Found yourself in a complicated relationship? Haven’t we all? While some romances can be easy peasy, others can be fraught with confusion and complications. In this type of relationship, it’s not unusual for someone to feel completely lost at what to do to fix their romance!
Below, we’ve listed our favorite 20 songs about complicated love. These songs are here to help you out with your own complicated romance — and maybe even give you some insight into what you can do to fix your relationship!
1. “Complicated” by Rihanna
“Complicated” by Rihanna is the first of our complicated love songs. In this upbeat song, Rihanna sings about her romance and how she really doesn’t know what to do about it. She sings to her partner, wondering why it’s so hard to love them. Why can’t her partner just accept her love — and stop causing so many issues?
In the chorus, she sings, “Why is everything with you so complicated? / Why do you make it hard to love you?”
2. “Confused” by Lenny Kravitz
In “Confused”, Lenny Kravitz sings about how confused he feels about his romance. Even though he loves his partner, he hasn’t been faithful to her. Instead, he’s been seeing another woman on the side!
His actions cause him to feel even more confused about his own feelings and the relationship he seemingly wants with his partner. As a result, this is one of the best songs about confused love!
3. “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne’s hit song “Complicated”, which was first released in 2002, is an anthem about being who you are. Instead of trying to fit in and be someone else, Lavigne sings that we should all just be who we want to be. We shouldn’t be fake!
While the song could describe any sort of relationship — platonic or romantic — many people have turned to this early 2000s hit to understand their own complicated relationship! If you feel that your partner isn’t acting like themselves and is always putting on a show for others, this is the track for you.
Just look at what Lavigne sings in the chorus: “Why’d you have to go and make things so complicated? / I see the way you’re / Actin’ like you’re somebody else, gets me frustrated.”
4. “Start Again” by Counting Crows
“Start Again” by Counting Crows is about feeling confused about a relationship. In particular, this song can be seen as the singer attempting to make amends after a fight. His relationship is struggling, and he wants to make things work. He may be confused, and he may feel that things are complicated, but he’s not ready to end things yet.
As a result, he sings the lyrics, “Even though it’s complicated / We’ve got time to start again / I don’t know if you can hear me.”
5. “Complicated” by Fitz and the Tantrums
“Complicated” by Fitz and the Tantrums also details a rather fraught and complicated romance. Throughout this song, the singer explains his relationship status. It appears that he has an off-again-on-again relationship that never seems to end.
Therefore, it’s no shock that his relationship is complicated! However, he does say that his relationship isn’t always complicated — but even if this is the case, the relationship is still clearly struggling.
6. “Simple Things” by Usher
2004’s “Simple Things” by Usher is a general song about love and romance. However, the message is one to remember: enjoy the simple things in life, especially in relationships! Usher sings that we should never complicate things with material possessions. Instead, let’s just spend time with the ones we love!
He sings the lyrics, “You hear her talking, but don’t hear what she said / Why do you make something so easy so complicated? / Searching for what’s right in front of your face.”
7. “Hurts So Good” by Astrid S
“Hurts So Good” by Astrid S details an on-again-off-again relationship. Even though this romance clearly has its fair share of problems, the couple involved can’t seem to stay away from each other. The singer knows she should end this romance, as it only ends in pain. But she can’t. It’s complicated!
As a result, she sings, “Baby, I don’t know why I try to deny it / When you show up every night / I tell you that I want you, but it’s complicated, so complicated.”
8. “Take Your Hand” by Usher
Ready for another Usher song? “Take Your Hand” is about being confused about love. Usher has found someone that he wants to be with… but another part of him also feels as if he should run away. This has left him beyond confused. He doesn’t know what to do!
He sings, “Don’t know what to do, what to say / I’m not sure what to tell you, confused / Which way do I take your hand or let go?”
9. “Feels So Right” by Janet Jackson
2001’s “Feels So Right” by Janet Jackson is a rather positive song about feeling confused in a relationship. Jackson admits that she knows her romance is a gift. She doesn’t necessarily question the love she has for her partner. But she does still feel confused — and needs her partner to reassure her!
She sings, “I don’t know, so confused, what to do, how ’bout you? / Please don’t pull away from me.”
10. “Complicated Disaster” by Tina Turner
“Complicated Disaster” by Tina Turner follows the singer as she realizes the man she loves had an affair. Her partner’s other woman arrives and lets Turner know exactly what happened — and both women feel devastated.
Turner sings about how complicated her love feels, thanks to this revelation. Even though she knows she will eventually get away from this romance, she also realizes that she can’t fully run away from the man she loves.
She sings, “Now you’re standing in fount of me begging me not to leave / Complicated disaster.”
11. “Complicated” by Tanya Tucker
In “Complicated”, Tanya Tucker sings about an off again on again relationship. Even though Tucker loves the man she’s with, she does realize that her relationship has a lot of issues. Sometimes they’re perfect, other times all they can do is fight!
As a result, she sings, “I guess I miss him a little more than I thought / It’s complicated / It’s underrated / This is so much more than I anticipated.”
12. “Sand In My Shoes” by Dido
2003’s “Sand In My Shoes” by Dido explores the many emotions that come with the end of a relationship. Even though Dido knows she should move on, she can’t seem to quit thinking about her ex. She can’t shake him — and she’s not even sure she should.
So, she ends up singing, “I know we said goodbye / Anything else would’ve been confused / But I wanna see you again.”
13. “It Should Be Easy” by Britney Spears
“It Should Be Easy” by Britney Spears, which features will.i.am, follows Spears as she explains that love shouldn’t be complicated. It should be easy! She sings to the man she’s falling in love with about her love, hoping that he won’t break her heart.
The duo then sings, “Baby love, it should be easy / It shouldn’t be complicated.”
14. “Does Anyone Know” by Scorpions
1996’s “Does Anyone Know” by Scorpions explores how confusing both life in general and love can be. The singer explains that he feels so lost in the world and doesn’t know what to do about it. However, he also feels lost in love. Singing about a specific relationship, he sings that he thought his love was real.
Unfortunately, his partner ends up breaking his heart. So, he sings the lyrics, “I’m confused by what I feel / I thought that our love / Was something that is real.”
15. “Confused In Love” by Keyshia Cole
Keyshia Cole is more than a little confused in her song “Confused In Love”! In this song, Cole sings about her past heartbreaks and how confused she felt in love. However, she also sings about how she won’t feel this lost and heartbroken again! Instead, she’ll give herself the time to truly become the woman she feels she could become.
Then, when she’s ready, she can find love again. She sings, “I used to be doing love, confused in love / No way in knowing what I wanna do in love / But not no more, I won’t stress no more.”
16. “P.S. (I’m Still Not Over You)” by Rihanna
2006’s “P.S. (I’m Still Not Over You)” by Rihanna follows the singer as she writes a letter to an ex. Even though she hasn’t talked to this ex in a while, Rihanna explains that all she does is think about him. She can’t help it!
She wants to know how he is, and whether he misses her just as much as she misses him. Rihanna’s confused about her emotions, but she has to send this letter.
As a result, she sings, “Don’t you know I’ve tried and I’ve tried to get you out my mind? / But it don’t get no better as each day goes by / And I’m lost and confused, I’ve got nothin’ to lose / Hope to hear from you soon.”
17. “U” by Kendrick Lamar
“U” by Kendrick Lamar is about a variety of different topics: self-love, positivity, peace, and more. However, Lamar does have a moment in this track about feeling confused and lost in love!
The song opens with the phrase “Loving you is complicated” being repeated, further setting up all the different topics that are discussed throughout the song.
18. “Woman Don’t Want to Love Me” by Chicago
1974’s “Woman Don’t Want to Love Me” by Chicago details complications in love. The band explains that romance is hard. Relationships aren’t easy. Instead of just letting these relationships fall apart, we should all work to ensure they last!
So, the band ends up singing in the chorus the lyrics, “Loving gets complicated / You have to want to try / Won’t be simply stated.”
19. “One Thousand Times” by James Vincent McMorrow
In “One Thousand Times”, James Vincent McMorrow sings about the pain he feels because he treated his partner badly in the past. He feels that he hasn’t given his partner the love that they deserve. However, he also doesn’t want this relationship to end — even if he worries that he can’t be a better man.
He sings, “I find a way to make your love more complicated / What if I could change, if I could change if you could save me? / Still find a way to miss a thousand times.”
20. “I Wanna Die” by Miranda Lambert
“I Wanna Die” by Miranda Lambert, first released in 2005, opens with the lyrics, “You know it’s so complicated, first you love then you hate it / Someone’s laughing, someone’s crying, someone living, someone’s dying / Somebody always loses and we still play the game.”
As the song goes on, Lambert sings about how she loves her partner — even if the relationship isn’t the greatest. She knows that he treats her poorly, but she doesn’t seem to care that much about it. She wants to be with him, no matter what.
Listen to the full playlist on YouTube here.