The unrelenting pain of dealing with a break-up is brutal. Even worse is when your partner was less than faithful to you. The only thing that can numb such an indescribable pain is music. Music speaks to the soul when you have no words left to speak, and finding the perfect songs about being cheated on and lied to is one way to combat this troubling time.
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Let’s dive into the top songs about being cheated on and heal that heartbreak one tune at a time.
“Before He Cheats” – Carrie Underwood
In 2005, this blond bombshell, Carrie Underwood, was not shy about her hatred for cheaters. “Before He Cheats” is a hit that takes you into the life of a woman scorned.
The catchy beat along with the wittingly perfect lyrics makes this tune the perfect song to jam out to if you’re currently dealing with a cheater. If it’s a country song about being cheated on you’re looking for, Before He Cheats certainly is a good one.
“Cry Me A River” – Justin Timberlake
The popular song, “Cry Me a River” by heartthrob Justin Timberlake is known for being one of the most influential break-up songs of the century. So much so that Billboard ranked it number 4 on their list of Top Justin Timberlake songs of all time. This is the perfect song to play in the car if you’re in the mood to belt out songs about being cheated on.
“Who’s Cheatin’ Who” – Alan Jackson
This 1996 country song about being cheated on by a girl is a classic. Alan Jackson makes it quite clear that he’s been through the pain and heartbreak of infidelity and pours his heart out in this folk ballad. So if you’re having a rough time dealing with a girlfriend who’s cheating on you, let Alan Jackson help you out and fill our ears with “Who’s Cheatin’ Who.”
“Unfaithful” – Rihanna
This R&B ballad takes a whole new look at being cheated on and is sung from the mouth of the very cheater herself. “Unfaithful” is a deeply satisfying song that unveils the truth behind a woman’s secret life and the pain it causes her to deal with what she’s done.
This is a good one to listen to if you’re in the mood for R&B songs about being cheated on. It promotes less crying and more anger towards the thoughts and actions of a cheater.
“Love the Way You Lie” – Eminem
If you’re more of an Eminem fan and would love to listen to rap songs about being cheated on, “Love the Way You Lie” is a top contender.
Eminem is a rap God, and this song truly takes the cake when searching for a gut-wrenching song about rage, dishonesty, and disgust. His words flow like butter as he takes you through a story full of pain and regret, where jealousy and distrust are truly green-eyed monsters lurking in the shadows of his relationship.
“Lips of an Angel” – Hinder
One of the best rock songs about cheating of all time has got to be “Lips of an Angel” by Hinder. Hinder does a terrific job of making the listener feel heard and understood in this soft rock hit that will have you feeling all the feels.
The song is about a man that is clearly not over his ex, and in the process of trying to move on, it seems he may be hurting someone else instead. It’s a highly relatable song that makes listeners want to keep hearing more.
Sometimes, after all the pain and heartbreak, you just want to be alone. Check out the Top 10 Best Songs about Being alone.
“Lyin’ Eyes” – The Eagles
For all the old souls out there, “Lyin’ Eyes” by the Eagles is a true heartbreak classic. This 1970s hit brings passion and pain through a whole new light. “Lyin’ Eyes” is a top contender when looking for old songs about cheating. The story behind this Eagles classic hit is even more intriguing. If you don’t believe me, read more about it here.
“You Know I’m No Good” – Amy Winehouse
“You Know I’m no Good” was written by the English queen herself, Amy Winehouse, and was introduced as an addition to her Back to Black album in 2007. It’s a song about lust and the undesire to change as a woman living recklessly. If you want to find the best songs about being cheated on and lied to, “You Know I’m No Good” is an excellent place to start.
“Bust Your Windows” – Jazmine Sullivan
This one is the perfect go-to for when you first find out you’ve been cheated on and need to find an outlet for your rage. “Bust Your Windows” by Jazmine Sullivan focuses on the story of a woman who is hurt by a boyfriend who cheated on her. She decides to take the anger out on one of his favorite possessions instead of him.
If you’re still getting over that nasty break-up and want a list of songs to help you focus on self-love instead, check out this hot playlist.
“It Wasn’t Me” – Shaggy
This R&B classic is a comical take on a cheating partner who continues to declare his innocence, even long after being caught “red-handed.”
“It Wasn’t me,” sung by Shaggy, is a good song to listen to if you’re looking for songs about cheating but don’t want to be crying on the sofa like a baby. This hit will have you laughing through the pain and singing along as it’s quite a catchy tune.
“Should’ve Said No” – Taylor Swift
Swift looks back on the moment her relationship went from smiles and flowers to heartbreak. After finding out about her partner’s infidelity, she finds it hard to even look at him. She reflects on how easy it would have been for him to simply say “no” to the other girl, head home, and stay loyal. Instead, her boyfriend chose the wrong answer, and now he’s lost her.
This was one of three tracks on Swift’s debut album that she wrote entirely on her own. Based entirely on what she was going through in her personal life at the time, Swift was able to pen the entire track in just 20 minutes before she went in to record it.
“Hold Up” – Beyoncé
“What’s worse, looking jealous or crazy?” wonders Beyoncé when she discovers her man’s infidelity. Unable to comprehend what her partner would choose to be unfaithful to her when she loves him more than anyone else ever could. Scared to lose her pride and confused about where she could have possibly gone wrong, she’s left floored by the discovery and struggles to pull herself back together.
“PSYCHO” – Anne-Marie ft Aitch
Anne-Marie discovers pretty damning evidence that she’s been cheated on when she goes through Aitch’s phone. Faced with never-ending messages from other girls, she runs through the list of every interaction she discovered when she confronts her partner. Aitch isn’t backing down so easily, however, and attempts to explain away all the evidence with half-baked excuses.
Anne-Marie interpolates Lou Bega’s ‘Mambo No 5’ in order to list all the girls that Aitch is talking to on the side, switching the happy tune into a minor key.
“Stole My Man” – Karen Hardy
Karen Hardy’s been cheated on but she isn’t feeling too down about it. “I’m so glad you stole my man, girl, you took him off my hands,” she sings cheerfully. The infidelity gave her an excuse to leave her dead-end relationship and start living for herself, and now she’s feeling happier than ever. The pop track puts a nice spin on being cheated on – instead of losing a relationship, you gain the freedom that comes with cutting off a bad partner.
“Josslyn” – Olivia O’Brien
O’Brien is done with her cheating partner for good. Just for a bit of quick fun, he’s turned their whole relationship upside down and she knows it’ll never be the same again. “I hope that it was worth it f*cking Josslyn,” she tells him. Ouch.
The dynamic described in ‘Josslyn’ depicts grey areas in cheating. Whilst Olivia O’Brien and her guy weren’t ever officially boyfriend and girlfriend, they were in the ambiguous ‘talking’ stage, and she assumed that they were exclusive. As it turns out, however, the man in question wasn’t staying so loyal behind the scenes.
“Don’t” – Ed Sheeran
When Sheeran discovers he’s been cheated on, his response is to write a very specific song about it. He describes how he connects with a girl that he only sees intermittently, but they begin to get serious as time goes on. Just as things are really heating up between them and they’re getting to spend lots of time together, he’s blindsided by her jumping into bed with another guy.
Sheeran has made it very clear that story in ‘Don’t’ is entirely based on real events. “I could have gotten nastier,” he told Billboard. “There was more s*** that I didn’t put in.” He’s never revealed who the parties involved actually were, but fans have done plenty of speculating over the years.
“That Girl” – Amy Shark
Amy Shark finds her world brought crumbling down by just one girl when her partner chooses to cheat rather than stay loyal. After moving into a three-bed house with her friends, she obsesses over the girl her partner cheated with and can’t stop bringing her up in every conversation. Whilst people around her keep telling her to move on, she can’t seem to do it, and instead writes a song about the girl.
“Without Me” – Halsey
Halsey quotes another famous song about cheating in this break-up anthem – Justin Timberlake’s ‘Cry Me A River’. Integrating Timberlake’s pre-chorus into her bridge, she implies the reasons for her breakup pretty heavily without having to explicitly state them. She wonders how her partner possibly thinks that he could live without her when she’s been his support system for so many years. She’s done being taken advantage of.
“It’s Not Right But It’s Okay” – Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston’s been doing some detective work and she’s realising that her man’s story isn’t quite adding up. After she’s told by her partner that he’s going out with his five friends, she finds a receipt that shows he was at a dinner for two people. He’s also been lying about phone calls and dodging her questions, and she’s tired of it. What he’s doing isn’t right, but rest assured – she’s going to be okay without him.
“Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)” – Blu Cantrell
Blu Cantrell just caught her man cheating. She’s not wasting time crying however – she’s grabbing her two best friends and shopping until she forgets her heartbreak. The best part? She’s doing it all on his credit card. She goes on to pay all her bills in advance and sell his valuables for even more cash. When it’s all done, she invites every other wronged woman out there to do exactly the same. Cantrell has said that his song isn’t based on her real life experiences, but something she wishes she’d done to cheating men in her life.
“Heard It From A Friend” – LOLO
LOLO’s boyfriend needs to be a little more careful – she has eyes everywhere. He told her that he didn’t go out to the bar, but her friends were there, and now she knows everything that he did. “Don’t forget that we’ve always shared the same crowd,” she reminds him. He can lie all he wants, but her friends will always be around to tell her what’s really going on.
Final Thoughts
So as you wallow in your self-pity, recovering from a brutal and unfair break-up full of dishonesty and betrayal, know you’re not alone! Music heals the soul and can help you through any tough time you may be going through. Get out that iPhone and tune in to these top 21 songs about being cheated on to help you sing away your sorrows.