11 Songs About Betrayal of Trust That Are Major Gut Punches
There are many types of betrayals in life—be it a friend breaking one’s confidence, spouses having affairs, divorce and even abuse.
Everyone knows a song or two from this house of emotion. Betrayal reaches right into us. It squeezes us like lemons until our feelings are hanging out for all the world to see. It’s messy, painful, and often life-shattering.
We are left feeling angry, hateful, loving, confused, disappointed, lonesome, and regretful. And so we lean into music for companionship.
Here are 10 songs about betrayal of trust that help us feel less alone.
Songs About Betrayal (All Music Genres)
Let’s kick this off with a great country song by Carrie Underwood.
1) “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood
Being cheated on is a classic betrayal and Carrie gives us the anthem in this angry but upbeat country song that’s become a staple at karaoke night. It’s a song about her man being at the bar with another woman.
And she’s pissed. Like really pissed.
So, she trashes his truck with a key, knife, and a Lousiville slugger. It’s one of those songs for the bar after we’ve had one too many. That song you blast on a summer night when driving alone. It has all the rage and independence of a good betrayal song.
We thank thee, Miss Underwood.
2) Slumber Party by Ashnikko (f/Princess Nokia)
Whoa baby—what can I say about this song that isn’t explicit?
Well, the first thing I like about this track is the song’s perspective. On most songs that deal with lying and deceit and betrayal of love or friendship or trust, the song is usually performed by the aggrieved member of the relationship.
But not here. On this track, Ashnikko is full of bravado—she’s proud to be a “homewrecker.” This is a song bursting at the seams with confidence, as Ashnikko boasts about making love to your girlfriend.
This is a song that has the sound of a pop radio-friendly bop—but it really ain’t that. As fun and light-hearted as this song sounds, its lyrics are something out of a Megan Thee Stallion joint.
But it works for this song, and it’s great to see Princess Nokia (featured on this track) getting some love here.
In some ways, you can listen to this song and feel it leans heavily into satire. With its references to early 2000s pop stars like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, this track almost feels like its both embracing and thumbing its nose at the Katy Perry’s of the world.
Whatever the intent, “Slumber Party” is infectious, light-hearted, and…well…definitely not G-rated.
3) “Drivers License” by Olivia Rodrigo
If Lorde and Taylor Swift had a baby, she probably be Olivia Rodrigo. She is a gem. And this song will turn your head and keep you there. It’s lighthearted, whimsical, and poppy. And yet slow and vulnerable.
Her voice is sweet and small, yet very big. It’s a song about losing your dreams with someone and watching them go off to someone else. It’s about being lied to and having promises broken by someone you love.
And you know you know that line towards the end of the song, “But I still f*****’ love you, baby. Ooh ooh.”
Girl, just keep driving right past his house.
4) “Love the Way You Lie, Part 2” by Rihanna (f/Eminem)
“On the first page of our story, our future seemed so bright. Then this thing turned out so evil, I don’t know why I’m still surprised,” sings Rihanna to a lonely piano.
It’s bone-crushingly beautiful: “Even angels have their wicked schemes and you take to that to new extremes. But you’ll always be my hero, even though you’ve lost your mind.”
It’s a wonderfully crafted song about an abusive relationship. We relate to the anger, fear, denial, and excuses that come from betrayal. And it’s full of these emotions. Eminem is at his best painting the lyrical picture of an abuser.
And you can’t help but sing along in solidarity with both of them because you understand the conflicting emotions in relationships. It’s a must on any playlist of songs about betrayal of trust. And it’s perfectly okay to skip this song if abuse can be a trigger for you.
5) “Grand Piano” by Nicki Minaj
A classic betrayal song about falling in love with someone and finding out they lied about who they are. This song plays with our emotions. We can feel her sadness. We hear her confusion and denial—and we can all relate.
In this rare piano ballad, we feel her anguish and confusion. Minaj isn’t just a good rapper, she’s a beautiful singer. We can’t help but tag along for this vulnerable stroll through a private moment of sorrow.
The piano and strings are a beautiful melancholy. She doesn’t want to let go and realizes it might have all been a dream. It’s one of the songs you play when you’re exhausted from pretending you don’t love them anymore.
So grab the a nice drink, and have a listen.
6) “You’ll Think of Me” By Keith Urban
This is a must-have on your betrayal playlist. This has to be one of the greatest songs about someone breaking up with us when we still love them. It’s also a song about independence and moving on—about never going back.
But Keith makes this musical stop before walking away. It’s a killer song. It breaks us wide open. He’s emotionally tired, angry and full of grief. He puts himself into this song and we don’t step away.
Because it stops our breath and then kills us near the end. He slays it when his emotions explode into these lyrics, “I ain’t never coming home! You shouldn’t have treated me this way! Why did you have to go and break my heart?! Didn’t you know how much I loved you?!”
7) “Jar of Hearts” by Christina Perri
Perri takes us to the very emotional landscape that comes with abuse—the betrayal of such an experience. And how it feels when the abuser eventually returns after some time passes.
This is a beautiful piano ballad and a kick-ass independent anthem for those leaving an abusive relationship. Christina throws all of her emotions into this engaging song and doesn’t let go.
“You’re gonna catch a cold. From the ice inside your soul. Don’t come back for me. Don’t come back at all!” Perri exclaims.
It’s a fan favorite and for good reason. It rips right into our hearts and touches our sadness. It wraps around our anger. And we gladly sing back to her, “I wish I had missed, the first time that we kissed. ‘Cause you broke all your promises. And now you’re back. You don’t get to get me back!”
She makes being strong look good.
8) “You Were Mine” by the Chicks
Natalie Maines drives us right into heartbreak town and leaves us there with this ballad about divorce. It’s a song about a wife left behind by her husband for another woman.
It’s full of heartbreaking questions with no answers. It’s a song about broken marriage vows, infidelity, and trying to make the earth beneath us steady again. She’s been left behind with their two small children.
And even in her pain, she has so much concern for them, “I can give you two good reasons to show you love’s not blind. He’s two and she’s four, and you know they adore you. So how can I tell them you’ve changed your mind?”
It’s full of sorrow, regret, and painful truths. Maine’s voice slices through our heart and delivers a song we can relate to when we feel betrayed.
9) “I Don’t Care Anymore” by Phil Collins
We love Phil Collins because we musically reap the benefits from his soured relationships. This is a song about his first divorce, the anger of betrayal, and ultimately using that anger to move on with his life.
It’s Phil with his drums and a startlingly bare, vulnerable gift to those left feeling pissed off at someone for breaking their marriage vows.
“‘Cause I’ve been talking to the people that you call your friends and it seems to me theres a means to an end. They don’t care anymore,” he sings, “‘Cause I remember all the times I tried so hard. And you laughed in my face ‘cause you held the cards. I don’t care anymore.”
He’s done and he’s moving on. This is a great song for those moments of angry independence or for playing on repeat on the bar jukebox much to the chagrin of your friends who just want to have a banging night out.
10) “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse
This is a song about the other woman’s experience of being given the shaft all the time. She is in love with an unavailable man. She repeatedly tortures herself in this story by going back to someone who will leave her again.
Winehouse does what she does best: throw some old-school doo-wop into our insecurities, broken trusts, and heartaches. Winehouse was magical on stage with her beehive hairdo, 50’s dresses, and a body covered in tattoos.
“Back to Black” is a catchy jingle about heartache, as Winehouse comes to grips that her relationship won’t have a happy ending. She is not at the point she wants to let go. She is in the middle of the muck, not yet ready to break free.
And we get that because we’ve been there.
11) “Careless Whisper” by Wham
George Michael wrote this song when he was a teenager and we are happy that he did. This is a classic ’80s song about cheating on someone you love. It’s told from the perspective of the cheater knowing he made a mistake and wishes that she would take him back.
But now he is stuck with the consequences of what he did. It’s filled with regret, pleading, and angst about a decision made he wishes was never made. But it was made. And he is suffering the emotional consequences of it.
“Careless Whisper” is for people who’ve lost a relationship because of an affair. It’s a ballad with a saxophone floating in and out of the pain. It’s wonderful and heartbreaking. We can only imagine how devastatingly beautiful it might be with just a piano and his voice.
It belongs on any playlist covering songs about betrayal of trust.
