Following breakup speculations, Jake Cuenca finally confirmed the end of his three-year relationship with Kylie Verzosa. Cuenca dedicated a moving tribute to his ex on Instagram over the weekend. “This was us,” the post reads, coupled with a photo of the two stars and their dogs in figurine form.
Cuenca’s behavior post-breakup has honestly been very relatable, what with him postinga photo of himself crying and a sad breakup song on IG stories. As Inquirer.net writes, “The actor also appears to be comforting himself with breakup songs as he listened to James Bay’s ‘Let It Go.’ While Cuenca did not show himself, a person sniffling can be heard in the video he showed on a separate post.” Celebs, they’re just like us.
Since we’re big sad music aficionados (check out our PreenPlaylists on Instagram!), we compiled a quick list of breakup songs for the actor—and really, anyone who’s going through a bad breakup right now. Breakups suck.
Phoebe Bridgers, “Waiting Room”
The last time I had my heart broken, I played “Waiting Room” over and over until the line “Who am I to ask for more, more, more” didn’t make me want to die and the ending’s “Know it’s for the better” didn’t sound foreboding anymore. Growth! Healing! Through! Pain!
Kings of Convenience, “Manhattan Skyline”
I’ve always loved this somber cover of A-ha. While the lyrics are more for people who are forced to breakup with someone because they’re moving away soon (“I don’t want to cry again / I’ll never see your face again”), I like to think of it as a general song for healthy—and sad—breakups where there’s no villain, just a ton of external factors that, even if you love your ex still, make you know that it isn’t going to work out.
Snail Mail, “Automate”
“Automate” is for the messy phase of a breakup, when friends have cajoled you into going out and seeing someone new—but you still haven’t quite wrapped your head around your newfound freedom and kissing someone else “still feels like I’m cheating.” It’s rough. “I’m free / Who was I to ever want like this?”
The Radio Dept., “I Don’t Need Love, I’ve Got My Band”
Finally, an anthem for the workaholics. This song is for the people who recover from their sadness by sinking deeper into their work and their hobbies.
Everything But The Girl, “Cross My Heart”
“Now and then, do you wash your hands off me again?” begins this crying-in-the-club anthem by ’80s new wave-turned-trip hop-turned-EDM band Everything But The Girl. It’s a song for when you know for sure you’re past the stage of getting back together and you should start moving on, and really you’re fine, but if you find out that your ex is already moving on you’d want to die.
Lucy Dacus, “Night Shift”
“Night Shift” is such a cathartic song, I’ve always held, because it allows you to run through the whole gamut of emotions in six minutes. Dacus takes you through it, and by the time you get to the lines “In five years, I hope the songs feel like covers / Dedicated to new lovers,” you feel uplifted.
Chet Baker, “I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)”
Sometimes moving on from a breakup involves a lot of lying and self-denial. If you lie about something enough, it’ll eventually come true, as the saying goes, and that involves recovery. Even if it’s obvious that you’re not saying the truth: “What a fool am I / To think my breaking heart / Could kid the moon?”
Spiritualized, “Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space”
This song is such a breakup staple that it’s honestly a little cliché to include here, but it’s my list.
“All I want in life’s a little bit of love to take the pain away,” the lyrics go. The song uses Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” to deal an emotional missile blast.
Here’s a Spotify playlist of all these songs—plus a few more bonus tracks.
Photo courtesy of Jake Cuenca’s Instagram account
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