Now that summer is dead and gone, it’s time for Sad Boy Season. If you aren’t entirely sure what Sad Boy season is all about watch the episode below from the guys on KFC Radio. The relevant part is from 35:35 – 1:03:12.
In honor of Sad Boy Season getting started, we have our own list of the essential Sad Boy Season tracks. Below are some must-listen to songs if you’re starting your own sad hours. And now, in no particular order, the essential Sad Boy Season tracks.
El Triste – Jose Jose
This has to be the most essential tracks in Sad Boy History. The title literally translates to “the sad one”. It’s hard to really top that. Jose Jose was also unparalleled in his vocal ability and mastering the technical aspects of singing. An essential if there ever was one.
Hasta Que Te Conoci – Juan Gabriel
“Until I met you” is a certified classic. It’s a great song about that first heartbreak and learning what heartbreak is. In a lot of ways it’s the transition from naivety to cynicism. It’s about the pain of realizing that love isn’t always about those warm feelings and romance. Sometimes, it’s about the pain and the growth. The first heartbreak tends to be the worst, solely because it shatters our illusions that we’re different and our first love will be our only. This song perfectly captures that evolution, from naïve child to jaded adult.
Deje de Amar РMarc Anthony, Felipe Mu̱iz
From Marc Anthony and his father, we have a song about forgetting what life and love are really about. Getting caught up in life and so focused on other things that the love leaves your life. It’s about falling out of love with life and yourself, and by extensions the ones around you. At some point you’ll look up from your work and realize that the blood of life, love, has passed you by.
La Cancion – J Balvin, Bad Bunny
Talk about a shot to the heart every time this comes on. This is a song for remembering someone who you may have loved but forgot. It’s something to stir up nostalgic memories. It’s a retrospective on loves you may have had. You danced, sang, and kissed drunk. You may have thought it was real love, but that chapter is far behind now. It may not be that you miss them or want to be with them anymore, but you appreciate the happiness they once brought you. To me, this song is one to remind you of the loves that were, but will never be again.
Quisiera Ser El – Tommy Torres
The newest song on this list, this song is entitled “I wish I was him”. This was part of Torres’s fantastic 2021 album El Playlist De Anoche and one of my favorite songs off of the project. This song is about jealousy, sadness, and loneliness. It’s the soundtrack to the moments where you see a girl with a guy who clearly doesn’t deserve her.
Amorfoda – Bad Bunny
Not going to lie, I played this song about a million times after a breakup a couple years back. One of the best Bad Bunny songs of all time, this is a freestyle over a simple piano beat. Bad Bunny questions if love is even real, and that with all of the regret and pain he feels, if he could take it all back. All of the gifts he’s given have become pain and nightmares. It’s a beautiful portrait of heartbreak and a perfect song for a Valentine’s Day release like it had.
Hoy Tengo Ganas De Ti – Miguel Gallardo
This song was the topic of a Throwback Thursday post all the way back in April. Not to repeat myself but the first time I ever heard this song, boy did it hit me. Every line is reliving another heartbreak. I don’t think I’ve ever really heard a line with longing and desire like “I want to quench the thirst of my soul on your lips”. If I ever need to really get Sad Hours kicked off, this is the shortcut.
Solo Yo – Sofia Reyes, Prince Royce
Remember that one toxic relationship you had where you thought you were meant to be? Where you didn’t want to be together but couldn’t stand the idea of them being with someone else? Well, boy oh boy do I have a song for you. In both English and Spanish, this song will hit you from all angles.
Se Me Olvido Otra Vez – Juan Gabriel
While I definitely prefer the Placido Domingo version, I had to include the original. There’s a sentimentally at the core of this track. “You’ve probably already forgotten me, but I will keep waiting for you, to see if one day you return” really encapsulates the mood of the track. To paraphrase, “That’s why I’m still here, in same city, with the same people, so if you come back, everything will be like yesterday”. There’s such a longing in this song and at the core of that is not willing to let go of the love you once had.
Perdido Sin Ti – Ricky Martin
“Lost without you” is really a perfectly depressing note to end this list on. This song is really about the desperation of trying to keep someone around who’s gone. You feel like you’re looking for something you’ll never find. The video for this song is very upsetting and depressing which is why I only included the audio. To be honest, I’ve had a few drinks and couldn’t finish it. Yikes.
In case you were curious what the KFC Radio guys thought, you can listen here.