The first time I got dumped, it was bad. For starters, I had no idea how to handle getting dumped. Also, I still loved the guy and, to make matters worse, I suddenly found myself all alone in a foreign city. For weeks, I was a crying machine, sobbing my heart out multiple times a day, regardless of time or place: I cried at home by myself, at parties with friends, on the street, on public transport, and, worst of all, at work.
I had no idea what to do with myself or how to start moving on, and I felt absolutely and heartbreakingly alone. But then, on August 28, 2016 (only a few days after my breakup), something happened that broke everyone’s heart in Latin America and beyond, and suddenly, I wasn’t the only one crying around in the streets. Juan Gabriel, el Divo de Juárez, had left this planet, and overnight, the streets of Mexico City, where I live, were filled with the sound of his voice and his songs.
No matter where I went, there he was, singing about the terrible people who break our hearts and how much we still love them. It was ridiculous: all I wanted was not to think about my break-up 24/7, but with Juanga’s music playing everywhere around the clock, there was nothing I could do but face it head on.
Hearing Juan Gabriel’s masterful songs about falling in love, getting your heart broken, and moving on was half-catharsis and half-therapy, and I honestly don’t think I would’ve made it without him. Not only did he help me feel less alone in my feelings, but also, seeing everyone around me lamenting his death so deeply and hearing them talk about how he’d helped them overcome all of the broken hearts they’d suffered throughout their lives was almost like finding in Juanga a heartbreak prophet and, in his songs, the gospel.
Now, people fall in love and break up all over the world, not just Latin America, but since all of my relationship highs and lows have happened here, the songs that speak to me the most and comfort me when I’m feeling down are all in Spanish. Here are a few of the ones I can’t help but keep going back to, starting with my favorite Juanga break-up banger, “Ya lo sé que tú te vas.” His live performance is so good, I rewatch it even when I’m not in recovery mode. (Disclaimer: most of the following songs are Mexican because that’s where I live, but feel free to comment and share any of your favorites I missed.)
Juan Gabriel – “Ya lo sé que tú te vas”
Selena – “No me queda más”
Carla Morrison – “Déjenme llorar”
Natalia Lafourcade – “Mañana Olvidaré”
Mon Laferte – “Tu falta de querer”
Chavela Vargas – “Paloma negra”
La Lupe – “Qué te pedí”
Banda MS – “No me pidas perdón”
Christian Nodal – “Adiós, amor”
Los Panchos – “Sin ti”
El Gran Silencio – “Lo que no fue no será” (party cover of José José’s classic)
Las Estrellas Vallenatas – “Obsesión”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn6csJZ6zC4
Angel Canales – “Nostalgia”
Gustavo Cerati – “Adiós”
Bad Bunny – “Te boté”
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