Adele’s new album 30 is a cinematic exploration of “divorce, babe, divorce,” but it caps a year rich with breakup anthems. From Kacey Musgraves Star-Crossed to Taylor Swift’s reissued Red (Taylor’s Version), pop music has seemed like a months-long opera of celebrity splits, all beginning of course with Olivia Rodrigo’s world-conquering “Driver’s License” in January. 

Why was 2021 the year of the breakup album? Shirley Li, Spencer Kornhaber, and Sophie Gilbert discuss Adele, Taylor, and more—plus they share what makes a good heartbreak record (and what their own all-time favorite breakup music is).

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