Next up on BnB Music week: it's the break up song, otherwise known as "pack yo' sh!t" music. To be an effective break-up song, the tune needs to be crisp, concise, clear and not open to interpretation. When you put this song on repeat and put your hand out for the key, the scene should really sing, you know? When you blare this from the speakers while tossing clothes out the window, the song (and shoes whizzing by the ears) should really say it all. When my niece was walking around with her fist balled up singing JoJo's Leave (Get Out) I thought, aw – another generation learns. Music so often has the ability to say exactly what you would if you had a bank of writers scripting your life. I recall a girlfriend of mine getting a letter from her boyfriend. He started with, "Basically, gurl: my love has left." Yeah, next time, son just send a mixtape! So, in no particular order, here are 25 songs from my iPod Playlist called "Deuces!"
- After the Love Has Gone by Earth, Wind and Fire
- Walk on By by Dionne Warwick
- Consider Me Gone by Sting
- Moving Out by Billy Joel
- There you go/So What by Pink
- I've gotta move on/Separate Ways by Lalah Hathaway
- Epiphany (I'm leaving) by Chrisette Michele
- Call Tyrone by Erykah Badu
- My Happy Ending by Avril Lavigne
- Breakin' the habit by Linkin Park
- Don't Speak/Ex-Girlfriend by No Doubt
- Irreplaceable by Beyonce
- Been Loving you (a little too long) by Otis Redding
- You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi
- Too much, too little, too late Johnny Mathis w/ Deniece Williams
- I used to love him/Ex-Factor by Lauryn Hill
- I fall to Pieces by Patsy Cline
- Bye, Bye, Bye by NSYNC
- Cry me a River by Harry Connick Jr (h/t to Justin Timberlake tune by same name)
- F.O.D. (F! off and Die) by Green Day
- Goodbye Girl by Go West
- Goodbye to You by Michelle Branch
- He Wasn't Man Enough for me by Toni Braxton
- Hit em Up style by Blu Cantrell
- Hit the Road Jack by Ray Charles
I'm also going to go Honorable Mention for those songs that are about a break-up coming but you still wanna stop it before it happens:
- I Try by Will Downing
- Neither one of us by Gladys Knight and the Pips
- Don't Leave me Girl by Guy
- Don't you want me by Human League
- Don't Leave me this way by Thelma Houston
- 50 ways to leave your lover by Paul Simon
- Ain't gonna let you (break my heart again) by Bonnie Raitt
- Careless Whisper by Wham!
- Never Loved a Man by Aretha Franklin
- Mr Wrong by Sade
In my mind, my life is a great movie with a soundtrack to match. Next time I throw up the peace sign and moonwalk backwards out of some dude's life (cue the wind machine for my hair and roll the smoky mist in from the left), I need my tunes right. So BougieLand, whatcha got? What is the greatest break-up song EVER? What is your favorite break up tune?