11 Songs About Being the Other Woman in a Crazy Love Affair
There’s nothing more frustrating, and disheartening, then thinking that you’ve found the love of your life—only to realize that you’re caught in an unwanted love triangle. So, in this article, I’m going to provide you with my favorite songs about being the other woman, as these songs speak to the wild, confusing and frustration realities of being the third wheel.
The Other Woman by Lana Del Rey
Originally sung by Nina Simone, Lana Del Ray adds her own melancholic sound to this cover. She has expressed her love for this song on multiple occasions, and even has Nina’s name tattooed on her upper chest. She even admitted to purposely placing this track at the end of her album.
“In my mind, the narrative for this record ends with the last track, not the bonus deluxe stuff, all that business,” she added. “It ends with the cover of Nina Simone’s ‘The Other Woman’,“ she tells Radio.com.
The Weekend by SZA
SZA’s got it covered for the weekend! This track is off her debut album, CTRL, one of my favorite albums from the past decade.
On CTRL, SZA touches on several topics ranging from love, self-doubt, identity, and more. It’s truly a coming-to-age masterpiece that resonated with so many women in my demographic. The Weekend is about three different women chasing the same man.
Essentially, all of these women are the “other women”, but one girl (SZA) isn’t phased by it. She decided that she’ll have her turn with the man on the weekend; suggesting the other girls get him during the week.
SZA even told Vulture:
“Time-sharing a man is real AF. If we’re all being honest there’s very few men that are just dating one woman. I think, low-key, the internet makes it so difficult [to be in relationships] because we’re taking in so much information.”
Whether you agree with the artist’s statement or not, you can’t deny the cleverness of her artistry. SZA creates vulnerable bodies of art that encapsulate the experiences many women share.
Busy Boy by Chloe x Halle
I have been a huge Chloe x Halle fan since their famous YouTube covers back in 2012. Now the duo are taking over the Pop and R&B scene (especially now that Chloe is branching out into her own solo career).
This track comes from their second studio album, Ungodly Hour. The girls sing about a guy that they’ve been seeing, only to discover the same guy is already in a relationship. From the lyrics, we can detect that a “busy boy” is a boy that’s actively talking to different girls. Chloe x Halle are now singing from the perspective of being the other woman.
These sisters are complete superstars. I remember discovering their cover of Honeymoon Avenue by Ariana Grande and I’ve been a fan ever since. They even got recognition from Beyonce and was later signed to her label Parkwood Entertainment in 2015. I can see some of Beyonce ‘s influence through Chloe’s production and stage presence when performing live. This song, for me, is quite empowering.
It appears that the sisters aren’t too anguished about being the other women. The beats on the track make the song feel super fun and playful.
The Boy is Mine by Brandy and Monica
Have you ever found yourself competing for a guy or girl? Brandy and Monica spend this track doing just that. Pulling inspiration from Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney’s, “The Girl is Mine,” this song is unique because one could argue that both women here think the other woman is the “other woman.”
The Boy is Mine received lots of acknowledgment and was the best-selling song of the year in the U.S and internationally. Fans questioned if the fight for the man was based on a real beef the two stars had after allegedly getting into a physical altercation at the 1998 MTV Awards.
However, Monica told HuffPost: “It started off as brilliant marketing and what started to happen was people started creating these skits and then our fans divided and it became this really real thing.”
Luckily, the supposed beef has died and the two stars remain musical colleagues. Brandy was even featured on Monica’s 2012 song, “It All Belongs To Me.” Brandy was an artist that my mother played a lot growing up, so I know quite a bit from her discography. I love the chemistry between Brandy and Monica on this track. This is just a classic R&B staple that everyone should hear.
Break Up With Your Girlfriend, i’m Bored by Ariana Grande
In this pop-R&B hit, Ariana convinces a man to leave his girlfriend to entertain Ariana. This is one of my favorite tracks from her album, Thank U, Next. The song is super catchy, and I love the elements of trap music used on the track with its heavy bass line.
This song seems to show more of Grande’s confident side. The media knows about Grande’s past affairs with artists like Big Sean, the late Mac Miller, Ricky Alvarez, and Pete Davidson—all of which were mentioned in her song, thank u, next. It’s hard to know who, if anybody, Grande is referring to on Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored, but it’s safe to say that she’s living a carefree life and aiming to have fun.
This track was stuck in my head when it was first released, and it still hits the same when I come back to it. Her cadence with the bassline is unmatched, and it’s a sound that a superstar like Grande will run with on her future albums, especially her very next project which was entitled Positions.
The Other Woman by Caro Emerald
In this sultry, smoky throwback, Caro Emerald sings of finding herself in an expected love affair. At first, she believes she’s found a good man. And it seems like a prosperous relationship is on the horizon.
But, there comes a time when a woman senses something is off. And in this song, that moment arrives when Emerald receives a kiss from her man. But it’s not the kiss that’s the problem—it’s the way the kiss happened. It’s the manner in which the kiss was conducted. It’s the passion, or lack of passion, that sends up the red flags.
And boom, that’s when that light bulb moment occurs. It’s this very moment when Caro realizes the truth: she’s not his woman at all. She’s the other woman.
At the start of his goodbye
Do you ever realize that you never get the chance
All you get is alibis
When smoke begins to fade
And you standing face to face
Does he kiss you in the way to say
You’re the other woman, the other woman
Pacify Her by Melanie Martinez
Melanie Martinez is a multi-talented artist from Baldwin, New York. Pacify Her is from her debut album, Cry Baby, an album about the character, Cry Baby, experiencing adult trials and tribulations.
Sticking to the “baby” theme of the project, Pacify Her shows the character, Cry Baby, being a homewrecker. Martinez sings in the chorus:
Pacify her
She’s getting on my nerves
You don’t love her
Stop lying with those words
Melanie’s play on words through this entire project is so brilliant. The phrase “pacify her” symbolizes a “pacifier,” which is used to silence a crying baby. This character wants to “shut up” and get the girl out of the picture completely.
Many listeners have been trying to connect the dots between the character and the artist. Is there a line between the two? When asked in an interview with Vice, Melanie stated;
“Yeah. In the story of the album there’s some things that I didn’t experience. I love stories and fairytales, so I wanted it to still feel super whimsical, or else it wasn’t fun for me. I look at music like I look at art; it’s like painting a picture.”
Although the artist enjoys creating worlds through her music, some fans may still wonder if this track is from the perspective of Melanie or Cry Baby. Either way, this song is one of the most creative picks on this list. I enjoyed listening to the entire project, especially when I first discovered alternative pop music. The world that Melanie Martinez puts the listeners into is completely surreal.
You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift
One of music’s biggest icons, Taylor Swift, tells the story of a girl explaining to a boy why she’d be a better girlfriend than his current one. She sings in the chorus:
If you could see that I’m the one who understands you
Been here all along, so why can’t you see?
You belong with me
Standing by and waiting at your back door
All this time how could you not know, baby?
You belong with me, you belong with me
The lyrics make it clear as day that this girl is waiting for him to finally recognize her. This song was another gem from my childhood. I was, and still am, pretty timid. If I had a crush on someone in school, I would try my best to keep it as lowkey as possible. The only time I could express how I felt was through music; through songs just like this. Taylor created such a relatable storyline with this track and I think it deserves all the recognition.
WILSHIRE by Tyler, the Creator
The track WILSHIRE comes from Tyler, the Creator’s latest project, Call Me If You Get Lost. On this 8-minute track, Tyler digs into his failed relationship from the moment they met to the moment they ended things.
In this story, Tyler is the “other person,” as he’s talking to a girl that’s already in a relationship with Tyler’s friend. Crazy, right? Tyler then goes on to talk about how he’s aware of his wrongdoings, but can’t stop thinking about this lady.
From the lyrics, these two spend lots of time together traveling, and sharing music and ideas. Heavy in guilt, the girl broke things off and Tyler was left quite heartbroken. Tyler wore this heart on his sleeve with this track.
When I first listened to this song, I was shocked that someone could be brave enough to expose such a private part of their lives (even in art). All I could think about was how wrong Tyler was, but Tyler changed my viewpoint when I began to intently listen to the following lyrics:
We was chattin’ ’til mornin’, the vibrations was heavy
I wasn’t drownin’ or yawnin’, that’s when I told you my feelings
You told me you felt the same, but you got homie you dealin’ with
Damn, I didn’t know, that’s a bit unexpected
But I get it, it’s whatever, least I can do is respect it
We still gon’ kick it and check-in like nothin’ could ever stop it
The problem is he my friend, but if I’m honest, I’m really hopin’ you drop him
It’s morals I really have, it’s lines I could never cross
But you got somethin’ that make all them good intentions get lost
Nobody’s perfect. Tyler’s vulnerability in this song shows me how honest he is, and how more of us should mirror this type of openness. Now, I can appreciate this track for what it is. We can’t erase what we’ve done in the past. I think the key to healing is being aware of what’s eating at you.
For Tyler, maybe creating a song borne out of his misfortunes is what helped him heal from this messy situation.
Don’t Cha by The Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes
This song is about a girl taunting a guy (possibly an ex), asking if his girl is as hot as her. This is one of the Pussycat Dolls’ classic hits, setting the record for the highest-charting single by a girl group on Billboard’s Hot Digital Songs.
This song is super catchy and fun. Anytime I play this song, I get an instant boost of confidence. This track is perfect for empowering women that may actually find themselves in the position of being “the other woman.”
Honorable Mention
I’m Not The Only One by Sam Smith
Sam Smith’s emotional sound can bring anyone to tears. His music helped me get through my first heartbreak. During this time in my life, I didn’t have many friends to confide in, so music quickly became my safe haven.
I’m Not The Only One finds Smith singing about a disloyal relationship he witnessed firsthand.
Smith says the following in an interview about this song:
“It came really naturally! The person I wrote it with, we both knew them and we just vibed off each other. We both had really strong opinions on what the woman was doing. It’s quite a complex song. When you listen to it you think it’s just bashing a guy for cheating, but it’s not, it actually talks more about how the woman’s a mug. She knows she’s not the only one, but she’s never going to leave.”
Conclusion
Finding out your partner has been fooling around with someone else is a heartbreaking discovery for any exclusive relationship. Being the other woman, knowing or unknowingly, can be a difficult role to play.
I believe exercising qualities like loyalty and trust are important in maintaining healthy relationships. For the music that made the list in this article, these artists have created songs about being the other woman to empower and inform listeners.
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This article was written by Destany, with a select addition by Michael.
