If you are on the hunt for songs about cheating, then unsurprisingly you’re spoilt for choice!
Love is complicated and monogamy is as well, or so it seems for some!
It is suspected that as many as 20% of couples are unfaithful worldwide.
Being cheated on sucks and sometimes the hurt causes long-term issues. Being committed to someone can also be a minefield especially if you’ve been burned yourself before.
And- regardless, the temptation to cheat can be pretty appealing in this ‘sex-sells’ world we live in.
Whatever the reason you’ve found yourself here, be prepared to hear it from angles as we’ve gathered a list of songs about cheating from every perspective!
1. Shaggy – “It Wasn’t Me”
Popular songs about cheating are few and far between namely because infidelity is a touchy subject so we are starting things off light with Shaggy’s tongue-in-cheek song about being a cheater.
It seems he is brazen enough to deny his guilt, in spite of being caught repeatedly!
“But she caught me on the counter (It wasn’t me)
Saw me bangin’ on the sofa (It wasn’t me)
I even had her in the shower (It wasn’t me)
She even caught me on camera (It wasn’t me)”
Yeah, Yeah, we believe you!
2. Dolly Parton – “Jolene”
Jokes aside for something far more serious, Dolly’s gut-wrenching, woman-to-woman plea.
The singer acknowledges the other woman’s beauty and her man’s interest and begs her emotionally stating her happiness depends solely upon the other woman’s actions.
It takes two to cheat and the unusual pre-adultery nature of this one propelled it to become one incredibly famous cheating song!
3. Marvin Gaye – “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”
The silky smooth super soulful vocals of Marvin Gaye croon over this groovy number and tell the tale of finding out about your partner cheating through word of mouth.
Hearing “through the grapevine” is no way to find out your other half has been having an affair with their ex!
4. Billy Paul – “Me And Mrs. Jones”
Another soulful tune that tells things from the ‘other man’s perspective that definitely earns itself a spot in our best cheating songs collection is this sexy track by Billy Paul.
It is one of those songs about being unfaithful that almost glamorizes adultery. For those who aren’t being cheated on it can be nothing but sublime.
In this one, both are unlikely to break it off…
“We both know that it’s wrong
But it’s much too strong
To let it go now”
5. Chuck Berry – “Maybellene”
With so many cheaters lurking out there, it is no wonder we sometimes get a little suspicious.
Once your significant other has been unfaithful the trust is broken. As you often hear ‘once a cheat always a cheat’ and that appears to be the case with this one!
This rock and roll classic storyline is centered around following your girl by car to another guy’s house.
6. Nirvana – “Tell Me Where Did You Sleep Last Night”
Kobains raw rendition of a traditional American folk song that goes by many other titles and is in truth an amalgamation of a couple of tunes that date back to the 19th century!
“My girl, my girl, don’t lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night”
Though many have covered and adapted it since 1870, Nirvanas’ version is truly something else.
7. Shania Twain – “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under”
There are tonnes of songs about men cheating to choose from but this one is a good one.
Shania has a healthy attitude, she knows just what is going on and the rhetorical question posed in the hook is very to the point even with the innuendo.
“Whose bed have your boots been under?
And whose heart did you steal I wonder?
This time did it feel like thunder, baby?”
8. Carrie Underwood – “Before He Cheats”
Songs about being cheated on typically go one of 3 ways; sad and broken, empowered and better off, or bitter and vengeful. This chilled country song is the latter.
The chorus still packs a punch despite being a slower piece and the lyrics have just as much bite.
“… I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive
Carved my name into his leather seats
I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights
I slashed a hole in all four tires
Maybe next time he’ll think before he cheats”
9. Hank Williams – “Your Cheating Heart”
Affairs are often tricky to keep under wraps, the emotional guilt can eat away at you no matter how thrilling the side action is.
This 1950s song about cheating has lyrics that address the unfaithful party’s conscience;
“Your cheatin’ heart will make you weep
You’ll cry and cry and try to sleep
But sleep won’t come
The whole night through
Your cheatin’ heart will tell on you”
10. Eagles – “Lying Eyes”
Fidelity doesn’t favor a gender and it’s reflected in musical balance as well.
There are just as many songs about cheating women as there are about cheating men!
This song is about knowing someone is being unfaithful just by their demeanor, body language, and actions before you come to terms with and address the situation.
11. Kenny Chesney – “A Woman Knows”
Next up is a warning of sorts to men who might be eagerly led astray…
The song above makes mention of the subtler signs that the one you love is fooling around, similarly in this Kenny Chesney sings about ‘women’s intuition’ and advises that you’ll get caught no matter how careful you think you are being.
12. Connie Francis – “Lipstick On Your Collar”
Unfortunately, most people aren’t as clever as they think, and rather than intuition, it is a glaringly obvious slip-up that gets them caught.
This 1959 hit is pretty black and white, her man walks in to join her for a milkshake with her best friend’s lipstick on his collar!
13. Loretta Lynn – “You Aint Woman Enough”
More often than not the excitement of an affair fizzles out pretty fast.
Often the new love interest has more spark because it is based on fantasy and is more relaxed because it’s part-time.
Things are different in a long-term relationship. There is more to being a wife than being a mistress.
Loretta Lynn sings about seeing her husband’s interest in another woman but staying grounded in her firm belief that women like that are “a dime a dozen” and “woman enough” to take her man.
14. Stevie Wonder – “Part Time Lover”
Speaking of the part-time nature of a love affair, here’s Stevie singing about the excitement of the secrecy between home and his stranger-by-day-lover-by-night.
“We are undercover passion on the run
Chasing love up against the sun”
His lyrics end with a 180, as he realizes he isn’t the only one with a part-time lover on the side!
15. George Michael – “Careless Whisper”
This 80’s track has a smoochy vibe that many couples might want to have a slow dance to but it is a cheating breakup song regardless.
He sings about a relationship of the past that ended because he was unfaithful.
“I’m never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it’s easy to pretend
I know you’re not a fool”
16. The Killers – “Mr. Brightside”
Sometimes affairs just ‘happen’, things can escalate pretty quickly when someone is attracted to someone else.
“It started out with a kiss; how did it end up like this?
It was only a kiss; it was only a kiss”
Mr. Bightside is one of those sad songs about being cheated on that hits you right in the feels.
The lyrics speak to many because it is written based on a true experience. Flowers caught his girlfriend cheating on him.
17. Katy Perry – “I Kissed A Girl”
You are going to find ‘a kiss’ is a recurring theme in our songs about cheating shortlist.
On the surface this one seems like a harmless lively track about bi-curiosity, the singer clearly states in the chorus;
“hope my boyfriend don’t mind it”
She acknowledges how it felt both “so wrong” as well as “so right”. But perhaps in a relationship, for respect’s sake, you ought to discuss the things you’d like to ‘try’ beforehand instead.
Catchy though…
18. John Legend – “She Don’t Have To Know”
Songs about affairs don’t come much more complicated!
In this one, both parties are being unfaithful to their significant others.
Legend makes mention of all the typical things you would expect in his lyrics; stealing moments, secrets, and “hoping that nobody sees”.
Affairs can be a whole lot of hard work…
“We got to be careful next time or we’re through
Damn it’s so stressful doing the dirt we do”
19. Amy Winehouse – “You Know I’m No Good”
Another song from the cheater’s perspective who makes no real apology for their lack of faithfulness.
It is a blunt piece with a lot of personal lyrics the singer half laments, knowing she is only really cheating herself.
The beautiful vocals of the late icon Amy Winehouse and her I already warned you attitude, paired with the laid-back jazzy vibes will have you siding with her in no time despite her cheating ways!
20. Rihanna – “Unfaithful”
Most songs about cheating girlfriends come from the mouths of the injured party, in deference to the typical cheating song Rihanna willingly confesses that ‘she’ is the cheat and that he is well aware.
“And I know that he knows I’m unfaithful
And it kills him inside
To know that I am happy with some other guy
I can see him dying”
21. Usher – “Confessions, Pt. II”
As the title suggests this one is also a confession!
Usher narrates his inner turmoil at the revelation that his side chick is pregnant and now he is going to have to tell his OH.
At the same time, he questions whether it is even his because his side chick is far from monogamous!
“Now this gon’ be the hardest thing I think I ever had to do
Got me talkin’ to myself askin’ how I’m gon’ tell you
‘Bout that chick on part one I told ya’ll I was creepin’ with, creepin’ with
Said she’s three months pregnant and she’s keepin’ it”
22. Justin Timberlake – “Cry Me A River”
One to file in the sadder cheating love songs category, Timberlake reflects on finding out he’s been cheated on.
“You don’t have to say, what you did
I already know, I found out from him”
It is hard when someone is your “world” and then your world comes “crashing down”.
The singer has to come to terms with the fact and concludes that the bridge has been burned and that there is no chance to continue together.
23. Beyonce – “Irreplaceable”
We have two Beyoncé contributions to offer, as a celebrity who has been publically cheated on, I guess she has every right to write about the subject.
This one is more of an empowering track for those cheated upon.
The female singer has packed up the cheaters’ belongings for him and she is mentally strong enough to know she’ll find a better replacement in next to no time.
“To the left, to the left
Everything you own in the box to the left”
24. Shakira and Beyoncé – “Beautiful Liar”
The second of Queen ‘Yoncés’ girl-power cheated on songs we’ve included tells of much more unity than most.
The two female protagonists have been told they are the apple of the same man’s eye.
“He said, I’m worth it, his one desire”
Which upon each discovering the ‘other’ simply can’t be true.
Instead of fighting or being envious, the pair reflect on their “beautiful liar” concluding that he isn’t worth fighting over and both leave his ass!
25. Carly Rae Jepson – “The Kiss”
There are lots of songs about cheating from the unfaithful party, and this high-energy party track with its catchy melody, synth sounds, and simplistic hook from the youthful Carly Rae Jepsen is one such song.
It sings about the temptation to cheat.
“You know you’re just my type
And your eyes are lock and key to my heart
Tempting my confession (my confession)”
26. Ariana Grande – “One Last Time”
Arianas wrote this cheaters song told through the eyes of the temptress.
The characters have previously hooked up and stopped their fling.
However, now the protagonist wants one last night despite knowing neither of them wants a proper relationship and that he is already spoken for.
“One more time
I promise after that, I’ll let you go
Baby I don’t care if you got her in your heart
All I really care is you wake up in my arms”
27. Kelis – “Caught Out There”
A memorable anger-fueled nineties throwback! Who doesn’t remember the singers screaming and shouting all over MTV?
Kelis compares herself to the other woman who is trashier stating she has no idea what her man sees in her because she’s a mess!
“Raunchy, so vulgar, not me, why the hell her
Look, she dresses (Look at her)
A mess, what do you see (I don’t know)”
But you may not have noticed some of the more detailed lyrics that were overshadowed by the diva screaming “I hate you so much right now”.
One of those angry cheating songs a woman scorned may yell along with!
28. Monica – “The Boy Is Mine”
Brandy & Monica have a much-needed heart-to-heart in an attempt to clarify things.
The song sees one confronting the other who is sniffing around her man in this nineties R&B track.
Each believes they have the heart of the guy in question, and unlike Shakira and Beyoncé in “Beautiful Liar,” the pair won’t back down.
“He belongs to me
The boy is mine”
29. Taylor Swift – “Should’ve Said No”
There are a few Taylor Swift songs about cheating that we could have gone for but this one takes us back to before she was a superstar.
The American Sweetheart stands up for herself when her partner begs for one more chance and tries to excuse his actions;
“You need one chance, it was a moment of weakness
And you said, “Yes”
You should’ve said, “No”
You should’ve gone home
You should’ve thought twice ‘fore you let it all go”
30. Pink ft. Eminem – “Revenge”
Another vengeance fuelled song about being cheated on, not that the title isn’t a dead giveaway or anything!
Pink sings about the hurt she’s been through and rallies support from her friends to take revenge.
Meanwhile, Em spits the truth of his case, that each is as untrustworthy as the other.
‘Colorful’ language throughout as to be expected!
“So when you’re driving, driving to his house
And you pass me while I’m driving to hers
Just remember you cheated on me first (bitch)
You’re a whore, you’re a whore (I mean)
This is war”
31. Sam Smith – “I’m Not The Only One”
It’s never easy to find out you’ve been cheated on especially if it’s not from the horse’s mouth.
You are in an odd position of knowing something that they don’t know you know!
“You say I’m crazy
‘Cause you don’t think I know what you’ve done
But when you call me baby
I know I’m not the only one”
Sam Smith shares his hurt feelings in this emotional pop song about cheaters.
32. Cardi B – “Thru Your Phone”
Given the statistics for cheating in the last couple of years, it is no wonder some of us are less trusting of our partners.
Cardi B gives us an x-rated rant about her man’s antics after invading his privacy and has a message for him to pass on;
“And you can tell your little bitch
I screenshotted all her naked pics
Oh, you wanna send nudes to my man?
Wake up and see your boobs on the ‘Gram?”
To be fair there are plenty of rap songs about guys cheating but Cardi’s retribution feels pretty deserved.
33. Charlie Puth – “How Long”
In a track that Puth himself describes as a follow-up to his hit single “Attention”, the singer gives a brutally honest apology to someone who has caught him cheating and is understandably upset.
The protagonist shares that he was drunk but doesn’t try to defend his actions entirely.
“She said “Boy, tell me honestly” (honestly)
“Was it real or just for show?”, yeah (real or just for show?)
She said, “Save your apologies” (apologies, yeah)
“Baby, I just gotta know””
34. TLC – “Creep”
Back to the nineties for another pop-meets-R&B record that some of you might recall.
The song is about a girl who knows her guy is cheating and so she feels driven into the arms of another.
In all honesty, tit for tat is probably not the best remedy for infidelity, Lisa Lopes wasn’t super happy about the track’s bad advice.
35. Robyn – “Call Your Girlfriend”
Usually, when you get a song about cheating from the side chick it is sex-fuelled or it can be pettier – hate-driven even.
Robyn gives the all-too-familiar relationship trope a different spin in this track.
The singer advises her love interest on how to let his partner down gently.
“You just tell her that the only way her heart will mend
Is when she learns to love again
And it won’t make sense right now but you’re still her friend”
36. Hoku – “Another Dumb Blonde”
Just another one of those catchy teenage heartbreak songs about walking in on your cheating boyfriend.
“That’s alright
That’s okay
You never loved me anyway“
The narrator doesn’t sit and mope, she instead realizes pretty quickly that he clearly wasn’t the one.
She finishes the song by telling him to “Go ahead and find what you need“.
37. Drake – “Marvins Room”
In this one, Drake finds himself so drunk that he wants to call a woman who he knows is off the market so to speak.
The track begins with a drunk-dial conversation.
He expresses the following;
“I’m just saying you could do better
Tell me have you heard that lately?”
With the woman’s responding “are you drunk right now” via the phone sampled in between.
38. Maroon 5 – “Wake Up Call”
“Caught you in the morning with another one in my bed“
With an entertaining music video, Maroon 5 takes the age-old ‘jealous lover seeing red’ narrative.
After walking in on the action the only option the protagonist can logically see is to get a gun involved.
“Came without a warning, so I had to shoot him dead”
39. Meghan Trainor – “Lips Are Moving”
In a retro doo-wop meets bubblegum pop style that followed her big debut “All About The Bass,” Meghan Trainor is finally “done” and ready to wave goodbye to her lying, cheating, no-good man!
“You can buy me diamond earrings and deny-ny-ny, ny-ny-ny, deny-ny
But I smell her on your collar so goodbye-bye-bye, bye-bye-bye”
Trainor was worried the verses were too angry, shouty even but the chorus is sufficiently infectious.
40. Shawn Mendez & Camila Cabello – “I Know What You Did Last Summer”
Everybody’s favorite ‘part-time pop duo’ give us both sides of the story at once.
“He knows
Dirty secrets that I keep
Does he know it’s killing me?
He knows, he knows”
Each acknowledges what has happened and the song builds to an abrupt end reflecting the reality of a relationship where one person is unfaithful.
Fun fact this one was penned backstage on tour with Taylor Swift!
41. Stereophonics – “Been Caught Cheating”
With great acoustic blues vibes, the Stereophonics show their vulnerability with this lento, legato, gospel-like piece.
“Yes, I love you
Like the way I’m meant to do
But you’ve been caught
Caught cheating on me.”
Learning that the love in a relationship is one-sided is a tough pill to swallow, and Kelly sings it with such emotion in his long-held notes.
42. Britney Spears – “Perfume”
As Meghan Trainor revealed she knew her man was elsewhere from the perfume on his shirt, Britney shares that she ‘the other woman’ wants her scent all over her supposedly off-limits lover.
“Have you been thinking ’bout her about me
And while I wait
I put on my perfume, yeah I want it all over you
I’m gonna mark my territory”
43. Nelly ft. Kelly Rowland – “Dilemma”
“No matter what I do (put your hands up)
All I think about is you (yeah)
Even when I’m with my boo
You know I’m crazy over you”
Poor Kelly Rowland confesses she is besotted with the guy she is seeing behind her husband’s back.
Nelly admits it goes against his morals but is ultimately going for it stating;
“never been the type to, break up a happy home but uh
There’s something bout baby girl I just can’t leave alone”
A dilemma indeed!
44. Whitney Houston – “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay”
A dance-floor-filling girl power anthem back in the day that had many heartbroken women singing along with it.
The narrative is empowering, the singer is sure that she will be just fine anyway!
The lyrics are easy to remember making it a bit of an earworm but demonstrating the scorned party’s strength.
“Close the door behind you, leave your key
I’d rather be alone than unhappy, yeah, uh”
45. Little Mix – “Shout Out To My Ex”
One final ‘I don’t need you’ style song about being cheated on. This time a little more explicit and cruder but altogether an honest track at the hands of Little Mix.
The girls give a uniform shrug and a toast to the guy that did them wrong, reflecting on what they have learned.
“Shout out to my ex, you’re really quite the man
You made my heart break and that made me who I am”
46. Mario – “How Could You”
“How Could You” by Mario is a heart-wrenching R&B ballad about the pain of being cheated on and the struggles of trying to move on from a former relationship.
The song’s lyrics express regret and longing for a love that once was and can never be again, as well as feelings of betrayal and sorrow at having been betrayed.
Mario’s emotive vocals and the backing music’s gentle, melancholic melody create a powerful atmosphere that captures the essence of post-breakup sadness.
47. Jazmine Sullivan – “Bust Your Windows”
The song “Bust Your Windows” by Jazmine Sullivan is about a woman who has been betrayed by her partner, and in her anger and frustration, she wants to seek revenge by breaking his car windows.
The lyrics describe the protagonist’s feelings of hurt, betrayal, and anger towards her partner, and how she wants to make him feel the pain that she is experiencing.
48. Adele – “Cold Shoulder”
Adele’s song “Cold Shoulder” expresses the emotion of being rebuffed by the one you love, particularly when they have already moved on.
Already having sung about dreaming of a lover, casual hookups, and manipulation in her album 19, “Cold Shoulder” speaks of an ex that was unfaithful to her, yet still holds her affections.
Unfortunately, the ex has already found another girl, something which she feels deeply.
The melody of the song is slow and sorrowful, poignantly capturing the feelings of being pushed away and the anguish of being betrayed, as further explored in her later album 21.
49. Blu Cantrell – “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)”
Blu Cantrell’s single “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)” was a major hit, peaking at #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Taking its swing feel from Frank Sinatra’s “The Boys’ Night Out” (1962), the R&B song tells of a woman exacting her revenge on an unfaithful ex by going on a shopping spree with his credit card.
Cantrell admitted she wasn’t a fan of the song, but included it on the album as a way of expressing her pain at the end of a relationship.
The success of the song even spawned a reggae-tinged hip-hop remix with Foxy Brown, which made it an even bigger hit and a timeless classic.
50. “None Of Your Concern” – Jhené Aiko ft. Big Sean
“None of Your Concern” by Jhené Aiko ft. Big Sean is a powerful breakup track that reflects on their failed relationship.
The pair reunite to address the aftermath of their split and attempt to find the strength to move on.
The accompanying visual shows the former couple in various parts of Hawaii, symbolizing the different stages of their breakup journey.
This is the second collaboration between Jhené and Big Sean in 2019, following the release of Sean’s July song, “Single Again.”
Both tracks serve as a reminder of their shared story and the process of letting go.
Final Thoughts
Being cheated on is an unfortunate part of putting yourself out there in the dating world. Even those “fully committed” to you have eyes that wander elsewhere.
At least now you have the lipstick/perfumed collar clues to look out for courtesy of some of the classic songs about cheating we have wrangled for you.
If nothing else, you have a great set of breakup songs about being cheated on to blast if you have to kick someone to the curb after investing in a relationship.
Related Articles:
