have one specific sound, I would call it an expression because it can’t really be categorized to one genre of music.
Well, if there was just one track that you want audiences to listen to, what would it be?
What I really want to suggest is something I haven’t released yet, if I had one or two songs, the first would be Got with Big Boogie and then Take You Home which hasn’t been released yet.
And you’re on Spotify, Apple Music, and Soundcloud, so our audience can check you out on any of those services. How do you feel like your blackness influences your work?
I feel like my blackness influences my work because that’s how I’ve grown up. I love Black artists like Chris Brown, my dad’s reggae, a bunch of different influences and other Black bops like Candy Rain or songs with chorus singing the hook with the lead and vocals. I would say Black music is my sound, I’m just the reincarnation of what I listened to growing up.
Is there anyone you listen to now that influences or inspires you in your sound and vibe?
I would say a few years ago Kehlani, because when I first started writing I would start with a beat and think about what my favorite artist would write. What type of cadence would they put there and that sort of thing. Back then I would say Chris Brown and Kehlani, but the more I started writing the more it’s just me. I can still hear other artists, but now it’s just my expression
I can feel that vibe, last question: why do you feel it’s important to create content right now?
There’s a lot going on in the world with the pandemic and Black Lives Matter Movement, which is something I’ve been super outspoken and passionate about. So, I think we should really be focusing on those things, especially the Black Lives Matter Movement, but at the same time I feel like being a creator of music period, music is something that brings people together and it’s important to be passionate right now. We don’t want it to be all stressful, and creating content is sort of a relief but can also help drive people. At one point I didn’t want to create content or release anything simply because I feel like that’s not the focus, but there comes a time when we should give ourselves a mental break.
I agree, we can have Black joy and suffering in the same space. Thank you!
You can checkout Girlfriend’s music on Spotify, Soundcloud, and Apple Music. Her newest single Got featuring Big Boogie is out now and you can watch the music video here