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November 18, 2009

Thao Nguyen on Breakup Songs: 'The Moaning Should Sound Like Pain. It Should Not, Ever, Sound Like Sex'...

Bitch | Read Full Story >

The best breakup songs tap into thousands of years of romantic tradition: the questioning, the regret, the disappointment, the moaning. That last bit is tricky—the moaning should sound like pain. It should not, ever, sound like sex—that would be cruel. (The Jackson 5’s “Who’s Loving You” is a fantastic example of painful, nonsexual moaning, which makes sense given that Michael was 11 at the time it was recorded.) Such songs strike you as though they have borne witness to the ascent and decline of many dimensions of your personal relationship.



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