1. “Funeral”- Phoebe Bridgers

No sad girl playlist is complete without Phoebe Bridgers, and “Funeral” may be her most emotionally devastating track. Featured on her debut album “Stranger in the Alps,” the song captures the despair of depression and emotional fatigue. With the soft strum of a guitar and ghostly vocals, Bridgers takes us on a journey through the lens of melancholy that is so consuming it eclipses everything else. “Funeral” is a story told from a different perspective in each verse, capturing the chaos of uncontrollable sorrow. The chorus, “Jesus Christ, I’m so blue all the time,” encapsulates the feelings of overwhelming exhaustion brought by simply being sad.

2. “doomsday”- Lizzy McAlpine 

Lizzy McAlpine’s “doomsday” feels like slamming your bedroom door, collapsing onto the floor, and screaming into a pillow you’ve already cried into a dozen times. This song blends themes of grief and betrayal, turning devastation into something cinematic, like the end of the world. McAlpine’s vocals amplify the intensity and rage behind the lyrics. But it is not just about losing someone. The lyrics lean into funeral metaphors, a feeling of impending doom, a sense of wanting for the end, like a Band-Aid being ripped off.  Yet when “doomsday” finally comes, it doesn’t feel like a relief; it feels like a betrayal. 

3. “I bet on Losing Dogs”- Mitski 

This sad girl’s hit is for anyone who has put all their eggs in one basket or bet the whole house and lost. The key ingredient that makes this song the perfect bowl of sadness is its perspective on self-sabotage. It explores the destructive cycle of putting effort into relationships or situations that are destined to fail. Each lyric is a metaphor, so each verse is left for the listener to interpret, making this song a hopeless romantic anthem for a night of wallowing and yearning. 

4. “Vampire Empire” – Big Thief 

Don’t let the upbeat rhythm of this song fool you. Big Thief paints a vivid portrait of an emotional vampire who feeds off the control and confusion they bring to a relationship. The melody and lyrics, penned by Adrianne Lenker, channel a raw, unfiltered expression of female rage and vulnerability. For anyone who has felt trapped in a lose-lose dynamic, Lenker’s songwriting resonates with piercing clarity. “You spin me all around, then you ask me not to spin,” captures the emotional whiplash of being manipulated while expected to remain composed. The song shifts from sorrow to fury in just a few verses, earning its place as a cathartic anthem for anyone navigating heartbreak and emotional turmoil.

5. “Cool About It”- boygenius 

There is no question that this song’s creative and depressive twist stems from the fact that three of the most talented saddies wrote it together. Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker combine their lyrical genius to describe the internal dialogue of trying to navigate life after a relationship falling apart. This song uses a unique structure where each of the three members describes their perspective on a past lover. Between going to dive bars and casual conversations, all while trying to stay calm and “cool about it,” the hauntingly beautiful metaphors are what pull this together to be every sad girl’s cry-list.