U Up? — “I Gave Him Everything...Then He Dumped Me” (Ft. Spritely)

Release Date: March 7, 2025
Hosts: Jordana Abraham & Jared Freid
Guest: Spritely (singer, musician & viral breakup songwriter)

Overview

This episode dives deep into the viral breakup story of Spritely, the singer-songwriter who skyrocketed to online fame with a humorous yet gut-wrenching breakup song based on her own experience. Jordana and Jared peel back the layers of modern love, the courage and confusion of big life commitments, red flags missed in real time, and how turning pain into art helped Spritely heal—and connected her to millions of fellow heartbroken listeners.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Spritely’s Viral Breakup Song

• [02:16] Spritely performs the song that turned her heartbreak into a global phenomenon, recounting the story of moving across the country for her boyfriend—only for him to suddenly break up, citing “incompatibility” after 3.5 years.
• The hosts praise Spritely for her mix of humor and self-awareness:

  “What I particularly loved about the video was that it felt very much like this podcast in that it takes this kind of traumatic story, but makes it pretty funny, makes it pretty light, at least for us, the viewer.” — Jordana (03:46)

2. The Love Story’s Beginning

• [04:20] Spritely recounts meeting her ex as pen pals via AIM in middle school, losing touch, and then reconnecting a decade later while passing through Texas.
• They fell “madly in love” over one weekend and started a bi-coastal romance before eventually living together in LA.

3. Moving in, Depression, and Relationship Struggles

• [08:36] The couple lived together for two years, with Spritely believing he was “the love of my life.”
• About a year before the breakup, her boyfriend fell into a deep depression. He attributed emotional distance and relationship problems to his mental health but struggled to communicate and resisted therapy.
• Spritely shares:

  “I want to be a loving, supporting girlfriend that sticks to with her partner through the good times and the bad times.” (09:17)

4. The First Breakup Attempt, “Values,” and Therapy

• [09:49] He tried to break up months before the move, citing “different values.”
• Spritely pushed for clarity, but her boyfriend mostly backtracked, blaming it on his depression. They then recommitted, working on issues but never resolving the values conversation.
• [12:18]

  “I wish I knew [what ‘different values’ meant]. Whenever I tried to bring these up and like work on them, he would kind of either say he didn’t want to talk about it, or he didn’t want to work on it, or it wasn’t an issue.” — Spritely

5. The Move to Texas

• They decided to move to Austin, with Spritely sacrificing her LA-based music career and social ties for the relationship.
• [15:19] Emphasis on the months-long process it took for her to agree, including couples therapy.
• The couple considered buying a house together, but in the end, the house was in his name, with Spritely paying utilities.

6. Deterioration and Shocking Breakup

• [36:21] Within 30 days of moving, and after her boyfriend’s family vacation, he abruptly breaks up with her—via a written note, explicating only that they “have nothing in common and different values.” He watches her read the note in silence.

  “He hands me the infamous note.” — Spritely (39:09)

• [39:53]

  “I just go, I don’t understand. Over and over again. I’m in utter shock.”

• The hosts and Spritely analyze how this hurt was exacerbated by his ongoing inability or refusal to directly communicate or work through problems.

7. Aftermath: Shock, Questions, and Viral Vindication

• [46:00] Spritely describes being emotionally destroyed and moving in with her mother in Florida.
• She channels her pain into writing and recording new music—sharing that even during the lowest days, part of her hoped she’d have an Adele-style career breakthrough.
• [54:23] Inspired by a joke on TikTok, Spritely writes and posts her comic breakup song, hoping to “make him feel stupid” and also give friends an update without having to rehash the trauma.

8. Going Viral, Ex's Reaction, and Artistic Healing

• The song explodes online, first on TikTok and then even more so on Instagram, achieving more than 50 million views.

• [59:08]

  “If I had had an idea [how viral it would go], I would have waited so many months until I was better because I was so unwell at this point. Still.” — Spritely

• Spritely details her mixed feelings: pride, anxiety, grief, and a sense of unreality at the simultaneous professional success and personal devastation.

• The ex sees the video, expresses that she’s "violated a boundary" and ceases contact, further frustrating Spritely’s hopes for closure.

• [64:23]

  “No viral video can come close to the damage he did to me. And I just felt like that was really unfair.” — Spritely

9. Bigger Themes on Breakups, Commitment & Communication

• Jared reflects on her ex’s reluctance to move from ‘me’ to ‘we’—suggesting he was never ready for adult partnership, even if he thought he was.

• The hosts reinforce that poor communication not only doomed the relationship, but robbed Spritely of closure:

  “It’s got to be enraging to know you’re not getting the whole story.” — Jared (67:15)

• Jordana points out that the ex’s habit of shutting down instead of communicating is a huge relationship red flag.

10. Turning Pain into Purpose

• Spritely channels her heartbreak into an entire album’s worth of music. The titular track, “Before I Fall Apart,” is released on the day of the episode.
• [70:07]

  “I am so lucky in so many ways to have connected with so many people who have been through this shit… I’m really lucky, really, really lucky to have stumbled into that when I really needed it.”

11. Looking Forward: Healing, Dating, and Hope

• Spritely shares that she tried dating soon after the heartbreak (“I immediately downloaded Hinge...I needed a distraction”), but quickly realized she had more healing to do (74:00).
• She’s since gone on a couple dates, is hopeful for future love, and expresses pride in having been courageous enough to “take the leap for love”—even though her ex wasn’t.
• [74:43]

  “I’m hopeful for the future. I’m such a romantic. I believe in love… Even though it turned into an epic disaster for me, I wish that more people were willing to take the leap for love.”

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “How can you leave it with him? What is the note? ... It says, ‘there are pieces missing in our compatibility, and I just don’t see a future together. I haven’t been honest with myself and by extension you. I wish I realized this sooner. You just moved across the country for me, and I hope in time you can forgive me.’” — Spritely (43:02)
• “He destroyed my life and my mental health for six months. So no viral video can ever come close to the damage he did to me.” — Spritely (64:23)
• “Are we a we, or am I just doing all this me stuff? And it kind of feels like a we…” — Jared (51:45)
• “If there’s anything I feel like to take away from that, it’s like, this person was never going to be able to communicate with me in a way that would have made me happy long term in like a real relationship.” — Jordana (67:15)
• “I’m not quite at the place where I can thank him for it yet, but maybe someday.” — Spritely (75:14)

Important Timestamps

• 02:16 — Spritely plays her viral breakup song
• 04:20–07:00 — The “fairytale” origin story
• 08:36–13:14 — Relationship turbulence, depression, the first breakup attempt
• 15:14–20:23 — Negotiating the move to Texas, mixed signals, doubts
• 25:04 — Couples therapy: the illusion of progress
• 36:21–40:02 — The abrupt breakup, the infamous note
• 46:00–47:50 — Emotional nadir, moving in with family, start of songwriting for healing
• 54:23–59:08 — Turning breakup into comic song, going viral
• 60:20–64:23 — The ex’s reaction, closure denied, emotional aftermath

Conclusion

This episode offers a deeply relatable and emotionally rich look at heartbreak, personal sacrifice, and the arduous journey to healing and self-expression. Spritely’s story is both uniquely her own and uncannily universal—a testament to the power of processing pain with humor, community, and art. Listeners are left with a cathartic sense of closure, solidarity, and hope for the future.

Listen to Spritely’s new single "Before I Fall Apart" on all streaming platforms. Follow @spritely on socials and @u.up.podcast for more.