Phil Collins' Heartbreak Led Him To One of His Biggest Hits — 'In the Air Tonight' Meaning Explained

Phil Collins' hit song, "In the Air Tonight," has a heartbreaking history that helped the musician create it and its album.

After Collins took a break from Genesis in 1979, he launched his solo career, which eventually made him one of the most successful musicians in the world. He officially debuted with his solo album, "Face Value," dominating local and international charts.

The material came with his hit tracks, including "In the Air Tonight," and the whole project was inspired by a heartbreaking event in his life.

Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" Meaning

Collins made "In the Air Tonight" and the "Face Value" album after his divorce from his first wife, Andrea Bertorelli. It also led him to take a hiatus from his band.

In his interviews, the rocker admitted that all the tracks were made as his messages to Bertorelli as he attempted to win her back.

"I wrote the lyrics spontaneously," he said. "I'm not quite sure what the song is about, but there's a lot of anger, a lot of despair and a lot of frustration."

In a newly resurfaced clip shared on TikTok, Collins shared a similar statement as he explained that the material for his solo album was the result of his painful experience.

They share two children, Joley (adopted) and Simon, and they called it quits after an alleged affair.

Recently, Snoop Dogg and Chris Stapleton collaborated to rework "In the Air Tonight" as ESPN's "Monday Night Football" selected it to become its newest theme song.

It debuted the anthem on X before it was shown before the Week 2 doubleheader of the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints game. It will be played throughout the season of "Monday Night Football" games.

Phil Collins' Married Life Explored

After his marriage to Bertorelli, he moved on with Jill Travelman and married the actress in 1984. They went on to spend over a decade of marriage together and welcomed their daughter, Lilly Collins, before their divorce in 1996 due to the musician's reported infidelity.

In 1999, Collins wed his third wife, Orianna Cevey, and divorced her nine years later.

"I am disappointed I've been married three times... I'm even more disappointed that I've been divorced three times," he said about his failed marriages in his autobiography, "Not Dead Yet."

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Phil Collins