Listen closely, because these lyrics are hiding something... Join us as we count down the juiciest instances of musicians subtly throwing major shade in their songs! From bitter breakups to friendship fallouts, these artists masterfully coded their true feelings into chart-topping hits that had fans decoding the real tea behind the melodies.
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00:00This fun girl taps my insecurities
00:03Don't know if it's real or if one's whirling
00:06Welcome to Ms. Mojo
00:08And today, we're counting down our picks for the juiciest instances of musicians
00:12subtly throwing some major shade in their songs
00:15Like we've been in a party bathroom
00:18Some actress asking me what happened to you
00:22Number 10, Bridges, Fifth Harmony
00:26The beloved band has revealed in several interviews
00:37that this song is dedicated to peace, love, and unity in the world
00:41However, for eagle-eyed fans, it carries glaring references to ex-member Camila Cabello
00:46who left Fifth Harmony in 2016
00:48The Senorita singer didn't have the best relationship with the rest of her group
00:52toward the end of their time together
00:54Interviews revealed tension, and Camila's departure all but confirmed the end of their friendship
00:59So many believe that Bridges referenced that discord, but with the intention of resolution
01:04However, the feud continued when Camila dropped Real Friends, seemingly dissing her former bandmates
01:16The songstress was quick to put those rumors to rest
01:18and later revealed she was on good terms with the girls
01:21Number 9, Don't, Ed Sheeran
01:31When Ed Sheeran got his heart broken, he processed the pain by writing a scathing bop about it
01:36This was Don't, and everyone found out it was about Ellie Goulding and Niall Horan
01:48after an English newspaper mistakenly confirmed it
01:51That article was removed, and Ed never explicitly named Ellie or Niall as the inspiration for the song
01:56However, the rumor spread far and wide, and fans connected the dots
02:01Later, the Love Me Like You Do crooner admitted to dating Niall briefly, but claimed she and Ed were never together
02:14So there was no question of cheating
02:16Considering that Ed very obviously sings about a situationship and not technically a relationship in Don't
02:21This clarification didn't exactly help Ellie's case
02:25Number 8, Sorry, Beyoncé
02:33One of the greatest albums of all time, Queen B's Lemonade delivers sweet revenge like no other
02:39The track Sorry, an empowering tale of overcoming betrayal, seems to hint at her husband, rap mogul Jay-Z's infidelity
02:52And a reference to the other woman in the situation sent the beehive into investigation mode
02:57Fans concluded that the unwanted third party in the power couple's marriage was either pop star Rita Ora or designer Rachel Roy
03:11Both of whom denied a connection
03:12However, Jay-Z owned up to messing around when he name-dropped Becky in his song Family Feud as an apology to the mother of his children
03:20Let me alone Becky, a man who don't take care, his family can't be rich
03:24Number 7, Same Old Love, Selena Gomez
03:27You left me in peace, left me in pieces, too hard to breathe
03:34The legend of Jelena has a chokehold on pop culture
03:37Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber were first linked in 2009
03:41Over the next decade, their relationship went through major ups and downs
03:45Which ultimately led to an inevitable separation
03:47Justin is now married to Hailey Bieber
03:50And Selena is engaged to Benny Blanco
03:52Who, funnily enough, co-wrote Same Old Love
03:54At the time of the song's release, Gomez had broken up with the Biebs for the second time
04:06So the pointed lyrics, where she refuses to fall back into a toxic cycle in the name of love
04:11Fit their situation all too well
04:14While Selena never let it slip that the song was about JB
04:17Fans have always interpreted it that way
04:19I'm not one to forget
04:22You know
04:24Number 6, Flowers, Miley Cyrus
04:27I can buy myself flowers
04:30By my name in the sand
04:34There was nothing subtle about this song being a dig at Liam Hemsworth
04:38The track, which was released on Liam's birthday, obviously parallels Bruno Mars' When I Was Your Man
04:44I should've bought you flowers
04:47And held your hand
04:50Now, word on the street is that the Bruno Mars song had personal significance for the ex-couple
04:55As the Lonely Planet actor had apparently dedicated it to Miley
04:58The pop queen turned it into a self-love anthem and took home a Grammy for it
05:03To solidify the Hemsworth connection, the lyrics also allegedly reference the Malibu home the two shared
05:15Which, unfortunately, was lost to the Woolsey fire in 2018
05:18Although Miley's not one to spell everything out for us
05:21We see what she did there
05:23Number 5, Driver's License, Olivia Rodrigo
05:34Before we get into the tea, let us remind you that this was a debut song
05:46Olivia Rodrigo's first ever single, Driver's License, achieved such unprecedented success
05:51That it launched her into the pop stratosphere
05:54The lyrics were so raw, authentic, and relatable
05:57That they opened up a can of worms as internet sleuths rushed to decode who the song was about
06:02Fans quickly theorized that Joshua Bassett, Olivia's ex, and her high school musical,
06:12The Musical, The Series Co-Star, was the vicious heartbreaker in question
06:16The evidence was Rodrigo allegedly admitting to learning how to drive with Joshua in an old video
06:22Putting two and two together, that blonde girl was thought to be Sabrina Carpenter
06:26Ultimately, the drama birthed hits from all three artists
06:29Guess you didn't mean what you wrote in that song about me
06:34Number 4, Take a Bow, Rihanna
06:37That was quite a show, very entertaining
06:42Really making the sassiest banger about a manipulative partner the same year she got together with Chris Brown
06:48Raised some eyebrows
06:50It was after Chris Brown was arrested for violently attacking Rihanna in 2009
06:55That fans became somewhat sure of the link
06:57Suspicions turned to conviction when Rihanna was seen tearing up during a performance of Take a Bow that year
07:02Which was quite telling of the emotional pain she was going through
07:06Brown later revealed in his documentary Welcome to My Life
07:17That the physical altercation had happened during an argument about another woman
07:21He even admitted to lying to Rihanna about her
07:24So even if the track wasn't originally meant for him, it definitely applied to him
07:28Baby when I know you're only sorry you got caught
07:33Number 3, Go Your Own Way, Fleetwood Mac
07:37Loving you isn't the right thing to do
07:41When two iconic rockers split, there's bound to be signs in their music
07:46In the case of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, their respective breakup anthems, Go Your Own Way and Dreams
07:51Ended up on the same legendary album Rumors
07:54Remembering what you read
07:57And what you love
08:01Both tracks would go on to achieve immense success
08:05However, for the parties involved, they evoked bitter resentment
08:09Nicks even admitted that they aimed the songs at each other
08:12Their fellow bandmate Christine McVie once revealed in an interview that Lindsey had a hard time performing the song
08:23Even though he wrote it
08:24Similarly, Stevie told The New Yorker that she despised hearing it
08:27Because the allegations he made about her in the lyrics were grossly untrue
08:31Unfortunately, their relationship hasn't greatly improved since
08:35You would think after all these years there would be nothing left to work on
08:39But oddly enough, Stevie's and my relationship is still a work in progress
08:44Number 2
08:45All Too Well, 10-Minute Version
08:47Taylor Swift
08:48If there's anyone who knows how to hide biting shade behind the most breathtaking poetry
09:01It's Taylor Swift
09:02Her chef-d'oeuvre, All Too Well, 10-Minute Version, is one of her most revealing pieces
09:07Said to be about her relationship with her much older ex, Jake Gyllenhaal
09:10Swift wields her pen like a sword
09:13Seemingly exposing the darkest aspects of their romance in her lyrics
09:16This includes contentions regarding their age difference
09:19And a savage jab at his penchant for younger lovers
09:22Interestingly, Jake's current girlfriend is in her 20s while he's in his 40s
09:34Taylor fires equally witty shots in Bad Blood, Taylor's version
09:37Over the years, fans have connected the song to her former rival-turned-friend Katy Perry and Scooter Braun
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10:07Number 1
10:09You're So Vain, Carly Simon
10:11You had one eye in the mirror as you watched yourself cavat
10:20This song set the precedent for cheeky diss tracks in pop music
10:23To this day, the identities of the men who inspired the song
10:26Yes, there are multiple of them
10:28Are tightly guarded secrets
10:30Carly Simon addresses her former lovers in her lyrics
10:33Taunting them for thinking she'd write a song about them
10:36You're so vain
10:38We probably think this song is about you
10:43This clip has only fueled fans' obsession over the mystery men even more.
10:47Given her history of high-profile relationships with stars like Mick Jagger, Warren Beatty, and Jack Nicholson, there are several contenders for the eponymous
10:55vain man. It is only Beatty whom Simon mentioned explicitly as her subject, but only for the song's second verse. About the other two? Ask Taylor
11:04Taylor Swift because that's who Carly divulged the ultra-private information to
11:08I've told you never to tell, so you know
11:10I was just thinking maybe she might tell you
11:12But I do know now
11:15Which of these artists do you think is the best at making breakup songs?
11:18Tell us in the comments down below
11:20You made a really deep cut
11:22And baby now we got better blood
11:25I'll see you next time.