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Justin Bieber covers 'Cry Me a River,' plus 5 more kiss-off songs for broken hearts

By KATE STANTON, UPI.com
Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber, in happier times. UPI/Jim Ruymen
Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber, in happier times. UPI/Jim Ruymen | License Photo

Last Friday, gossip magazines broke the heartbreaking news that young lovebirds Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez had called it quits after two years of dating, reportedly due to Gomez's "trust issues." Just one day after the split, Bieber performed Justin Timberlake's 2002 post-Britney break-up anthem, "Cry Me a River," which is exactly the song you should be singing if you want to send a passive-aggressive message to your ex.

Though pop music boasts plenty of down-in-the-dumps dirges for the lovelorn, so-called "kiss-off" songs, like "Cry Me a River," are the especially for the most bitter and vengeful stage of any big break-up. Most Millennials will remember the cataclysmic separation of early 2000s pop royalty, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears, and the subsequent trajectories of both stars -- Spears spiraled into an ill-advised marriage with Kevin Federline while Timberlake funneled his anger into a stellar solo album, Justified, and hit kiss-off single, "Cry Me a River."

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In case Gomez is hoping to strike back with an I'm-so-much-better-off-without-you performance of her own, here's five more kiss-off songs for her to consider.

"Single Ladies" -- Beyoncé

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Beyoncé recorded "Single Ladies" just after her marriage to Jay-Z, with her producer calling the song "the only public statement [the couple] ever made about marriage." Though the singer eventually did get "a ring on it," the lyrics tell of a woman, just out of a three-year relationship, asserting her right to dance with and meet new men: "You had your turn and now you're gonna learn, what it really feels like to miss me."

"You Oughta Know" -- Alanis Morrissette

As we all know by now, oft-scorned singer Alanis Morrisette wrote 1995's spiteful "You Oughta Know" about Dave Coulier, a.k.a. dopey Uncle Joey from "Full House." In the song, which includes details about a Coulier-Morrisette relationship you never wanted to know, the narrator wants to make sure that her ex-lover never forgets the damage he's done. "Every time I scratch my nails down someone else's back, I hope you feel it," she sings.

"These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" -- Nancy Sinatra

Country singer-songwriter Lee Hazlewood actually wrote "Boots," about walking out on a liar and a cheater, but Nancy Sinatra's throaty, confident rendition is the best-known. In 2006, 40 years after its release, Pitchfork dubbed "Boots" the "finest bitchy kiss-off in pop history."

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"F*** You" -- Cee-Lo Green

Cee-Lo Green's unexpectedly upbeat message to a gold-digging ex-girlfriend is one of pop music's catchiest kiss-off songs. Not only does Green go after the money-hungry habits of his former love, he takes on her new boyfriend too. Nothing says "I win" more than a profanity-laden hit single playing in every club.

"I Will Survive" -- Gloria Gaynor

Though Gloria Gaynor's self-empowering chart-topper first hit disco floors back in 1978, it remains one of pop music's most renowned kiss-off songs, especially for heartbroken women. "I Will Survive" describes a narrator who recovers from a harrowing break-up, only to discover strength she never knew she had.

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