22/02/2026

ON SUNDAY February 22, 2026 VI theSunday Special

LeBlanc, hockey player Mike Peluso and Morissette’s previous collaborator Leslie Howe. Written mostly with producer Glen Ballard, Jagged Little Pill went on to win ¿YH RI WKH QLQH *UDPP\ $ZDUGV IRU ZKLFK it was nominated in 1996.

Revenge records and heartbreak hits BY HANNEF ESQUANDER

West End Girl – Lily Allen West End Girl is Allen’s strongest work in years. The songs are sharp, funny and painfully honest, showing her at her most vulnerable. Tracks like Divorce Song and Ten Days in June describe the end of love with a mix of sadness and strength. The album’s simple production gives it a diary-like feel, as if Allen were reading her thoughts aloud. Fans have praised her for being brave enough to share such personal moments, while critics say the album proves she still has something important to say.

Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran – Shakira The Colombian star has always used her music to share her emotions, but Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran feels especially personal. Released after her public split from footballer Gerard Piqué, the album’s title means Women Don’t Cry Anymore . Shakira turns heartbreak into strength, swapping sadness for confidence and attitude. The single, BZRP Music Sessions Vol. 53 , was widely shared online, featur ing clever lyrics aimed at her ex and his new girlfriend. Every song shows a woman who is done crying and ready to move on. Critics praised the mix of Latin pop and reggaeton with real emotion, proving that revenge can sound powerful and fun at the same time. Sour – Olivia Rodrigo R RGULJR¶V ¿UVW DOEXP Sour , made her an overnight star when it came out in 2021. She wrote most of it when she was just 17, but the feelings in the songs are deep and real. Tracks like Drivers’ License, Deja Vu and Good 4 U tell honest stories about heartbreak, jealousy and growing up. Her lyrics are simple but hit hard and her mix of pop-punk and soft ballads gave the album a fresh yet familiar sound. Sour connected with listeners of all ages and showed that heartbreak, no matter how young you are, can lead to great art. Lemonade – Beyoncé When Beyoncé released Lemonade in 2016, it was more than just an album. The songs and visuals told a story about love, pain and forgiveness. Sorry, Hold Up and Don’t Hurt Yourself showed Beyoncé facing betrayal and anger but also ¿QGLQJ VWUHQJWK LQ KHUVHOI 7KH IDPRXV line “Becky with the good hair” sparked plenty of discussion about her husband -D\ =¶V SRVVLEOH D̆ DLU EXW WKH DOEXP¶V UHDO message was broader. Lemonade became an anthem for healing and empowerment, showing that even in heartbreak, there can be beauty and growth. Heartbreak, betrayal and sadness have always inspired great music. Whether it is Morissette’s anger, Allen’s honesty, 6KDNLUD¶V FRQ¿GHQFH RU %H\RQFp¶V FRXU age, these artists turn their pain into songs that everyone can feel. Music helps us understand our emotions and reminds us that we are not alone. Maybe that is why we keep listening to these albums – because when life hurts, music always ¿QGV WKH ULJKW ZRUGV

M USIC heals the soul. We often reach for the album or song that will bring us comfort when things get rough. Unrequited love gets you down? Put Bonnie Raitt on and you will no longer feel like you are the only one in the world experiencing an unthinkable amount of disappointment and despair. You found out your lover has just cheated on you? Let Beyoncé tell him to hurry up before the taxi leaves. Irreplaceable is just the perfect anthem for the upsetting situation. Some songs are written from the sing er’s point of view, retelling the experience, whether it’s unpleasant or joyful. Fans and OLVWHQHUV ZLOO ¿QG WKHPVHOYHV LGHQWLI\LQJ with the songs’ feelings, turning them into their own personal anthems. But not all songs or albums are created equal. Some carry meanings so deep they let us into the artist’s innermost thoughts. In the current landscape of pop music, Adele, Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo are known for this. Recently, British singer Lily Allen released her new album, which she re corded in just 10 days, to massive online buzz. The album, titled West End Girl , is a raw and brutally honest account of her bitter divorce from her husband, Stranger Things star David Harbour. Every song chronicles what actually happened in the marriage leading to the separation. Allen has not had a hit song or album in over a decade. West End Girl marks her surprise return to the charts. The amount of discussion on social media made the album a trend. But Allen is not WKH ¿UVW WR VKDNH XS WKH HQWHUWDLQPHQW world with her so-called ‘revenge’ album. Just about a month earlier, Taylor Swift WULHG WR DFKLHYH D VLPLODU H̆ HFW ZLWK KHU new studio album, The Life of a Showgirl . From the low ratings given by music critics and even her own adoring fans, it was easy to see that Swift failed in her attempt. This was disappointing, considering she has

been doing this throughout her career, sharing all the details of her personal life and relationships with listeners. Her sixth album, Reputation , was essentially an album she made in defence of the bad reputation she was getting at the time. Diss track, revenge album or whatever we call it, we cannot help but dive right into the drama even when it has nothing to do with us. But above all, the music has to be good. On that note, here are some history-making albums written out of anger, despair and heartbreak.

Reputation – Taylor Swift Swift’s Reputation came out in 2017 when she was facing heavy media criticism and public drama. The album was her UHVSRQVH ¿OOHG ZLWK GDUNHU SRS VRXQGV and lyrics about love, revenge and public image. Songs like Look What You Made Me Do and Delicate show two sides of her SHUVRQDOLW\ ± RQH GH¿DQW DQG WKH RWKHU sincere. While not everyone loved its tone DW ¿UVW WKH DOEXP ODWHU JDLQHG UHVSHFW IRU its boldness and honesty. It marked the start of a new chapter in Swift’s career and showed her ability to turn hate into art.

Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette Morissette’s global debut album was written post-break-up from her longtime boyfriend at the time. Songs like You Oughta Know, All I Really Want and Right Through You perfectly summed up the frustration and anger of a woman who had been wronged and underestimated. The hit singles from the album were written in just three weeks. Although Morissette denied it, Dave Coulier, the actor who inspired You Oughta Know , immediately knew the song was about him when he heard it on the radio while driving. Other exes who may have in spired the album include actor Matt