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

You are a cigarette; I am a soap bubble.Lovely Summer Chan

You are a cigarette; I am a soap bubble.

A melancholic guitar-pop song by Lovely Summer Chan that delicately depicts the end of a bittersweet love.

Featured on her major-label debut album “LSC,” released in November 2016, the track expresses the faint feelings for someone out of reach and the fragility of having no choice but to accept it.

Through the contrast between “cigarettes,” a symbol of adulthood, and “soap bubbles,” which vanish in an instant, it strikingly portrays the distance between two people who can never truly meet.

It’s a highly relatable song that offers comfort to those who strive to move forward even while suffering from an unrequited love.

Sentimental Sisteryonige

yonige “Sentimental Sister” Official Music Video

Set to a heartrending vocal, this song—told from a woman’s perspective—portrays a heart swaying within a forbidden love.

The protagonist, unable to escape tangled relationships and events of the past, conveys her feelings with raw, relatable honesty.

Released in July 2016 as part of yonige’s mini-album “I Want to Be a Snail,” the track captures the mindset of a woman who tries to move forward while still bound by past romances.

For anyone who has grappled with complex emotions like longing, regret, and guilt, it’s a song that’s impossible not to relate to.

Shitsuren feat. MatsuriTakase Tōya

Toya Takase / Shitsuren (Unrequited Love) feat. Matsuri (Official Music Video)

A duet song by Toya Takase and Matsuri that delicately portrays the emotions of two people consumed by a forbidden love.

Within a relationship so dependent that they can’t even bring themselves to part, the contradictions and inner conflicts born from caring too much for each other are expressed with aching tenderness.

Released in June 2024, the song has resonated especially with Gen Z.

It’s a moving track that offers solace to those experiencing a bittersweet love—longing for someone while suffering under the weight of those very feelings.

impure loveDomura Riu

Riu Domura – Impure Love (NEOWN: THE GOLDEN Performance Video)

A gem of a love song by Riu Domura that powerfully conveys the pain and poignancy of a love you can’t tell anyone about.

It delicately portrays the feelings of a woman who, despite having been with the one she loves, ends up feeling even more alone.

Depicting the struggle of a woman who suffers in a convenient relationship yet cannot cut off her feelings for the other person, the track was released in January 2024, later included on the album “Irregular Diary,” and has become a fan favorite performed live.

It’s a song we especially recommend to those who have been hurt by love or are currently tormented by an unrequited relationship.

coming home in the morning (after staying out all night)Hamano Haruki

Hamano Haruki “Morning Return – Asagaeri” (Official Music Video)

A gem-like love song that delicately portrays the aching feeling of being unable to confess one’s true feelings.

Singer-songwriter Haruki Hamano masterfully captures the complex emotions of a woman struggling with being “the convenient one,” drawing a flood of empathy on social media.

Released in 2023, the song gained traction on TikTok and earned high marks on streaming platforms.

It carefully depicts a woman’s wavering emotions—caught between hope and self-loathing—in a relationship where she shares the night with someone yet can’t become their first choice.

This work offers comfort and companionship to those who have experienced unrequited love.

Gimmick GameNinomiya Kazunari

ARASHI – ARAFES NATIONAL STADIUM 2012

Depicting betrayal and mind games between a man and a woman, this song stands out with provocative lyrics and a bewitching melody.

Told from a female perspective, the lyrics intertwine suspicion toward the other person with her own shifting emotions, unsettling the listener’s heart.

Included on the limited first edition of the album “Dream “A” live,” it also drew attention for being written and composed by Kazunari Ninomiya.

With its mysterious atmosphere, it’s recommended for moments when you want to immerse yourself in a world that stirs your emotions.