20 classic R&B songs about heartbreak

There is no doubt that Babyface is easily one of music’s best songwriters and producers, especially concerning matters of the heart. He worked with Mary J. Blige on her 1996 single “Not Gon’ Cry,” a track that became a single from the film Waiting to Exhale. On the track, Blige tells the perspective of a wife who realizes her partner was unfaithful and how she should’ve left him years earlier. 

On LeToya’s 2006 single “Torn,” she reflects on her rocky relationship and is stuck deciding whether to stick it through or leave the relationship in the past. Sometimes, people think a relationship is no longer serving them, and they’re ready to call it quits until the partner does something nice and all is forgiven — that’s what LeToya is dealing with. She sings, “Not I’m sitting here, and I’m so confused / ‘Cause I keep fighting myself for you / I don’t know how much more I can take / But I can’t feel this way, you got me so torn.” 

Usher is no stranger to making music that deals with matters of heart, and one of his most popular singles is “Burn.” He gives the perspective of hurting the person he loves and thinks it’s best to call it quits on the relationship. He sings, “Deep down, you know it’s best for yourself / But you hate the thought of her being with someone / But you know that it’s over, we know it was through / Let it burn.” 

Rihanna is ready to call it quits on her relationship with her 2008 single “Take a Bow.” On the track, she reflects on how her partner had her fooled with his lies and infidelity, but she’s ready to give him his walking papers. As she sings, “That was quite a show / Very entertaining / But it’s over now / Go on and take a bow.” 

Although “So Sick” was Ne-Yo’s second single, it became a breakout hit for him. On the track, Ne-Yo is going through major emotions as he tries to cope after a breakup. As he sings on the hook, “And I’m so sick of love songs, so tired of tears / So done with wishing you were still here / Said I’m so sick of love songs, so sad and slow / So why can’t I turn off the radio?” 

On Janet Jackson’s 1989 single “Come Back To Me,” she reflects on her heart being broken and wants to rekindle the love she once knew, and she’s begging it to be like it once was. 

In 1999, Deborah Cox teamed up with Next lead singer R.L. on their hit duet “We Can’t Be Friends.” On the track, they detail how they’re trying to be cordial and friendly around each other after their breakup, but it’s difficult since they’re still madly in love. As R.L. sings in his verse, “Verbally we agreed it was over, and we were through / I’m trying to compose myself, but I just can’t get over you, girl.” 

In 1991, Boyz II Men released their debut album, Cooleyhighharmony. The album garnered six singles, including the hit track “End of the Road.” On the track, the group gives the perspective of a man who knows the relationship has fizzled but doesn’t want to end it just yet. As they sing on the hook, “Although we’ve come to the end of the road / Still, I can’t let go / It’s unnatural, you belong to me, I belong to you.” 

Diane Warren wrote Toni Braxton’s 1996 ballad “Un-Break My Heart.” Braxton has several heartbreak songs in her discography, but this song focuses on people who might feel sick due to dealing with the breakup.

Jagged Edge teamed up with frequent collaborators Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox on their 2001 single “Goodbye.” On the track, they detail how a person has to end the relationship knowing the pain they caused their significant other, no matter how hard it is to do. As they sing in the first verse, “And I know deep down inside / That I really wanna be there by your side / But I can’t stand to see you cry / Not when it’s because of me.” 

When people are in love, they never think the one person with their heart would ever hurt them, but unfortunately, it happens sometimes. Aaliyah tries to make sense of a heartbreak in her single “The One I Gave My Heart To."  Written by Diane Warren, Aaliyah wrestles with heartbreak and confusion as she sings, “How could the one I was so true to just tell me lies? / How could the one I gave my heart to break this heart of mine? / Tell me.” 

On Brandy’s 1995 single “Brokenhearted,” she goes through emotions of loneliness once she realizes a relationship is over. She believed that if she took her time to find the right person to love, she would never go through heartbreak (wishful thinking). As she sings on the hook, “Life’s not over / I can start again / While I’m lonely, brokenhearted / It’s a hurting thing to get over.” 

Babyface wrote and produced Dru Hill’s 1997 single “We’re Not Making Love No More.” On the track, the group gives the perspective of someone who realizes their relationship is fading and trying to see if the relationship is worth fighting for. As they sing in the second verse, “Girl, I know that things aren’t going right / But don’t you think it deserves a fight? / A love like ours don’t happen every day / And we’re losing it right as we speak.” 

Mariah Carey teamed up with hip-hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony on her 1998 single “Breakdown.” On the track, Carey details being blindsided by a partner who tells her he’s not in love with her. To save herself from any embarrassment, she tells him that she’s feeling the same, but deep down inside, it’s crumbling her spirit. It's evident on the hook, as she sings, “Well, I guess I’m trying to be nonchalant about it / And I’m going to extremes to prove I’m fine without you / But in reality, I’m slowly losing my mind / Underneath the guise of a smile gradually I’m dying inside.” 

“Lately” is a popular song in Stevie Wonder’s discography, it was also covered by Jodeci years later. On the track, Wonder thinks something is off in his relationship with his partner. He feels that his partner may be stepping out, and when he asks her, she reassures him it’s not the case. However, for some reason, he feels like he may lose his partner soon.

One of Case’s biggest hit singles came in 2001 with his somber yet lovely track “Missing You.” Co-written by fellow R&B singer Joe, Case uses the track to detail his feelings of sadness, loneliness, and anxiety after going through a breakup. It’s evident from the song's beginning as he sings, “Standing here, looking out my window / My nights are long and days are cold ‘cause I don’t have you.” 

On Brandy’s 1998 single “Almost Doesn’t Count,” she realizes somebody she thought was a sure thing kind of love wasn’t what it seemed to be. The smooth acoustic guitar pairs perfectly with Brandy’s tone as she sings, “I can’t keep on loving you one foot outside the door / I hear a funny hesitation of a heart that’s never really sure.” 

On John Legend’s 2008 track, “Everybody Knows,” he details the hurt he feels dealing with a breakup even though his ex-partner moved on fairly quickly. He knows that relationships are hard to make work, but he was willing to give the relationship another chance. He sings on the hook, “We’ve heard it all before / That everybody knows just how to make it right / I wish we gave it one more try.”

Lauryn Hill describes a somewhat toxic relationship on her 1998 single “Ex-Factor.” On the track, Hill describes how they love each other but can’t get on the same page. Even though they hurt each other, they keep trying to return to what's familiar. As she sings on the hook, “No matter how I think we grow / You always seem to let me know / It ain’t working.” 

Al Green covered the Bee Gees’ track “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” and made it his own. On the track, Green details how his heartbreak makes him feel like he’s losing in life and trying to find balance again. As he sings on the hook, “And how can you mend a broken heart? / How can you stop the rain from falling down? / Tell me, how can you stop the sun from shining?”