The 21 Stages Of A Break-Up According To Pop Music

I don't need someone like you after all.

1. *NSYNC – Bye Bye Bye

Jive

And so it starts. The break-up begins and you're all like, lol I don't need you, see ya later pal.

2. JoJo – Leave (Get Out)

Blackground

For a while you're defiant you want nothing else to do with them.

3. The Jackson 5 – I Want You Back

Via giphy.com

Until you want them back that is.

4. P!nk – Please Don't Leave Me

LaFace

Your (now ex) partner probably says no, which leads you to almost beg because how can you live your life without them?

5. Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love

Syco

And when they don't want you back, you have no choice but to become a devastated, heartbroken mess that plays one song on repeat to further your grief.

6. Whitney Houston – I Have Nothing

Arista

You're adamant that without them you're nothing. You need them in your life and life is so unfair to stop that from happening.

7. Adele – Someone Like You

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When you realise you're never going to get them back, you have to resign yourself to letting them go with dignity. This means that you smile on the outside and either cry or condemn them to a fate worse than death behind closed doors.

8. Rihanna – Bitch Better Have My Money

Roc Nation

You realise they still have some of your things and you want them back, no matter how small or insignificant these things are. Remember leaving 5p on their bedside table? Bitch better have my money, hand it over.

9. Beyoncé – Irreplaceable

Columbia

You've got some serious sass about the situation now. You know your ex can do no better than you and you're happy to remind them that you could have another them in a minute.

10. Avril Lavigne – Girlfriend

RCA

Your ex moves on. This devastation leads you to hate their new partner, even if you don't know them. The domino effect continues into stalking both your ex and their new bae and posting angry, indirect statues and tweets about the pair of them. Your favourite phrase at this stage is, "I'm better than that!"

11. Fergie – Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal)

Interscope

This anger leads to severe emotional angst in which you tell yourself you're a grown-up now, you can get through this turmoil.

12. Mariah Carey – Shake It Off

Island

Eventually you start to even out because you can't go through emotional exhaustion forever.

13. Carly Rae Jepson – Tonight I'm Getting Over You

Interscope

Getting drunk is a fantastic way to get over someone, so this phase is where you see a new lease of light and go out with the intention of getting absolutely hammered and maybe pulling someone really hot.

14. Destiny's Child – Independent Woman, Pt. 1

Columbia

This leads to the conclusion that you don't need no man because you are independent and don't need no looking after. Question?

15. The Pussycat Dolls – I Don't Need A Man

Interscope

The independent stage flows nicely into the "I don't need a man" stage. Seriously, who needs them anyway?

16. Hailee Steinfeld – Love Myself

Republic

And the reason you don't need anybody? Because you love your goddamn wonderful self.

17. Justin Bieber – Love Yourself

Def Jam

You have some "friendly" advice for your ex and maybe possibly dig the knife in about how your mother didn't like them anyway.

18. Katy Perry – Part Of Me

Capitol

You become a little bit reflective about the situation. This stage is all about overthinking every little detail about your relationship and seeing what went wrong, what you wish you'd said, and times you should've ended it sooner.

19. Nicole Scherzinger – Boomerang

Interscope

By this point of the break-up process, you're feeling uplifted and, dare you jinx it, happy. You're finally moving on properly and to be honest, you're actually impressed with the fact you've got over it.

20. Beyoncé – Best Thing I Never Had

Columbia

Looking back in hindsight, you realise you've dodged a bullet really.

21. TLC – No Scrubs

LaFace

And now you'll know never to date a scrub again.

You can listen to all of these songs through this Spotify playlist: