"Love Doesn't Have to Hurt" is a song by English girl group Atomic Kitten. It was written by Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles along with Billy Steinberg, and Tom Kelly and recorded for the band's second studio album, Feels So Good (2002). Production on "Love Doesn't Have to Hurt" was helmed by Bill Padley and Jem Godfrey, with Martin Harrington and Ash Howes credited as additional producers. Initially recorded by Hoffs, it was later given to Atomic Kitten whose rendition of the Bangles' 1988 song "Eternal Flame" had been a number-one success the year before.

Atomic Kitten are an English girl group formed in Liverpool in 1998, whose current members are Liz McClarnon and Natasha Hamilton. The group was founded by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) members Andy McCluskey and Stuart Kershaw, who served as principal songwriters during Atomic Kitten's early years. The group's debut album Right Now was released in October 2000 and charted at number 39 in the United Kingdom. After five top ten singles, original member Kerry Katona quit – four weeks before "Whole Again" reached number one in the UK Singles Chart – and was replaced by former Precious singer Jenny Frost. "Whole Again" became the group's most successful single, staying at number one for four weeks in the UK and six weeks in Germany, and reaching number one in many other territories; in Britain, it was the 13th-best-selling single of the 2000s. The group re-released their debut album, with some tracks re-recorded with Frost's vocals: it peaked at number one in the UK and was certified double platinum after selling over 600,000 copies.