So you’re going through a. The bad news: it’s never easy.

The good news: you’re not alone with your aching heart. If the is any indication, then breaking up, feeling down about it and hopefully finding the courage to move on are some of the most common shared human experiences. As centuries of forlorn singletons have learned and generations of songwriters have mastered, one of the best cures for heartbreak is the balm of music that speaks to our souls — or maybe helps us rationalize away the tears.“Heartache is what motivates many artists to write songs in the first place,” explains Spotify’s trends expert Shanon Cook to TIME; there are over half a million breakup-themed playlists on the platform alone. “Some people might not want or know how to articulate how they’re feeling during a rough time,” Cook adds. “Maybe it’s nice to let Sam Smith or Kelly Clarkson express it for you.”While some classics remain timeless in their appeal — songs like ‘s “Irreplaceable,” ‘s “Someone Like You” and ‘s “Since U Been Gone” remain the top three most popular additions to breakup-themed playlists on Spotify, for instance — 2018 and recent years have their own new music to throw into the heartbreak-and-recovery mix.

Install arnold softimage. Dec 13, 2018  Whether you're looking for a song that expresses how you feel about that special person in your life, searching for a tune to set the mood in the bedroom, or you just like soothing love songs, this list of the most romantic R&B jams will cover all your bases.

There’s ‘s appropriately dejected songs from his new EP for instance, and some powerful tunes from the past year by pop queens, and, to name just a few. As Cook notes, you can pretty much slot breakup songs into two categories: “raw, tender tracks that tap into the fragility of the human heart” (think: Adele), or “dismissive, I-don’t-care-I’m-so-over-you type of songs” (here’s where Clarkson would come in). “Interestingly, a great many of the popular songs in break-up-themed playlists are pop songs and the artists, for the most part, are big celebrities,” Cook continues, suggesting that we often turn to familiar, beloved artists when we’re going through a rough time.Below, TIME has pulled together a list of some of the most popular breakup songs on those Spotify playlists, as well as some under-the-radar favorites that might just come in handy when dealing with a broken heart. Here’s to moving on — eventually. “Call Out My Name,” The WeekndWhen The Weeknd dropped an EP in March 2018, he had not one but two breakups to pour out into his dark, moody R&B. On “Call Out My Name,” his raw heartbreak comes through loud and clear.

“I almost cut a piece of myself for your life / Guess I was just another pit stop.” At least we can commiserate with The Weeknd, who’s going through it right alongside the rest of us. “Stay With Me,” Sam SmithAfter a breakup, it might not be a bad idea to just play both of ‘s albums on back-to-back repeat for a few days — if your heart can handle it. That’s what the British crooner is best at: tapping into that emotional ache and wringing every bit of beautiful sound out of it. When you’re still in the thick of the regret stage, turn to “Stay With Me” to say in song everything you want to say out loud. The melody is so pretty that humming along might help you feel just a little better.

“I Fall Apart,” Post MalonePost Malone’s big hit may be titled “rockstar,” but it turns out that the bulk of his work is actually not about living the good life. Instead, the Texan singer-songwriter has a knack for setting his heartbreak and emotional vulnerability to music. Exhibit A: “I Fall Apart,” a warbling, raw slow-jam that falls somewhere between ballad and R&B: “Try to brush it off but it keep on goin’ / All these scars can’t help from showing,” he sings, a reminder that self-medication is not always an answer.