15 Songs That Say Sorry & Ask For Forgiveness (Apology Songs)
An apology is an expression of regret or remorse. Most of us aren’t sure how to say sorry so we may need some other way to do so. Use of a song to say sorry can make it a bit easier. Here is a list of songs that say sorry.
1. Justin Bieber – Sorry
This is an upbeat anthem about asking for forgiveness. Bieber said the song was partly about an apology to his ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez and was also more of a general apology to the world for his mistakes.
The song debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and was able to dethrone Adele’s ‘Hello’ from the number one spot after 10 weeks.
2. Ciara – Sorry
The song was released in 2012 as the lead song for her album One Woman Army. During an interview with Essence, Ciara had this to say about it, “I literally had to stop myself from crying when I was writing it. You can kinda hear it on the song. I wanted to just go and vent and be free in my music. It’s my way of saying something that I’ve wanted to say to someone for a long time. It’s very real to my heart. I think it’s really cool to embrace the pain of something that may have hurt you and be able to express it through music.”
Ciara apologizes to a person who was so dear to her. She threw him out and said she was done with him. However, she was hoping he would get back to her but instead he just walked away. She is now sorry for the part she played.
3. Cher – If I Could Turn Back Time
The song was released in 1989 and was seen as a major comeback for Cher in the late 1980s. It was part of her 19th studio album Heart of Stone. Lyrically, the song talks about wanting to find a way to turn back time and take back the words that she said. She didn’t mean to hurt him and wished she wasn’t too proud to apologize when she had the chance.
4. Jessie J – Nobody’s Perfect
The song is off her debut studio album Who You Are. Jessie J says sorry for her words which hurt someone who was important to her. She explains why she ended up saying the hurtful things she said. She emphasizes that no one is perfect so she deserves to be forgiven.
5. Yungblud, Halsey feat Travis Baka – 11 Minutes
The song tells a story of a modern dysfunctional love story all over intense guitar and drums. It tells the message of how distracted we are and how focused we are on what next such that we end up failing to see what is actually in front of us.
6. Adele – Hello
In the song, Adele examines the past and tries to right her wrongs. One can interpret it in two ways. One is that it may be about a break-up from long ago and the second can be Adele trying to reconcile with her former self.
In an interview, Adele revealed that the song is not about anyone specifically but covers a wide scope of people such as friends, ex-boyfriends, herself, her family and her fans. It is about hurting someone’s feelings but also trying to stay in touch with herself. It’s about yearning for the other side of herself. She misses her life at home whenever she is away from England.
7. Eminem – Headlights
In the song, Eminem issues a public apology to his mom since the two have never really gotten along. She has been a target in some of the songs such as ‘Cleaning Out My Closet’ and ‘My Mom’. In an interview with Sway Calloway, he had this to say about the track:
It was one of those things that’s bothered me for a little bit. It was one of those things that I needed to get off my chest. So I don’t really have anything to elaborate or expand on that record other than everything that I needed to say, I put on that record.
8. TI feat Chris Brown – Get Back Up
In the song, T.I asks the public to understand that he makes mistakes just like anyone else and he is willing to start over and make things right. At that point, he had been arrested for possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers. He also adds that when you are pushed down, you have to get back up yourself.
9. Christina Aguilera – Hurt
Christina realizes that the last thing she said to her father before he dies was that she hated him and the song focuses on her regret for not having been able to apologize to him when she still had time.
10. Taylor Swift – Back To December
In an interview with Comcast, Taylor stated that this was the first time she has even apologized in a song. It was about a person who was incredible to her while they were in a relationship. However, she stated that she was careless with him. The guy was Taylor Lautner.
11. Akon – Blame On Me
Akon did the song to apologize to the public after footage of him surfaced and in it, he was dancing raunchily with a 14-year-old girl. He was on tour at the time with Gwen Stefani and didn’t have time to respond to the incident. The girl came on stage for a grinding competition and her winning prize was getting dry-humped by Akon.
12. Elton John – Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
The song was the lead single off of Elton John’s 1976 album, Blue Moves. It peaked at #1 on the UK singles chart.
13. John Lennon – Jealous Guy
14. Taylor Swift – This Is Me Trying
In this track, Taylor accepts fault for relationship issues and makes an effort to repair them. Fear, alcohol and a sense of failure and isolation have complicated the healing process but she takes the first step by having the humility to admit things are difficult and uncertain.
15. Gwen Stefani – The Sweet Escape
This was the second single from Gwen’s album of the same name. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was her second single to reach the top two on the chart as a solo artist.
The song deals with an apology between two people in a relationship after a fight and how they dream of a fantasy life between them where everything there was perfect.