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20 Essential Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Songs to Go Crazy For
Revisit these memorable, singable, lovable tunes — and the episodes to find them in.
By Jessie Mooney
March 5, 2024
20 Best Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Songs to Add to Your Crazy-Ex Playlist - Netflix Tudum
Over its four-season run, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend gave us more than 150 original songs paying homage to every musical genre out there, courtesy of writers Adam Schlesinger, Jack Dolgen and the show’s two co-creators, lead actor Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna (whose latest rom-com, Your Place or Mine, hits Netflix Feb. 10).
The series used its musical conceit to take audiences along for the ride as Rebecca Bunch (played by Bloom) abruptly leaves her high-powered New York life and moves to small-town California to be near her childhood crush. And while the songs all expanded the lives of Rebecca and her friends in hilarious, introspective and occasionally self-aware ways, the best of them can be listened to again and again, even outside the context of the episodes they appear in.
Suffice to say, the bar for creating this list of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend songs was high — but the result is a playlist-as-episode-guide to 20 of the most memorable, hummable and unforgettable tracks from the series. You could call it a crazy endeavor, but to quote Rebecca, “the situation’s a lot more nuanced than that.” Read on for the results (and yes, singing along is encouraged).
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Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Season 1, Episode 1: “The Sexy Getting Ready Song”
Straight out of the gate, the series’s premiere features this steamy little ditty about impossible beauty standards and the gross (and even gory) treatments women undergo in pursuit of them — especially when preparing for a date. Musically, it’s got all the makings of an R&B hit: TLC-inspired guitar plucking, sultry whispering and a rap verse featuring the late Nipsey Hussle.
After witnessing the crime scene that is Rebecca’s bathroom, Nipsey remarks, “This is horrifying, like a scary movie or something. [...] I gotta go apologize to some bitches. I’m forever changed after what I’ve just seen.” Beauty is pain, people!
Best lyric: “It’s the sexy getting-ready song/ Body rolls are really hard.”
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Season 1, Episode 3: “I Have Friends”
Every time Ava Acres appears as young Rebecca it’s a treat, but she’s at her best in this catchy tune showing off all the people that are definitely, totally, for sure her friends. Peppy and self-delusional, it’s classic Rebecca at any age.
The song features a random assortment of classmates and coworkers, a janitor with a seemingly tragic backstory, colorful green screen and upbeat hand claps. And when young Rebecca and present-day Rebecca harmonize on that last chorus, you’ll want to be added to their role call of “friends.”
Best lyric: “Lady who hit your car!/ Friend of friend from law school?”
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Season 1, Episode 5: “I’m A Good Person”
Another self-delusional bop! In this up-tempo dance pop recording, Rebecca proclaims to Greg (Santino Fontana) and the patrons of Home Base that she’s “pure angel through and through” — and then literally holds someone at knifepoint. In addition to Bloom’s fully committed, high-energy performance, we get to enjoy a comical fourth wall break as two sound guys bemoan Rebecca’s mic drop into a pint of beer. (“Hey! That mic cost $300!”) And if you’re interested, there’s a bad (read: explicit) version of “I’m a Good Person” on YouTube that might be even funnier than the original.
Best lyric: “I’m a good, such a good, real good person/ Let me hear you say it too/ Say it!/ Say it, or I’ll kill your husband/ I’ll do it/ I’ll gut him like a fish!”
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Season 1, Episode 6: “What’ll It Be (Hey, West Covina)”
Make some room on that piano bench, Billy Joel. “It’s 5:53 on Thanksgiving,” and Greg is giving existential crisis with a side of loveable snark.
Thanks to Fontana’s powerful pipes and the song’s dramatic build, “What’ll It Be” could hold its own as a legit, standalone show tune — even with the musings about how weird hands are when you really look at them. (It’s also notable enough to come back as a reprise in Season 4.) We won’t judge if you rewind the episode to pound along with the air drum solo.
Best lyric: “Thanks for this town three short hours from the beach/ Where all of your dreams can stay just out of reach/ Dun-dun bom-bom!/ Gun-ga bom-dom!”
Also in this episode: “I Give Good Parent” — a rap song about Rebecca’s parent-pleasing tendencies that sees Josh’s mom (Amy Hill) decked out in fur, chains and a grill. It’s rad.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Season 1, Episode 11: “You Stupid Bitch”
In this ridiculous-yet-relatable power ballad, Rebecca berates herself for her failed relationship with Josh (Vincent Rodriguez III). Some of its best moments actually occur in the song’s setup: The announcer welcomes Rebecca to the stage “to sing a song about self-indulgent self-loathing,” and Rebecca responds with, “It’s so wonderful to be back here. Even though I’m here singing this song… a lot.” She says, “Yeah, you guys know this one,” when the audience erupts into applause after the first line. And it’s true; as Rebecca sings about her most crippling insecurities, you feel like you’ve been there. It’s a poignant, laugh-so-you-don’t-cry situation with a killer key change. Enjoy!
Best lyric: “You ruined everything/ You stupid bitch/ Sing with me!”
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Season 1, Episode 17: “I Gave You a UTI”
This show has quite the discography of songs about bodily functions (“Period Sex,” the “Vagina Metaphor” songs, “The Miracle of Birth”), but for many fans, “I Gave You a UTI” is No. 1. (Pun sorta intended.) Fontana seems to be having the time of his life in this rocking tune, bragging about the unpleasant by-product of Greg and Rebecca’s robust sex life. You probably never thought you’d hear a song about urinary tract infections — especially not one with Elvis-style dancing and back-and-forth banter — but that’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend for you.
Best lyric: “One night with me is pure ecstasy/ ’Cause I know just what you like/ But you should know for a week or so/ You won’t be able to ride a bike.”
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Season 2, Episode 1: “Love Kernels”
The Season 2 opener goes full music video, paying homage to Beyoncé’s visual album Lemonade. Featuring abstract symbolism, a “sexy fashion cactus” and popcorn that rains down “like candy on Shaquille O’Neal in the movie Kazaam,” this visual masterpiece ate up “literally every cent” of their production budget, Rebecca tells us. (Worth it, if true.) The lyrical premise is also rich, as Rebecca tries to convince herself that a selection of one-off remarks from Josh are actually declarations of affection. (Josh: “Your house smells like lemon.”/ Rebecca: “I'll take it.”)
Best lyric: “And I know you care when you say,/ ‘I’m going to a movie tonight. My friend bailed, wanna come?’/ It means I’m the most important person in his life/ Next to his friend.”
Also in this episode: “We Should Definitely Not Have Sex Right Now” — with a titular refrain that’ll set up shop in your head for days.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Season 2, Episode 2: “Ping Pong Girl”
This pop-punk banger, featuring Josh doing his best Blink-182 impression, pokes fun at romantic stereotypes like the Not Like Other Girls love interest who’s unaware of how sexy she is and the easily emasculated commitment-phobe who’s willing to change for her because… she couldn’t care less? (“She is so indifferent/ It makes me want a tangible commitment/ She and I should give a 30-year mortgage a whirl!”) Extremely singable and all too real = the CXG sweet spot.
Best lyric: “When she serves the ball, look how she throws it/ She’s so hot but she doesn’t know it/ She probably just found that outfit laying around/ (Like in the trash!)”
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Season 2, Episode 3: “The Math of Love Triangles”
For this Gentlemen Prefer Blondes tribute, Rebecca morphs into a Marilyn Monroe doppelgänger with the decadent jewels, baby voice and entourage of smartly dressed men who dance really well. Add in all the puns and double entendres, and you’ve got the best kind of equation. As a bonus, Rebecca returns to geometric material again in Season 4 with the hilarious reprise “The Math of Love Quadrangles,” when we see her hastily pull her Marilyn garb back on.
Best lyric: “The math of love triangles/ Is super duper fun/ We’re tired of all your tangents/ That’s also a triangle pun!”
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Season 2, Episode 4: “It Was a Shit Show”
Fontana’s swan song as Greg is both romantic and ruthless, not to mention one of his best performances from his run on the show. Serving up his best Sinatra, Fontana croons about the complicated ups and downs of Greg and Rebecca’s relationship. Despite the chemistry, laughs and occasional tenderness between them, it just wasn’t meant to be (... at this point in the plot). And so, we watch Greg ride off into the sunset — aka up the airport escalator. There are lines that’ll make you chuckle (“But after sex/ What happens next?/ I mean, in the long run, not just fatigue and hunger”), but when tears start to fall down Rebecca’s face, don’t be surprised if you get a little misty too.
Best lyric: “A play about pieces of feces is what we are together!”
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Season 2, Episode 10: “We’ll Never Have Problems Again”
Delusion and denial aren’t a recipe for relationship success, but they make for a great disco tune. In this Soul Train spoof, Rebecca and Josh appear in heart-spangled ’70s getups to sing about love’s alleged ability to solve all of life’s troubles — common sense, psychology and warnings from Heather (Vella Lovell) be damned. Surrounded by background dancers, disco balls and marquee lights, the on-again couple are in a bright-pink love bubble, and the fact that we know it’ll eventually pop doesn’t have to keep us from enjoying it in the moment.
Best lyric: “I’ve been cynical most of my life and everything’s fallen flat/ Now for once the situation’s a lot less nuanced than that.”
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Season 2, Episode 11: “Let’s Have Intercourse”
Nathaniel (Scott Michael Foster) picks up a guitar — and then unceremoniously drops it — for this Ed Sheeran-esque love song that’s filled with insults and self-centered statements instead of compliments and adoration. You’d think that would make for a very unsexy love song, and you’d be wrong. To that end, the scene is complemented by Foster and Bloom’s sensual dance moves, a testament to the talents of CXG choreographer Kat Burns. “Just pretend I’m seducing you,” Nathaniel tells Rebecca. Done.
Best lyric: “Unfortunately, I want to have sex with you.”
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Season 3, Episode 1: “Let’s Generalize About Men”
Rebecca, Paula (Donna Lynne Champlin), Heather and Valencia (Gabrielle Ruiz) bust out the rosé and shoulder pads to “conflate all the guys” in this ’80s girl group number à la the Weather Girls or the Pointer Sisters. Cutting between Rebecca’s couch and a fever dream beauty salon with neon signs and magenta backlighting, the setting is matched only by the geometric costumes. (Power blazers, anyone?) It’s irresistibly singable from start to finish — except for Paula, who remembers she has sons.
Best lyric: “And why do men never listen and only think about themselves/ As opposed to women who always listen and never think about themselves?/ Ooh, I hear you, girl!”
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Season 3, Episode 3: “The Moment Is Me”
There’s a musical theater standard known as the “I Want” song, in which main characters lay out exactly what they’re hoping to achieve. And it was an especially clever move to give an “I Want” song to Heather, who has no idea what she wants to do with her life after college graduation. Played completely deadpan by Lovell, Heather resists every musical trope that comes at her — inspirational lyrics, impromptu choreography, heavy-handed metaphors — even as the music around her soars like that eagle that appeared out of nowhere. (“It’s just, like, so on the nose.”)
Best lyric: “What song is gonna sing me? (Jeez!)”
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Season 3, Episode 4: “The End of the Movie”
Josh Groban’s voice can improve anything, even when it’s narrating a main character’s mental breakdown. After sleeping with Greg’s dad (oof), Rebecca reflects (via Groban as her subconscious surrogate) that life isn’t a movie, and therefore doesn’t always wrap up as neatly as we want it to. It’s a very meta message for a TV show to impart, which is what makes it so quintessentially CXG. (And don’t forget about its uplifting reprise in Season 4.)
Best lyric: “If you saw a movie that was like real life/ You’d be like, ‘What the hell was that movie about?/ It was really all over the place.’/ Life doesn't make narrative sense.”
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Season 3, Episode 6: “A Diagnosis”
Now it’s Rebecca’s turn for an “I Want” song. With its triumphant melody and note-belting chorus, “A Diagnosis” sounds like an audition circuit staple. Funny lyrics aside (“I could really rock a tinfoil hat”), the heart of the song celebrates the serious sense of community and comfort that a reliable diagnosis can offer people. It’s maybe the most sincere musical piece to come out of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. And emerging after Rebecca’s suicide attempt, it manages a hopeful tone while also acknowledging that mental health issues don’t generally come with a quick and easy fix.
Best lyric: “I'm aware mental illness is stigmatized/ But the stigma is worth it if I've realized/ Who I'm meant to be, armed with my diagnosis.”
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
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Season 4, Episode 3: “Don’t Be a Lawyer”
Everything about this ’80s new jack swing imitation is excellent — and sticking with the legal theme, it’s almost criminal we had to wait this long for Jim (Burl Moseley) to have his own number when he had this performance hiding up his oversize blazer sleeves. Between doing the running man and throwing knowing glances at the camera, Jim and his background dancers sell this number as if the snappy drums and synth hadn’t already made it impossible not to love. We’d also bet it’s the most upbeat song in existence to urge someone not to go down an intended career path.
Best lyric: “Sure, your parents might think you're a failure/ But no one's ever said, ‘First, let's kill all the tailors.’”
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Everett Collection
Season 4, Episode 11: “Gratuitous Karaoke Moment”
This is peak Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: a hyper-specific pop culture parody that's also catchy as hell. Nathaniel and Maya (Esther Povitsky) play out lots of cliches in this episode, but the re-creation of a rom-com’s big karaoke scene is its pitch-perfect culmination. The music sounds exactly like a tinny karaoke background track, and it’s fun to see the whole cast's interactions. (Shout-out to DJ Josh!)
We’re not sure why two tentative lovers shimmying, swaying and embarrassing themselves in public is so endearing. But while the lyrics claim that “no one actually likes/ Watching other people sing,” we beg to differ.
Best lyric: “...In a gratuitous karaoke moment/ Somehow we are both doing this move/ Gratuitous karaoke moment/ Sadly this film does not improve after this.”
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Season 4, Episode 12: “I Hate Everything But You”
When Skylar Astin joined the cast as Season 4 Greg, he brought the same brand of powerhouse vocals and curmudgeonly charm to the character as Fontana before him. And this spot-on Bruce Springsteen caricature serves as a vehicle for both, as Greg lists all the very particular things that annoy him. Rocking a cut-off denim shirt, leather jacket and red bandana hanging out of a back pocket of his blue jeans, Astin embodies a classic Americana heartthrob. And the scene takes place at the real-life Raging Waters, which is Rebecca’s version of Paris and a rewarding callback for hard-core fans of the show — among which, if you made it to the end of this list, we’re assuming you count yourself.
Best lyric: “Even more examples!”
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
BONUS: Seasons 1–4: All the theme songs
Because we wouldn’t dare “Skip Intro” on any of ’em.
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