There’s a difference between missing a former flame and getting lost in the fantasy of what could’ve been. And what if that fantasy comes wrapped in a five-minute song—with a perfect hook—and your ex is the one who wrote it… about you?

In this episode, I share the story of The Song—the one that captured all the closure I never got, and how that kept me stuck. I talk about the strange, specific form of heartbreak that happens when your ex is both a musician and maybe kind of still in love with you.

Here’s why I went on a strict music diet, which became the start of the Happiness Soundtrack.

This episode explores:

• How a song can become a form of emotional time travel

• Why giving something up can sometimes be the most loving choice

• The frantic, 3-day farewell tour of my all-time favorite tracks

• How I tried (again) to move on… using only curiosity, structure, and a healthy dose of avoidance

This one is for anyone who’s ever given up a beloved song because it reminded you of an ex. I see you.

Get the transcript at HappinessSoundtrack.com/stories/ep1.

Janna Barrett is a commercial flight attendant who’s fascinated by the associations we form with music. On her birthday in 2024, she went on a year-long music diet, giving up all the music she’d ever heard before. Janna started a collaborative journal to get music recommendations, asking people to write about a song they associate with a happy memory. But after falling in love with the question as a method for connection, she is now on a mission to prove that everyone has a song.