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

sunflowerSEKAI NO OWARI

Himawari

The protagonist, who had been living in a dark world, ends up meeting “you,” someone dazzling like the sun—the beginning of a forbidden love as sung by SEKAI NO OWARI.

Listening to this song, you can feel that bittersweet thrill of knowing the person is off-limits, yet realizing thanks to them your world is starting to gain color.

Maybe it’s precisely because the melody is light and pop that it tightens your chest even more.

This track is included on the acclaimed album “Lip,” which topped the Oricon charts in February 2019.

It’s a song that gently stays with you in that helpless rush of feelings at the moment you fall in love, even when you know it won’t be returned.

Article 709 of the Civil CodeMioyamazaki

Mio Yamazaki debut single “Civil Code Article 709” lyric video

An unflinchingly vivid major-label debut themed around the text of the law.

It tells the story of a woman who has become a party to a forbidden love, singing of her complex emotions where brazen defiance and a guilty conscience intertwine.

Released in December 2014, the song was later included on the album “anti-these.” The cover featuring Junichi Ishida also drew attention.

If it doesn’t get found out, we’re happy—but what lies beyond that? It’s a track that makes you think deeply about the harsh reality of such a precarious romance and the fragility of the human heart.

No PromiseChara

No Promise

A song by Chara that portrays the aching feelings of a woman torn by a relationship without promises.

She longs to hold on to someone who seems about to leave, yet she can’t secure any promise for the future.

That inner conflict is delicately rendered in a whisper-like vocal.

Featured on the album “Soul Kiss,” released in July 1992, the song captures the frustration of being unable to stop loving someone—knowing it won’t be reciprocated, yet unable to let go—which perhaps only those who’ve experienced it can truly understand.

A love in which only one person suffers is something that, at some point, we probably ought to bring to an end.

Human ErrorTakemori Gō

Gou Takemori | Human Misstep - human error - MUSIC VIDEO

Takenawa from the comedy duo Cunning, singer-songwriter Megumi Mori, and Calmera’s Goushi Nishizaki form an unconventional trio called Takemori Gou.

Their song “Ningen Shissaku – human error -” was released digitally in June 2023 as their debut single.

The lyrics, which you could straightforwardly call a song about an affair, convey the pain of loving Megumi Mori yet being unable to see her, sung from a woman’s perspective, while Takenawa responds as if replying to that woman’s feelings—stuffed with the kind of frank excuses you often see in dramas.

Listening from start to finish feels like peeking into a condensed slice of someone’s life.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

utatane

Report a problem

Bad personsenritsu kannano

Kano Kanaru “Bad Person” M/V

A gem of a love song that beautifully captures the complex emotions of a woman torn by a forbidden love, with a heartrending vocal and delicate lyrics.

Kayayu from Young Skinny—a favorite among Gen Z—wrote the song, and Kanano Senritsu delivers a fragile, poignant performance.

Since its release in September 2024, it has resonated on social media, delicately depicting the turmoil of a woman who forgives even as she recognizes her partner’s lies, and the ache of memories that resurface with the changing seasons.

Its universal lyrics invite anyone struggling in love to see themselves in the story.

It’s a song that gently stays by the side of those overwhelmed by complicated feelings for someone who can’t exactly be called a good person.

selling oneselfRosu

selling oneself

A beautiful tragic love song that portrays the heartrending emotions of a woman living in the night city.

Amid a dark, mysterious atmosphere, the protagonist gives herself to a man she does not even love, while continuing to harbor unwavering feelings for the one she truly longs for.

In a darkness without even a single ray of light, the searing emotions of a woman consumed by an impossible love are vividly expressed through Ros’s protean vocals.

Released in March 2022, the song is also included on the album “Yoru no Shizu.” It is a track that deeply resonates with those pained by unrequited love or troubled by a forbidden romance.

motion sickness from proximitywanuka

Yori Yoi / Wanuqa [Music Video]

This song delicately portrays a sweet yet bittersweet love and the emotions of a woman who can no longer contain those feelings.

Wanuka’s gentle vocals beautifully capture both the strength of her longing and the frustration of being unable to express it.

With this hit, Wanuka—known for a distinctive musical style and worldview—became widely recognized.

Since its release in February 2021, the song quickly gained attention, especially on social media, and as a track included on the album “Aonisai,” it has come to symbolize the poignant love stories of today.

It is a song that offers comfort to those who keep their love a secret and to those who swallow their feelings.