Heartbreak, nostalgia and late-night thinking—if there’s one thing Gen Z loves, it is sad girl music. From crying singing Lana Del Rey's "Cinnamon Girl" to belting out the gut-wrenching lyrics of Olivia Rodrigo's "Traitor", sad and emotional music is dominating the charts like never before, and I think it is safe to say that we are well into this melancholically peaceful era—and it seems like it’s here to stay.

What Are Sad Girl Anthems?

Sad girl anthems are defined as hyper-vulnerable, poetic lyrics about love, rage, heartbreak and angst. Mostly, the artists who are categorised as “sad girl” are women. Olivia Rodrigo, Lana Del Ray, Billie Eilish, Phoebe Bridgers, Gracie Abrams, Amy Winehouse, and Fiona Apple are all artists who are bringing in millions of streams and rise in popularity.

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Why We Are All Crazy For It

So are we all just becoming sadder? Do we just we enjoy sad songs? I don’t think so.

Melancholic music isn’t new – artists like Adele, Fleetwood Mac and The Smiths have all explored similar themes through their music. But with streaming services and TikTok trends, sad girl anthems have found a new generation of listeners.

As someone who’s playlist is made of all of these artists, I think that music lovers crave authenticity, songs that reflect real emotions. It's a catharsis listening to people who’s lives seem so perfect sing about the same things that we go through.

And of course, in the post pandemic environment we’ve seen a rise in people’s openness to everything that feels real. Ways to exhibit their emotions and coming out from a time where we were all so isolated to wanting to not feel alone in every aspect of life. This is turn has also supported the societal shift to talk about mental and emotional health and addressing emotions in art is where it all starts.

The Most Iconic Sad Girl Anthems

It would be criminal to say that Lana Del Rey was not the start of it all. The sad girl aesthetic is deeply rooted into her early 2010s releases like "Video Games," "Summertime Sadness," "Carmen," and honestly, the whole album.

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However, I do think that the trend really kicked off with OIivia Rodrigo’s release of "Driver’s License" in early 2021. It instantly hit the charts and brought a much larger spotlight to the genre.

Mitski’s "My Love Mine All Mine" also became a viral TikTok hit, reaching the Billboard Hot 100—a rare feat for indie artists. Billie Eilish's "When the Party’s Over" has over a billion streams on Spotify, proving the lasting impact of sad girl music.

Of course, if we’re talking about sad girl anthems, I do have to give some recommendations and my favourite lyrics from them.

"My Love Mine All Mine" - Mitski is a classic, “So, when I die, which I must do, Could it shine down here with you?” Mitski brings to us, the truth of all our lives but in a way so poetic that it becomes the quickest addition to all our playlists.

Since Olivia Rodrigo's release of SOUR, she has acted as a catalyst for the whole sad girl genre but this song in particular brings something so raw and relatable. To all the lost friends, “Address the letters, to the holes in my butterfly wings, Nothing's forever, nothing is as good as it seems” ("hope ur ok" - Olivia Rodrigo).

This song and lyric in particular is one I find myself going back to. It has inspired me time and time again. I have written poems, essays and even made paintings about this song. To me, it is one of the greatest sad girl anthems. “Always an angel, never a god” - "Not Strong Enough" - boygenius

Conclusion

With a generation that is more and more isolated in a much larger world, music has become something that brings us all together and with that comes the need for it to be authentic and real which prompted the rise of sad girl music.

While it is not for everyone, I would suggest giving it a try—the soft melodies, soul-crushing lyrics and completely vulnerability is bound to appeal to you at some point.

Here is a link to my favourite sad girl anthems. Whether you’re in your feels or just love music that speaks to the soul, the sad girl era is one you can’t ignore.