Songs about being alone can uplift us to a higher mood or let us cry when we need to let it all out. From breakup songs to being an outsider, these songs about loneliness cover it all. So, if you’re looking to build up your confidence and dance with yourself, you can do that. And if you want to cry while eating a tub of ice cream, this is a safe space. So, if you’re looking for songs to listen to when you’re alone, check out this curated list.
Before we dive into our favorite songs about being alone, check out this guided meditation for loneliness to help you ease your pain.
21 Songs About Being Alone
1. Scared to Be Lonely by Martin Garrix, Dua Lipa
This song about being alone is all about the fear of loneliness. It highlights how people will often stay together to avoid feeling lonely, even though the relationship is unhealthy. The lyrics “picking fights and slamming doors, magnifying all our flaws” touches on the toxicity of a relationship whereas the chorus drives the point home with “Is the only reason you’re holding me tonight ‘cause we’re scared to be lonely.” The finale of the song touches on how eventually you’ll both find the person you’re meant to be with but you need to let go of the relationship for that to happen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2vBLd5Egnk
2. All By Myself by Celine Dion
All By Myself is a song about loneliness. It’s about how we need to be with someone as we get older, even though we didn’t when we were younger. And how friendships become more distant with age. Celine Dion sings, “Don’t wanna be all by myself anymore” because loneliness is an unpleasant feeling. Loneliness can make you “feel so insecure.” Celine Dion belts out the chorus to showcase the pain loneliness causes her. It’s almost like she’s screaming in pain towards the end of the song about being alone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGrLb6W5YOM
3. Fear of Being Alone by Lennon Stella
The Fear of Being Alone is all about how people hang onto relationships longer than they should to prevent experiencing the fear of being alone. Lennon Stella reminds you that it’s not love holding the two of them together. However, having “lifeless kisses” is less than ideal for the relationship. This song about being alone reminds you that you’re just wasting time by staying with someone you’re not in love with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlgMM3E4lRA
4. Lonely by Akon
Lonely by Akon is a song about being alone, the negative side of loneliness. He sings, “Lonely, I’m Mr. Lonely, I have nobody to call my own” which is something relatable that you may experience when you’re single or alone. Waking up alone after a relationship can be a disappointing feeling. There’s a sense of closeness we feel when we wake up next to the person we love. However, breaking someone’s heart who treated us well can cause us to feel alone. But sometimes, it’s the right decision.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EEW-9NDM5k
5. Lonely by Britney Spears
If you’re looking for a confidence boost song about being alone, look no further than Miss. Britney Spears. She sings, “Ain’t no way I’ll be lonely, I don’t want to let you back in” and “better off alone and I won’t look back” showcasing that she’s a strong person who’s okay with being alone. This song about being alone sends a positive message that you can be alone without feeling lonely. It also reminds you that it’s better to be alone than to be in an unhealthy relationship with someone.
6. Waving Through The Window - Ben Platt
This song about being alone is all about how stepping into the spotlight can leave you feeling burned. It’s about the experience of being an outsider. The song highlights how when you first put yourself out there you’re optimistic that this time will be different and you finally feel a sense of belonging but ultimately you end up rejected “and no one tells you where you went wrong.” The song highlights the fear and anxiety around if you’ll ever have an impact in the world if you’re always waving through a window when Ben Platt sings, “Will I ever make a sound?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfnMvo87fQU
7. Single Ladies - Beyonce
Songs about being alone aren’t always about solo empowerment, but this Beyonce song sure is. Single ladies is all about “doing your own little thing” after a breakup. And knowing that if he really liked you, he would’ve put in the effort to marry you. So, clearly, this isn’t the person you’re meant to be with. This song about being alone is all about knowing your worth and letting your ex learn the hard way what it’s like to miss you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m1EFMoRFvY
8. Dancing On My Own - Robyn
This song about loneliness is all about watching someone you love in love with someone else. The song is about how we often stalk our exes and keep tabs on their new relationship. The lyrics, “I’m in a corner watching you kiss her” showcase an obsession with an ex. It’s about the aftermath of a breakup. You might be in a club, getting drunk, dancing alone and wishing you could be with the person you messed up a relationship with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcNo07Xp8aQ
9. The Outside - Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift’s song about being alone The Outside is all about how you’re always looking on the outside looking in. In the chorus Taylor Swift sings, “How can I ever be better? Nobody’s ever let me in.” People on the outside are never able to learn from their mistakes so that they can finally be let in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAeicVet6SU
10. I Wanna Dance With Somebody - Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston’s smash hit song about loneliness is all about how late at night you feel lonely but all you wanna do is be wrapped up in someone’s arms dancing with them. While getting into a relationship is easy, staying in a relationship long-term can prove to be a challenge. Sometimes, all you really need is “a man who’ll take a chance” on you and build a long-term relationship with you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH3giaIzONA
11. Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day
This song about loneliness talks about walking a “lonely road” from the first line. However, being alone is almost like being home to them because that’s how often they’re alone. The song highlights that there’s never anyone around him except his shadow who always walks by his side. He dreams of a day where someone will find him and join him on his walks so he won’t be alone. However, there’s a sense of confidence as he is willing to continue walking alone until someone joins him. There’s no sense of despair, when the moment comes the person will be allowed to walk beside him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Soa3gO7tL-c
12. Solo by Demi Lovato
The loneliness song Solo is about the process of going through a breakup. After a breakup, you wish “you weren’t one of [their] exes” particularly when you read their messages. There’s another “dancing on my own” sort of message that is a common thread among many of the songs about being alone on this list. However, despite dancing with men, Demi sings that she isn’t turned on by them. She wants to be with someone romantically and wants to cry but she prefers just having a good time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JnfIa84TnU
13. I Don’t Need A Man by The Pussycat Dolls
The song about being alone I Don’t Need A Man is all about confidence. It’s about how you aren’t willing to give everything up for a guy who tries too hard. It’s about knowing your worthy, being independent, and just enjoying being single. The chorus is particularly powerful as the women sing “I don’t need a man to make me feel good, I get off doing my thing.” It’s all about how you don’t need someone to complete you. You can do so much when you’re single. When you find the right man, it’ll just be icing on the cake.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBsEF7Qx09o
14. Love Myself by Hailee Steinfield
Love Myself is an honest song about being alone. There’s a sense of honesty that breakups are hard but a sense of empowerment that you “don’t need anybody else.” As long as you love yourself you don’t need someone who will fill a void because self-love comes before real love. The line, “I’m gonna put my body first, and love me so hard ‘til it hurts” is all about prioritizing yourself after a breakup instead of running back to someone who didn’t truly love you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMpFmHSgC4Q
15. Ridin’ Solo by Jason Derulo
Sometimes breakups can be the best thing that happen. This song about being alone is all about the relief you feel after being in a relationship where you’re always arguing and lack freedom. Ridin’ Solo is all about “feeling good tonight,” doing your own thing and being an independent person again. Sometimes, after a rough relationship being single is a positive experience and that’s what this song is all about. Being happy on your own can be a great experience after a rocky relationship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ESdn0MuJWQ
16. Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely by The Backstreet Boys
On the converse, this song about being alone is about the hardship of being alone. Sometimes, it’s hard to be apart from the person you love. You might feel incomplete after a relationship ends. Time seems to move more slowly when you feel lonely. There’s an element of a relationship being one-sided in this case. For example, the lyrics “You’re asking me to feel the things you never show” highlights that the other person doesn’t show the affection in the relationship and the person feels hurt by it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBt8fN7mJNg
17. Dancing With Myself by Billy Idol
This upbeat song about being alone is all about how “in the crowded lonely night” when you’ve got “nothing to lose and nothing to prove” you can always dance with yourself. This catchy song about loneliness reminds you that you can still enjoy things on your own while single. Dancing with yourself can be a fun experience. It’s better than being with someone with “empty eyes” and isn’t in love with you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG1NrQYXjLU
18. Alone by Heart
Alone is a classic song about being alone. In the beginning of the song you’re reminded of how painful it can be when you’re alone in the dark without your partner by your side. You might be wondering where they are because you miss them so much. There is hope in the song about loneliness. Before this moment came, you were always able to get through the loneliness. While not being with the person you care about is always difficult, you can handle being alone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cw1ng75KP0
19. Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles
Eleanor Rigby is a song for “all the lonely people.” It can be hard to know where all the lonely people belong. The song highlights stories of people who overwork and end up feeling lonely. The song about being alone also shares a story of someone who died and no one came to the funeral. It’s one of the best songs about loneliness from that period.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuS5NuXRb5Y
20. Alive by Sia
This song about being alone starts off with a person who grew up alone. As a child, they played on their own without others. And through this experience, they’ve gone on to “survive.” The song highlights that you can overcome any challenges that head your way. At the end of the day, “I’m still breathing, I’m alive” is the mantra you should consider repeating to yourself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2NgsJrrAyM
21. Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson
This powerful song about being alone is all about how sometimes we pretend we’re happy in a relationship when we’re really miserable. However, once the relationship ends you can “breathe for the first time,” “move on,” and “get what [you] want.” When another person doesn’t put the effort into the relationship to want to be with you too, you’re better off on your own. If you need to rock out after a breakup, this song about loneliness will pump you up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7UrFYvl5TE
Conclusion
These 21 songs about being alone highlighted the highs and lows of loneliness. Sometimes, we’re better off dancing alone while other times we want to sob into a pillow until our pain ends. No matter where you are on the spectrum, you’re going to be okay. Use these songs about loneliness to motivate you and excite you about the next step in your journey.
