Roxette – “It Must Have Been Love”: The Song That Defined Heartbreak for a Generation
Some songs come and go — and then there are songs like “It Must Have Been Love” by Roxette, that stay with you forever. First released in the late 1980s and later immortalized in the 1990 film Pretty Woman, this song became more than a hit — it became a soundtrack to heartbreak for millions around the world.
From the very first line, “It must have been love, but it’s over now,” the song strikes a chord deep in the soul. It doesn’t sugarcoat heartbreak or offer easy comfort — it simply tells the truth. Love once was, and now it isn’t. And that simple truth, wrapped in Marie Fredriksson’s tender, aching voice, feels as powerful today as it did decades ago.
Marie’s vocals — fragile yet fierce — carry a kind of emotional honesty that can only come from real pain. You can almost hear her heart breaking as she sings. Per Gessle’s songwriting captures that bittersweet moment between remembering love and accepting its loss — the space where hope lingers just long enough to hurt.
For many older listeners, “It Must Have Been Love” is more than nostalgia; it’s a memory. It reminds them of lost loves, missed chances, and the kind of heartbreak that only time can soften. The song takes you back to that moment when the room feels too quiet, when winter sunlight hits the window just right, and you realize — what you had was real, but it’s gone.
The beauty of Roxette’s masterpiece lies in its simplicity. No gimmicks, no noise — just pure emotion. It’s a gentle reminder that love, even when it ends, still matters. Because if it could hurt this much, it must have been real.
For those who’ve ever loved deeply and lost quietly, “It Must Have Been Love” isn’t just a song — it’s a piece of life itself, still echoing softly in the heart. 💔
