Cheating songs in Western music. The world’s forbidden love and infidelity songs.

How Do You Sleep?Jesse McCartney, Ludacris

Jesse McCartney, Ludacris – How Do You Sleep?

It’s a track by American singer Jesse McCartney and rapper Ludacris that can be heard either as a scathing question to a lover who abandoned you or as a cry from a heart tormented by lingering attachment and jealousy.

While you spend sleepless nights, the other person seems to carry on with a new day as if nothing happened.

Haven’t we all felt that maddening unfairness and found ourselves asking, “Why?” What’s remarkable about this song is how it dares to set that helpless emotion to a danceable beat.

Included on the May 2008 album Departure, its remix reached No.

26 in the U.S.

and was also used in the film G-Force.

It might be just the thing for nights when you’d rather dance it away than sink into sadness.

Natalie Don’tRAYE

RAYE – Natalie Don’t (Official Video)

This is a striking song by RAYE, the acclaimed British artist who won six awards at the 2024 BRIT Awards, featuring the anguished cries of a woman who fears losing the one she loves.

The track portrays raw jealousy and desperation as she pleads with a woman named “Natalie,” begging her, “Please don’t take him.” Despite its uptempo sound, the lyrics evoke a modern-day Jolene.

Knowing that the story is based on RAYE’s real-life experience makes it all the more poignant.

Released in July 2020 on the mini-album Euphoric Sad Songs, it’s a song many might relate to when they feel overwhelmed by anxiety in love.

If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don’t Want to Be RightLuther Ingram

Luther Ingram – If lovin you is wrong i don’t wanna be right

Sung by American soul singer Luther Ingram, this ballad straightforwardly portrays the turmoil of a man tormented by forbidden love.

Released in April 1972, it became a massive hit, spending four consecutive weeks at No.

1 on Billboard’s R&B chart.

The protagonist defiantly declares that if loving is wrong, he doesn’t need to be right.

His heartbreaking resolve comes through with piercing clarity in a gospel-rooted, soul-stirring vocal performance.

Love’s depth can be such that, even knowing someone will get hurt, you still can’t stop.

Millie Jackson’s cover version was used in the film Cleopatra Jones.

When you’re struggling with a love that can’t be neatly justified by what’s “right,” this song may seep deep into your heart.

She Cheated AgainDax

Dax – “She Cheated Again” (Official Music Video)

This work lays bare the despair of being betrayed by a lover and the heart’s cry that rises from it.

Dax, a Canadian artist with the unconventional background of transitioning from basketball player to rapper, channels that journey here.

The track portrays with painful realism the soul’s trajectory: discovering a partner’s infidelity, mentally falling apart, and pleading for salvation from God.

Released in November 2018, the song tackles a heavy theme—so much so that Dax himself has spoken about how difficult it was to make.

If you’ve ever carried wounds you couldn’t share with anyone or suffered in a forbidden relationship, you’ll likely find yourself resonating with its anguished outcry.

She Doesn’t Have To KnowJohn Legend

She Don’t Have to Know

This is a story of forbidden love sung by John Legend, who has achieved the rare EGOT.

The song portrays the feelings of a man who is consumed by a relationship with another woman—one his partner must never find out about.

Telling himself “She don’t need to know,” he wavers between guilt and illicit pleasure, revealing the fragility of his heart.

His sweet, beautiful piano and vocals only seem to heighten the anguish, making it all the more painful to hear.

This ballad is a track from his debut album, Get Lifted, released in December 2004.

On nights when you’re tormented by a love you know is forbidden but can’t stop, you may find yourself wanting to listen to it alone, in silence.

Can’t Do A Thing (To Stop Me)Chris Isaak

Chris Isaak Can’t Do a Thing (to Stop Me) 1993

If you’re in the mood for a laid-back, sexy track, I recommend “Can’t Do A Thing (To Stop Me).” This song was released in 1993 by Chris Isaak.

While his music draws from various influences, this particular track blends adult contemporary with neo-soul.

The lyrics perfectly match its sultry melody, telling the story of an unstoppable, forbidden love.

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Always The Last To KnowDel Amitri

Del Amitri – Always The Last To Know

A mid-tempo song from the 1992 album Change Everything by the Scottish alternative rock band Del Amitri.

It tells the story of a man who broke up due to a woman’s infidelity but still finds himself thinking about her.