27 Songs About Fake Friends

It's no secret that we all have them: friends who stab you in the back, friends who don't stick up for you when you need it most, and friends who don't even bother to show up when they know they're needed. And with the prevalence of social media clout-grabbing, you can easily present an image of yourself as something other than who you are.

There's nothing like the pain of being betrayed by someone you thought was your friend. If you've ever felt betrayed by a friend, then you know how painful it can be. You're not alone in this experience.

We've put together a list of songs about fake friends that capture how it feels to realize that your “friend” isn't who you thought they were. We hope these songs help you recognize the change in your relationship and even come out stronger on the other side of betrayal.

“Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)” by Fall Out Boy

Year: 2018

The narrator of “Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)” by Fall Out Boy says he hates his friends so much that he is willing to give them up. He wonders if being alone in space is better than being with fake friends.

He's constantly late because he doesn't want to be around people who don't care about him. And he knows they'll never notice if he's late.

Fall Out Boy fans said they “sold out” when they developed more of a Pop Rock sound instead of an Alt-Rock sound. Those fair-weather fans are like the narrator's fake friends—they want him to be something different than what he is.

To push back, Fall Out Boy made a video like an infomercial that was “selling” band members. They tried to become what people wanted them to be, but it still wasn't enough.

“Hey Look Ma, I Made It!” by Panic! At The Disco

Year: 2020

Brendon Urie is a man who has made it, but he's not sure if he can trust his friends.

“Hey Look Ma,” from Panic! At The Disco's sixth studio album, Pray For the Wicked, was written in 2018 by Brendon Urie and producer Dillon Francis. In the first verse, Brendon sings about how he's finally made it but doesn't know who to trust.

He explains that this lack of trust makes him feel lonely and isolated. To combat this loneliness and isolation, he decides to focus on his success instead of relying on his friends for support.

“FFF” by Bebe Rexha and G-Eazy

Year: 2017

FFF is a song by Bebe Rexha and G-Eazy. It means “f–k fake friends,” and it's about how the narrator compares friends to seasons.

The narrator says that in LA, there are many imposters and fakers—people who talk behind people's backs and aren't loyal or honest. But the narrator can't be too worried about those kinds of friends because they're just like the seasons: they come and go, but the real ones stay with you year after year.

“Real Friends” by Kanye West

Year: 2018

Kanye West's song “Real Friends” is about the importance of having real friends, especially men. He believes people take advantage of his friendship and loyalty, and he doesn't even trust his family.

In the first verse, he says he's too busy to be a real friend because he's focused on his career goals. He also says that his friends are posing too much in front of him, so it feels like they're not truly there for him when he needs them.

This could be a reference to how much money changes relationships, or it could be a reference to how people only want to associate with you if they think they'll get something out of it (like money).

“Backstabber” by Kesha

Year: 2010

The song “Backstabber” by Kesha is about a girl who feels betrayed by her friend because the friend talks about Kesha behind her back. In the song, Kesha is at a party. She notices that one of her friends is gossiping about her with another girl.

The two girls talk about how Kesha dresses and what she does in bed. They're jealous of Kesha's style and sex life, so they try to make her look bad so that people will not like her. This action hurts Kesha because she thought they were friends and should be loyal to each other.

“On The Road” by Post Malone ft. Meek Mill and Lil Baby

Year: 2019

The song “On The Road” by Post Malone ft. Meek Mill and Lil Baby are about how the artist feels about his friends who he thinks supported him when he was unpopular.

But now that he is successful, they pretend to have supported him all along. So he calls out these fake friends, saying he no longer needs them.

“Without Me” by Halsey

Year: 2018

“Without Me” is a song by Halsey that explores what it means to be an artist in a world where people only care about you when they can use you. The song is about someone she used to be close with and who she used to support, but now that this person has become famous, they've completely abandoned her.

The friend doesn't even try to hide the fact that they don't recognize her anymore. Instead, they act like they don't know who she is and make excuses for why they can't spend time with her anymore. Halsey feels hurt and angry by this lack of kindness, especially since she's always been there for this person—even when no one else was.

“FAB” by JoJo and Remy Ma

Year: 2016

FAB stands for “fake ass bitches.” In this song, JoJo and Remy Ma call out a bunch of people who they think are fake friends.

When you're trying to build something and make it work, it can be really hard to have people around who aren't on your team. You need people who are willing to support you when things get hard, not people who turn their backs when things get tough.

It's easy to see why JoJo and Remy Ma are upset about all the fake friends they've had over the years—and why they would want to put out a song like this one!

“Fake Friends” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Year: 1983

This song is about the pain of people who laugh at you when you're down but become friends again when you're on top. It's a lesson that you should never get too close to anyone who isn't willing to be there for you when things aren't going well.

It's a song we can all relate to: sometimes it's hard to find real friends who will be there for us no matter what. The takeaway from the song is that if someone doesn't stick by you when things are going wrong, then they aren't your friend—no matter how much fun you have together.

“Bad Blood” by Taylor Swift ft Kendrick Lamar

Year: 2014

In “Bad Blood,” Taylor Swift tells the story of a betrayal between friends. She compares the betrayal to a knife wound, which she says doesn't forgive and forget. She also says that the relationship can't be repaired.

This song is about the end of a friendship and the pain that comes from having your trust broken by someone you thought was your friend.

“All My Friends Are Fake” by Tate McRae

Year: 2019

The narrator of this song is wondering why her friends don't want to talk about important things. She wonders if it's because she shuts people out or if it's because she has gotten hurt so many times before.

She knows that she tends to keep things bottled up, but she also knows that what happened to her in the past is a big part of why she feels like this.

She's trying to open up to new friendships but struggles with trusting people who might betray her again if they get close enough.

“Fake Friends” by Billy Bueffer

Year: 2019

The song “Fake Friends” by Billy Bueffer is about a man who has recently become successful and is finally able to see the people in his life for who they 4

are.

Initially, he sought friendships with others because he needed their support and guidance to get where he wanted to be. But now that he's successful, he can see that some of those people were only interested in him so they could benefit from his success.

As a result, he can let go of those toxic friendships because he has better friends who support him and value him for who he truly is.

“Back Stabbers” by The O'Jays

Year: 1972

In the song “Back Stabbers,” The O'Jays sing about a guy who thinks his friends are coming to visit him, but they're there to try to get with his girl.

The word “backstabber” refers to someone who pretends to be your friend but then turns around and betrays you. In this case, the guys are pretending to come to visit the singer but are just using him to get close to his girl.

The singer warns listeners not to trust people who pretend to be their friends only if they have something they want—money, influence, or something else.

“Case of The Fake People” by TLC

Year: 1994

TLC's “Case of the Fake People” references the O'Jays' “Back Stabbers” in many ways. Both songs are about the dangers of letting people get close to you who aren't genuine and will hurt you.

In this song, TLC warns listeners not to let fake people get close to them. They say that if you let these toxic relationships into your life, they will only bring you down. So instead, the group advises listeners to let those toxic relationships go and focus on building positive connections with real friends.

“Real Friends” by Camila Cabello

Year: 2018

In “Real Friends,” Camila Cabello is singing about how she feels when she's feeling let down or betrayed by someone she thought was her friend.

She says she's feeling brokenhearted and lonely because of the situation and doesn't know who to trust. She's also feeling depressed—like maybe she should just run away.

“Fake People” by Ryyzn

Year: 2020

Ryyzn writes this song to talk about the fake people in his life. He says he's tired of them and doesn't blame them for being fake—it's wrong, but he understands where they're coming from. He recognizes that they're just trying to be something they feel they should be and that they don't want to feel alone or misunderstood.

“Fake Friends” by Sigrid

Year: 2018

In “Fake Friends,” Sigrid sings about the end of a friendship. The song is about a girl who has been friends with someone for a long time but realizes they're no longer good friends.

She saw this person as a friend when, in reality, they were just an acquaintance, and she knew she needed to break up with them.

She's not doing it in a mean way—instead, she feels like she should take responsibility for her part in the friendship ending because she knows it won't work out if they try to stay friends.

“Fake People” by Kandi

Year: 2018

Kandi's song “Fake People” is about the kind of people who want something from you but don't care about you as a person.

She's singing about these people who pretend to be her friend but just want something from her. They're not interested in her—they just want to use her for their ends.

She feels she has no choice but to break away from these people and move on. She doesn't have time for them or lies and betrayal.

“Smiling Faces Sometimes” by The Undisputed Truth

Year: 1971

Sometimes, a smile is just a smile. But sometimes, it's not.

Smiling faces can hide some pretty dark intentions—and that's the lesson at the heart of “Smiling Faces Sometimes” by The Undisputed Truth.

The song warns us to be wary of people who want to be our friends because sometimes, they are offering you their kindness doesn't necessarily mean that it's genuine.

This song is about identifying those who are trying to manipulate or control you and standing up for yourself by refusing to be pulled in by their lies and manipulations.

“Fake Friends” by Gucci Mane

Year: 2022

It's been a while since we've heard from Gucci Mane, and we're happy to have him back!

This week's song, “Fake Friends,” is a full-on warning to his son. It tells the story of two friends who grew up in Atlanta together, but things changed when one of them started getting more success than the other. The less successful friend became jealous and eventually turned on his friend—and it's a devastating story that shows how far some people will go to get what they want.

The message here is simple: not everyone is your friend. If your success comes along, be prepared for some people who were once close to you to turn into enemies.

“Fake Love” by Drake

Year: 2021

“Fake Love” by Drake is about the pain of knowing that people are jealous of you and lying to your face.

Drake sings about how hard it is to trust people and believe they're being honest with him because he knows they're secretly envious of him. He can tell when people are lying, even if they lie right to his face.

“If I'm Being Honest” by Anna Clendening

Year: 2020

“If I'm Being Honest” by Anna Clendening is a song about a friend who has been betrayed. The narrator feels angry and sad and asks how much of the friendship was fake. She blames herself for trusting her friend so blindly, but she also realizes they had no reason to lie to her in the first place.

Anna sings about how she isn’t going to be able to get over this situation. She expresses that the relationship is probably unfixable because of all the things the friend did to hurt her.

“Fake Friends” by Domo Wilson

Year: 1982

Domo Wilson sings about fake friends in “Fake Friends.” She says that she'd rather be alone than be with a friend who isn't her friend.

Domo says she doesn't trust anyone and doesn't mind being lonely because she's still doing well. She says friends only talk to her when they need money and don't care about her otherwise.

“Fake Bitches” by Ashley Kutcher

Year: 2021

This song is about Ashley Kutcher's experience with the entertainment industry. In the song, she discusses what it was like to be young and new to fame and how people would often try to fit her into the mold they thought she should fit.

She also talks about how she has a few close friends who stick by her through thick and thin, but many others are only there to say they wish her well—but she doesn't believe that's true.

“Fake” by Lauv and Conan Gray

Year: 2020

The song “Fake” by Lauv and Conan Gray is a great depiction of how fake social media can be. It's about how our friends lie online, but we still tag them for clout. It's also about how we are all bored with attention-seeking faux friends.

The two sing about how these fake friends tend to only reach out when they want attention and are just like the people that they tend to complain about.

“Fake Friend” by Popcaan

Year: 2010

The song's narrator is talking about a friend who's been lying to him. He knows his friend is being fake and doesn't care about him anymore.

The narrator feels bad because if ever his friend needed anything, he'd give it to him, but now that the tables have turned and he needs something, his friend isn't there for him.

The narrator decides he's leaving his friend because he's been hurt too badly.

“Fake Friends” by Bazanji

Year: 2018

Bazanji's “Fake Friends” is a song about the importance of knowing who your real friends are.

The song begins with Bazanji saying that he has all the friends he needs and that people call, but he doesn't give them attention now that he's successful. He says money changes people, and now that he is rich, people want to be his friend. But he knows they're fake.

He goes on to say that people will say anything just to get in good with him, but if you aren't genuine, then you don't deserve his time.

Best Songs About Fake Friends, Final Thoughts

So, there you have it! Popular songs about fake friends to help you deal with the betrayal of a friend or the change in a relationship.

We hope you found this list cathartic and helpful. We know that sometimes it's hard to hear what you need to hear, but we think it's worth it – and even more so when that message comes from songwriters who've been there before.

So come out stronger than ever with these songs as your soundtrack!