2021: The Year of the Breakup Song
by Kama Linden
www.kamalinden.com
2020 introduced us to Olivia Rodrigo with “Driver’s License” (featured in a skit on SNL where all the guys, as well as Kate McKinnon dressed as a man, at first pretend NOT to know the song, but then belt out the lyrics with heartfelt emotion), but 2021 is where she truly blew up and took over the scene. In fact, her whole album seems to be about ONE GUY who DID HER WRONG. The album is even called “Sour”!
As a songwriter, I have given a guy maybe ONE SONG…but NEVER a WHOLE ALBUM…he just wouldn’t be worth that to me. (But of course, the concept of dedicating a WHOLE ALBUM to an ex did work for Maroon 5 with “Songs About Jane”).
But I do love individual songs of hers. Especially, “Good For You” which is FABULOUS to start a 6-mile run to, as it is driving and upbeat.
But Olivia Rodrigo is not alone in this. Adele just released an album supposedly of divorce songs, and she was HILARIOUS on SNL in the parody about “The Bachelorette”. Plus there are a few new artists who have some angry words for exes.
Let’s call 2021 THE YEAR OF THE BREAKUP SONG!!!
Kid Laroi and Mikey Cyrus. “Without you” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvB4GUTWDcI
Abcdef u by newcomer Gayle: https://youtu.be/n03ApehoFb8
I hope you’re miserable until your dead by another newcomer, Nessa Barrett: https://youtu.be/FxSAI9pwocs
If anything, even though I went by “Angrichik”, I never gave any guy more than a song, and it was never one guy, but many different possible people.
But it’s the year of the ANGRY CHIK (or what I used to go by, “Angrichik”) music for sure.
There was a joke by Colin Jost about Taylor Swift when she recently appeared on SNL, “Don’t break up with Taylor Swift, or else she will write and perform a ten-minute song about you on SNL”.
Avril LaVigne is coming back with a new album. Let’s pay homage to the 2002 release of “Complicated” by the angsty Canadian teen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NPBIwQyPWE
Pink divorced (and then remarried the same guy), and gave him a song: “So What!”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJfFZqTlWrQ
Kelly Clarkson started out as a scorned woman with: “Since you’ve been gone”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7UrFYvl5TE, and the album, “My December”.
Alanis kicked off the next 25 years of girl done wrong music. I knew the “Jagged Little Pill” album word for word, and had that tape playing on repeat driving back and forth across the country doing theater. I do some of the songs in my acoustic covers list, as well as at Karaoke.
But before that was Tori Amos, with “Little Earthquakes”, and Melissa Etheridge, one of my original muses when I began to write music.
And let’s not forget Pat Benetar: “Hell is For Children”.
On the R and B front, you had Janet Jackson with the album “Rhythm Nation”, TLC didn’t want “No Scrubs”, Destiny’s Child told the cheating man to “Say My Name, Say My Name”, and Beyonce reminded the man who did her wrong that he was not “Irreplaceable”. Gloria Gaynor reminded women that “I Will Survive!”.
Outspoken, wonderful artists. with fantastic voices!
Who will not be held back or put down.
So let’s toast to all of the ANGRICHIKS (and Angry guys :) ) for the fantastic BREAKUP ANTHEMS, that give us a fabulous beat to run to, songs to drive to, put on REPEAT, and BELT OUT at KARAOKE BARS EVERYWHERE!
And of course, a way to HEAL!
Kama Linden is a singer-songwriter with 4 studio albums, the newest being, “Everything In Good Time”, released in Summer 2020. She is also an actress, fitness instructor, freelance photographer, and has a fitness book: “Healthy Things You Can Do In Front Of The TV”.
Apple Music
https://music.apple.com/…/everything-in-good-time/1517559501
Bandcamp:
https://kamalinden.bandcamp.com/alb…/everything-in-good-time
Spotify:
