20 Times Beyoncé Helped You Get Through a Breakup

NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 28: Beyonce attends the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/MTV1617/Getty Images For MTV)

13. “Rise Up”

"Some people try to drag you down Take it from me, stand and be proud You’re a warrior"

From the Epic movie soundtrack (2013), “Rise Up” is, as its title suggests, an anthem of empowerment. While the film is a classic take on the forces of good and evil in a magical world, these lyrics struck a chord with me for a different reason. They helped—and still do—to remind me that no matter who has done what to me, I’m worth the fight to keep going.

When I was nineteen, I started dating my first “real” boyfriend. The year that followed was the worst of my life as I struggled beneath his abusive thumb. The year after our breakup was only better because he wasn’t in my life anymore. But his presence lingered so strongly that most of what I felt was angry, confused, and not like myself. For so long afterwards, I hardly knew who I was. It was only when I started realizing my own self-worth, that I wasn’t weak for suffering but strong for overcoming it, that I began to come into my own again.

Post-breakup, he said to me, “Who’s going to want you now?” I couldn’t answer, and I still don’t know. But it doesn’t matter. What matters is that I realized that I didn’t want him, and that I didn’t deserve any of the things he did to me. The consequences of that relationship feel like a neverending healing process, like I can’t “get over it,” I just have to live with it. And as long as I keep going, I’m okay with that. Some days are harder than others, and I can use every bit of help I can get. Since I spent so long feeling like I couldn’t save myself, it’s so important to me that I find that help within myself. Nothing helps me get there like music does, and “Rise Up” is an immediate go-to.

Next: Don't Hurt Yourself