4 Best Sad Songs of 2022 to Play When You're in Your Feels

New songs from Maren Morris, Iann Dior, and more.

maren morris
(Image credit: Alamy)

Some days, we're living life to the fullest and enjoying the moment. Other days, we're reminded that we're still in the middle of a pandemic. When you're feeling the blues during the latter, refer to our running list of the best sad songs of 2022, below, to channel all of the emotions you may be experiencing and, of course, let out a good cry. Bookmark this tab for updates throughout the year!


“thought it was” - iann dior, Travis Barker, and Machine Gun Kelly 

Perhaps best known for his feature on the hit single "Mood" that went viral on TikTok, iann dior gives fans a change of pace with “thought it was." In the song, which features Travis Barker and Machine Gun Kelly, from Dior's new album, on to better things, the 22-year-old sings about his loneliness living in California despite his rise to fame. 

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“Watercolor Eyes” - Lana Del Rey 

Lana Del Rey's latest single, "Watercolor Eyes," debuted on the latest episode of Euphoria. After all, would it really be a sad songs list without a song from Del Rey? "Hot summer and cold watermelon / Your love stings like blood and a lemon / Why do you leave me with watercolor eyes?"

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"Background Music" - Maren Morris

Maren Morris's "Background Music" from her upcoming album, Humble Quest, is a beautiful, melancholy tribute to a lover and the inevitability of death. "Maybe all we'll ever be to them in a hundred years / Is three minutes in a car, in a bar, that says we were here / If that's you and me when it's all said and done / Hard not to see we're the lucky ones / Not everybody gets to leave a souvenir."

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“so far ahead > empire” - Gunna 

While we wouldn't necessarily classify Gunna's “so far ahead > empire” as a capital-S Sad Song, it does give us all of the nostalgic feels when the rapper talks about how far he's come despite the hardships he's faced throughout his life. Do yourself a favor and watch him perform the song on Jimmy Fallon. 

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