Top 10 Iconic Revenge Songs of the 2000s
#10: “Gives You Hell”
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The All-American Rejects Once we heard the title for this song, we knew we were in for a wild ride. This All-American Rejects track centers around someone who absolutely detests someone who sounds like their ex. But instead of lashing out directly, the song’s lyrics suggest that the best revenge is living well right in front of the partner that scorned you. The catchy and thumping chorus makes you feel like screaming the lyrics at the top of your lungs every time you hear it. And even though the song points towards an ex, it can easily be redirected to anyone who scorns you. This track is revenge in all its snarky glory.
#9: “Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)”
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Blu Cantrell Although it has the word “hit” in the title, Blu Cantrell’s song is all about getting revenge on a cheating partner by non-violent means. She recommends hitting an unfaithful love interest where it really hurts—their wallet. Cantrell leaves no room for ambiguity with lyrics like “Get your hands on his cash and Spend it to the last dime.” Neiman-Marcus shopping sprees, selling off all of his possessions and even paying “All the bills about a month too late” are all fair game. Although Cantrell wasn’t a big fan of the song at first, she included it on an album because she related to it. And we’re so thankful that she did. Fans loved it so much that the song became Cantrell’s biggest hit.
#8: “Take a Bow”
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Rihanna While some revenge songs focus on people who are still in the middle of a hard situation, “Take A Bow” focuses firmly on someone who’s already won. After being cheated on, the narrator takes sweet satisfaction in watching their partner getting kicked out of their shared home. Rihanna’s strong vocals are a great match for all the taunts and confident words in the song. And as much as her ex apologizes and tries to get her back, she isn’t having any of it. Rihanna’s revenge here comes from standing strong and pushing the unfaithful ex out. She reminds listeners that you can rise above anyone who sinks so low.
#7: “Obsessed”
Mariah Carey For years, the public wondered if Mariah Carey and Eminem ever seriously dated. While that question hung in the air, the two musicians definitely kept trading insults through their music. Their turbulent relationship eventually led to Carey releasing the song “Obsessed”. While the track never directly mentions Eminem, it’s hard to imagine that it’s talking about anyone else. Carey uses the entire song to call a guy out for constantly lying about his relationship with her. At some points, she even croons that the dude has a Napoleon Complex. While Emimem is often seen as the king of diss tracks, this Carey comeback definitely gave him a run for his money.
#6: “Cry Me a River”
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Justin Timberlake In 2006, the revenge track “What Goes Around... Comes Around” (xref) became Timberlake’s third straight Billboard chart topper. It features lyrics about a man who discovers his girlfriend is cheating on him with his friend. But the most iconic love-scorned track in JT’s catalog has got to be 2002’s “Cry Me a River”. In the song, Timberlake calls out his now ex for catching her in an affair. Despite its sad tone, the track is an absolute bop that we can’t help singing along to every time. The song also carries an added sting because many believed it was really about Timberlake talking about his ex, Britney Spears. In the end, his revenge track was so beloved that it even won a Grammy.
#5: “Picture to Burn”
Taylor Swift Never one to shy away from expressing her feelings through music, Taylor Swift’s first album featured one of her best revenge tracks. “Picture to Burn” focuses on a woman's hatred for an ex-boyfriend. Although the song is filled with some classic Swift wit, it also isn’t subtle in its contempt for the male subject. Blunt lyrics like “There's no time for tears/I'm just sitting here planning my revenge” make it clear what she wants. It was clear that a lot of fans felt the same because the song sold millions of copies and had a strong run on the Billboard charts. It just goes to show that if you mess with Swift, you might be called out in a very popular song.
#4: “Before He Cheats”
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Carrie Underwood Underwood’s massive 2006 crossover hit is a unique revenge song. Although it’s left slightly ambiguous if her partner definitely cheated or not, she still takes some proactive measures. Underwood mercilessly keys his truck and smashes his headlights in retaliation. Her performance is so powerful that we’re pretty convinced that he’s guilty by the end of the song. While we don’t condone property damage, we absolutely recommend listening to this song on repeat. The track’s cathartic lyrics, great blend of rock and country sensibilities and vocals made it a, pun intended, smash hit when it was released. This revenge song picked up two Grammys and gave scorned people everywhere an anthem to blast after a break up.
#3: “Irreplaceable”
Beyoncé While tracks are full of suggestions on how to get back an ex, Beyoncé’s “Irreplaceable” is another song that encourages a simple approach. In this case, she gets sweet revenge by just kicking an ex out. Watching him carry out his stuff in boxes like he’s just been fired puts a smile all over Beyoncé’s face. Additionally, she makes it clear that he can be easily and swiftly replaced. One of the best aspects of this song is that Beyoncé doesn’t seem to spend a moment dwelling on the pain or heartbreak of a broken relationship. Instead, she stands strong and reminds him that he’s made the biggest mistake of his life. It’s an incredibly relatable and powerful message.
#2: “So What”
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Pink While Pink was separated from her husband Carey Hart, she penned a song that served as an outlet for all her frustration and aggression. She wastes no time taking shots at him at the beginning of the track before insisting that she’s going to be fine because of her immense talent. Despite it being about a rockstar, it's still incredibly relatable because of the subtle hints throughout the lyrics that she’s still in pain. Although the song is full of vengeance and anger, it’s also an absolute blast to sing. And fortunately, the track came before a happy resolution. Pink and Hart ended up resolving their differences and getting back together. However, their reunion hasn’t stopped the singer from performing the amazing track. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“Hate (I Really Don't Like You)”, Plain White T's
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“You're Gonna Go Far, Kid”, the Offspring
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“Smile”, Lily Allen
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“White Liar”, Miranda Lambert
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“Kiss This”, Aaron Tippin
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Tippin Crafts a Blistering Revenge Ballad About a Woman Scorned
#1: “Since U Been Gone”
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Kelly Clarkson Although Clarkson wasn’t the first choice for this song, she definitely left her mark on this track and industry with her incredible performance. The lyrics tell the relatable story of someone who was burned by a bad ex. After seeing through their toxic qualities, Clarkson proudly sings that she's finally feeling like she’s in a healthy place with a powerful chorus. The singer expertly bounces between dissing her ex and showing how much better off she is without him. Her combination of confidence and anger struck a chord with tons of fans. While the track picked up a Grammy on its own, the music video won big at the VMA’s. It deserves every accolade for being one of the best revenge songs of the 2000s.
