“Looking at my watch, he shoulda been home/ Today I regret the night I put that ring on…He only want me when I’m not there/ He better call Becky with the good hair”
That chill you just felt while reading those lyrics? Those come courtesy of the one and only Beyoncé, straight off her album Lemonade, which she dropped like a delicious bomb on the unsuspecting masses last weekend.
Of course, the speculation machine went right to work, and if you’ve spent any time on the Internet for longer than five seconds since Saturday, then you know it’s now assumed this diss track is all about her husband Jay Z being unfaithful to her.
When it comes to revenge songs, “Sorry” is as scathing as it gets. Because there is nothing better than a musical middle finger delivered publicly at someone who wronged you, and we’ve rounded up some of the best, plus some behind-the-scenes info on the (supposed) inspiration behind the tracks.
1. “Cry Me a River” – Justin Timberlake
The Rumored Inspiration: Britney Spears
Lethal Lyrics: “You don’t have to say, what you did, I already know/ I found out from him”
Aftermath: There were clues sprinkled throughout the video that this was all about Britney, who supposedly cheated on Justin with dancer Wade Robson. If anyone had doubts as to why the pop power couple broke up, it was put to rest after this song. Later, Britney would release the ballad “Everything,” which fans took as her public mea culpa.
2. “F–k It (I Don’t Want You Back)” – Eamon
The Rumored Inspiration: An ex-girlfriend who cheated on Eamon, though he never named anyone.
Lethal Lyrics: “F–k what I said, it don’t mean s–t now/ F–k the presents might as well throw ’em out”
Aftermath: A singer named Frankee later released what was thought to be a response to the song, “F U Right Back,” which tells the story of “F–k It” through the girl’s perspective. Though Eamon has continually dismissed the idea that Frankee was ever his ex girlfriend.
3. “You Outta Know” – Alanis Morissette
The Rumored Inspiration: This is of the most famous breakup anthems of all time, and can you believe it’s about Full House‘s Dave Coulier?! Yeah, Uncle Joey.
Lethal Lyrics: “And every time I scratch my nails down someone else’s back, I hope you feel it/ Well can you feel it? Well, I’m here to remind you, of the mess you left when you went away”
Aftermath: Alanis herself has never confirmed the song is about Coulier, and even he denied it for a long time. But he’s been known to joke about it from time to time, and in a recent reddit AMA he basically admitted it was indeed about him.
4. “I Bet” – Ciara
The Rumored Inspiration: Ciara’s ex-fiance and the father of her child, Future. Ciara said herself that the entire album Jackie was inspired by their relationship and their very messy public breakup.
Lethal Lyrics: “So you bought me a car, he can buy that too/ I can take care of myself and I can find someone to do it too, baby/ You actin’ like you upgraded me, I upgraded you”
Aftermath: Ciara and Future’s tumultuous relationship continues to play out in public and in court. She recently found love (and a giant engagement ring) with NFL star Russell Wilson.
5. “You’re So Vain” – Carly Simon
The Rumored Inspiration: For almost 40 years, Simon kept the inspiration behind the infamous kiss off song a secret. Then in 2015, while promoting her memoir “Boys in the Trees,” the singer confirmed that at least part of the song was about former love Warren Beatty.
Lethal Lyrics: “Well you said that we made such a pretty pair, and that you would never leave/ But you gave away the things you loved and one of them was me”
Aftermath: Only the satisfaction of one of pop culture’s biggest mysteries finally being solved. Oh, and Carly getting in one last dig at Beatty by saying that he “thinks the whole song is about him.”
6. “Better Than Revenge” – Taylor Swift
The Rumored Inspiration: Actress Camilla Belle, who rumoredly stole Joe Jonas away from Taylor in 2008.
Lethal Lyrics: “She’s not a saint and she’s not what you think, she’s an actress/ She’s better known for the things that she does on the mattress”
Aftermath: Years later, Taylor apologized for the harsh lyrics toward Belle and the hurtful message of the song. But before all that, Joe fired back with a song of his own…
7. “Much Better” – Jonas Brothers
The Rumored Inspiration: Taylor Swift, obvs. Just look at the lyrics and try and tell us it’s not in response to “Better Than Revenge.”
Lethal Lyrics: “Got a rep for breakin’ hearts/ Now I’m done with superstars, and all the tears on her guitar…But now I see everything I’d ever need, is the girl in front of me/ She’s much better”
Aftermath: Those two seem to be on friendly terms now, and even double dated for a while when Joe was seeing Gigi Hadid.
8. “Don’t Speak” – No Doubt
The Rumored Inspiration: Gwen Stefani wrote this about fellow band member Tony Kanai after he ended their seven-year relationship. How awkward do you think it was when No Doubt first played that song as a group?
Lethal Lyrics: “I really feel that I’m losing my best friend/ I can’t believe this could be the end/ It looks as though you’re letting go”
Aftermath: Years later, Gwen wrote the song “Cool” about Kanai, basically telling the world that the two of them remain good friends and there was no bad blood between them.
9. “Cold Case Love” – Rihanna
The Rumored Inspiration: Rihanna told CNN that the collaboration with Justin Timberlake was about the eight months following Chris Brown‘s conviction for assaulting her in early 2009.
Lethal Lyrics: “Your love was breaking the law, but I needed a witness/ So pick me up when it’s over, it don’t make any difference”
Aftermath: Chris Brown has written his own songs about his relationship with Rihanna, and the two remained on and off again for years after his arrest. The two broke up for good in 2013.
10. “Rolling in the Deep” – Adele
The Rumored Inspiration: Adele said that her album 21 was all about one ex-boyfriend, though she’s never identified anyone officially.
Lethal Lyrics: “Go ‘head and sell me out and I’ll lay your s-t bare/ See how I leave with every piece of you/ Don’t underestimate the things that I will do”
Aftermath: Adele now has a child with boyfriend Simon Konecki, but she continues to write the best breakup songs around and in 2015 she smashed sales records with her album 25.
11. “Wide Awake” – Katy Perry
The Rumored Inspiration: Perry has said the song was inspired by her real life experiences, more specifically, by her divorce from Russell Brand.
Lethal Lyrics: “Gravity hurts, you made it so sweet/ ‘Til I woke up on, on the concrete”
Aftermath: Katy penned more songs about her breakup with Brand and even let cameras capture her going through the divorce while on tour. She has since moved onto actor Orlando Bloom.
12. “So What” – Pink
The Rumored Inspiration: No rumors here. This one was definitely about her (then) former husband Carey Hart. But it appeared to be one of the most amicable celeb breakups ever, and he even starred in the video.
Lethal Lyrics: “I’m just fine, and you’re a tool/ So, so what, I am a rock star, I got my rock moves/ And I don’t want you tonight”
Aftermath: Those two eventually worked things out, got back together and have a little girl named Willow.
13. “Don’t” – Ed Sheeran
The Rumored Inspiration: Though Sheeran had never explicitly said who he’s singing about, it’s widely accepted that “Don’t” is about singer Ellie Goulding cheating on him with One Direction‘s Niall Horan. Sheeran has played coy with whether the rumors are true or not.
Lethal Lyrics: “And I never saw him as a threat, until you disappeared with him to have sex of course/ It’s not like we were both on tour, we were staying on the same f–king hotel floor”
Aftermath: Goulding released a song called “On My Mind” that fans thought was a response to “Don’t,” but she denies that it’s inspired by her former flame.
14. “Love Will Remember” – Selena Gomez
The Rumored Inspiration: The fact that she plays a voicemail from ex Justin Bieber on the song leaves little doubt to who is behind the sad tune.
Lethal Lyrics: “I used to think that I was irreplaceable/ We lit the whole world up, before we blew it up/ I still don’t know just how we screwed it up”
Aftermath: Those two continue to keep us guessing. Their on-again, off-again love story will no doubt lead to more songs just like this one.
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