15 of The BEST Songs for Trauma Recovery

Music often has a way of helping us to let out emotion that we didn’t necessarily know was there. From laughing, crying, being angry; music provides an amazing outlet for so much, especially when it comes to feeling overwhelmed. In fact, I find that listening to the right song at the right time can be amazing therapy for when processing trauma, dealing with flashbacks and unwanted thoughts, or the effects of grooming or sexual assault.

I feel that music has been huge in my journey to heal from the trauma caused by grooming and sexual assault. And that’s why I created this trauma recovery playlist of songs for processing and dealing with my trauma quite early.

The following songs have been quoted at the start of each chapter in It’s All Your Fault. The quote taken from each song I find is especially powerful and speaks to the theme of each chapter. In their own way, I find each song real, raw, validating, and empowering.

You’ll notice that each of the songs in this trauma recovery playlist is sung by a female artist.

This was intentional.

Although I have separate playlists focussed on trauma processing and trauma recovery, as the first playlist that I put together, it was important for me, my healing, and my mental health at the time that this was a female only playlist.

#1. U & Ur Hand – P!nk

A Song to Empower You

This first song is a punchy, no-nonsense anthem for anyone who’s had to deal with unwanted attention, coercion, or just being underestimated.

It’s a reminder that you don’t owe anyone your time, your body, or your energy.

At one point in 2024, it was one of my most-played songs on Spotify and it helped me deal with a lot of anger.

 #2. you broke me first – Tate McRae

A Song About Accepting What Happened

Sometimes processing trauma isn’t just about finding closure. Sometimes, it’s also about accepting that what happened still hurts and that you don’t deserve to still feel this pain.

I love this song because I feel that it captures that feeling of vulnerability and provides you with that opportunity to call out the person who made you feel like this in the first place.

# 3. Because of You – Kelly Clarkson

A Song About Validation

This one hits deep. I feel it was very overplayed back in the day because it was such a chart-topper.

But, I also feel that the chorus is particularly powerful and vulnerable. It also ventures into some very raw confessions such as ‘I find it hard to trust not only me but everyone around me; Because of you, I am afraid.’

# 4. Happier Than Ever – Billie Eilish

A Song for Female Rage

This track is a slow burn into explosive rage.

And I think this almost reflects the very nature of grooming itself. It starts in a way that you don’t expect it to finish.

But I love this song. It’s cathartic, chaotic, and exactly what trauma processing sometimes looks like.

It’s a great one to belt out in the car and the video also speaks to me when it comes to the emotions of processing trauma.

I also think that the section quoted below are the best lyrics in the whole song. The words really show how you haven’t succumbed to their level of emotional abuse in order to process your trauma.

#5. Love the Way You Lie, Pt. II – Rihanna (Feat. Eminem)

A Song to Channel Anger, Rage and Sorrow

Abuse doesn’t always look the way you think it will and this song captures the confusion perfectly.

But the part that speaks to me the most is in the first chorus. I used this song section at the start of the chapter of It’s All Your Fault when I detailed what happened to me.

#6. Psycho – Taylor Acorn

A Song to Reclaim Your Voice

This song is a-mazing. It’s quintessential female rage and is for anyone who’s ever been labelled ‘crazy’ for reacting to mistreatment.

It’s a complete flip of the script.

And I love it, especially for being angry, unfiltered, and unapologetically reclaiming the narrative.

#7. For The Girls – ASTON

A Song That Hits Back at Victim-Blaming Culture

This song is a treasure that turned up on my TikTok For You Page at this right time, this song is a feminist power punch and a reminder of your own self-worth.

It’s the perfect track for those moments when you’re tired of being objectified or blamed for someone else’s behaviour. It’s empowering, loud, and necessary.

For years, I blamed a lot of what happened to me based on what I was wearing that night.

This song is so powerful in reminding me that what I wore was my right and had nothing to do with his actions.

#8. good 4 u – Olivia Rodrigo

A Song That Channels Anger

This is a great song that perfectly captures that state of mind where you’re left picking up the pieces while they move on like nothing happened.

I love the rawness of the lyrics that show your spiral, whilst they’re completely unaffected by what happened.

It’s a feeling shared by a lot of victim-survivors of sexual assault and abuse, and something that a lot of people don’t understand how the turmoil of abuse continues long after the abuse has apparently finished.

#9. All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift

A Song That Lets You Feel Pain

If you’ve ever been gaslit or emotionally manipulated, this extended version hits it where it hurts.

The song’s climatic effect of the verse quoted below that always gets me.

These lyrics perfectly reflect that an incident that might have seemed so small and almost insignificant, or not even remembered by others, can weight heavily on your mind.

#10. I’m a Mess – Bebe Rexha

A Song for Trauma Validation

What I love about this song is the hope that shines through the chaos. The song acknowledges feelings of inadequacy and feelings of giving up, but that there is hope and goodness to come, despite what you feel now.

The song isn’t about ‘fixing’ the mess; it’s about acknowledging and accepting its current presence.

#11. the apology i’ll never receive – RØRY

A Song That Helps You Reclaim Your Voice

I found this song on TikTok during a random doom-scrolling session. And I love it.

RØRY puts into words the ache of waiting for an apology that may never come. It’s what I’ve wanted from them for so long, but know that I’ll never get.

The song is heartbreaking, honest, and somehow empowering as well. It’s about taking back that power and writing the apology that you want, yourself. It’s a little like writing a letter to your past self, but releasing yourself from the accountability of what happened.

#12. One Little Soldier – Regina Spektor

A Song That Reminds You That They Won’t Win

This song is the theme tune to Bombshell; a film that explores the real-life sexual abuse and harassment that happened at Fox. It starts as a quiet simmer, but the rage for the people and systems that enable abuse and let people get away with it is a strong undertone that runs throughout.

The verse quoted below reminds me that karma exists, and people get what they deserve, even if it’s not immediately.

It’s also a reminder that people do start questioning what they’ve been conditioned to see as ‘normal’ and ‘acceptable.’

And that’s powerful.

#13. Under the Thumb – Amy Studt

A Song That Channels Rage

This song comes fresh out of the early 2000’s and is one that I used to love listening to. (In my opinion, Amy Studt’s first album is a classic that doesn’t get the recognition it should).

I see this song as a simple reflection that I didn’t see the grooming, the power struggle, or anything else that I experienced.

And that was intentional, because I wasn’t supposed to see it.

Now, I don’t just see this song as another teen-pop song. I see it as a song about control. And about realising too late that someone had power over you.

#14. Everything Burns – Anastacia featuring Ben Moody

A Song That Channels Inner Pain

I don’t think this song needs much of an introduction as they lyrics speak for themselves.

It often feels that we can scream about VAWG from the tops of our lungs and we just don’t get heard. And this song portrays that feeling of trying to speak out and not being heard or listened too.

#15. Sand – Dove Cameron

A Song That Validates the Pain

This song captures the blurry lines between truth, denial, and vulnerability.

It was particularly prevalent to me after the police closed my case when I formally lodged an allegation against him. Whilst I understood the rationale about why the case was closed, it wasn’t what I’d wanted to hear.

The honesty of the situation wasn’t what I wanted.

I wanted someone to lie to me and tell me that he’d be arrested and charged with what he did. But they couldn’t do that because the legislation wouldn’t allow them to.

Sometimes the honesty hurts more than the lies.

The whole song has James Bond theme tune vibes to it and there are so many other parts of this song that hit hard. From the lines that talk about them being on your mind all the time, to lines about how another person can have so much of you, yet you have none of them.

It’s so powerful and a definite listen on the trauma playlist.

Final Thoughts

Music won’t fix everything; but it can hold your hand through the hardest parts.

These songs have been part of my journey through trauma recovery, and I hope they become part of yours too. Or if not, that you find music that speaks to you and helps in with your trauma recovery journey as well.

Whether you need validation, release, or just a good old cry-scream in the car, know this: you’re not alone, you’re not broken, and healing, even when it’s messy, is still healing.

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Keeley Brennan

Keeley Brennan is a writer and campaigner who speaks out about Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), using her own lived experience to raise awareness and inspire change. Through her blog and upcoming books, she’s creating space for difficult conversations to happen. The name Keeley means beautiful, and Brennan is Irish for sorrow; a reminder that even in the darkest places, something meaningful can grow.