Jack Antonoff has opened up about performing love songs he wrote for his ex-wife Margaret Qualley, saying the experience has been “really beautiful” despite the pain of their split. The Bleachers frontman addressed the break-up for the first time in an interview with The Guardian, published on Sunday, October 25.
Antonoff, 42, separated from Qualley, 32, in July after nearly three years of marriage. People confirmed the separation at the time, but Antonoff had not spoken about it in an interview until now — and his honesty about the songs has struck a chord with fans.
‘I Don’t Rewrite The Past’
Antonoff admitted he initially worried about performing love songs written about Qualley and even considered changing his concert setlist after the break-up. But, he told The Guardian, his gut told him not to. “The deal I’ve made with my audience is that I’m going to tell you honestly how I feel and I’m going to risk at any moment having to stand behind it for ever,” he said, according to Just Jared and Parade.
He added: “I don’t rewrite the past, I have no shame about the things I’ve said. My life has been dedicated to making it impossible for me to rewrite the past, because I’m standing there, singing about how I felt during the good times, so when the bad times hit I can’t look myself in the mirror and pretend that those times didn’t exist.”
A Beautiful Sadness On Stage
Rather than avoiding reminders of the relationship, Antonoff said concerts now allow him and his fans to acknowledge the sadness of the break-up while still celebrating what the songs meant when they were written. “Anyone could relate to the terrible sadness and pain, but there’s a great power to it also,” he said. “It’s actually been really beautiful.”
The pair began dating in 2021 and married in August 2023. Among the songs Antonoff continues to perform are “dirty wedding dress” and “you and forever,” both from Bleachers’ latest album, with Qualley having appeared in the music video for the latter in February. At a Bleachers show in Los Angeles on September 15, Antonoff laughed off a fan’s request for “Let’s Get Married,” joking that the fan should “read the news.” The Guardian interview shows a man choosing honesty over comfort — and fans have praised him for it.
