11 Songs About Moving On In Life

Life is a constant journey full of ups and downs. When things get rough, moving forward can be a difficult process. However, you have to accept what is, let go of what was and have faith in your journey. Below is a list of songs about moving on in life:

1. Kygo – This Town

This is a melodramatic track about trying to get a better life by breaking from the plateau of everyday life. Singer-songwriter Sasha Alex Sloan gives gets inspiration from her own personal experience. She and her friends went to Berklee College of Music where she found that the normal order of life didn’t suit her. She took the leap and left Boston then headed to Los Angeles to pursue her music career. There she got her publishing deal.

Lyrically, we see the singer trying to convince her significant other to get out of their hometown and go start a new adventure elsewhere. It won’t matter where since she will be happy, the only condition is he has to be with her. She is tired of the same pattern of life.

 

2. Dua Lipa – Don’t Start Now

The track is from Dua Lipa’s second studio album Future Nostalgia. She stated that the inspiration behind this song is that she wanted to close the first chapter of her life and start a new one. The track debuted at #30 on the Hot 100 and peaked at #2.

The song is basically about moving on and not allowing anyone to get in the way of that. Dua Lipa described it as a perfect breakup song about when you finally find your feet and then somebody decides to come crawling back when you’ve moved on. She wants it to be an empowering statement about being stronger than you think.

 

3. Nathan Dawe, Little Mix – No Time For Tears

In the song we see the girls moving on from their exes after realizing that they will be fine without them and that they shouldn’t waste tears on something that is now in the past. Instead of being sad all the time, it’s time just to enjoy life without their ex.

The song is part of the album Confetti (2020).

 

4. Olivia Rodrigo – Out Of The Old

This is a track from the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical. It is sung by Olivia Rodrigo’s character, Nini, and her friend Ashlyn.

At the time, Nini was grappling with her feelings about her rocky relationship with her ex-boyfriend Ricky and wants to apply for a spot at the Youth Actors Conservatory to get away and follow her dreams in the process. She sings about not fitting in and not feeling like she is where she is supposed to be. She yearns to be someone different and is thinking of risking everything in the process.

 

5. Trevor Daniel – Past Life

The single is off the album Nicotine, which was released in 2020. In it, we see Trevor coming to a turning point in his life where he wants to move on from the cycle of sadness and try to be much happier. He has set a starting point for his new chapter and states he won’t forget the things he has learned from his past.

 

6. Selena Gomez – Look At Her Now

This is the third single from the album Rare (2020). It was preceded by its vulnerable and emotional lead single “Lose You To Love Me” which was released a day before. It debuted and peaked at #27 on the Hot 100.

Lyrically, Selena sings about moving on with her life after a few years of pain and heartbreak. The problems she experienced were a blessing in disguise since they forced her to mature and looking back she feels like she avoided more problems in the future by stepping away.

The song is about Selena’s relationship with Justin Bieber. They have had an on-and-off relationship from 2011 to 2018. In some parts of the song, she reflects on the sadness she felt after they broke and Justin moved on with his long-time friend Hailey Bieber whom he married the same year they broke up.

 

7. Mabel – Don’t Call Me Up

The topic of the song is basically about getting over your exes. She starts by talking about her ex ruining the time out with her friends and by the end of the song she cuts her ex off completely. She feels she is doing better without him in the picture.

Mabel stated that the inspiration behind the song was that she wanted to write a breakup song that made people feel good about themselves. She encourages people to look beyond the sadness since there is a moment when you get over someone and that usually feels so good.

 

8. Kygo – Happy Now

Lyrically, the singer is just from a relationship that has just ended and still can’t believe that his lover has gone. Eventually, it finally sinks in and she admits that the relationship wasn’t healthy so it’s finally time it just ends. However, this doesn’t mean the end of her happiness so she decides to move on and enjoy life on her own.

 

9. Camila Cabello feat Ed Sheeran – Bam Bam

This is an anthem about moving on and accepting the inevitability in losing a partner. Camila and Shawn Mendes had broken up in November 2021. Back in 2019 he was asked about his weirdest fear and he responded by saying it is being in deep water. After the two had broken up he posted photos of himself surfing and Camila mentioned this in the first verse of the track.

As part of her process of moving on from Shawn Mendes, Camila sold her Hollywood Hills three-story villa which she shared with him. She was even inspired by a saying from her mother “Así e’ la vida” which translates to That’s how life is.

 

10. Fergie – Big Girls Don’t Cry

The single is the 4thth track from Fergie’s debut studio album, The Dutchess. It ended up as the third number one single from the album thus making Fergie the first female artist to have three number one singles from a single album since Christina Aguilera who hit the milestone seven years prior.

This is a personal song for Fergie. She did the song after a recent breakup with her boyfriend due to the relationship becoming long-distance even though she still loved him. She felt the circumstances left her having to straighten out her own life. If she stayed in the relationship the spark they once had might end up strained from the pressure of being long distance. She only had two choices end the dream or risk it spoiling over time.

 

11. Dean Lewis – Be Alright

This is a meaningful song about the hardships of undergoing a breakup. We see Dean going to a friend for help and he offers very painful but necessary advice for him to move on. Dean explained in an interview that the song is more about hope and knowing that in the end things will work out and encourages one to surround themselves with good people.

Dean drew inspiration from the many relationships he has had and some experiences his friends have had and shared with him. The center-point of the song was him seeing a message on his ex-girlfriend’s phone from someone else. This led to the start of the song.