20 Greatest Empowering Break-Up Songs
14. It's Not Right, But It's Okay - Whitney Houston
The History: When this single hit, it dominated the airwaves. There wasn't a car drive my parents and I took where we didn't hear this song. It peaked in the US at number four on the Billboard 100 and reached number three in the United Kingdom. This song also put Whitney Houston as the front runner for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the Grammys in 2000.
Why It's Great: Unfortunately, a cheating partner is something a lot of us know all too well. While Whitney herself didn't have the best relationship record either, this song is great because of the imagery. If you close your eyes and listen to the song, you can picture someone going through the actions of the story and the process of catching their partner in lies and ultimately finding out the truth.
It's extremely relatable for those of us who have broken off a relationship because of cheating, and it can be empowering to know we're not alone. However, the song is also empowering because of the overall message. The strength she talks about not looking back, moving on, and kicking this jerk to the curb is something to be admired.
The lyrics "I'd rather be alone than unhappy" are really moving because it's a good lesson for anyone who's going through a break up (regardless of why.) Plus, it's a typical '90s dance song, so you can dance and kick them out at the same time, all while having the power of Whitney's voice to back you up.