[Songs of Infidelity] A collection of forbidden love songs about unattainable romance

In loveHY

HY - “In Love” (Theme song for the film ‘366 Days’) Music Video

A jewel-like ballad that gives you the courage to take one step forward from the depths of sorrow at the end of a secret love you can’t tell anyone about.

HY, a band from Okinawa, wrote it as the theme song for the film “366 Days,” released in January 2025.

The track was released in December 2024 and is also included on the album “TIME,” which came out in January 2025.

Created as an answer song 16 years after the masterpiece “366 Days,” which etched the pain of unrequited love, this work features beautiful male and female harmonies that resonate together, gently affirming that even deeply wounding experiences have meaning.

It’s a song that will likely resonate with those who, while carrying the memories of a love that brought no reward, are trying to face forward and start walking again.

scumbag man and stupid womanDomura Riu

Scumbag Man and Idiot Woman – Riu Domura (Official Audio) Prod. Misty Melody

A work that sharply depicts the feelings of a man and woman drowning in a bittersweet relationship and delivers a searing social message.

With Riu Domura’s distinctive perspective and expressive power, it unsparingly narrates the dynamic between an irresponsible man and a devoted woman.

Capturing the man’s self-centered behavior and the woman’s loneliness with striking clarity, the piece lays bare the distorted view of romance in contemporary society.

Released in April 2024 as one of the tracks on the album “Irregular Diary,” this work resonates deeply amid complex emotions and can be seen as a message to everyone struggling with love.

even ifHirai Ken

Ken Hirai 'even if' MUSIC VIDEO

It’s a song by Ken Hirai that conjures up the image of a man at a bar counter, tilting his glass and hiding his true feelings as he sits beside someone gazing at their lover’s ring.

You can almost feel the protagonist’s painful frustration as he wishes they’d miss the last train, yet swallows the words instead.

Released in December 2000, the track reached No.

3 on the Oricon weekly chart and is also included on the classic album “gaining through losing.” For those entangled in a forbidden love—knowing it won’t come true yet unable to stop their growing feelings—this song may quietly keep you company.

I’ll take it to the grave.Arukosaito

AlcoSite “I’ll Take It to the Grave” Music Video

A heartbreaking rock ballad about the end of a secret love that can’t be told to anyone, and the resolve to bury those memories deep within and keep living.

Vivid, lifelike scenes—evoking the air of everyday life and platforms of Kansai train stations—heighten the reality of an unattainable love and tighten the chest.

This song is a signature work by Arcosite, included on the album “Until It Becomes a Memory,” released in March 2022.

It later resonated widely on social media, becoming a major topic in 2023 as its annual streams surged.

Blending quiet sorrow with the unique intensity of a band, this piece will surely stay close on nights when you struggle with an unrequited relationship and want to weep alone in silence.

From the season that feels like it will freezeAimer

Aimer “From the Freezing Season” — Opening theme for TV Asahi’s Friday Night Drama ‘Stealing Love, Winter’

A winter song by Aimer that sings of a poignant heart trapped in an irreversible flow of time amid an icy cold.

Released in February 2017, it was chosen as the opening theme for the TV drama “Love Theft, Winter,” whose love-and-hate twists drew much attention.

An extended version was later included on her best album “BEST SELECTION ‘noir,’” and this work stands as a symbol of the darker side of her discography that carves deeply into the emotions.

Even knowing it won’t be rewarded, one cannot sever the obsession and lingering attachment that continue to burn deep inside.

It’s a quiet companion for those who bear the pain of a secret love they cannot tell anyone about.

That’s not fair.Ochiai Wataru

Wataru Ochiai – That's Unfair (Music Video)

Even knowing it won’t be reciprocated, you’re drawn to those gentle hands and that soft voice, unable to walk away…

This song vividly portrays the emotional turmoil of being trapped in such an ambiguous relationship.

Sung by Wataru Ochiai, a singer-songwriter from Osaka, it’s a track overflowing with heartache.

Released in May 2021, it’s known as one of his signature works, alongside albums like “Nonfiction,” where he has expressed a down-to-earth view of love.

The weakness and jealousy of clinging to someone even while realizing you’re being treated as a convenient option come through raw and real over an acoustic sound.

A ballad for anyone who can’t break free from a painful, forbidden love they want to end but can’t.

FUCK LOVEchanmina

FUCK LOVE

A poignant track that bares a wounded heart and loneliness behind the tough front of “I don’t need love.” It’s a song by Chanmina, who showcases a wide range of expression as both a rapper and a singer.

It’s included on her fourth album, “Naked,” released in April 2023.

The piece powerfully conveys the raw feeling—akin to resignation—that lurks behind aggressive words, a sense of “whatever happens, happens.” If you’re exhausted by a futureless, secret relationship yet still unable to cut ties and struggling with those lingering feelings, give it a listen.

It’s sure to resonate deeply with the pain of an unrequited love.