Songs About Situationships: 50 for Every Stage

6 min read · The Map

The best songs about situationships include Taylor Swift's "august," Chappell Roan's "Casual," Lizzy McAlpine's "ceilings" and Arctic Monkeys' "Do I Wanna Know?". They all capture that "almost, but not quite" feeling. Below are 50 situationship songs sorted by stage, from hopeful to healing, with one line on why each fits, so you can find the one that matches exactly where you are right now.

If you're making a situationship playlist because you can't figure out what's going on with this person, Find where you stand: The Map shows where you stand with this one person in about three minutes.

Hopeful: the early days

The talking stage. Butterflies. Checking your phone every five minutes, in a good way.

1. "Delicate" — Taylor Swift. The nervous "is this cool?" feeling of liking someone early on.
2. "Birds of a Feather" — Billie Eilish. For when you're already all in, even if you haven't said it.
3. "Snooze" — SZA. Not wanting to miss a second with them.
4. "Glue Song" — beabadoobee. Soft, sweet, simple crush energy.
5. "Please Please Please" — Sabrina Carpenter. Liking someone and hoping they don't make you regret it.
6. "Tennessee Orange" — Megan Moroney. A country pick about falling for someone you didn't expect.
7. "Sofia" — Clairo. A crush you can't stop thinking about.
8. "Thinkin Bout You" — Frank Ocean. Wondering if they think about you too.
9. "Adore You" — Harry Styles. Hopeful, over-the-top devotion.
10. "we fell in love in october" — girl in red. Perfect for an autumn talking stage.

Confused: mixed signals songs

They text you at midnight, then go quiet for two days. These songs about mixed signals get it.

11. "Do I Wanna Know?" — Arctic Monkeys. The anthem of "do you feel the same or not?"
12. "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" — Arctic Monkeys. Late-night-only attention.
13. "Boy's a liar Pt. 2" — PinkPantheress & Ice Spice. Someone acting interested, then not.
14. "Pretty Girls" — Reneé Rapp. Someone who flirts, then pretends it meant nothing.
15. "Bad Habit" — Steve Lacy. Wishing you'd known they liked you back.
16. "Washing Machine Heart" — Mitski. Wanting someone who keeps you at arm's length.
17. "Hot N Cold" — Katy Perry. The original mixed-signals song.
18. "Question...?" — Taylor Swift. Wanting to ask what that moment really meant.
19. "Heather" — Conan Gray. When your crush likes someone else.
20. "From The Start" — Laufey. One of the best songs about falling for your best friend, who has no idea.

Songs are great at naming the feeling. They're less great at telling you what to do with it. If you're stuck between "hopeful" and "confused" and can't tell whether it's them or your own worry, The Map helps. Eighteen taps puts your dot in one of four regions with this one person, based on how close you like to be and how much you worry when they go quiet. Find where you stand

"What are we?" songs

The purest situationship songs: you're basically together, except you're not.

21. "august" — Taylor Swift. Probably the best-known Taylor Swift song about a situationship: a summer thing that was never quite yours.
22. "Casual" — Chappell Roan. Being told it's "casual" when it clearly isn't to you.
23. "Good Luck, Babe!" — Chappell Roan. Someone denying what they really feel.
24. "ceilings" — Lizzy McAlpine. A romance that feels real in the moment but isn't.
25. "Someone To You" — BANNERS. Just wanting to matter to one person.
26. "Somebody Else" — The 1975. Not wanting them, but not wanting anyone else to have them either.
27. "I Wanna Be Yours" — Arctic Monkeys. Pure longing to be chosen.
28. "Last Night" — Morgan Wallen. A country song about the on-again, off-again loop.
29. "Out of the Woods" — Taylor Swift. Constantly wondering if you're okay yet.
30. "Dancing On My Own" — Robyn. Watching them with someone else, from across the room.

When it ends

Sad situationship songs for when it fizzles, or blows up.

31. "traitor" — Olivia Rodrigo. When they move on way too fast.
32. "drivers license" — Olivia Rodrigo. Driving past their street at 2 a.m. energy.
33. "you broke me first" — Tate McRae. When they come back after hurting you.
34. "Kill Bill" — SZA. Dark humor about not handling it well.
35. "Nobody Gets Me" — SZA. Missing the one person who seemed to get you.
36. "Call Out My Name" — The Weeknd. Feeling used after giving a lot.
37. "Motion Sickness" — Phoebe Bridgers. Messy, mixed feelings about someone.
38. "Something in the Orange" — Zach Bryan. Country heartbreak, waiting for someone to come back.
39. "I miss you, I'm sorry" — Gracie Abrams. Missing someone you know you shouldn't.
40. "Glimpse of Us" — Joji. Still seeing them in everyone else.

Healing and moving on

Songs to get over a situationship, for when you're ready to be done.

41. "Flowers" — Miley Cyrus. You can buy yourself flowers.
42. "thank u, next" — Ariana Grande. Being grateful and still moving on.
43. "New Rules" — Dua Lipa. Literally a list of rules for not going back.
44. "Space Cowboy" — Kacey Musgraves. Letting someone go gracefully.
45. "Good as Hell" — Lizzo. Main-character energy.
46. "Clean" — Taylor Swift. Finally feeling free of it.
47. "Green Light" — Lorde. Waiting for the sign to move on.
48. "bad idea right?" — Olivia Rodrigo. A warning, for when you're tempted to text them back.
49. "Liability" — Lorde. Learning to be good company for yourself.
50. "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" — Kelly Clarkson. A classic for a reason.

Build your own situationship playlist

A playlist sorted by stage can help you notice where you actually are. Here's a quick way to build yours:

A few tips:

• Name it something funny. "situationship arc," "it's giving what are we," "left on read (deluxe)."
• Notice which stage you keep going back to. If you've been on "confused" for two months, that tells you something.
• Don't send it to them unless you're ready for the convo it starts.

If you're looking for situationship quotes to go with your playlist, song lyrics are basically that. Just keep captions vague if they follow you.

Need something besides music? See our situationship Halloween costume ideas or, if it ended and they reached out, what it means when your situationship texts Merry Christmas.

Find out which stage you're really in

Songs about situationships tell you you're not alone. The Map goes a step further. In about three minutes in your phone browser, it shows where you stand with this one person. Then every evening you get a five-minute card for your region, and on Sunday four taps show how your dot has moved.

Find where you stand

FAQ

What is the best song about a situationship?

It depends on your stage, but "august" by Taylor Swift, "Casual" by Chappell Roan and "ceilings" by Lizzy McAlpine are among the most popular. Each captures that "almost together" feeling.

What are some Taylor Swift songs about situationships?

"august" is the classic, about a summer romance that was never fully yours. "Delicate" captures the nervous early stage, "Question...?" the confusion, and "Clean" the moving-on part.

What are some country songs about situationships?

"Last Night" by Morgan Wallen (the on-off loop), "Something in the Orange" by Zach Bryan (waiting for someone), "Tennessee Orange" by Megan Moroney (unexpected feelings) and "Space Cowboy" by Kacey Musgraves (letting go).

What songs help you get over a situationship?

Try "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus, "New Rules" by Dua Lipa, "thank u, next" by Ariana Grande and "Clean" by Taylor Swift. They're about choosing yourself and moving on.

What songs are about falling for your best friend?

"From The Start" by Laufey is a favorite: it's about liking a friend who doesn't notice. "Heather" by Conan Gray is about a crush who likes someone else. Both fit the "friends but more" situationship.