These artists weren't dwelling on sadness during their breakups; they were all about revenge. From flaunting their stuff to fantasizing about murder, their revenge songs about exes give us life. Check them out below.
1 of 20
"Take A Bow," Rihanna
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One of Rihanna's biggest hits has to be her 2008 single "Take A Bow." The billionaire sings about a manipulative ex-partner who "put on a show," leading her to believe he was faithful, only to discover he was a sly dog.
2 of 20
"These Boots Are Made For Walkin," Nancy Sinatra
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Nancy Sinatra wasn't kidding when she sang to her partner about getting their act together. "These boots are made for walking," the lyrics read. "[And] one of these days, these boots are gonna walk all over you."
3 of 20
"Cry Me A River," Justin Timberlake
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Justin Timberlake's earlier albums were packed full of hits about heartbreak, but his most memorable has to be "Cry Me A River." The former NSYNC member passionately sings to his ex about their lies and underhanded moves. "You should've picked honesty," he sings. "Then you may not have blown it."
4 of 20
"Gives You Hell," The All-American Rejects
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What better way to spite your ex than singing the lyrics, "When you see my face, [I] hope it gives you hell"?
5 of 20
"Irreplaceable," Beyoncé
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If you fumble a bag like Beyoncé, you deserve to be the subject of one of her biggest hits. In the song "Irreplaceable," she reminds her ex that she's one of one, not the other way around. "So, don't you ever for a second get to thinking [that] you're irreplaceable," she belts out.
6 of 20
"Kill Bill," SZA
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SZA took murder and glamorized it. Her No. 1 single, "Kill Bill," details one of the stages of heartbreak — anger — and she's shockingly honest about how much she hates to see her ex happy with "some other broad."
7 of 20
"Vigilante Sh-t," Taylor Swift
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There's no guessing if this one is about revenge. Taylor sings the words herself, "Lately, I've been dressing for revenge." Elsewhere in the song, she reiterates her stance, saying, "I don't start sh-t, but I can tell you how it ends." In other words, don't mess with the queen.
8 of 20
"Sorry Not Sorry," Demi Lovato
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Demi Lovato's 2017 release, "Sorry Not Sorry," was the song of the summer and one of the best breakup anthems of all time. The performer starts the track with powerful lyrics, declaring she's the best of the best. "Now I'm out here looking like revenge, feeling like a 10, the best I've ever been," she says.
9 of 20
"Truth Hurts," Lizzo
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Lizzo hit us (and her ex) with nothing but facts in her chart-topping single, "Truth Hurts."
"Why men great till they gotta be great?" she opens the track with. However, she doesn't stay down too long. Later, she says, "I just took a DNA test, [and] it turns out I'm 100 percent that b-tch."
10 of 20
"Sorry," Beyoncé
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I can't imagine being the person Beyonce was referring to when she sang "boy, bye" in her 2016 track, "Sorry."
11 of 20
"Bust Your Windows," Jazmine Sullivan
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Nothing screams revenge more than busting the windows out of your ex's car. Thankfully, there's a Jazmine Sullivan song to play for the pre-game motivation.
12 of 20
"You Oughta Know," Alanis Morissette
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Alanis Morissette didn't sit back quietly after her ex did her dirty. Instead, she made one of the best revenge songs known to man, "You Oughta Know." The lyrics ("And I'm here to remind you of the mess you made when you went away") are lethal, and I love every part of it.
13 of 20
"Before He Cheats," Carrie Underwood
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You can bust windows like Jazmine sang about, or you can carve your name into your ex's leather seats like Carrie Underwood said. Both shout revenge and are too epic not to be listed here.
14 of 20
"Rolling In The Deep," Adele
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Adele's ex might've played with her feelings, but she definitely got the last laugh. In her single, "Rolling In The Deep," she warns her former partner that she's not the one to toy with. "See how I leave with every piece of you," she sings. "Don't underestimate the things that I will do."
15 of 20
"Needed Me," Rihanna
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Most exes don't want to admit they messed up a good thing, so Rihanna sang it for them in her track "Needed Me."
"But baby, don't get it twisted," she says. "You needed me."
16 of 20
"Forget You," CeeLo Green
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CeeLo Green sang about moving on from his ex with ease in his 2010 track, "Forget You." The lyrics are funny and might be relatable to some listeners. "I guess he's an Xbox, and I'm more Atari," he says. "But the way you play your game ain't fair."
Later, he gets deeper, saying, "I pity the fool that falls in love with you" before singing the famous lines, "I see you driving 'round town with the girl I love, and I'm like, forget you!"
17 of 20
"Up Out My Face," Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj
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Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj (shocker) teamed up to tell their exes that when they screw up, it's time to get up out of their face.
18 of 20
"Bills, Bills, Bills," Destiny's Child
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Destiny's Child taught us a valuable lesson in the song "Bills, Bills, Bills": Don't mess with a scrub who has no idea what being a reliable man is about. And, if they can't pay at least one of your bills, they've got to bounce. (We're kidding, of course.)
19 of 20
"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," Taylor Swift
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Taylor is sort of the undeclared queen of breakup songs, and her No. 1 hit, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," stays on repeat in my house.
20 of 20
"So What," Pink
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Pink told us all that she didn't need her ex to keep her going. It was the other way around. "I'm still a rockstar, I got my rock moves, and I don't need you," she sings.
Jacquez has been writing about all things entertainment, including reality TV, pop culture, and celebrity news, since his time as a student at Ohio University. Since graduating, he's continued binging seasons of "Vanderpump Rules" and “Big Brother” and talking about them online. His writing has been featured in publications like ScreenRant, Yahoo, RealityTea, Yardbarker, and in the popular television series "The Real Housewives of Atlanta."
