Five Stages of POP!
from Kpop to Bjork, this is the only playlist you'll need to get you through the single-on-Valentine's-day slump
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,fl_progressive,q_auto,w_1024/602c22dba667df001fd2f357.jpg)
I’m 24, and this year will be my, well, 24th Valentine’s day single. I’ve never been one to sit around and mope while everyone else is smelling red roses in candlelight...maybe because I actually don’t like roses and conventional “romantic gestures” seem really boring and anticlimactic to me.
Sure, love certainly has its perks. And I know I’ll be a sappy girlfriend some day. But I’m young, and I actually love being single. And I LOVE music. So why waste time sharing one side of my Airpods to listen to John Legend and Marvin Gaye (ew) when I could be blasting some sick electropop beats with the people who I know will always share my taste in music: me, myself, and I?
This Valentine's day, I wanted to celebrate my singleness AND pay homage to my recent almost-relationship that led to a sort-of breakup (and the little twinge of frustration that I still taste in the sweet freedom of my solitude). Cycling through bubblegum pop, alternative pop-rock, and even some Kpop – featuring tracks from Pop Queens like Taylor Swift and Charli XCX, and up-and-comers like Cyn and Astrid S – here is a chronological pop playlist of all the songs you’ll need to represent (and treat) the five stages of romantic grief this February.
(And make for a wickedly-fun single V-day.)
STAGE ONE: DENIAL
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c2c646f37f3001de15172.jpg)
1. Drinks - Cyn
2. Want U Back - Cher Lloyd
3. Robyn - Dancing On My Own (For even MORE fun than the amazing original, check out Elle Fanning's cover of this song as appears in the movie Teen Spirit!)
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c339e6f37f3001de151a1.jpg)
4. How to Be a Heartbreaker - MARINA (and the Diamonds)
5. Crying in the Club - Camila Cabello
6. Elastic Heart - Sia
7. Hard Times - Paramore
8. Blank Space - Taylor Swift
9. Maniac - Conan Gray
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c2c646f37f3001de15173.jpg)
10. Dance Dance Dance - Astrid S
11. Devil On My Shoulder - Kelsy Karter (More rock than pop, but this is SUCH a fun song, I had to include it.)
STAGE TWO: ANGER
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c2c646f37f3001de15174.jpg)
12. Army of Me - Bjork
13. Bad Blood - Taylor Swift, ft. Kendrick Lamar
14. The Baddest - K/DA
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c3118a667df001fd2f393.jpg)
15. Hot n Cold - Katy Perry
16. I Did Something Bad - Taylor Swift
17. Hate Me - Ellie Goulding, ft. Juice WRLD
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c30646dce05001ddbf432.jpg)
18. Catch Me If You Can - Kelsy Karter (If you're looking for a revenge fantasy song, here it is.)
19. I Knew You Were Trouble. - Taylor Swift
20. Break Free - Ariana Grande, Zedd
21. Uh-Oh - Cyn
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c3080a667df001fd2f390.jpg)
22. Don’t Call Me Angel - Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Lana Del Rey
23. Break Your Heart Worse - Crimson Apple
24. Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor Swift
STAGE THREE: BARGAINING
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c33f76dce05001ddbf443.jpg)
25. This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things - Taylor Swift
26. Primadonna - MARINA (and the Diamonds)
27. Such a Boy - Astrid S
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c33f76dce05001ddbf444.jpg)
28. enemy - Charli XCX
29. Terrible Ideas - Cyn
30. Sorry - Justin Bieber
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c2c646f37f3001de15177.jpg)
31. Afterglow - Taylor Swift
32. One Last Time - Ariana Grande
33. Stay Away - Charli XCX
34. Never Really Over - Katy Perry
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c2d576dce05001ddbf424.jpg)
35. Taking Me Back - LANY
36. Stockholm Syndrome - One Direction
37. Paper Love - Allie X
38. Problem - Ariana Grande, ft. Iggy Azalea
39. Just For A Moment - Gryffin, ft. Iselin
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c2d576dce05001ddbf425.jpg)
40. Downtown (2020) - Allie X, ft. Della Casa
STAGE FOUR: DEPRESSION
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c2d576dce05001ddbf426.png)
41. Icy - Kim Petras (One of the best pop songs of our generation!)
42. Antisocial - Ed Sheeran, ft. Travis Scott
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c3118a667df001fd2f394.png)
43. Bitter - Evie Irie
44. forever - Charli XCX
45. REMEDY - Alesso, ft. Conor Maynard
46. Porsche - Charli XCX, ft. MØ
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c2db06dce05001ddbf428.jpg)
47. Chandelier - Sia
48. breathin - Ariana Grande
49. Tears - Charli XCX, ft. Caroline Polachek
50. you broke me first - Tate McRae (The Gryffin Remix of this song is also amazing!)
51. I Miss Myself - NOTD, ft. HRVY
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c3118a667df001fd2f395.jpg)
52. Green Light - Lorde
53. Rain On Me - Lady Gaga Ariana Grande
STAGE FIVE: ACCEPTANCE
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c30646dce05001ddbf433.jpg)
54. Peach -Broods
55. Gorgeous - ILLENIUM, ft. Blanke and Bipolar Sunshine
56. Alone - Avril Lavigne
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c30646dce05001ddbf434.jpg)
57. Dance Again - Selena Gomez
58. Over Him - Evie Irie
59. Yeah, No. - Elle Winter
60. So over You - Charli XCX
61. Look At Her Now - Selena Gomez
62. Anti Socialite - The Foxies
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c30646dce05001ddbf435.jpg)
63. Number One Fan - MUNA (The ULTIMATE self-love song.)
64. Oh No! - MARINA (and the Diamonds)
65. POP/STARS - K/DA
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,q_auto,w_720/602c30646dce05001ddbf436.jpg)
66. Tonight I’m Getting Over You - Carly Rae Jepsen
67. Over Now - Calvin Harris, ft. The Weeknd
68. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Taylor Swift
Thanks for reading, and happy listening!
-A
About the Creator
ALI RAE
writer // reader // dreamer // punk princess
i exist somewhere between star wars & jane eyre with occasional detours to mars & idris.
aliraewriting.com
los angeles, CA
Enjoyed the story? Support the Creator.
Subscribe for free to receive all their stories in your feed. You could also pledge your support or give them a one-off tip, letting them know you appreciate their work.
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.